How do you decide a maintenance goal?

kathic55 · October 2024

To be honest, I never thought I’d ask this question. I’ve been overweight all my life always aiming for more more more wait to lose. I’ve lost 50 pounds this past year. I know I have more to lose, but how much is more? How do you get satisfied With your weight when I’ve been struggling my entire life and how do you decide what that number is? I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and I’m going to be asking her the same questions but I’d like some real life experience.

cmriverside · October 2024

Here is the calculator your doctor will likely use to calculate your current Body Mass Index.

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm

It will show you the range.

You can also Google "BMI Chart Images" and look at charts of healthy weights for your height.

Other than that - it's about personal preference and your health and to some degree it's about what you can personally maintain within the healthy range. I feel best at 21-22 BMI, and my Maintenance weight is a five pound up-or-down range I try to stay within. I can maintain it fairly easily, but there is about a 35 pound range within which I would be considered to be in a healthy weight range by the BMI chart - anywhere from 120 lbs. to 155 lbs.

AnnPT77 · October 2024

Honestly, I don't think it's worth worrying about in advance, when there's still some good bit left to lose.

Yes, MFP asks for a goal weight, but what you input there doesn't affect your calorie goal or anything about the weight loss process along the way. The process is the same, regardless of goal weight.

Goal weight only matters when we reach the point where we want to stop losing . . . and that's way, way easier to evaluate when we get at least close to that point. I think that's especially true when we've had excess weight for a long time - I was overweight to obese for around 30 years before losing down to a healthy weight myself 8 years ago.

I had some vague ideas about a goal weight, based on a weight I'd been in college (1970s!). However, "everyone said" we should be a little heavier when older, so I picked a little higher number. When I got close to that weight, I could see it wasn't right. I changed my mind a couple more times. Somewhere in there, I developed some theories - trying to be realistic - about how I wanted to feel and look, fairly specific criteria that would help me know when I reached goal. I literally woke up one morning, thought about it, and decided to go to maintenance calories.

As long as you don't have a severely distorted body image, you'll recognize when you're getting close to where you want to be, and you can recognize it when you get there. There may still be some things you want to work on at that point, exercise-wise; and loose skin IME keeps shrinking for a long time even after goal weight is reached.

I'd also say this: Goal weight isn't something that can't change. It's not necessary to invest a lot of emotional energy in it in advance, or even when near to it. You can change your mind literally at any point. If you decide you've reached a good weight, maintain it for a while, then decide you want to lose a little more . . . you know how to lose weight, obviously, right?

On the flip side, if you reach goal then over time decide you'd be happier with a bit more body weight, or find it easier to maintain weight on slightly higher calories . . . you can do that, too.

For now, sure, do talk with your doctor. (Mine just said to aim for the healthy BMI range, which is a huge range!) But don't agonize about it, just pick an approximate number, and revise if/as needed as you go along. That'll work fine.

Best wishes!

varianval · February 5

Use BMI as a guide, but trust your body and adjust when needed. Check with your doc too!

NotForJustNowForever · March 10

I'm going to answer based on my own experience. So this may or may not apply to you :)

I've now lost about 52 kg (116 lb) over 3-4 years I guess? I've plateau-ed several times. I kept pushing my (maintenance) goal over and over because… Well, I've gotten used to fixating on losing I guess?

Now I'm set on maintenance. And one of the reason is the idea behind "set points" that I've read a few times. The way I see it, every now and again, it's worth just maintaining for about 12 weeks. Just getting your body to this new norm.

The idea behind this (based personal experience, not scientific studies!) is that your body kind of naturally tends to want to return to a set point. Your "norm" if you will. I had a whole year for example where I kept gaining and losing the same 5-7 kg. Over and over again. In that moment I felt like I wasn't making any progress. I kept trying to create deficits… In hindsight and sadly only recently, I looked at pics from the beginning and the end of that year and my shape really really changed. I wish I had paid more attention to measurements.

So this is what I'm doing now. This also shows me what I'm willing to do to maintain and gives me time to decide whether I want to lose more down the line or not (it can become… not healthy from my perspective to keep wanting to lose more, always more). My two GPs constantly remind me that I'm doing great for my age, my BMI is good, and based on where I started! LOL

Also maintenance is nearly like a new journey. Finding the balance, the lifestyle that helps you maintain and feel good, have energy, etc. That's kind of new and I've never done that.

So I don't know if that helps you at all and I apologize if my answer is all over the place. This is why I'm always quiet on forums! 😅

TrekkieLianne · March 11

I lost almost 40 pounds over a 4 year period almost 10 years ago (from 195 to 158). I regained some during the early pandemic but lost it again. My maintenance weight is "below 160" even though that is still considered overweight by the BMI charts. I weighed 150 when I was 12 and was in the 150s all though high school and for years beyond that. My weight loss journey taught me that the best thing for me was to diet a while, maintain a while, and then diet again. Each step taught me how to maintain the new weight before aspiring to go lower. I feel like a weight you can maintain without regaining is where you belong. Because sustained weight loss entails a life of exercise and food vigilance, those habits need to stay in place. Being at a weight you can do all that comfortably, that's where maintenance lies. I don't follow BMI much because it doesn't take muscle into account but my BMI is now 26-point-something most of the time and that's good enough for me.

londoneye · March 22

Great advice above! I agree it's trial and error. Can I maintain at 60kg? Yes, but only by white knuckling it and stressing whenever food isnt 100% within my control. Not worth it to me when I can maintain at 65kg and also enjoy food and a social life :)

Ethanhunt28 · June 22

Thank you for sharing something so personal, it truly shows your strength and honesty. Losing 50 pounds is an incredible achievement, and you should be so proud of yourself. I think “more” can be different for everyone, but maybe it’s not just about the number, it’s about how you feel in your body and in your mind. What’s something, big or small, that makes you feel proud or happy about your journey so far?

Interbeing · June 22

For me once I reach "Normal" in the BMI scale, I started looking at just where within the parameters I felt the best. My initial goal weight was 185lbs, but I actually find that I feel my best at around the 180lb mark. I am running a little under that at present, but I have been injured and not working out with strength training at present, so I'm okay with it.

I suggest looking at some of the maintenance groups here in the community to help with maintaining your weight moving forward. Groups such as Maintainers Weekly Checkin have been very valuable for me since reaching my goal weight.

sihamab66s262 · June 22

Use IBW: ideal body weight equation.

sihamab66s262 · June 22

IBW. Put your height and sex in MDCALC website.

How do you decide a maintenance goal?

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