As I near the end of my Weight Loss Journey...

[sunnyd 32]

Girl~ You are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! You have done such a fabulous job on not only losing weight but being active and a huge motivator to so many of us on this board. I have truly enjoyed reading all your stories and advice. I always look forward to reading your posts and blogs. I know that you will continue to be an inspiration to us and I'm sure you will lose more weight. But at least it will be an added bonus and not something you are killing yourself to reach. I love your frame of mind. You are going to enjoy life and not focus on the few pounds you may have left to lose. Good for you!!

[SeattleSue 25]

That is SO wonderful!! I am so happy for you. It sounds as if you've reached a place where you are breaking free of the obsession--what a spectacularly healthy place to be!

Truly, being free from the "what" or "when" is my next meal...isn't that the final apron string so-to-speak?

GO GIRL!! I'm so proud of you...and I can't wait to get to this same place and declaration! HALLELUJAH!

[cwalker 12]

Hmmm... well - here it goes... I guess I'm just mentally drained where hard core weight loss is concerned quite frankly. Before I continue let me be clear I may still lose some weight... however as far as really working my butt off and continued food restraint... I think I really am done. Period.

Yes I'll continue to do my early morning running, I'll still do my workouts (this will be always and forever) and I'm probably going to add in some muscle toning exercises. I bulk up really easily so this is actually going to slow down the losses a bit. However, I'm NOT going to actively push more workouts to post higher losses anymore. I'm also NOT going to do low carbs anymore, in fact I'm going to add in more per meal.

Slowing down the routine will probably get me about 3-5 Lbs lost per month. I do believe I am very much ok with this. Physically I am very satisfied with how I look. I am wearing sizes 8-10 in pants right now and I just bought a bunch of size Small shirts and they are all fitting. I even bought size XS at Old Navy (my first time there ever!) and those even fit. Crazy huh? Well... this got me to thinking, how small do I really want to get??? I weigh 185 Lbs. So what??? This is how GOD made me, and I accept this.

I've lost nearly 150 Lbs from my heaviest weight!!! Why am I torturing myself just because of a stupid made up BMI scale??? Its just insanity I tell you!!!

I know we tend to continue losing with the sleeve even once we have decided we are at "goal". I imagine this will be true for me too. I have picked up really good habits so it's inevitable I will still continue to lose from here, I just don't want to try as hard anymore. If I want a tortilla with my dinner, guess what... I'm gonna have a freakin tortilla with my dinner. If I want a slice of bread, I'm going to have a slice of bread. If I want to some white rice one night, that's what I'll have. I can only eat one or two bites anyway!! If I want a few potato chips with my lunch... you get the idea. I just wanted to put it out there that *I* Irene am calling myself nearly done. If I lose a little more, great. If not... OH WELL!!! I'm HAPPY with ME right now and that is ALL THAT MATTERS!!!

It is possible that at some point I may change my mind. Well, guess what I'm a woman so that's my right. LOL!! None the less, I just feel happy and very much ready to let go of the diet mentality. I'm ready to just live my life and enjoy the new me... get used to the new person I've become. I can seriously actually look at myself in the mirror now and be ok with how I look.

I decided to put this in the Success threads because this is a huge success to me... saying goodbye to diets and hello to "maintenance"... whatever that entails (which usually for sleevers is still a little more losing but not breaking our necks for it). Well, I'm here!!! Say hello to the new and improved me. Again, if I continue to lose a few more here and there I'm ok with that. If I don't, well take me or leave me. I'm happy and content.

Blessings!!!

Awesome job!!!! I'm like you, I have been in semi-maintence mode. It is harder for me to maintain than I thought...just can't get the scale to stay in one place, exercise continues to be the key for me.I still eat no bread but that is just because I don't want it. Good luck and if you have any tips for semi-maintaing please share!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kellyw74 258]

Maintenance scares the $#*& outta me! I have NEVER done that!! I have always lost large amounts of weight and then gained it all back. I could never keep it off. That is why I got sleeved!

I am so afraid of maintenance. I have about 28lbs to go till I get to that point, so hopefully by that time, you can give me some pointers!!

Kelly

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Awesome job!!!! I'm like you, I have been in semi-maintence mode. It is harder for me to maintain than I thought...just can't get the scale to stay in one place, exercise continues to be the key for me.I still eat no bread but that is just because I don't want it. Good luck and if you have any tips for semi-maintaing please share!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I think what I'll do for awhile is still participate in the Weight Loss challenges. I have changed my goals to lose about 2-4 Lbs per month. That's plenty right now and it will also give me a chance to really realize if it's a good place to really stop actively losing. In this time I'm hoping to be able to re-learn a new relationship with ALL foods where I don't beat myself up for eating certain things. It's a really tough decision to make. I'm knowing I'll battle with it for awhile.

Hugs to you and wishing you well !!!

[Tiffykins 672]

That's exactly what mindset I got in as I was fighting to get into maintenance. You can do it chickee, and you'll do fabulous. If you lose a few more pounds here and there, so be it. I lost about 23lbs over 4 months getting into maintenance, and I promise I wasn't trying. So, the body does weird things. You're a lot more diligent about working out so I bet you'll see a big loss of inches and redistribution of skin and any residual fat you may have in the coming months which is awesome for clothing ! ! !

Keep rockin' it chickee! ! !

[JackieOMonroe 123]

I DREAM of getting down to 185. Good for you! I think continued weight loss will be inevitable for you considering all you've learned about how to eat and how to exercise, but I LOVE that you're making the decision to be happy with all of the work that you done and what you've achieved. You've made a tremendous change and your life is forever going to be better for it.

[My Big Day 3/15/2011 4]

I am totally jealous of you! I mean who cares how much we weigh if we are fitting into size 8 or 6 clothes. You are really lucky that you are already there at your weight b/c that doesn't happen for most people. I am 200 lbs and a size 16 and Lg or XL tops. There is no way I will drop 4 or 5 sizes by the time I get to 185...no way. I am also 5 ft 6. So, enjoy your success and ignore the scale numbers...actually what that really means is you have great bone density which is important for strong bones. The most important thing you have done is dedicated your life to being active. Congrats on your journey and good luck with reaching your future goals whatever they be.

[fern 195]

Oh Irene, I'm so happy for you!!! I think the biggest success I've seen from everyone on this site is not the weightless, but the change in attitude and self worth. You look fabulous and it sounds like you feel fabulous!! That is what this journey is all about!!!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Thanks so much everyone! It really is a huge relief and weight off my shoulders to finally come to terms that I'm much closer to done than I had originally thought. I wanted to start the slow down now, because as Tiffykins you mentioned it still seems to come off a little bit once you even make this decision. I totally believe that it continued to melt off even though you never tried!! I went through a month where I absolutely never once tried and still lost 5-6 Lbs that month... That was May, then I tried again for last month and I believe I lost about 9-10 Lbs... something like that.

My body is not used to sugar or fatty food at all and I think I may have to retrain it as much as I can back in. It's used to eating nothing but baked chicken or fish / eggs / and green veggies!!! Anything else and for more than one meal and my Sleeve Momma starts to rebel... LOL

I can't explain the feeling you get once you decide to "let go" of dieting. I mean I will probably still need to do some short bursts of it if I notice my scale doesn't do its downward trend as it's very normal for it to have any ups. No biggie, I don't think it would ever take me more than 2 weeks to get it back off. Whoohooo!!! I think the biggest friend I'll have now is to make sure I'm still weighing myself to watch out for gaining. Whoohoo!!!

[Kimmes 38]

Diva - You have been a great source on inspiration to me and many people here! I hope you will continue to post to inspire us - you feel like an old friend to me! I wish you continued success, happiness and size 8 jeans!

Kim

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

I am totally jealous of you! I mean who cares how much we weigh if we are fitting into size 8 or 6 clothes. You are really lucky that you are already there at your weight b/c that doesn't happen for most people. I am 200 lbs and a size 16 and Lg or XL tops. There is no way I will drop 4 or 5 sizes by the time I get to 185...no way. I am also 5 ft 6. So, enjoy your success and ignore the scale numbers...actually what that really means is you have great bone density which is important for strong bones. The most important thing you have done is dedicated your life to being active. Congrats on your journey and good luck with reaching your future goals whatever they be.

Thank you and yes, great bone density runs in my family from my Mom's side. We are all built very strong and and we are all heavy too. My size 6 cousin is 160+ Lbs, and though I'd still weigh more than her when I wear that size!! That said, she's also 2 inches taller than me too... LOL... I'm sure a lot is some extra skin I have too. It's not bad but make no mistake it IS there!!!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Diva - You have been a great source on inspiration to me and many people here! I hope you will continue to post to inspire us - you feel like an old friend to me! I wish you continued success, happiness and size 8 jeans!

Kim

Hey Kim! Of course I'll still post!!! You all are like a second family!!!

[Dawn 16]

I am SO Excited for you!!!! I can't wait to follow your journey in semi-maintence! LOL

[Disney 20]

LOL Exactly my point! I'm an anomaly in every sense. I'm 5'6... and I weigh 185 Lbs. No my scale is NOT broken (I've heard that one a million times). I go to my Dr.s office and they have a Detecto Balance scale and it always weighs me exactly what my Taylor scale says at home. In fact, it's so funny, the tech will always start with putting the big slider at 50 Lbs less than I know I will turn out to be... haaa!!

I just don't know why I weigh so much. I'm just going to have to accept it at this point. For goodness sakes I have my Skinny cousin commenting on how skinny *I* am... and one of my Aunties even made a comment that I'm smaller than her. Only on top of course, she's a size 6 which I'm only about 5-10 Lbs away from as I fit into many pairs but are just still too tight to wear comfortably.

I wanted to continue on to lose around 20 more Lbs... but really - I just didn't do this to get super skinny. I like the sizes I am right now. Also, if I did lose 20 more, will I even be able to fit any shirts at all??

Oh No, Irene!!! You better add a few extra carbs or you're gonna have to go topless....lol!!!!

So glad to hear that you're gonna stick around. Enjoy your posts on a daily basis!!