Goal and don't know how to maintain

[lclemur 161]

Okay. I am 2 lbs below goal. Now I wonder how I figure out how to maintain? I am ready to schedule an appointment with my NUT, but in the meantime...Do I have to pick and chose what to eat, and see how I react? Maintenance has always been my challenge. This is scary territory. Any advice on how I start? I am getting a little frustrated that the clothes I had hoped to wear a while are starting to get too loose! Thanks!

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Congratulations on reaching goal! That is quite an accomplishment.

I am nowhere near goal, but it seems like you are already doing what I would advise: making an appointment with your NUT. That seems like the best course of action to me.

Best of luck with your maintenance and entering this new phase of your journey.

[Babbs 14,680]

Ah, yes. This is a tough one. I am also 2 pounds below goal, but I'm doing it on purpose to give myself a buffer of 5 or so pounds. I know a few on here that really had a hard time trying to figure out how to stop losing. I think it was just adding a couple hundred calories to their diet until they honed in on what worked to stay the same weight more or less. I think this would be a very important time to start tracking if you haven't been already to figure out your calories and figure out all your macros.

I've been in weight loss mode for so long (almost 13 months), it's going to be hard for me to get out of it, too! I'll figure it out, and so will you. I think you should schedule an appointment with your NUT to help you out!

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Based on my experience, get ready to lose some more weight.

And when you stop losing weight, be prepared for your body to keep shrinking.

This freight train has a lot of momentum behind it. It's gonna take a few miles to stop.

[B-52 7,113]

I simply continued living the way I lived since surgery...to me, there is no such thing as maintenance as though I was on some diet.....since surgery, I have adapted a new lifestyle...a new way of eating, along with new foods and foods I gave up forever, and a steady workout schedule.

I never counted calories or portion sizes, so everything I did I will continuing doing for the rest of my life.

As far as reaching goals, who's goal? Every goal I made for myself I met and then continued on....untill my body decided I was at a place it should be...turns out it is a very healthy place, good weight and a very LOW body fat %

I should say, I have had the Lap Band surgery....so maintenance? What do I do? Get Fluid taken out so I can eat more?

There ar a lot of gastric Sleevers here, and I don't have a clue what that is like.

But the Band, the band is a permanent change forever,

[Andrew0929 1,101]

I reached goal 1 year ago and did see my NUT to figure out maintenance. I actually needed to figure out how to stop losing.

Now, I'm about 10 pounds above goal and it's scaring me. I know what to do and know what I'm doing wrong. Just need to follow through and do it. My snacking on Cereal has been ever increasing although total calories reasonable. My levels of exercise have steadily increased but not enough to offset the Cereal snacking.

See your nut and follow their instructions.

[ladypoohbear 123]

Hello all. I'm 6 lbs below goal. trying to maintain. Its hard. any suggestions?

[Big_Mama 511]

I am not at goal yet, 10 months out 123 lost, 49 to go. My NUT told me though, once I get to goal I would have to add a healthy snack or 2 between meals to maintain weight. Hope that helps.

[bikrchk 1,313]

When I decided to stop losing, I was still food journaling everything on MFP so I calculated my BMR using the tools form that site and added a few hundred calories until I stopped losing. Did that for about another 6 months and finally (and purposefully) let go of the journaling in favor of a more natural lifestyle. For me, the habits are are there... exercise 5x per week, small, high Protein meals, etc. I eat what I'll call "righteously" 85%-90% of the time, stay active and have maintained within 5 pounds for the last year and 1/2. If I creep up, I adjust out some of the junk, (alcohol and treats) until I'm back in the zone. Typically takes less than a week.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

When I decided to stop losing, I was still food journaling everything on MFP so I calculated my BMR using the tools form that site and added a few hundred calories until I stopped losing. Did that for about another 6 months and finally (and purposefully) let go of the journaling in favor of a more natural lifestyle. For me, the habits are are there... exercise 5x per week, small, high Protein meals, etc. I eat what I'll call "righteously" 85%-90% of the time, stay active and have maintained within 5 pounds for the last year and 1/2. If I creep up, I adjust out some of the junk, (alcohol and treats) until I'm back in the zone. Typically takes less than a week.

This is exactly what I'm doing. I've been maintaining for about 4 months, so I'm still journaling. So far (knock on wood) it's working great. I wind up eating more treats on the weekend than during the week. And it balances out. So far. (Knock on wood.)

[Babbs 14,680]

I thought I wanted to go down a little more, but frankly, I'm tired of buying new clothes! Well, I'm not tired as much as my credit cards are....

That's after I tried on a couple things I just bought like 5 weeks ago and they were almost too big!

I know, I know. First world problems.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I hear you, Babbs.

I thought I was through at size 10.

Ha!

[Kindle 8,667]

When I was within 10 pounds of goal I started eating more fruit and whole grains. I kept losing. When I reached goal I added even more calories....full fat dairy, more complex carbs (in addition to the 69-80g Protein + veggies and fruit I had been getting). Still lost another 10 pounds. But when my body was ready to stop it stopped and I've maintained within the same 5 pound bounce range for over a year. Turns out my body picked my goal.

Just remember, your body doesn't really care about the arbitrary number you or your nut or your surgeon picked out as a "goal". Quite simply, you will continue to lose until you eat enough to meet your caloric expenditures. If you eat more than you burn you'll start gaining again. If you want to stop losing at this point you simply need to add more calories. If you log your food, great, if not that's fine, too.... I've done this without ever tracking, measuring portions or counting calories.