So I've made my goal weight, yay, rah, rah....

I haven't really looked at the SBD book for a few months. I don't really know what Phase III is, but here is what I'm doing:

I slip into and out of Phase II. For instance, I just had a business trip to England and I just love English ales. I had a few each evening, something I don't normally do (I don't drink beer hardly at all anymore; if I want a drink, it's usually red wine). I got home and discovered I was almost 10 lb. over my goal weight (I was about 2-3 lb. over before the trip). So now I'm back to celery sticks and Laughing Cow, very few carbs (even good ones), and I've already lost about 3 lb. I plan to lose back to my goal weight.

So, for anyone who has experience with dieting and has made a goal weight, is this mini version of yo-yo dieting okay? If I'm varying my weight within a 5-10 lb. window, can I expect to keep it down, or will it eventually zoom out of control? Should I just try to maintain a constant weight and stay on a moderate version of the diet, or is it okay to go back and forth between the weight loss phase and eating the garbage that got me fat to begin with?

I try to keep my weight between my goal and 5 lbs. I'm afraid to let it go above that! lol We mostly eat "south beach friendly" stuff but will sometimes have a "treat". When we do, we usually gain a lb or two and will then cut back.

Hi Doohickie, congratulations on reaching your goal weight.

Several things you said bring up red flags, but especially this:
In my experience those who learn a new way of eating and practice it consistently have a much better chance of keeping the weight off. Periods of "eating the garbage that got you fat to being with" can be dangerous since once started they are very difficult to stop.

Sure, occasionally you will plan for a special event or treat, but I'd suggest re-reading your SBD about maintenance and like Pianomom, picking a panic point of 5-10 pounds, since you are male, to get back on track. Your health, not to mention your clothes budget, depends on it.

You've done great, so don't blow it!

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BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

yeah, I do like pianomom. I set a five pound limit, the lowest I want to be, and then the highest I want to go, and I try to stay within that. that way, I can enjoy limited amounts of something special, and losing a couple pounds once in awhile is so much nicer then trying to lose lots of them.

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