Why Maintenance Is a Skill (and How to Master It)
Every weight loss journey has two distinct phases: the weight loss phase and maintenance. This is really important because there's no point losing weight if you don't know how to keep it off.
This is something that I know a lot about because I have lost 30 kilos and I've actually kept it off now for 25 years. So I'm a master of maintenance, and I'm going to be sharing all of my tips with you in today's episode of the Why Weight Start Now podcast.
Welcome to the Why Weight Podcast
I'm your host, Sheryl Takayama-qualified nutritionist, emotional eater, and weight loss coach who walks the talk. I've maintained my 30-kilo weight loss for the past 23 years following a low-carb plan, and now I coach other women online so they can do the same.
It's my mission to help women get off this crazy diet wagon and find a way of eating and a way of thinking that works, so you too can lose your weight for life. Join me each week for lots of practical advice, tips, and motivation so you can start now.
You're Not Alone in This Struggle
If you're someone who has lost weight and then gone through the frustrating experience of gaining it back again, you are most definitely not alone. I've been a weight loss coach for 13 years, so I've seen many people who have got a long history behind them. By the time they come to see me, they've done lots of different diets or food plans that have worked, but unfortunately they just haven't been able to maintain their results.
So it's something that affects so many of us in this journey, which is why I want to devote a whole episode to it today.
Why Maintenance is Different from Weight Loss
Maintenance is something that I have had to really learn because losing weight was just the first part. I mean, I lost my 30 kilos in a year, and I would argue that in some ways, the weight loss phase is almost a bit more exciting because quite often you're on a mission, you're motivated, you're making changes.
But maintenance is different. We've got to learn how to make these changes our lifestyle. It might not be as exciting anymore. We've got to go through hurdles of getting through holidays and special occasions, all the while maintaining our new actions and behaviors. It's definitely a different skill in and of itself.
Today on this episode, I'm going to talk about what weight loss looks like compared to maintenance, and then the key actions of weight loss versus maintenance. So if you're on your weight loss journey, this is going to help you get really clear on the different actions that are associated with both of these phases, especially if you are following a low-carb plan. And I'm going to share with you the things that have really helped me be able to maintain my results for as long as I have.
Think About Maintenance Before You Start
It's really important to think about maintenance before you even start losing weight. I know a lot of people when they come to see me say that one of the most important things for them is that the plan is sustainable, because they've gone through the frustrating and very miserable experience of losing weight and then gaining it back again, and they just don't want to do that again. And I totally understand that.
This is why I'll always say: whatever we do to lose weight, we have to keep doing to some degree in order to keep those results. It's not a temporary diet-some really strict thing we're going to do for a short period of time. Because unless you're really making changes that you can keep, you are going to gain the weight back.
So it's really important when you're embarking on a new weight loss journey to be able to say to yourself: Can I realistically follow this way of eating forever? I mean, of course there are different actions in maintenance than in weight loss, but at the core, you do have to keep eating that way.
Why I Love Low Carb for Long-Term Success
This is what I love about low carb: we're eating real food, it's delicious, it's easy, you don't feel hungry. There are so many elements about this way of eating that really do make it doable in the long term, and that's why I'm so passionate about supporting this way of eating, because I know from my own experience that you are definitely able to sustain results when you eat this way.
The Magic Numbers: 95/5 vs 80/20
Let's start by looking at what weight loss looks like compared to maintenance, and I like to use percentages.
Weight Loss = 95/5
When we're in the phase of weight loss, I really like to look at it as 95/5. So you need to be on track 95% of the time when weight loss is your goal. Hopefully you've got a bit of room in there for a 5% little extra or a treat meal that you'll be able to enjoy and still see a really good result.
Maintenance = 80/20
Weight maintenance is 80/20, and that's what I've done all of these years. So 80% of the time we still need to follow a low-carb plan, which by the time you've lost your weight is not hard. You're into your routine, you know the meals that work for you, and it really is quite easy because it's just your new habit now-it's just how you eat.
So in maintenance, I've always found that 80% of the time if you're sticking to low carb, that's great. Then obviously a little bit more room to add in some higher carb products because we're not trying to burn fat anymore.
Adding Foods Back in Maintenance
I always recommend choosing real food first, so you might want to add some fruit into your plan, or you might want to add some higher starch vegetables like potato or pumpkin. Real food is always great.
I think the 80/20 principle works really well in that if you stay low carb during the week, then you've got the weekend to maybe have a bit more flexibility and add in some extras. You're soon going to learn how well you can maintain your weight by adding in these extra things, but it's certainly very, very doable in the long term.
Core Actions for Weight Loss
Now let's look at the core actions that are going to be needed for weight loss versus maintenance. If you're somebody who is struggling at the moment in weight loss and not seeing results, I think that this clarity is going to help you realize the changes you might need to make if you want to get out of maintenance and back into weight loss.
In Weight Loss:
1. Stick to Low Carb 95% of the Time You really do need to stick to low carb 95% of the time, and that means keeping your carbs under 50g a day. That's really important because you want to get your fat-burning engine going, keep it going, and keep your insulin low-that's a really key action that makes sure your body is going to keep tapping into that stored fat.
2. Nail the Weekends You really need to nail the weekends. Those two days are probably the most important days of the week, because it really is the time when if you're out of routine, if you're out and about, especially if you're eating out, it can really put a brake on your results.
So I suggest to my clients: make a little plan at the beginning of the weekend. Think through and decide what you want your goal to be for the weekend, and then make a plan-a food plan that you are going to stick to, especially looking at any situations when you are outside of the house.
3. Keep Consistent Sleep and Stay Hydrated You also want to keep bedtime as consistent as possible and make sure you're drinking lots of water. Because if you can get through the weekend and at least weigh the same on Monday as you did on Friday, that's going to be a huge action of success in your weight loss journey.
4. Plan Your Treat Meal As I've said, hopefully there's room in weight loss for one treat. I always say to my clients: make that something you enjoy, make that a meal that you're going to look forward to. So if during the week you're feeling a bit tired, or maybe you've got a craving and there's something you really want to eat, well, you can just tell yourself, "No, I'm not going to have it today. I'll have it on the weekend" or whatever you decide that special moment is going to be.
I think that having that element within your plan gives you that flexibility to be able to go to a special occasion or a meal out and still have some really yummy choices and enjoy it. And as long as you get back on track straight away, you will be fine.
Core Actions for Maintenance
In maintenance you do have a bit more flexibility, but you still want to stick to this 80/20 rule. And that's how I've done it all these years. Apart from gaining the weight that I did when I was pregnant (which I lost again), I've maintained my result all of these years by sticking to this 80/20 rule-being low carb during the week and then on the weekend there might be a bit extra.
My Personal Experience at 50
I have to admit that now that I'm 50, I do not eat carbs because I've found that unfortunately the weight gain happens pretty quickly. But I definitely have some higher calorie meals on the weekend. There are definitely some treats. And yes, on Monday, sometimes the scales might be up a little bit, but it's never normally more than 500 or 600g, and I just get straight back onto my low carb and everything just hums along nicely.
So it really does work well, but it's certainly something that I've had to learn and monitor closely as I introduce different foods and try different things to see what works for me and what doesn't.
Expanding Your Food Options
In maintenance, I do recommend that people expand their food options and bring in as much as possible with fruits, maybe some kumara or potato, and you want to be testing all the time to see how your body reacts. It's going to be perfectly normal that your weight might be a bit higher on a Monday, but as long as you're losing it again during the week by getting back to your low carb, that is great.
I always recommend real food over processed food because of course we want to eat in a way that minimizes inflammation, and there's nothing better than real food.
What About Alcohol?
The other thing that can come into our lifestyle, which makes a big difference, is alcohol. In weight loss, you might be lucky if you can get away with a little bit of alcohol and still see a result. I tend to recommend that we keep alcohol to an absolute minimum in weight loss because it does slow down your fat-burning engine.
But hopefully in maintenance there might be a bit more room. If that's something that you enjoy, you can have a few drinks on the weekend. And yes, the scales might be up a little bit by Monday, but once again you get back into your routine and that all goes away.
We've got to have a way of eating and celebrating and enjoying life that really works for us because we need to do this in the long term. So I'm a big fan of just letting in as much as you can of the things that are important to you, but continuing to monitor your progress to make sure you are still achieving your goal.
Monitoring Your Progress in Maintenance
In maintenance, you want to be weighing yourself if that's important to you. I know it certainly has helped me. As I've shared in previous episodes, I weigh myself daily, which has been a great way of staying accountable and really seeing how my body works.
But whether it's with the scales or with a measuring tape, whatever it is, it's really helpful to have some method of checking in with yourself while you're in maintenance, because this will allow you to just see really quickly how things are going based on different actions you are trying.
Create a Buffer Zone
I always recommend that in maintenance you give yourself a buffer zone of about two kilos because you need room to be able to move. You might go away for the weekend or you go on holiday. Now, of course, you're probably going to gain a little bit over this time. But what you do is give yourself room to gain, but still stay in your buffer zone.
This is far more doable than saying "Right, I'm going to get to an exact number, and I'm going to stay there" because it's impossible to stay on an exact number. Your body will go up and down due to fluid changes, hormones, and inflammation. You need to factor that in so that you keep your head in a really good space while you are maintaining.
Finding Your Structure
Like all things in weight loss, the key thing about maintenance is finding the structure that works for you. But if we step one step back from that, it's also realizing that maintenance needs to have a structure in the same way weight loss does-it's just that in maintenance there's more flexibility.
The key thing is to create that buffer zone that you're really happy to stay in, so that you're maintaining your weight at a certain level, but you've still got room for some extras for the things that matter to you. Then you're going to experiment with different foods, alcohol, different things to see how your weight is holding through all of these different inputs. And you keep tracking your progress-you stay accountable.
I've always found over these years that this principle of 80/20 works really well in practice. It gives you a structure that's easy to follow. For me, during the week I stay on low carb and the weekend there might be some extra calories. But by Monday, yeah, the scales are up a little bit, but then it just comes back down again. So that has worked really well.
Summary: Your Action Plan
Weight Loss = 95/5
* You have got to be on point 95% of the time
* Hopefully there's room for you to have one free meal
* A key part of weight loss is that you've got to be able to nail the weekend
* You've got to be able to at least hold your weight through the weekend, because when you can do that, you start to get some really good results
Maintenance = 80/20
* On track, staying low carb most of the time, but there's definitely more flexibility for some extra things
* Yes, your weight might go up a little bit, but you're going to monitor it
* Keep measuring what's changing to make sure that you really understand how to keep your weight within your zone
* Then you just keep working on staying there
Your One Action Step
I love to finish this podcast with one action that you can take if you are ready to get started. I think the key thing that a lot of people tell me is that they want to lose weight, but it's not happening. And it's probably because they are in this 80/20 mode.
So what I would love is that if you're in this situation and you're thinking, "Heck, I really have been more in maintenance than weight loss," how can you bring it up to 95/5? What are some actions that can really make the difference for you?
Is it cutting back on carbs? Is it those extra snacks? Is it the alcohol? I just love you to think of one or two things that you could do to be able to slide from maintenance back into weight loss, if that's your goal. And then, of course, you have to ask yourself the really important question, which is: Am I willing to do it?
I hope this helped you today, and I look forward to seeing you next week, where we are going to get really excited about the thing that matters the most-your why. See you then.
Thanks so much for listening. If you want support on your weight loss journey, I would love to help. You'll see the links in the show notes for my socials, as well as my fab freebie: a five-day low-carb meal plan and five delicious dinner recipes. You'll also see the link for my four-week Foundations of Fat Loss program. This is the program I've designed specifically for the fat-burning needs of women over 35.
Remember: the only thing that's going to stop you reaching your goal is if you quit. Never, ever give up.
