What Do YOU consider maintenance?

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

  • saragd012
    saragd012 Posts: 693 Member
    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.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    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.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    Yeah, five pounds for me.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    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.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,950 Member
    I have a 5 pound maintenance range.
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,074 Member
    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.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    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.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    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.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,493 Member
    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.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,717 Member
    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.
  • AudreyJDuke
    AudreyJDuke Posts: 1,092 Member
    Great insights here!
  • Thebajan
    Thebajan Posts: 20 Member
    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! :)