Just reached my goal weight! Want to start a group for people like me who have reached their goal this week!

Hey I have just reached my goal weight. I am 5'2 and weighed 123lbs back in July. My goal was to reach 110lbs by my Bday (sept 22). Didn't quite make it, but I hit 108.5 today when I weighed. So I'm done. Now I need to maintain and learn how to stop counting calories and not gain the weight back. I think it would really help to start a group for people like me who have just reached their goal and need some accountability to help them maintain. Just to share ideas and tell each other what's working and what's not. If you're in just reply with your stats and anything else you want to add.

Here's mine

sarahgdyck - age 30, 5'2 - 108.5lb (goal 110lb)

Hi guys -

I figured I'd get in on this forum topic because I recently made my goal weight (very end of February). I'm 25, 5'3 and 135 lbs. (Starting weight was 170 at the beginning of last September).

Between my own calculations and advise from others, it looks like my maintenance calories should be about 1900 at the sedentary level. At first I thought, Aww, that's all I get to add? Then as I started to increase my calories a bit this week, I've noticed how hard it actually is to get up that high! I made it to 1500 calories yesterday and was stuffed! But I figured I'd just continue to up the calories slowly, anyway.

Gotta question though. I've heard all over this site that you will initially gain when you start maintenance and will proceed to level off. Just want to clarify that a bit. Does that mean I will gain 1-2 pounds and stay at that new weight? Or will I initially gain 1-2 pounds and then they will drop off again?

Thanks guys and congrats to everyone for reaching their goal weights!

hi there jupfo ! You've done an amazing job and congrats to you.  You seem to have figured out what your calories should be to maintain - great!  You also see how difficult while counting calories it is to get to 1500 calories and no doubt still all healthy.  Nothing wrong with that.  You'll find that cooking with olive oil will boost up calories; chowing on a handful of nuts will boost calories; having a peanut butter sandwich will help.

Now to answer your question on weight gain.  You will find and probably should allow 3 pounds in either direction.  Weight does and will fluctuate and at some point you will learn to accept and move on.  Most of the time you'll gain weight as a result of trying new foods to add calories and it's not the food itself, but the sodium you're taking in (water retention) and hormonal variences.  You may also find that you're willing to indulge in something (which probably has sodium) and there isn't anything neccesarily wrong with that, as long as you can be okay going up 3 pounds and wait it out.

I simply follow the food pyramid guidelines to fit my height and weight as best as I can.  Basically, I have adopted a new diet - a new way to eat, which consists of the fruits and vegatables, whole grains, cheese, limit red meat, lean protein meats (chicken, fish and yes pork).  The three pound weight gain is temporary and I can usually pinpoint it to what it is that I ate.

 "Does that mean I will gain 1-2 pounds and stay at that new weight? Or will I initially gain 1-2 pounds and then they will drop off again"?  Invest in a measuring tape and that will be your guide as to if you are gainig weight.  Heck, the way your clothes fit will be your first tell tale sign.  That's when you'll decide to increase activity or cut the food down. 

Eat healthy first, enjoy small "indulgences", trust in yourself and move foward.  Oh, keep your water up - 64 oz. a day : )

Wow, thanks for the great information, playergirl! I read your philosophy on maintaining in your profile, too - it's very encouraging!

I feel like I'm about to start a new challenge. For so long I concentrated on getting rid of all those pounds. I got used to the way I ate. I had a routine. But now I have to adjust and figure out a new way of eating again. But that's not necessarily a bad thing! I figure, if I managed to lose all this weight to begin with, I should be able to maintain it too!