Nearing my goal

So - I have debated with some people the value of having a weight goal -  I get the incredulous "if you don't have a goal how will you know when your done?"
Done?  I am not a loaf of bread in the oven - I am never done.  No matter what I weigh every day I need to decide:
What am I eating? 
What exercise am I doing? 
How much will I drink? 
Will I take my vitamins?
Yet, I have a ticker with a number on it and I am pretty close to that number.  I have enjoyed watching the little character triumphantly march down the scale.  But now I have to face it - what happens when I reach the end of the scale - what happens if this is goal? 

In my mind this is when the hard work starts because now I have to maintain my weight.  I need to balance intake with activity and I realize I have never done this before.  I have never set out to just maintain my weight.  In the past I have always been losing or gaining mostly out of control.  Now I need to find a balance. 
I have set myself up pretty well.  I have established healthy eating habits.  I'm up to about 1400-1600 calories a day at this point.  I drink 6-8 cups of water a day as a matter of habit.  My vitamins get packed and eaten with lunch each day.  I go to the gym 3 days a week and just bought a bike so I can get out more in the nice weather. 
But I fret - can I do this?  I know there are a few people who are watching me just waiting to see me gain it back so they can say I told you so.  A lot of people congratulate me on my weight loss and some of them are truly happy for me.  Some are jealous, some envious- recently I had someone ask me - what are you going to do about all that loose skin?  I told them I would much rather deal with 20lbs of loose skin than all that extra fat.
Yet I still can't face having someone touch me - I have scheduled and canceled a message three times now!  But I am going out in public in shorts and my new avatar is me in a bathing suit.  I am still clearly a work in progress but I am happy with the progress so far!   

WOW!!!  I am just amazed.  What an accomplishment.   Just looking at your stats make my eyes well up as I think about what is possible. 

I love your stance on a "goal weight" and I totally agree.  Thanks also for sharing the reactions of others.  Everyone has an opinion and unfortunately a lot of people don't have filters.  As for the massage issue - I would never let someone give me a massage either.  I haven't lost weight, but it is just related to be uncomfortable in my own skin.  Give it a few years and I bet you will feel more comfortable.  You still may not like massages, but I bet you might feel more comfortable with people touching you.

Great post!  Yeeaaaa! 

These are great quesitons! There is always some anxiety when you get to a new unfamiliar but exciting stage in life-remember high school graduation? The things that got you to the palce of goal will help you maintain. I just think like most addictions (food) you can never jsut sit back and think "I'm done. I don't need to be careful anymore." I agree that you are never completlely done. Except- when I'm 85 years old I think I will say "Enough of this" and eat what I want whenever I want, that is if I can remember and still eat! K

I never had a specific goal either. I wanted to be a normal BMI and then I figured I'd lose some more after that but how much would depend on how I look and felt.