HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU ARE/WERE IN MAINTENANCE?

I've been reading and researching maintenance and what it means.  I read/hear that your body will know when it ha**** its ideal weight and you will no longer lose weight.

So, how do you know you are in maintenance?  I am 9 months out and no, I am not in maintenance.  I have 9 pounds to lose & reach my first goal of 160 pounds.  I haven't decided if I want to lose more weight.

I want to read individual stories about maintenance.  I am not here to judge anyone regarding their decision.

How long did it take to get there?  Was it a physical thing--did your body stop losing weight?  Did you chose a goal weight and once you got there you started maintenance? Was it for reasons of vanity--you are drop dead gorgeous at a particular weight and you love it? 

"Maintenance" comes when the calories you expend equal the amount that you take in. It does NOT necessarily have to be an ideal weight.

If you stop losing and you're 20lb above goal, that's not your ideal weight-- it just means you need to eat less.

I hit my first goal, dropped another 10, and decided I was good there (and my surgeon agreed). I was at the top range of normal BMI, I felt healthy, I was in XS clothes, and that was fine by me. I started adding more calories in, about 100 per wee****il the scale stayed stable. I'd say it happened about a year out.

Thank you for your reply!

I just kept doing the same thing until I stopped losing - I was 6 months out and at a BMI of 22.   I never decided maintenance, my body definitely did.  I maintained the same weight until 4 years out when I had my first (small) regain.  

Maintenance has been a challenge ever since ...   

Thank you for your response!

After my RNY, it took me 14 months to lose 171 pounds and get to the weight I chose as my goal weight. It was the weight I felt good at when I was in my 20's so I wanted to get there again. I increased my calories after that to stop losing. I do not recommend that strategy. By year 2, I had gained 10 pounds and had to cut back to lose them again.

Are you tracking how much you eat? If not, you may want to track your food just to see how many calories you eat in a typical day and if needed, reevaluate after that.

Laura,

Thank you for your response.  

I have been tracking my food since pre-op and currently I am eating 800 calories, 80-100g of protein and a gallon of fluid daily.

It sounds like you are doing everything right. Just hang in there!!

There was a point that I wanted to stop losing...but my body had different idea.. When I expressed my desire to stop losing to my doc - he advised me to keep losing as much bad I could to allow for my body to stabilize naturally. I lost an additionall 20 lbs...and got too thin for me and my body...But I stayed there for a year...and when I gained...I gained too much..then I had to work hard to lose some of the regain. . Eventually my weight stabilized at a point that was possible for me to maintain... I could gain easily but I also can lose that regain when I work on it... I don't track calories unless I am trying to lose some...(like before vacation to fit into my bikini) 

Interesting enough - my current maintenance weight is the same as  when I wanted to stop losing 9 months after RNy

For my age and body frame -size 8 is thin enough while having enough fat to help with wrinkles...and having some 10 lbs on me in case I get sick and can't eat... 

My goal was for body fat % at 20  to 26.... Jeans size 6- 8, tops 8- 12... 

Thank you for your response. I truly appreciate reading everyone's insight