I'm about to try Maintenance... where to begin?

I am 3 lbs away from my goal of losing 36 lbs, but I am getting nervous on the next step --> Maintenance! Can anyone point me in the right direction? How do I determine my maintenance calories? Any good tips for making this all stick? I have always considered this entire process a lifestyle change, not just another diet, so I think my thought process is on track, but advice is always greatly appreciated!

First of all, congratulations on your progress thus far! 

I think for myself the biggest recommendation I could give you about maintenance and figuring out exactly on how much you maintain is to listen to your body.  The amount that I used to think I maintained on was WAY off (as in I was eating much less than I needed to be eating to maintain) until I figured out I needed to pay more attention and be more diligent about incorporating higher-calorie foods into my diet (more fats, especially!) 

It may be good for you to start practicing maintenance by slowly upping your calories to a little less of a deficit.  It may take you longer to lose those last 3 lbs, but I think it would be helpful in figuring out your more "exact" burn.  You will most likely have to play around with things until you figure it out.  So, if you're genuinely hungry, eat, even if it takes you beyond what you have calculated on paper to be your maintenance - I am pretty confident you will find that by eating more as a result of genuine hunger, you will not gain, it is simply your body's way of telling you that you've burned more than you've taken in.  And if you do gain, you can make the necessary adjustments. 

Another thing that might help is to create your own file where you can see your intake-output daily (since CC does not provide that capability currently).  That way you can look back and map your burn more accurately and get a better idea about what YOU maintain on, since no calculator is going to be able to tell you that with precise accuracy.  

It takes practice and a little playing around (plus a lot of patience!) but it is definitely worth it :)

Great information! Everything you say is true for the entire process... still learning to listen to my body and understand myself. I'm glad that I have done something right - I have had a few days where I was truly hungry and trust me I ate on those days, but it didn't mess me up or create problems with my goals. Thanks for taking time to give me more motivation and know how!

Great job!  You are making the momentous decision to reach AND MAINTAIN a lifetime goal, which shows an incredible commitment. 

This is what worked for me.  It would work for some people and for others, it wouldn't.

I recommend for the first few weeks of maintenance that you record accurately as you can:

• your weight--a morning weigh-in works fine
• your calories--total for the day
• your exercise--including walking to work or for errands, yard work, etc.

Other recommendations:

• Rather than choose a set weight (I chose 170 initially), choose a weight-window  (mine is 168-173) to allow for daily and weekly fluctuations.
• Once you have reached your desired weight and don't want to lose any more, slowly add calories to your daily eating regimen.  One could easily add 200 calories and check for a week or two to see how things are going. 
• How much you exercise will play a big role in how many calories you can take in to maintain. 
• Eat a good, full, healthy breakfast or first meal of the day with a lot of protein in it.
• Legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats (if you eat meat), etc. should make up a large portion of your diet.  Don't be afraid to treat yourself to some "no-no" foods once in a while.
• Eat 5-6 meals/snacks throughout the day.

For me, I have found that the months I did not record daily accurate calories and weights, my weight would too often go both below and above my 5 pound weight-window of 168-173. 

• For May, while I was losing weight, I took in 2254 average calories a day.
• For June, I was still losing, but slower, I took in around 2400 calories a day.
• For July, once I got into maintenance (toward the of June), I took in 2715 daily calories.
• I didn't record regularly for August and October, and my weight went up and down like a yo-yo.
• For September, I took in 3186 calories average daily and maintained around 170.
• Because I am willing to exercise (although not vigorously) a lot daily, I can take in quite a few calories beyond what is recommended for my age.

When I first started maintaining, GI-Jane, who has some fantastic posts, said that maintenance is more of an art than a science. I think she is right on the mark.

Maintenance is something that you need to figure out. And sometimes, for a number of reasons, the weight can come back. I'm dealing with that right now. The difference is that in maintenance mode we tend to be more aware of the weight coming back and have aquired the skills to deal with it effectively and without freaking out about it.

One of the biggest things I have found out for myself is that I grossly underestimate portion sizes when I eyeball and don't weigh. Another thing is that my mental math is off. The solution for me has been to diligently log as much as possible as a way to keep myself honest and to keep my overall nutrition in check.

Good luck, and don't worry too much. The determination that it took to lose 36 pounds will pay off in spades during maintenance.

Thanks everyone! I greatly appreciate all of your comments and time spent helping me with this nervous and new journey!