Hi, Are any maintainers now going by body fat percentage, tape measurements or just on how you look or feel in clothes rather than the scale weight now?

I am finding that the longer I am in maintenance the less the scale interest me. Tape measurements especially waist and navel for me are more appropriate along with my general body fat percentages.

I am more into building muscle and tone now than losing lots of fat!

Yeah, I don't get this idea of having a weight 'buffer zone' etc: My buffer zone is fitting in my new wadrobe well. If you are aware of your body, and able to be hoest with yourself, you know when you've put on a bit of weight. Even taking tape measurements or bf is a bit to involved for me. I think that is something that dieters do. Healthy people just realise their size, realise how there eating, and know there level of fitness... I don't want to be 'watching my weight' anymore.

Yeah, I decided yesterday that being about done with my weight loss journey, it's time now to focus on muscle building and toning. I'm not looking to get huge or anything just want to increase my strength a little more and tone things up a little. So starting next week (I'm going out of town Thurs-Sun) no more checking the scale and time to increase the training. I wouldn't mind staying at 185 but if I go up or down from there as long as I'm not adding any fat I could care less.

Hi Mb99,

I can relate to what you are saying. I imagine that the BF% and tape measurements are simply just a process on my journey to getting where you are describing.

I have been getting quite bored with a lot of posts on this low carb forum and I think it is because of the constant focus on weight loss. I am more concerned with exercise and fitness now but even those sites talk so much about weight loss and diet.

Good on yer hornbrau - that it is what I am going to do as well.

Yes I pretty much go by my clothes, but I still do weight myself, everyday, don't know why. lol
Maybe part of it is I still sometimes think this is all too good to be true...............

Kathy

Hi Kathy, I feel just like you. I'm much more interested in my size, at this point weight is nearly meaningless (for instance one of my friends on this forum is the same height as me, has the same measurements, wears the same dress size but weighs 10 pounds more than I do!). Yet, I still can't stop weighing myself every day. I'm taking measurements once a week and I'd like to throw the scale away, but I guess I got too used to the daily feedback.

I never did weigh myself much during my loss process. But I'm now very alert to how my pants fit. Isn't it funny how much info I have in my head? Which ones shrink (jeans) and by how much, which ones have the tighter waistbands, etc.

That's where I'm going to get my first warning signs. Though the past two weeks I've been sick and have to make myself eat, so I'm not worrying.

As the weather is getting better I plan to get out and walk more, and while I eat wraps sometimes, and beans occasionally, I haven't changed my eating habits that much. It's kind of funny...I remember scheming to fit in all the carbs I THOUGHT I wanted, and now I don't want them!

I'm MUCH less focused on the scale now that I've surpassed my goal weight. I am going by how I look and how my clothes feel.

Hey Kristy you have done so well with your weight loss!

I have got right back into regular cardio (walking), Weights (free weights) and lots of stretching (YOGA). I am already feeling like my body is tightening up tone wise but relaxing more tension wise. My energy levels are higher and I feel much better.

Doing low carb on a regular basis is such a breeze now I hardly need to think about it. I rarely get tempted by high carb food anymore and the very, very rare occasion that I have something it is small and then I am straight back on track.

Definitely. Unlike when I first started LCing, I am not freaked out by scale fluctuations. Now I know that water retention, bloating, TOM all affect the number on the scale and it doesn't take much to tweak the numbers a bit. The more important grade system is BF% and the way you feel inside and in your own skin (and clothes).

Lily