The first step to successful weight maintenance is choosing a reasonable goal weight. This is so important because if you set it too low, it will be very difficult to maintain and constantly discouraging. My original goal weight was 5 pounds less than what it is now. I found that 5 pounds makes all the difference between feeling successful or like a failure. To stick to my original goal weight would mean I would have to watch everything I eat, pretty much all the time. I am not willing to live that way!! I love good food. I love holidays and eating out. So it was my discovery that if I allowed my goal weight to be five pounds higher than first intended, I can enjoy all kinds of food in a reasonable fashion.
Also, do not set your goal weight based on somebody else's weight. Two people who are the same heights can look very different at the same weight. It has to do with your build and shape and muscle mass. I have found it best to shoot for a certain clothing size (again, be reasonable about what size you can maintain) and then figure out what weight correlates with that size for you. And yes, I am all about the number on the scale. I know some people are successful without ever weighing themselves and that is great, but this blog is about what works for me. And I weigh myself pretty much everyday. The number is my indicator of what I can and/or should eat that day. I like that my scale is digital and shows the tenth (as in 138.9). That way I can monitor little gains or losses before they become whole pounds.
That is not my feet, nor my scale, but you get the idea, right?
It is best to check your BMI at your goal weight and make sure you fall within the proper range. You can find an online BMI calculator at
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bmi-calculator/NU00597 . My BMI is at the high end of my "healthy range", but I don't care. I have found the number that works for me.
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