Moving target weights again and again...

[movingthegoalpostsagain]

Afternoon All,

Am just wondering for those who are near the end of their weight loss journeys ( or nearly there) if you struggled with changing your mind on your goal weight.

I have hit mine now a couple of times, and each time i don't seem to be able to feel contented with myself so push it back a few more pounds.
I think part of this was me basing it on my previous 'skinny' weight without being realistic that the last time i weighed that was 20 years ago, so what that looked like on my mid 20's body looks nothing like it on my mid 40's one.

I have struggled with my weight for nearly all of my life, and i never dreamed i would be at the weight i am now (smack bang in the middle of a healthy bmi) , but cant shake this niggling of needing just a couple more pounds, then you may as well go down to the next stone bracket, you are finding it so easy so may as well type of thinking.
I don't want to replace one issue with another. Perhaps part of it is being scared to start maintenance and start dropping back down the strengths. Its almost like a paranoia that i am going to go to bed and wake up back being 8 stones heavier. Or it could simply be that my old Skinny weight had me at a size 12 and i just never thought i could be a 10, let alone an 8 that i am loosing perspective

So do you just stick to a range? have a i am not going under this weight line?
How do you get yourself to the point where enough is enough?

Middle of healthy bmi for me. I have a range of 3/4 pounds either side of that.

I'm not finding it easy to keep losing at all! I never really had a goal and I've stopped and maintained at the weight that seems doable which I am happy enough with. If you are finding it easy to keep losing then maybe you need to reduce your dosage a bit so you can start eating to maintain and not get so focused on seeing the scales drop more.

I don't think you're alone in this! I moved my target down after getting to my goal weight - which was itself something I never thought I'd achieve.

I had to accept that maintenance was exactly the same as losing - all the same focus on what's going on (calories, macros, however you manage your intake), focus on healthy lifestyle and so on. There's no 'cross the finish line and you're done'. Just more of the same, except you don't get the dopamine wins when the scales drop a bit more.

I stick to a range - half a stone. Anything above or below and I take action. It allows for natural fluctuations and gives me some targets.

It also helps that I'm on a low dose that doesn't let me keep losing. I need to pay attention or I'll gain. I think finding that point will be a good aim for you, as it sounds like you could lose too much otherwise - we have to remember the goal is to be healthy, not skinny.

I moved mine down multiple times and have been maintaining for some time. My bmi is 21 I think at the moment, so I could go lower but I really don’t want to I want to focus now on muscle and body composition and learning to maintain without obsessing. It’s hard, I’ve put on this week as I’ve lowered doses, I know it’s to do with my weekend eating and it’ll be fluid, but I hate seeing it go up and not down.

I have a window of tolerance of 7lbs either way, if I put on 7lbs and it stayed there for two consecutive weeks I would double down on restriction until back at goal. For weeks like this where I’ve gained over the weekend I am just going back to maintenance and being mindful about choices.

Thank you everyone for the advice. I think what i may do is set a weight or bmi range and try to stay inside of it while working my way down the dose strength and see how i get on.

I honestly feel like i have went a bit weight blind if that makes sense, like i am not seeing myself how i actually am. Am still picking up things far to big for me and its like my brain cant compute why they are too big, as i still feel like im larger when i look in the mirror

@movingthegoalpostsagain is there any kind of fitness goal you could focus on instead? To take away from the scales not moving down and focus on your fitness. Ive still got a way to go but I want to concentrate on my fitness and feeling good more so than the numbers. I can get quite obsessive so I already know I will need to change my mindset.

Hi OP, I’ve struggled with this too. I look at myself and think this is a comfortable weight for me, my clothes fit well, it I still have a little weight on my tummy, should I keep going? But then I think it would maybe make my face too slim and aging etc.
I’m currently maintaining and going to stick here for now. If you decide to maintain for now, you could always go back to losing in a few months if you got the need?

I'm not at goal yet, but I find strength and fitness goals really satisfying to set alongside weight goals. My focus is not solely on getting lighter, but on lifting heavier in the gym and becoming more flexible in Pilates. I think that's really helpful - perhaps you could think more about body composition than weight now? Set an exercise target that suits you and shift towards that instead of the scales?

I am in exactly the same position as you.
I keep thinking just lose a little more and a little more.
My BMI is just above 22 and I am the lightest I have ever been in my adult life. I never thought is reach this weight but in my head I'm still a lot bigger.
Google Phantom Fat disorder.....it is fascinating and really struck a cord with me.
I am trying to focus now on building muscle BUT the call of the number reduce on the scales is strong!

I started with a BMI of around 35. I thought I knew what a good healthy weight was for me which equated to a BMI of just over 26.
When I got there, I realised that I still needed to lose some weight, as although I was thinner, I could see there was still plenty of fat on me (although my blood pressure had just come back into the normal range. I don't take BP meds).
My next target was to get a BMI of 25, ie normal. I eventually got there, but then wanted to actually be in that "normal" range, so moved my target again!
My BMI is currently 23.9 and I am now satisfied that this is where I want to maintain, 2 or 3 pounds either side. I get on the scales every day (whether the previous day has been naughty or not!) but only record my weight every Friday morning, along with my BP and fasted sugar.
Going from that initial target BMI of 26 to the current 23.9 equates to a stone for me.
So @movingthegoalpostsagain , I've certainly moved the goal posts a few times, but I'm now happy and won't be moving them again. If you are happy with where you are now, then don't set a lower target. Rather, make your new target be maintaining where you are now. Continue to monitor your weight, and demonstrate to yourself that you can maintain where you are, without regaining. When you have done that over a period of time, maybe then you can think about titrating down. One step at a time.

I did this, originally thought 10 stone which was a 23 bmi I think when I got there I looked at myself and realised I still didn’t look the way I wished, so I moved it to 9 and a half, then 9, which is bmi 20. And I decided I liked what I looked like at that point, naked, in clothes, in swimwear, I then went straight into body recomp, upping my protein and working out, and dropped more body fat and increased muscle mass whilst maintaining my weight,

and I’ve been this weight for about a year now on a low maintence dose. It’s lovely knowing my weight is stable, not struggling and feeling hungry, being happy with my appearance, knowing my clothes fit me, no lumps or bumps,

my view on my own experience, unless you’ve developed an eating disorder, is you know when you get there.