Maintenance is the stage of weight loss that comes after you reach your goal weight. At that point, you adjust the amount of food you're eating so that your weight steadies. You also continue to practise the healthy behaviour patterns that got you to your goal.
"While you're losing weight you're very focused - there's a specific end goal," says Zoe Griffiths, Head of Public Health at WW. "But when it comes to maintaining weight loss, you have to have a different mentality."
While you're losing weight, you have the gratification of watching the numbers on the scale get smaller and of hearing compliments from friends and family.
Maintaining weight loss is less glamorous, however, and you have to figure out ways to replace that outward gratification and praise from others with an internal reward system. Instead of being motivated by the numbers on the scale, motivation must start coming from how you feel - stronger, more energetic, and a happier mindset.
4 tips for maintaining your weight loss
Be realistic
Losing weight will improve your health and give you more energy, but it won't cure everything like making a disliked job bearable. If weight loss brings up issues that you aren't sure how to handle, talk them over with a trusted friend or seek professional help.
Keep active
Regular exercise is the key to maintaining weight loss. Record how often you walk, run, swim, or cycle and refer to it if the weight starts to creep back on. You may find you're letting your workouts slip.
Weigh in
Continue to go to your weekly WW Workshop and check in with your WW Coach, if you’re a Workshop + Digital member, or weigh yourself at home if you’re a Digital member. This will help keep your weight in check and gauge how you’re doing with maintaining. If you've gained a kilo or two, look back. Have you been eating larger portions? Exercising less? You can always get back on track. You’ve done it before, so you can do it again.
Reward yourself
Treat yourself to a manicure, a holiday, or a day off from work to celebrate maintenance milestones.
If you’re a Workshop + Digital member, you become a Lifetime member when you reach your goal weight.
What does becoming a Lifetime member mean?
You can attend WW Workshops as many times as you would like each month and receive one free monthly wellness check-in (as long as you are no more than 2kg above or below your goal weight and weigh in at a WW Workshop each month).