Lately I have been on cruise control. It is not that motivation has waned, but rather I have been enjoying my success. This is the period known as maintenance; it is a time where you get to eat a little more relaxed (hello 400 extra calories!), work out a little less often, and genuinely appreciate all that you have accomplished. Maintenance breaks are extremely important for your overall weight loss journey. Give your body time to recover and establish a normal baseline!

Because I was concerned about only eating 1,080 calories for the rest of my life, I decided this summer would be a good time to take a break and boost my calorie consumption. I started off slowly: only adding 200 calories onto each day. Even this extra little treat every day brightened my spirits and made me feel like I was feasting. I have been eating this amount for the last month and have seen really great results.

Not only did I not GAIN any weight, I actually lost another pound. MyFitnessPal believes I could maintain my current weight with almost 2,000 calories; however, computers are not always… or usually… correct when it comes to human variables. Instead, I have increased my daily goal to 1,400 and will continue to work my way up. At the end of July I will assess what my overall weight graph looks like, and if I am still maintaining a weight of 131-133, I will bump up my calories slightly more.

Besides getting to eat a bit more– and still feel lean and healthy– this maintenance period has confirmed a very important thing for me: this is a sustainable lifestyle. I can do this FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE AND BE COMPLETELY HAPPY! This is the true key to success.The cutting was hard. But the rewards are worth it.

Current Weight: 131.2

Calories: 1,400

Exercise: 10 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of lifting 4-5 times a week