When did you decide on maintenance, and how did you start?

I'm down 45 pounds and I'm in a healthy weight range, however I'm not 100% happy where I am. I'm about 5 pounds from my goal so I'm getting close to maintaining my weight. When did you decide you were at a healthy place to maintain? How did you start this new way of diet and excersize? Thanks for the help!

Replies

  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    I think I started maintenance before I hit my target weight because I was slowly increasing my calorie count before that point. I'm actually still losing, but slower, even though I'm below target weight range.
  • modestguineapig
    modestguineapig Posts: 23 Member
    I slowly moved into maintenance. My original goal weight was 130, and I hit that in January 2016. I was only losing .5lb/week then. I started eating my meals by intuition and counting my calories only at the end of the day to see how I estimated. Then I started only counting calories every couple days or for foods I was really unsure about. I still lost weight, but very slowly...maybe about .25lb/week. Once I hit 125lb in May 2016, I kept eating and exercising the same and my weight stabilized. So, I think I found my ideal weight/calories for my lifestyle.
  • BritannieWilliams1979
    BritannieWilliams1979 Posts: 11 Member
    My dietitian helped me adjust and reduced exercise and eating habits. and I was stable. I stumble every once and
    awhile.... but the lifestyle changes and a bit of meditation, the maintenance all seemed to just get there, change of habits just stuck in my head and it works........ like the other member said just intuition.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    When did you decide you were at a healthy place to maintain?
    When I got to my goal weight. Maintained a while, dropped a bit, maintained a while, dropped a bit, maintained a bit, dropped a bit - a series a steps over a long period. I'd never been fit and in my 50's before so my original goal based on favourite adult weight was still a bit porky!
    Eventual weight did turn out to be in my healthy BMI range so not a bad guide, like many I previously used the excuse "I've got some muscle so BMI doesn't apply to me."
    How did you start this new way of diet and exercise?
    I didn't change what I ate, just how much I ate. My diet was the same but smaller to lose weight, my exercise was always for fitness/strength/health not weight loss.
    Did change my eating pattern though, I did IF for easier adherence to a calorie deficit.

    Give yourself some time to find maintenance and have a real logical (not emotional) think about yourself and your body. If there's still something to fix the answer may not be weight loss!
    Depending on your personal preferences for physique think of people who look or perform like you want to and then think how to get there.