What happens at "goal"?

[ZerasPride]

Okay, all you maintainers out there. Inquiring mind wanna know. I have between 30-35 pounds to reach my goal and I'm wondering what that will feel like. I'm so used to watching every morsel I put in my mouth (okay not always that carefully), exercising daily, drinking gallons of water and stuff like that. Yes, this has become a "lifestyle change" for me but all in all being in the weight loss phase, this still feels like a diet in some respects.

What can I (we) expect once we reach the end of the road of our weight loss journeys? Or does the road end? How can I ensure I won't be gaining this weight back? Any sage words of wisdom you guys care to share?

Each pound that I lose puts me one step closer to goal and I really don't know what I'll do without all the challenges and other ways I've been pushing myself. This hasn't been just a one year process, I've been "trying" to lose weight since I was 16. Not "trying" to lose weight is gonna be weird.

 

[CarolA]

What you have to do is determine what you can eat/excerise and maintain. And from what I can understand that is a challange.

WW tells you to add back a little at a time and see what happens. If you start to gain you added too much.

 

[kayeandjim00]

Wow Lisa it's so funny that you posted this as I WAS just thinking of this when I was cleaning the kitchen after dinner. I remembered reading a skinnydaily.com article about having a plan for maintenance BEFORE you get there. I can't imagine what it will be like. I know I'll be able to have treats a little more often but I was thinking for me the things that I am really going to have to do - continue my exercise obviously, continue drinking lots of water - basically keep up all my healthy habits. Also I think it's important to keep a close eye on the scale so 5 lbs doesn't become 10, 15, etc. I told DH tonight I will still want to have our weekly weigh ins so I don't stray far from my comfort zone. It's a weird thought to even think about but I realized that I'm closer to goal than I am to my previous weight! Thanks for posting this. I'm looking forward to reading the responses.

 

[sm4987]

Hey Lisa, I find that I don't eat to much differently. I find that all that other stuff makes me fell extra heavy, full, tired and some of it doesn't taste very good. I knew that when I made the change many things were still going to be every now and then foods. I eat the whole wheat breads or lower carb breads, I love the lower carb sweets (real sugar is just plain nasty now) I now eat more veggies, and fruits to up my carb intake. I just don't want to go back full time to the things that made me fat to begin with. So I use them as a once in a while treat.

Of course, exercise still has a lot to do with it. I know that the firm plus everything else I do is what keeps me extra slim.

When you get there, you will know what to do. Why, because you know you can't go back to your old habits and expect to stay slim.

 

[crzy4pooh]

For me, this is certainly not the end of my weightloss journey. Everyday I'm aware of what I'm eating, and the fact that I don't want to go back to what/who I was. It truly has to be a lifestyle change. I may have a few splurges along the way, but I weigh often, and have my "magic number" - the weight I know it's back to basics on. I still do my food journal every day, but it is not nearly as detailed. You really will know what to do when you get there - it is soooo worth the effort! Keep up the great work!!!!

 

[KimRaye]

Mind you, I'm doing WW maintenance, in case you're doing something else. I have found I have several more points left over each day, as I just don't NEED the added points to feel full, or satisfied. I had been managing at 20 points, so WOW 24 makes a difference. I have tried to add a couple more 'treats' into my week, but in my (new) mind, they're wasteful uses of my points....if that makes sense. I do still print out my day, in advance, and track everything that way. I'm still exercising, but not at Challenge-level (I have 745 minutes so far this month, won't make 1000), and I'm still drinking as much water as before. I think these things are the way of life that is needed, as much as the eating.

I do plan on being less-anal with myself from time to time, but so far, it hasn't happened. I still plan around a known-night-out at a restaurant, just to stay within points for the week.

I guess the only thing I've noticed for me so far, is that on occasion, instead of talking myself through a hunger moment, I grab a 1-2 point snack to get by. But, ya know what, it's usually fruit. WHO KNEW this lifestyle change would happen to ME?!?! NOT Me!!!! DEFINATELY, NOT ME!

I think you're very wise to be thinking of this in advance, it shows you really ARE committed! I guess I only casually thought of the 'day-I'd-never-see', since I never thought I would make it, but I did, and I'm SOOO happy to be here, but I did kinda 'freak' when everything changed by 4 points a day from one week to the next. In the end though, it's just an upward change, rather than downward (in points only), and it can be done!

Great thread, imo.

 

[MelanieC]

Hi Lisa,

I want to share my experience on the other side of the issue. What happens when you make it to goal and you loose focus. My signature says It's a journey not a destination. This is so true. Somehow last year I made it a destination and didn't follow what I had been practicing and preaching.

I really thought I was going to be able to handle it. I had been able to have many weekends off plan and was easily able to jump right back in.

I think part of it was that I never really got to the maintenance phase. My goal weight for WW was 131. This was the high end of my goal range with WW's and I actually wanted to get down to about 125. I made it to 131 and allowed myself a fe days of eating whatever I wanted. At the time I was researching a major purchase and spending a lot of my "off" time doing this research. I stopped getting up in the morning to exercise thinking in my head that I would easily return to my exercising. The weekend of July 4th, we went away for the weekend and I ate whatever I wanted. I also became a full fledged Weight Watcher Lifetime member that weekend. It was something about me not exercising anymore and going off that weekend that I just couldn't get my act together to get back on track. I wasn't journaling and I wasn't exercising. I talked myself out of doing the marathon, telling myself that it was because I wanted to save those days off to spend with my family instead of doing something by myself. Not having that marthon as a goal gave me no desire to exercise. A few months went by and I was in the upper 130's. Close enough to goal that I felt in control and that I could easily get back on track and loose that weight.
Then I went into the lower 140's then upper 140's. For some reason I kept telling myself that it was only 10'lbs even when I reached the upper 140's. Then all of the sudden it was the lower 150's. Yikes, I had to get back on track. I had vacation coming and let myself eat whatever I wanted for those 2 weeks. When I came back I was about 158- so close to 160. How did i let this happen. I tried to get back on track and I would do so for part of the week and then I couldn't do it on the weekend. I just couldn't get through one weekend. On Dec 26 I had had enough. I got back on track and did well right up to the night before I went to WDW for the 1/2 marathon. I ate whatever I wanted there, but I didn't get too out of hand. I was able to get back on track immediately as soon as I was home and was also able to set some goals for new races and even committing for next years WDW 1/2. It's been a few weeks since then and the scales are finally starting to move. I feel in control again and am exercising consistantly again. I think for me, I must continue to exercise and have goals to keep me motivated.

I really hope this time is it. I don't want to keep regaining this weight and I'm not sure why I allowed it to happen. Loosing the same weight again is frustrating, but if it's what I needed to learn this leason than I will do it!

My message to you as you start to think about maintenance is that you must remember that there isn't an off switch once you reach goal. Maybe there are a few people who can get to goal and easily maintain, but I think the majority of us are not this lucky. It's something we will have to work on for the rest of our lives. I think now that I am already a lifetime member there won't be that reaching WW goal syndrome this time and I want to make my new goal to get to 125 and really get to practice maintenance this time. I just went from reaching that number and still needing to loose weight. I must continue to journal and watch my points, I just get to eat more to maintain.

 

[catherine]

ITA with Melanie. That is practically what I did. I was doing really great losing the weight. I never cheated (perhaps that's where I went wrong!), I did lots of exercise, sucessfully completed all the challenges, and got down to 127 ( having lost 135lbs). Then I lost focus!! I had gone back to university to do nursing, I was doing placements on hospital wards, and I had some health issues. As a result I took my eye of the ball, and before I knew it I had gained 10lbs. Then it was soooo much more difficult to get back OP. Then it was Christmas, which we spent with DH's family in the US, and everything fell apart! We got back to the UK and my clothes were barely fitting me! I tried really hard to get back OP, and yes I has several days where I did really well, but I never felt totally in control of what I was doing. Now I am back OP, and I have started with a clean slate, and yes it's so much more difficult losing the weight that I had lost and re-gained. So Lisa if I could offer you one piece of advice, it would be to not take your eye of the ball!

 

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, I've got to echo what Melanie and Catherine said. I, too, lost the weight and went from 142 down to 127. Then I lost focus. Actually I gained back MORE weight and was shocked to weigh 155 right around the time of the Disney half marathon in January. Now I'm back to business. I don't think I'll ever be able to just eat what I want whenever I want. I MUST drink my water, eat low-carb the majority of the time and exercise consistently, even when I hit goal. I also MUST continue to let the scale and the fit of my clothes guide me on a daily basis so I don't get so out of hand and gain so much back.

You can do this! It just takes vigilance! Never lose focus and keep up the good habits that have gotten you this far.

 

[ZerasPride]

You guys don't know how much I appreciate all your heartfelt responses. I had a feelig maintenance was not going to be a cake walk and that I will be one of those people that has to focus to maintain my goal weight once I get there. I am in the process of reading Dr. Phil's book and his emphasis on losing weight and keeping it off for life is really helping me get my head around the mental and emotional issues I have with food, eating, my body imagine and the negative self-talk I do constantly.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and your stories. I can see now that weight loss isn't a place I'm trying to get to so I can just get this over with but it will be something I have to pay attention to some extent for the rest of my life. And for the first time ever, I don't see that as a bad thing!

 

[KimRaye]

And for the first time ever, I don't see that as a bad thing!

Lisa, you are SO ready for maintenance!! That's a fabulous attitude! Best WISHes to you!!!