Maintaining by default

Well I initially joined CC to try and lose the weight I gained from my six week christmas holiday.  I am just under 5'7 and am around 127.  I used the tools on this website, and ate the reccomended amount of calories every day whilst exersizing moderately.  BUT I HAVE NOT LOST ANYTHING!!!  So I am thinking that perhaps I was underweight and the weight I gained while overseas was due to finally eating properly and my body grabbing happily at long overdue calories. 

By the standards and tools here I should be at my goal weight by now, but while I fluctuate between 126 and 129eek!) I have not actually lost a thing.

So I am struggling with the idea of letting go of my weight loss goal.  Perhaps I should learn to be happy with where my body is at and work at maintaining.  This is a very scarey prospect.  Its hard to know when a goal needs to be discarded or if you are simply failing at it. 

Food is one of the only things in our life we have control over. It's really tough to come to terms with the fact you're at a healthy weight and your body wants to stay at that healthy weight. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm just at 5'5 and around 123-126 pounds. When I sit at the heavier side, I get anxiety and I want those extra pounds off fast. Am I at a healthy weight? Well yea... but the fact is I don't like seeing the scale over 125.

Point being, we all have our issues with numbers on the scale. The choice is yours whether you want to continue to try and diet, or maintain. Since you're maintaining at 'dieting' calories, I have a feeling you're just under eating which is why your weight sticks. I have a feeling that if you just eat more, you'll see a few pounds go (which I'm not saying do, since you are already at a "your making me jealous" weight at your given height).

Maybe you should switch your goals to be more exercise/workout related opposed to counting calories. Just some food for thought. Keep us updated on your plans.

thanks heaps guys.  I am really trying to fight the need to lose weight.  I seriously dont think its possible without missing meals.  I currently exersize like four times a week (or more) walking, jogging and doing yoga.  For the past five weeks I have eaten a pretty steady 1500 calories.  By these standards I should have lost weight.  This lifestyle is tight, but maintainable.  I would seriously love to be back at my previous weight of 118 but I start to go a little crazy with that much restriction.  Its hard to come to terms with my new size and not freak out that im hideosly fat.

its also harder to work out when you dont have the motivation of losing weight!!  Its hard to know how often 'treats' should be allowed.  And its hard seeing people who you havnt seen since you were thin and imagine them sniggering at your weight gain. And it sucks when you stand next to someone you used to be smaller than and realise that your now bigger than them. Maintaings hard!

Any ideas on how to take the focus off weight loss?  I am trying to start exersize goals, I can run for 45mins nonstop and would like to make that an hour and at a faster speed.  But there are weeks where its storming outside for days on end and like today i havent been able to get outside to do anything for THREE DAYS!  So some other ideas?

Original Post by tani24:

Its hard to come to terms with my new size and not freak out that im hideosly fat.

its also harder to work out when you dont have the motivation of losing weight!! Its hard to know how often 'treats' should be allowed. And its hard seeing people who you havnt seen since you were thin and imagine them sniggering at your weight gain. And it sucks when you stand next to someone you used to be smaller than and realise that your now bigger than them. Maintaings hard!

AH! I can totally relate with you on this one. It's hard to stop losing weight. When I gain 3 pounds I feel like everyone is snickering at me too, and I FEAR getting fat again. I'll be so embarrassed and humiliated if that happens.

I'm really trying to focus on being okay with the me now, as I am. It's really tough.

What I've been doing is "dieting" on the weekdays and fun eating on the weekends. It's kept me sane and it's how I've been maintaining. I know it's not the best plan of action, but it's all I got for now.

ya thats pretty much what I do.  I am much stricter on weekdays than weekends.  Mostly having to do with being on my own on weekdays but sharing three meals with my I-have-the-metabolism-of-a-weightlifter-marat hon-runner-olympic-triathelete-on-speed boyfriend.

My goal is to even it out more though.  See me eating more on weekdays and less on weekends. 

Oh man, I have read all about your plight, you are amazing.  I cant believe how incredibly hard it must have been to lose all that weight and keep going.  and little miss 16 percent body fat!?! my god!  Five months maintaining is fantastic.  I think you can rest assured you are never going back.

That's for damn sure, I'm never going back. They say 2 years of maintenance and you're in the clear. My boyfriend has the metabolism of a triathlete on speed too. He works out a ton, and eats big macs teamed up with double cheese burgers, large fries, and washes it down with regular soda. I'm amazed a body can stomach that type of abuse :)

Standing next to someone smaller than me is so hard. I live in a college town (near ASU) and seeing all those tall slim girls makes me so jealous. I know I have a small frame, but I don't want to start looking all bobbly headed either. I've already hit an all time low of 121 pounds (my size 2's are getting baggy).

But this weekend (saturday) it's my "free" day of Mexican food and alcohol. Gotta have something to look forward to :)