Maintenance - Soft Landing or Push on?

I'd like some feedback on how folks 'knew' when to go into maintenance rather than losing mode. My 'goal' is a number based on a 'normal' BMI, and while BMI is an important indicator for health it's not a be-all, end-all measurement.  I am a 'triangle'  to hour glass body type.  I carry a lot of my weight on my hips and thighs, but when  I look in the mirror I can see my sternum and I'm concave below my rib-cage.  I had a sales lady tell me she wished she gets terribly jealous when she sees someone with a figure like mine, over the weekend.

Call me crazy, but I have this odd fear that if I go too much smaller I'm going to look like concentration camp survivor on top and  Beyonce on the bottom.  I'm in the smallest clothes I own ****pt all my small clothes from 5 years ago), and I am buying pieces in sizes from 8 regular to 14petite depending on the cut and whether it's going on the top or bottom half of me.  I can't say I feel 'fat' or am unhappy at this size; however, I stil have 30-40lbs 'to go' to get to 'goal.'

I appreciate that no-one can make the decision for me, but I could use some feedback on how long to keep to a strict weightloss regimine or to start easing into maintenance.

Thanks in advance for your advice. 

Carolyn...I'm kind of in the same boat...I posted a somewhat similar question. It sounds like we could be each other's stunt doubles!!

I picked my goal weight from two seperate, 2 month apart, pinch tests that were done at my gym by my trainer. I also consulted my nurse. They measure muscle mass and weight. I got 165 goal weight out of both tests...so we'll see where I end up.

I'll be watching the responses to your question!
Heidi

I just saw it, lol.  I think you are a couple of inches taller, though :) 

 That is a good question....I would have to say for myself I have never fit into the BMI chart. My body is just very muscular and Im thick on top of that! LOL So I would go with what you are happy with. Personally myself...I just want to get under 200lbs. That has been my goal since day one, because I already know what I look like at that weight. And I like it! But that doesnt fit into any BMI chart...sooooo again. It's really up to you....that was clear as mud right? 

Blessings,
Jenny

I dunno that I have a helpful answer!  :}  I just got to a size and thought, okay, I can find clothes in this size (specifically pants in Long!) locally, and so I call goal.  I went then from weight loss to just body composition changes.  I ultimately lost about 20 pounds from that point to the lowest and am now with my body comp changes am about 5 to 7 pounds heavier than my lowest weight, but a lot leaner, so. Yea.

Whatever that means!  :} 

Makes perfect sense.  Thanks!

Ha can I relate!!  My hips and tummy have always been my problem areas.  I figured if I got low enough they would eventually go... nope I got almost to my goal of 140, which would have me in a VERY low normal BMI and still they never went fully away.

I had to accept that they probably never would without lypo.  And now my weight is too low to get lypo and at this age, why would I?

So I noticed that I did not look so skinny and boney over time.  I filled back out nicely in my face especially and my other parts in general.

But then I gained a bit of weight and it did not feel good.  So I am going to head back down where I was more comfortable with myself, and I know this time, that I will fill back in nicely again, but at a lower weight...

So all that said, I would do what works for you.  I would go for the 'look' that you like rather than a number on the scale.  Look, really really look in the mirror and decide from there.

Cindy

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback.  Good luck with your journey back down!

My first goal was to get to a normal BMI. At that weight, though, I was overweight. I was pudgy. This makes sense as I am small-to-medium framed. So I kept losing until I felt like I had gotten rid of all the pudge.

I did lose from the top down (and outside to inside). So my thighs and tummy were the last to go. I thought for years that I was bottom-heavy but it turned out that this was not a result of wide hips. My hips are actually *narrow*. It was just fat that I never lost because I never got down low enough.

I too worried about getting "too thin" and was unhappy with my upper body being so boney. What I found is that, once I had lost enough from the top, I started losing from the bottom. If I had stopped sooner, I never would have lost that bottom pudge. Also, over time, my fat redistributed and I got less boney on top. I definitely have more fat in the middle under my rib cage, for example.

I also actively tried to gain some muscle. Muscle covering my rib case and spine made it less boney wihout having to put on more fat, which isn't healthy.

If you are tired of severely restricting your diet, you can always add in a few more indulgences and see what happens. You don't necessarily have to stop losing weight just because you don't want to be so strict with your diet.

Thanks!  I really appreciate the feedback. I am heading out to my trainer in a few minutes. I think that all the weight work I'm doing has helped keep me from being more 'gaunt' than I am. 

I don't mind the diet.  I don't have any issues being compliant. I'm pretty creative and I tend to plan ahead (i.e., looking at menus for restaurants before going, etc).  I don't crave carbs or graze. I was low-carb for 3 months before surgery; so, 'protien first' was really ingrained before I had my surgery. 

I'm more concerned with pushing too far down and not being 'satisified' because I have a skewed image of my body, if that makes sense.