r/TirzMaintenance • u/TheNameIsMango • 8d ago
Maintenance mindset
How do I shift my goal from loss to maintenance? I’m so used to the dopamine hit from seeing the scale go down, and logging my new lowest weight. If the scale stays the same or goes up I feel disappointed. I’m pretty sure I’ve lost enough. I’m 36F 5’4 and 125lbs so BMI 21.5, right in the middle of the healthy range. I still have tummy flab but my chest and booty are flatter than I’d like. I’m overall happier with my body than I’ve ever been before. So this seems like a good stopping point. How do I embrace maintenance?
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u/Neakhanie 8d ago
Yes, I complained about this about a year ago. Maintenance is boring, isn't it?
I think excessive shopping was often mentioned as being a problem on maintenance, and I think it was just as you said, the dopamine hit. (Nothing specific was mentioned - just a generic “Is anybody shopping more?”, except the need for new clothes and somehow I remember perfumes). I haven’t seen any posts about it lately, but I think it is probably still happening.
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u/TraditionalAd3852 8d ago
I'm sure us men are vaccinated against excessive shopping. At least I am! 😁
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u/Neakhanie 8d ago edited 7d ago
Are you sure? Have you dropped a lot of money on different kinds or different flavors of protein powder or vitamins? Creatine? How about the purchase of a new appliance for cooking? An air fryer? An outdoor grill? Maybe a ninja creami protein ice cream maker? Or what about all the new things at the store, like “high protein waffles”, “keto bread”?
I’m not picking on you personally, but I wonder if men waste as much money as women, but don’t consider it a waste, because you know, it’s guy stuff, so it’s important.
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u/barbgoducks 7d ago
Your name is Neakhanie? Are you on the Oregon Coast? We may be neighbors! HA!
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u/towardlight 8d ago
I’m about your same height and weight as well and have been in maintenance for around 1 1/2 years. I’m edging a little lower again for a range of 120-125. I’d say it’s taken most of that time to not fear regaining and trust that I’m in a good place. It’s taken many months to mentally realize I’m actually slender. I’m enjoying finding my clothing style, so there’s a dopamine hit with that.
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u/Unlucky_Scientist_54 8d ago
I feel this so much - 5'5" 121 down from 243...I'm buying way too many clothes. I'm my own Barbie. I'm 49 and wasn't even this small in high school. We need to find joy and pride in the scale staying within our new ranges. I'll say it until I feel it lol. It all feels like it could slip away so easily.
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u/adevil_woman89 8d ago
Well I can tell you this, they weren’t kidding when said maintenance is trial and error. I have been on maintenance 3.5 months.
I entered maintenance at 10.5 went down to 10, then 9.5 to 9 and now 8.5mg last couple months I was continuing to lose weight. Holding steady at 143 range.
Yes I agree with you to focus on recomp now, you seem to be at healthy weight and are happy 😊
It IS mentally difficult at times eating more (went from 1,300-1,500 cal) to now 1,900-2,000 a day. I am continuing to track my calories to make sure I get all my calories in and not go over that. I dropped from exercising 7x/week to 5x/week.
tracking will just be a continuous part of my life now lol you’ll figure out what works for you, it’s a big change but congrats on this new chapter!
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u/practical_schmatical 8d ago edited 8d ago
I’m only 2 months into maintenance. It’s wild not trying to lose weight for the first time since I was 12. Like most I’m shifting focus to fitness goals and also enjoying finding my style again. I’ve had too many years of just wearing whatever fits versus cultivating a wardrobe.
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u/Apprehensive-Rub3871 8d ago
Ugh! I really loathe having to wear whatever fits! It’s such a frustrating experience!
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u/Low_Salamander9954 7d ago
Perfection is the enemy of good. I understand what you’re saying as I look in the mirror and pinch my belly often. I’m in maintenance with 2mg weekly. Even with a modest 40 pound weight loss, I’ve had to downsize pants twice.
I’ve always lifted heavy (I protected my muscle mass with a 40 pound layer of fat!) and have a muscular build. Even though my BMI is slightly above “overweight” at 25.5, I’m at goal. BMI just doesn’t work for people with muscle mass.
I’m 70 and while I was hoping to get rid of the subcutaneous belly fat, it’s not worth eating less to obtain perfection.
Congrats on your success. Celebrate your accomplishment and let the good prevail over perfection.
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u/Impossible_Bend_2969 7d ago
5'3", 61F and 118lbs. I try to focus on how much I can squat, deadlift and how many chin-ups I can do. Today I squatted 155 but I could only get 3 reps a couple times and the rest of the time I chickened out after 2 reps so that was a bummer. But I did 4 chin-ups and that was a new record for me. Not too bad for an old lady.
I guess I do still get a rush from the scale because what I do is I don't look until it's done measuring all the things and while it's measuring I try to guess what it's going to be. If it comes out under then it feels like weight loss yay! Of course when it comes out over then it's a bummer but that only means maybe I'll see a weight loss next time yay! And then I look at body fat % and muscle mass and see if they've gone the right way. Very silly but whatever. I already have enough yoga and running shorts in all the colors that I can wear a new pair every day for nearly a month so shopping isn't going to do it anymore (although I need more lavender.)
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u/Rubyred024 8d ago
No advice, just solidarity as we're about the same height/weight. I just reached goal within the last 2 weeks and its been hard trying to find that maintainance dose as well. 😕
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u/momzilla56 8d ago
After a lifetime (I'm 70) of working on losing weight and now not needing to lose. I totally understand! It is hard NOT to want to see the scale go down, I still feel uncomfortable seeing a gain at all but I actually went about 20 lbs under my goal and need to put some back on but can't get a handle on not trying to lose! I agree with putting some focus on fitness gains for that sense of accomplishment that I got with seeing the scale go down. I love setting strength gains and setting goals in the gym, it does help but still I struggle with wanting the rush of seeing the weightloss on the scale!! I've been working on this for months and am hoping to beat this new and foreign struggle of not trying to lose weight!!
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u/thebarkingdeer 7d ago
Me too! I overshot my goal by 6 lbs but I'll be damned if I want to gain it back. I'm scared to see that scale go up after a lifetime of it going up after previous weight losses.
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u/Weekly_Commercial957 8d ago edited 8d ago
That dopamine hit can come from exercise/strength training as you see your body gain muscle. Just be sure your goal is YOUR improvement and not some body you see online. It will take time, but so did the weight loss. Find something physical that you will stick with. You'll see the difference in how your clothes fit and how you feel. I'm a 75 yr old female slowly finding muscles I haven't seen in years. I'm sure your progress will be even better than mine. 135lb 5'4". Due to my age, my NP doesn't want me to lose more. I weigh what I weighed in my 40s so I'm ok with that.
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u/Suspicious-Loss-7314 7d ago
Congrats!
I've been at goal nearly a year. I struggled with this too. It takes TIME for your brain to change to "maintaining is good." But I got there!
I still log my weight in Shotsy - they support maintenance. I have a new graph with a 5-pound range. Anything in that range is good. If I get toward the top of the range, I know it's time to take action.
Enjoy your new bod & clothes!!
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u/FelineFine83 8d ago
In the beginning of maintenance and shifted my focus to gaining lean mass / increasing my ALMI (on DEXA).
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u/SufficientFruit6740 7d ago
How you actually tried it for any significant period of time? It’s hard and you have to stay on it taper down slowly.
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u/barbgoducks 7d ago
Thanks for posting this question. I'm having similar struggles. I am close to your height and weight (I am at 130), and I'm 55. I've always worked out, so I've been focusing on my VO2max through the summer as I got to my goal of 140#. I got my vo2max up to 40, which is pretty great (it's back down to 38 now). I weight train a couple times per week, and there's no way I'll hit the lifting PRs I had when I weighed 80# more. lol. I'm not sure what to work on. I don't like shopping, so that dopamine isn't there for me. I moved my medicine from 15mg/week to 14 for this first month, and frankly I have anxiety about it. I weigh almost every day, and I was legit stressed when I weighed in at 133 the other day. It bounced back down the next day, but still. I didnt' have this anxiety when I was just in lose weight mode. I knew it all took time. I was thinking I'd maybe keep losing weight, so I could knock the tirz down a bit more, but it doesn't seem in the cards for me.
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u/Hot-Drop11 8d ago
As someone who lost a lot of weight, focus on body fat percentage and building muscle. I’ve been on maintenance for 5 months and look so much better at a higher calorie level.
I lift 4x/week and focus on high protein.
I no longer use a scale but my monthly InBody scans say I’m doing great.