I've lost 14 pounds so far - have 10 more to go - NEED ADVICE!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Congratulations, OP! That is wonderful.

So I'm in the middle of my own weight loss journey and am having mild success. I wonder though, once I get to my goal weight, am I just going to have to starve forever? Chicken breasts and salad forever? No wine at night forever?

I would love to look better but what do I do to get back to a semi-normal life afterwards?

This is what I am trying to figure out, how to do maintenance. It is hard to fathom keeping the weight off if I increase my calories, especially since I am losing SO slowly. I will start another maintenance thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great job, OP! I was also going to recommend not eating back your exercise calories - for many of the reasons already named, and also because after years of doing WW and seeing that I only lose when I do not utilize the “weekly bonus points” or “exercise points,” I think some people like me have a slow metabolism so to lose pounds I need to go to the most extreme point.

You are on a terrific path and I just wanted to add one tip for maintaining weight loss that I struggle with. Once you are at your goal weight, your eating should not be that different as when you were trying to lose, which surprised and disappointed me the first time I realized it. So many times people think “i did it, now I can stop counting calories” or revert back to their old eating habits. So to stay at my goal weight, I basically need to count calories and watch what I ear every day.

OP here...so how much did you increase your calories to maintain?

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I increased my calories barely at all but am more forgiving of myself with an extra glass of wine or dessert on the weekend. That alone basically puts me at maintenance. So as a pp said, I basically eat almost the same way as when I was actually dieting plus the small amount of weekend (or book club night, etc - point being only once during the week) indulgence.