I love all of this discussion of maintenance!

Kathleen, I so relate to your feelings of wonder at finding yourself almost at goal, looking at your new body, going through clothes, wondering what is next. It is hard for anyone to relate who has not been there, I've found. Enjoy this time of discovering and adjusting to the new you!

I'm sort of in year 2 of maintenance. After a lifetime of struggling with my weight, year 1 of maintenance was easy. I just stuck to LC. Didn't think about what or how much I was eating as long as it was low carb. I made a few changes with reducing Splenda intake and fasting to work on blood glucose issues, but mostly ate the same foods. I enjoyed looking good in clothes and having a normal blood glucose.

My second year has been a struggle, too many "little" cheats with bites of this and that. That has made it harder, I have to think about what I am eating again. I am currenly 5lbs over my goal, but 10lbs over my lowest. After knuckling down lately, I am feeling back in the groove now and want to get back to my low of 150.

Intestingly to me, that 10lbs has a very psychological effect on me...I feel much fatter now than a year ago. However, my size 8 clothes still fit, albeit maybe a bit tighter. Sometimes in the mirror I see fat me, other times, I see that size 8 body. I didn't really have that issue 10lbs ago... I always saw the size 8.

For me, maintenance feels like a mental game of me versus carb creep (which is really me versus me!). It also feels great to be able to go shopping and the store always has my size!