new to maintaining!

Original Post by Peanutbutterxo:

(1) So I'm 2 pounds away from my weight goal.

Congratulations!

(2) how often to enjoy sweets:

(A) if you show moderation, you can enjoy them every day.  How many calories you consume in connection to how many you burn is the key to maintenance.  I lately have been enjoying sweets every day (not that I am recommending this), but I am maintaining now because I carefully count my calorie "bottom line."

(B) or you could decide to treat yourself once a week or whenever in terms of what kinds of sweets you allow yourself.  However, it still comes down, overall, to calories consumed and calories burned.  I have the unfortunate tendency to overindulge sometimes when I do "treat myself" with sweets, so I strongly recommend moderation, even if it is difficult for me to follow my own advice.

(3) how many calories to add back

(A) Well, the answer to that is you have to add back enough calories to maintain.  For me the easy answer is that I record my calories burned (EE/BMR + exercising minus calories consumed) and check my weight each morning.  That is how I know I am maintaining.

(B) There are those who advise to eat intuitively and not to weigh-in regularly.  I would caution against doing that until you know you are, indeed, maintaining --neither losing nor gaining.  Then, if you are one of those who can successfully eat intuitively and not weigh-in, by all means embrace that philosophy.

(4) and any other advice! Anybody can answer! Thanks:)

(A) For many of us Maintainers, maintaining is more difficult than losing.  Once we met our goal of getting to a certain weight, we found it a bigger challenge to stay in a healthy weight window.

(B) If you do weigh-in regularly, weigh-in first thing in the morning after just getting up and going to the RR.  Whenever you weigh-in, if you do weigh-in, do it the same time of the day. 

(C) Do not be misled by bulk weight and/or water weight.  Our weights can fluctuate as much as 3-6 pounds in a day -- and that fluctuation is clearly not actual weight gained.  Stay the course; look at the weigh-ins over a period of a week, or two weeks.  Base your adding or subtracting calories daily based on a pattern, not on one or two weigh-ins.

(D) Incorporate intelligent exercising that you enjoy doing into your daily regimen.

(E) Never give in or give up.  If you gain actual weight that is unhealthy, then you know how to lose it.  You already did it before.  The important thing is not to do "yo yo" dieting.  "Yo yo" dieting is more damaging to our health than just being a bit overweight.

(F) Remember that 90-95% of people who lose weight gain it back, often gaining more than they lost.  By knowing this, you can allow yourself a weight-window that is manageable.  If we set a weight window too rigid, we are probably doomed to fail.  Originally, for example, I sit my weight window at anything under 170.  I could not be happy at that weight.  I was not happy at that weight.  Now, although I am sometimes out of it, my basic weight window is 170-173.9.  I am quite happy averaging that weight.

Very best of luck!

I hit my goal (-50) on Dec 17, and have totally avoided "counting" ever since.

By eating what I like in moderation I have maintained my weight just fine.

The habits and practices that were put into effect while "counting" seem to have become ingrained. I no longer have the desire to graze and overeat like I once did. I eat what I want, when I want,... I just don't want like I used to.

Hopefully the practices you've addopted durring your journey will become a way of life for you also.

 God bless