As a maintainer, is there a cut off point that you will NOT cross?

Or are you fairly relaxed about that number on that scale when it comes to special occasions or whilst on vacation, for example?

My original goal weight was, and still is, 150.

When I first got to goal my general thoughts were:
However, that was easier said than done and I found it very hard to actually get there. So I revised my position and decided that, although I'd like to try and stay below 150, my cut off cushion would actually be 155. I wanted to be 'comfortable' at my maintenance weight and not have to continually fight to keep it where it didn't want to be.

Apart from earlier this year, for reasons that most of you know why, I have managed to keep to that. In fact, I find it quite to stay around the 148-149 mark.

I suppose I'm also fairly relaxed when it comes to special occasions and vacations. However, although I do allow what I consider 'treats' at such times, I also don't go overboard either.

Good question!

My cut off has shifted downward over the years. At first, it was to not go back over my original goal of 160. That never happened and I continued to lose slowly. Then it was 157 for a long time and I kept seeing some loss.

For the longest time now, its been 155 and I am way too close to that lately that I attribute to building muscle from my twice a week Pilates classes. Sure, I'd love to break into the high 140s....but it may never happen and thats OK with me.

Like you Demi, I did not want my maintenance to be a struggle and have settled into these numbers fairly easily. I haven't been on any vacations in many years...and could really use one....so my treats aren't eaten when away but right here at home. If I go out to eat and there is a great bread, I will allow myself to have a small piece and then ask for it to be taken away. I even eat a really good ice cream once in a while....yummm, gelato!!

I would love for my weight to be around 130, even 135 maybe. I am ok with 140 (or very close to) I can have a variety of foods ans splurge from time to time.
I recently got to 146 and said to myself "thats it" No more! I didn't want it to get out of hand so here I am posting again. Something abou this site gives me courage to stay on course.

I hope it's okay if I answer this even though I'm not officially to goal yet.

I just reread the pre-maintenance and maintenance portions of DANDR and AFL. I had thought that I would settle in at 150 and that 153 would be my warning weight....but I would much prefer to be at 147 and have 150 be my warning weight....if my body will get down that low.

Maybe some day I will even be able to get closer to 140.....

At this point even one lb above my highest bounce weight of 153 would probably freak me out.

Great question. I am really interested in the responses.

My weight definitely bounces around, so for me it's more a matter of what the trend is than what my weight actually is.

I like to weigh myself at night and lately, with really making an effort to tank up on water, I sometimes weigh in at 156 or 157 at night and I will shed almost a gallon of water overnight and wake up at 149. It makes me aware how much water my body can comfortably store and how much that affects my weight, and so I also try to keep in mind whether I think any weight 'gains' are actually just too much salty food & water.

I guess this is a very long winded way to say I am fairly relaxed about the scale numbers, but I do take steps if they drift too high.

Hmm Just want to say, I like that term "bounce weight"! I can gain 5 lbs in a day and it'll be gone in the morning. Once in a while it'll take a couple of days. Even though I weigh daily (so compulsive!) I only post my weight once a week, if on a challenge.

uuummm....just want to clarify that I ONLY weigh in the morning upon waking. When I say "bounce weight" I am referring to my weight from day to day based on my morning weight.

For instance I may weigh 153 one morning, but the next morning weigh 151.

Weighing in the evening seems counterproductive to me. I don't want to weigh all the food and water I've eaten all day!!! That would just be discouraging to me.

I weigh ONCE per day - upon waking (after bathroom, before eating or drinking) - and that is THE weight I log for the day. I do NOT weigh throughout the day or at the end of the day. ONCE IS ENOUGH.

My apologies if my post was confusing.

Nope, not confusing...MINE was confusing!! I meant, I can weigh 159, 24 hours later, 164. Then the next morning, 159.

I have been known to weigh more than once a day though. Ugh.

I rarely weigh myself, I don't own a scale. But I wear pants to work most of the time and am exquisitely sensitive to how they fit. If certain ones cut into me with the waistband; I weigh myself on the UPS scale at work; and it's true.

The pants didn't shrink

Please try to stop weighing yourself more than once per day.
I know that you know its not a wise thing to do. Its crazy making stuff!!
FWIW- I weigh in the mornings only.

Those of us in maintenance don't do it. When we speak of our weight ranges, it is on a weekly basis, not during a 24 hour period. All of our bodies will fluctuate up and down like that during any 24 hour period.

It does appear that most of us allow a 3 lb leeway...some go as high as 5 lbs.

I like to jump on the scale before I get in the shower at night, and in the morning - because I only really track my morning weight. To me it's interesting how much the scale moves overnight, esp. when I eat out or when my hormones are changing during my cycle.

My point in making that suggestion is simply about keeping an even keel on emotional upset over the numbers during any 24 hour period.
If you like to weigh that way, I'm certainly not one to tell you not to do that.
But if someone else, who is not in maintenance posts here, I will give that kind of advice when they are clearly not having the same reaction to the multiple daily weighings that you do and are obsessing over the numbers.

YMMV!!!

I've evolved (devolved?) into weighing just once a week to post in the maintenance thread. More than 3 lbs above my goal weight will be where I'll cut back on higher rung carbs and go back to closer to mid-OWL levels -- perhaps the dairy rung, or maybe only the berry rung! Seems to work for me so far.

Makes sense... I just took it too personally because I do it, and I know at least one other maintainer does it, too (we chatted about it via journal a while ago).

I think there is an important distinction, though, in that however often anyone weighs, if it causes an unhealthy emotional reaction on a daily basis, it's not good.

My husband had decided to get down to around 180 lbs. from ~197 and for a while the scale was totally dictating how his day went... He was weighing once a day, and it was def. an unhealthy event because of how he was processing it internally (and it was worse when he got closer to his goal). Boy, did we have a looong talk about that... It did get better after that, thankfully.

It is interesting how different people react to the numbers and how they process it internally. I would NOT have expected my generally unflappable husband to have been in a nit about being a pound or two above 180...