Having Trouble With Maintenance

This is my first post, but I have been reading on this site for quite a while, now.  I am so in awe at the amazing people here, and I am very hopeful that I can get some good advice on how to succeed with my weight loss management.  In the last year, I have lost 110 pounds.  I started out at 210 lbs., and I am 5' 4" tall.  My goal weight was 130, but when I reached that number, it's like I just could not stop losing.  I now find myself down to anywhere between 98 (at my very lowest) to 101 pounds (where I am today).  I guess I am so scared of regaining the weight that I have lost, that I cannot allow myself to stop being in "diet mode."  My exercise routine consists of either 30 minutes on the treadmill about 3/4 times a week, or a brisk, 45-minute walk around town several times a week.  I guess my calorie intake is somewhere around 1200 a day.  I do not skip meals, and I even eat a snack around 9:00 at night.  I seem to have leveled out around 100/101 lbs. right now, but my husband (and everyone else) claims that I am way too small, now, and that I need to at least put back on 10 lbs.  I am just so afraid that if I allow myself to regain even 10 pounds, that I won't be able to stop and just keep going in the wrong direction.  Can any of you wonderful people help me?  Thank you!

iluvpebbles:  First:congratulations on such an amazing thing--losing 110 pounds.  You are a very amazing person.  Second: yes, I think your fear of gaining the weight back is somehow contributing to your low weight.  I would agree with your husband that  you could eat more.  I am not even sure that you would gain any appreciable weight back, even if you did at least jump up to aminimum of, say, 1500 calories.  Let's say that you did, over a period of a several weeks or more, gain 5-10 pounds.  If you still are exercising and eating healthy during that time, it would not be bad at all. I used an about.com calculator, not knowing your age, but using the other data you provided, and I came up with you could be taking 1800 calories a day and still maintain your weight.  I have bookmarked over a dozen sites with calculators and usually use CalorieCount's first, but then I also often check other ones, too.

I am in the 5th day of a 6 day experiment--and the results I am finding out are really going to be surprising to me based on what I thought would happen.  What I am doing connects to your post in the Heading. I am going to "publish" these results on another thread after Saturday. LOL

My advice for what it is worth:

• add around 300 to 600 calories to your daily diet.
• eat a super good, high protein breakfast to get the metabolism going
• drink a glass of water before eating your high protein breakfast
• weigh yourself once a day at the same approximate time every day to see if you are maintaining, losing, or gaining weight
• eat a series of 5-7 meals/snacks of good protein, healthy fats and carbs, and a lot of fruits/vegetables, whole grains, nuts, etc.
• continue to exercise, but give yourself a day off here and there
• if you have the time, record your calorie intake accurately for a couple of weeks

Other maintainers may disagree with my advice, for varying reasons; but all of my suggestions are things I have researched, read in articles by health experts, and know worked quite well for me.  And, no, I am not a health expert; and, yes, some of the things I have done in dieting and exercise are NOT recommended nor should they be encouraged.

pilgrimdude got it locked tight :P

This is slightly off topic, after losing that much how is your skin? I'm worried about my skin and 110 off a small frame makes me assume it might hang.

soupcanx:  There are some replies on the thread about Two Questions for Maintainers that might answer some of your question.

I apologize; I should have put my age in my initial post. I am 46 years old. I thank you for your responses, and I am truly going to try and take in what you said and try to up my calories.  I had a "heart to heart" with my husband at lunch today and kind of laid out all of my fears to him, and he was so understanding.  I was really afraid that he might get upset with me, but I feel like he's behind me 100%.  I am going to a wedding reception tonight, and I am going to do my best to let my guard down a little and try and enjoy some of the special, edible treats I'm sure that will be there.  Events like this normally send me into a panic, because I wasn't able to research the calores and such online before I go.  I really do want that piece of wedding cake, and my intentions are to eat the whole piece and not think about the calories.

I can answer the skin question.  For me, personally, my biggest problem has been my chest area.  While not a large-chested person even at my heaviest, I did manage to have a normal-sized chest.  What I have now is something along the lines of two, saggy acorns!!!  I have gone from a B-cup to basically a training bra!!!  My tummy has that kind of envelope-looking piece of skin that hangs down, but it's really not that bad (under my clothes).  My neck was really bad to start with, but someone recommended the Anew products from Avon, and they have worked wonders on my neck (and my entire face in general).  The tops of my arms are really flabby, too.  I have been trying to work out with weights to hopefully alleviate some of this, but it's still kind of embarrassing.  I guess, though, in all honesty, I would rather have the excess skin than the extra weight that I had before.  It's all kind of a trade-off of one kind of another.

I apologize for rambling; it just feels so good to finally get some of this off of my chest.  Thank you for listening, and I will report back about my attempts to enjoy the wedding food tonight.  Everyone take care!

iluvpebbles: Great post.  It's nice that you had a great talk with hubby.  And please eat a piece of cake for me!  That sounds so yummy!

Great Job!  You have an amazing story and it sound like an amazing husband.    PLEASE do not be so scared of gaining weight that you become unhealthy.  I have watched my weight since I was 13 yrs and am also in my 40s.  The most important thing to remember is that you have fabulous support, you are too thin now-I am also 5 ft 4in -I weigh 119 which is still low on the BMI-no one thinks I am fat!  You at least should be a miminum of 110-115 lbs. for health reasons-we are NOT in our 20's.  By the way I don't know pilgrimdude -responded first on your post BUT I think the recommendations were right on.  Ensure that you eat 1800 in order to maintain and just monitor-over time you will find a happy medium.  Good Luck-I am proud of you and I am sure your husband is also.

Did you get back to 110?   I wish I could help, but I'm kind of in the same rut.  Luckily I lost weight so slowly that I only need a few more calories to gain.   You'll feel just as thin at 110 as 100 and look better too.