After goal, how do you stop losing?

[mb20mom 9]

I have always wondered, for those of you who have made it to your goal weight, how do you stop losing weight? I mean, why would you, if you're only eating 600-800 calories a day? That is still a deficit isn't it? So why wouldn't you just continue to lose?

I know the body will require less caloric intake at a much lower weight, but still...this doesn't make sense to me. If our tummys don't have room for extra calories, how do we maintain?

[Stacie 1]

I am curious to know this as well, my mom keeps asking me and I have no idea! To be honest, I think I would want my tummy to stretch a wee bit so I could learn to live on small, but not minuscule portions someday (I hope I didn't just jinx myself by saying that!)

[MINI-Me 196]

Talk about timing ... My husband asked the same thing last night.

I've always been "taught" to eat between 1200-1500 calories to lose weight. Sounds like I might not be able to get that in with 3 meals and 1 snack a day.

Any long-time sleevers have input?

[Tiffykins 673]

You increase your calorie intake, and add more healthy carbs back into your diet. Instead of being in the "weight loss" mode, you switch over to maintaining mode.

I need to shoot for about 1000 calories a day now that I'm at goal. I'm still only hitting 850-900, but I am adding in more carbs. Some days, I don't hit my Protein goal of 60 grams, but other days I hit 80. I just started trying to maintain so it's hit or miss. I haven't lost any weight in a week, and actually have been bouncing up and down with this 1.5lbs on the scale for the last week. Some days it's there, the next day it will be gone.

Plus, I am back on track at the gym with my strength and weight training program. I should be able to burn the fat, and build muscle. Since a pound of fat and a pound of muscle weighs the same (it's a myth that muscle weighs more, a pound is a pound), I am hoping this will help me tone up, and get rid of the bulky belly fat I still have while helping me maintain my current weight.

I do weights 3 days a week, I bowl for 2-2.5 hours on Wednesday, and then I do 1 hour of cardio per week. I plan on starting back doing my Hip Hop Abs work out at home for my cardio because I do not have enough muscle tone for the spin class that I went to. I need to build some strength before I get back into spinning.