let's talk about long term results and maintenance

I wanted to lose 30 pounds last year.. and I've lost 29 out of that 30 and so far have kept it all off for 6 months( I fluctuate between 151-155).

When I decided to maintain, it was really just doing what I was doing before(IE eating better foods, exercising the same amount as before, throwing in a bit more strength training). I also told myself I could have a range weight(IE the 151-155) and if I started creeping over that, then it was time to look at my diet/exercise routine again.

I'm tall(stand at 5'9) so a fluctuation of 3 pounds, really doesn't do much for me. I still fit into my smaller clothes and my body look good.. and to me, thats all that really matters.

When I started using MFP I decided to change my lifestyle.
It is not "just" a diet, but it is a long term change. I workout quite every day, so it became my daily "routine", and from the other part, I started to realize what am I eating. I started to learn to cook differently. I have to enjoy what I eat otherwise I know, I will give up. When I reach my goal I am sure to stay on MFP in order to remain in the right track. My body amd my health needs that consciousness that I got from MFP.

I am back to where I started - 5 lbs. more than where I feel comfortable. No one else notices the weight gain but me. At this point, I am just thinking that keeping up with the constant calorie rationing, the need to schedule every other thing in my life around my workouts - it is all a LOT of pressure. Yet I am fairly dissatisfied with the 5 lbs & am making excuses not to go out in public because of it... Maintenance? What is that???? :frown:

Hmmmmm. 15 pounds is a lot to me. I would suggest that you look at your habits. maybe you are trying to go back to former eating patterns after you lose the weight? So then it comes back. You can't do that if you want to maintain a healthy weight. You have to stick with healthy eating, portion control, and regular exercise.

When I started using MFP I decided to change my lifestyle.
It is not "just" a diet, but it is a long term change. I workout quite every day, so it became my daily "routine", and from the other part, I started to realize what am I eating. I started to learn to cook differently. I have to enjoy what I eat otherwise I know, I will give up.

^^ This.

I have been at my current weight now for about nine months. I fluctuate from 151 to 154, and that's water weight. I have made this my lifestyle, the education I gained teaching myself portions and timing are a part of my eating life now, so it's not and never was a 'diet'. I work out five to six days a week, because working out makes me happy. To stay focused and not get bored, I train in seasons for specific events. Now, in the summer, I run, training for a half marathon. When winter comes, I go indoors and focus on strength and train for Warrior Dashes and an upcoming Tough Mudder. I take Bootcamp, TRX and Piloxing classes for the fitness, camraderie and socialization. I am having the best time of my life, in the best shape of my life.

Keep in mind that some of it may be water retention. Your body is going to fluctuate up and down a few pounds (not sure how many kgs that translates to), even during maintenance. I don't know how much you exercise while you're maintaining, some people are fortunate enough that they only have to do it three or four times per week to maintain. If you're like me, however, you may have to exercise 5-6 days per week to maintain. Also, I would say six days per week, make sure you eat the same way you do when you are losing (just bump your calories up to maintenance level), and allow yourself only one day each week to "cheat". Meaning, you can eat WHAT you want, just control your portions. Of course, keep weighing every week to closely monitor any gains. It's much easier to lose 5 or 6 pounds than it is to lose 50-100.

I just reached my goal and kept doing what I was doing. I'm a little afraid to set my goal to maintenance, so I've reset to 100 calorie per day deficit which would be a little less than a 1 pound loss per month, and I plan to eat my exercise calories. I'll just see how it goes and adjust as needed.

Maintenance for a thin person is eating and exercising like you did when you were thin. Maintenance for a fat person is eating like you did when you were fat. If you want to stay thin, eat like a thin person. If you want to eat like a fat person...you will become fat.

Keeping weight off is about recognizing how to eat like a thin person and still enjoy what you eat and how you live. Its a lifestyle change. It is choosing to enjoy only the foods that are good for you (high fiber, low sugar) and set aside (for the most part) the foods that are not so good for you.

When I was growing up, we only got white milk in school, because chocolate milk was for treats only. We had a sandwich and fruit or veggies from home instead of the school lunch. Pizza, eating out, and desserts were for special days only, maybe two or three times a month. I find myself moving back to those thinner days. I walk down the store aisle and see Hostess Apple Pies and become revolted that I will have to skip a whole meal to make up for the calories it will give me. Not only that, I no longer enjoy the taste of them because instead of sweet apples, all I taste is the slimy lard in my mouth. Tastes change over time. Maintaining a thin person diet involves developing a taste for the foods that are good for you.

I struggle with this very thing all of the time. I always hated programs that fed you that line of "it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change." If you have to exercise self control, cut back on your food intake, deprive yourself of certain foods, and force yourself to exercise...anything that is not routine for YOU....ITS A DIET!!! But the a-ha moment came when I realized that those programs may just be feeding you a line...but in the grand scheme of things that should be the ultimate goal. An honest to goodness lifestyle change. Learning how to eat better but still being able to look forward to your meals and not feeling bad for splurging on occasion. If you hate to go to the gym, try different activities that will get you moving until you find one you enjoy doing like skiing or tennis or geocaching or gardening. That's the hard part, trying to incorporate subtle changes into your life that you can easily make permanent. I think the trying to lose weight is the "diet" part. You have to make sacrifices to achieve the goal. Maintainence is the "lifestyle change" part. I don't know how to tell you to achieve this because it's still difficult to figure out and everyone's changes will be different, but hopefully you can find the advice helpful and it gets the wheels turning. It really does all boil down to a mindset. Good luck!