What do you do after you've lost the weight?

[ghostsliveinmyhouse]

I've lost weight, more than I ever thought I would and I'm actually now underweight.

I thought I would feel confident and have a great body and 'feel' thin. But I don't. I don't feel I look any better, dispelling my belief that I would be attractive if I lost weight. It's a bit of an anticlimax.

I feel worried all the time about gaining weight and undoing my hard work, but I have no idea how to toe the line between losing and gaining, and just maintaining.

I have no idea how many calories I should eat, and how to avoid gaining weight. Do I have to restrict myself for the rest of my life? How do you know how many calories you need, but won't gain any weight from it?

It sounds like you might have taken things a bit too far if your actually underweight now and have developed a fear of gaining. The reality is, that most people at a healthy weight can afford to fluctuate probably half a stone or so so all those times they over indulge on holiday or have a run of celebrations and it's nothing to stress about.

In the past the best way I've found of maintaining my weight is to eat very healthily in the week and then eat whatever I fancy at weekends. It's easy to stay motivated in the week because you have the weekend to look forward to and eating what you like at weekends allows you to have a break from obsessing over your food choices.

I lost quite a bit of weight and have maintained for over a year. The main thing is that you don't go back to the over-eating that caused you to gain weight in the first place. I am a bit like PP in that I continue a 16:8 pattern during the week which is how I lost weight in the first place. At the weekend I relax a bit and eat/drink more freely without worrying about it.
It is also better to have a weight range that you're happy in rather than fixed on a particular weight. For example I fluctuate between 55 and 57kg and I'm okay with that. I weigh only once per week and if I see that I am at the very top end or slightly over then I adjust my diet the following week to bring it down a bit. It is important not to obsess but just to live healthily in general and don't worry about pizza and wine at the weekend!

You also need to work out your basal metabolic rate to get an idea of what calories you need to be eating for maintenance.

OP did you lose the weight quite quickly? You may have phantom fat syndrome, whereby you still see yourself as you did before.

I have a BMI of 20-21 now and I'm happy with that. I find it best to weigh myself every few days and eat less if I've gone up a kilo so I don't slip back into gaining more.
You will find a way of eating that suits you over time I'm sure - I'd just recommend monitoring your weight (but not obsessively!)
Could you focus on increasing your fitness and health rather than weight? Think of the positives of a strong, lean body. Personally I run, do weights and HIIT and try to eat a higher protein diet

...should also add I was 15st down to 8.10 and I have loose skin which upsets me as I am bloody fit under the flappy bits and deflated breasts. There's nothing I can do about this so I'm taking the plunge and having a tummy tuck in the summer.

I do exactly what pps have said, give myself about a 5lb range, this takes me to the upper level of what I'm comfortable with. I also am quite strict on work days then relax a little on days off. This approach has helped me maintain for over a year now.

You might not think you look any better but are there health advantages to your weight loss?

You may have lost too much weight too. I've done this in the past, mainly due to my fear of gaining and not feeling in control.

I'm going to go against the MN grain here and recommend you do some reading around Intuitive Eating and Anti-Dieting. I think they might resonate with you. Particularly your feeling of it being an Anti-Climax. It sounds like you have been trying to 'fix' something else in your life by losing weight. Which isn't going to work.

Listen to HenryahooverIII, great advice!

Ugh. Thumbs not working! HenryHooverIII

When you say you’re underweight, do you mean your bmi is below the recommended range?
How did you lose the weight? It might be worth visiting your gp to check your thyroid isn’t overactive.
I don’t count calories, I focus on eating healthily most of the time and weigh myself once a week. If I’m above a certain number I cut down a bit. That works well for me. Calorie counting for maintenance really doesn’t put me in a good space regarding food.