What Do YOU consider maintenance?
aimeetu
Posts: 139 Member
How far from your goal weigh do you get before you consider it not maintenance? As a reformed WW member I have a 2 lb fluctuation in my head but I feel like that is too little - I can gain 2lbs from PMS!! Also I am 5 lbs from "goal weight" but I am worried when I get to the magic number I won't have anything to strive for anymore. Help!
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Replies
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How far from your goal weigh do you get before you consider it not maintenance? As a reformed WW member I have a 2 lb fluctuation in my head but I feel like that is too little - I can gain 2lbs from PMS!! Also I am 5 lbs from "goal weight" but I am worried when I get to the magic number I won't have anything to strive for anymore. Help!
I consider maintenance to be within 5 lbs of my desired weight. If I get outside that 5 lbs, I need to buckle down again before things get out of control. No ignoring the issue. I always feel like I have things to strive for - health is not a "once I get to a certain point thing". It's an ongoing process.
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Mine is 5# as well. Within 5# I know it's just a normal fluctuation, but anything greater (in either direction) means I need to either reduce or add calories and consider re-adjusting if I feel that it's no longer aligning with my actual TDEE.1
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I consider my goal weight 55-58 kilos, which would be a range of around 7 pounds. I will watch the trend and take action when I see it rising. I will just relax more when I see it decreasing.4
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Yeah, five pounds for me.0
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yea, roughly 5lbs here too. I think it's important to have other goals that way when you get to your "magic number" you won't just go back to your old ways. I like to have fitness goals instead.4
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I try to be within shouting distance of 170lbs. I don't mind being a bit under that, but I do tend to get annoyed when I get above it. So my comfortable range ends up being something like 165-172lbs.5
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The top of my 5 pound maintenance range is 4 pounds below my original goal. My goal was an upper limit. I set the range below so that if I expand the size of my range I will not be giving myself permission to gain weight but rather forcing myself to lose weight to get back to the middle of it. I want a gap below goal and above my range so that going over goal is a major event to be avoided at all costs. I don't want a spike when I am near the top of the range to go over goal weight. The last thing I want is casual acceptance of going over goal "just a little bit". That's a historically been a slippery slope for me. I realize my strict rules are just head games I am playing. I need them.11
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Although I'm more focused on body composition and my fitness level, maintaining a 10 pound range year round is my happy place.
It works great for me mentally too. I don't stress when I'm up a few pounds during the holidays and the winter time. But I do have to watch that I don't go below my range in the summer.8 -
I have a 5 pound maintenance range.0
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I only aim for 2lb window, but my PMS fluctuations is max 1 lb usually less. I also tend to eat moderately low sodium and dine out rarely so I see little fluctuations from that.
If you have 2lb fluctuation from PMS then the 2lb window is going to wreck havoc on your nerves even if you "know" it's your cycle. I would opt for a larger window and use trends to see how you are doing.
My goal is to stay in this range, which requires me to make smart choices EVERY DAY. I also have fitness goals, but I certainly can't go back eating how I want unless I want to gain all the weight back.
Moderation of all the tasty food keeps me happy and in my maintenance range, but it never ends. I think that is a big mental challenge that many people don't see and can be even harder some days than losing.
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I like to stay in a 15 lb range. If I get close to that top number then I know I have to tighten up. What happens when I tighten up is that I end up losing more weight than I want to so I am working on finding a happy medium.0
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rainbow198 wrote: »Although I'm more focused on body composition and my fitness level, maintaining a 10 pound range year round is my happy place.
It works great for me mentally too. I don't stress when I'm up a few pounds during the holidays and the winter time. But I do have to watch that I don't go below my range in the summer.
This works for me too. And my bottom range has gradually increased over time as I've put on muscle.4 -
2 1/2 lb trend in either direction (a day or 2 here and there over or under doesn't count and won't cause me to tighten up on calories). This works because water fluctuations for me tend to be no more than a lb or so, and my days are fairly routine outside of vacations and occasional special events.
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@aimeetu
I made WW Lifetime in May after five years on WW (376 to GW 184)
At age 70.
Dr note was needed, I wanted GW one pound below my HS football weight in 1966. But my Dr suggested 179. That would be 15Lbs over Normal weight for BMI. I have lost 2” due to aging.
My Dr agreed to GW 184, I have been around 181 and I would be nervous if I got to within a pound of GW.
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I give myself a 2-3 pound range, but then my weight doesn't fluctuate very much. If I suddenly gain 5 pounds either I've been way over my calories or I just had a sodium and carb blowout. Either way, it doesn't come as a surprise.2
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After having lost from obese through overweight to the lower end of normal, I consider maintenance to be anything that happens in approximately the lower side of the normal BMI range for my height, as long as my health markers (BP, cholesterol, etc.) stay normal. (I wouldn't say that if my body type were different. BMI 18.5 is lower than I'd like to be, not ideal, but not crazy unhealthy with my build.) Maintenance has included one period of intentional gain (overshot goal), and some intentional losses.1
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How far from your goal weigh do you get before you consider it not maintenance? As a reformed WW member I have a 2 lb fluctuation in my head but I feel like that is too little - I can gain 2lbs from PMS!! Also I am 5 lbs from "goal weight" but I am worried when I get to the magic number I won't have anything to strive for anymore. Help!
Changing your focus from weight loss to maintaining takes time to settle into. Its finding balance so you don't obsess about the scale. Maintaining can be chasing the same five to ten pounds up and down the scale.
After weight loss, I realized I needed fitness goals to keep me motivated. Hope you find what keeps you balanced and striving for your best self.5 -
For me it isn't just a number. I am quite a practical person so as long as I stay in the same size clothing I am fine. I do know that in order to go up or down a size I would no longer be within the healthy BMI range.5
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Great insights here!0
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I'm not quite there "yet". I am currently 1 pound away from the top of my goal range. I'm shooting for a range between 125 - 130 lbs. I've lost 99 pounds since Nov 13th, 2017 so I'm still very much in the weight loss phase of this new life. The last 10 pounds have been very slow. I'm aware of my BMI and I've started setting some goals to focus on that rather than on the scale (once I've met my weight range). I'm going to still keep a check on my weight but I agree that you have to continuously set new goals that aren't necessarily on the scale. It helps you to stay focused and moving forward. Losing weight is only a part of the journey to healthy, vibrant living. Find your balance... good luck!3
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