Moving from weight loss to maintenance - how to do it right

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You've been focused on losing weight for some time; so what happens when you hit your goal and your weight loss journey seemingly comes to an end?

Firstly, congratulations on reaching this milestone – take a moment to stop and appreciate what you've achieved. What comes next is 'maintenance'; the phase of continuing your healthy habits, but adjusting your 'calories in/calories out' balance to move from deficit to balance.

This is something you'll have been working towards with Nutracheck since day one of your weight loss journey, so nothing drastic will change now you've reached your goals, but you'll be turning the habits you've been practising into longer-term changes to maintain at this healthy new weight.

How to up my calories again without the weight coming back on

Increasing your calorie intake after it's been at a certain number for some time can feel really daunting – so we always advise a gradual approach for your body to get used to this higher intake once more.

• Start by adding 50-100 calories onto your calorie deficit target
• Stay at this level for 1-2 weeks and monitor your weight
• Once you've eaten consistently at this calorie target, providing your weight isn't going up, increase your calories again by 50-100
• Repeat until you reach your maintenance figure as calculated for you by Nutracheck. Note that this number is just a guide – you need to establish what is right for you, which may be slightly over or under this guide figure. It can take some trial and error to work out the right maintenance calories for you, so try not to feel disheartened during this period.

How to stay on track in the longer term

Once you've got used to your new daily calorie intake, follow these tips to ensure you maintain the healthy weight you're at in the longer term:

1 Choose your preferred way to monitor

Regularly check how you're doing. If weighing yourself, set an 'upper tolerance' 3-5lbs above your goal weight. If you hit this, it's time to start tracking again until you're back to your goal weight. Or you may prefer to use the fit of an item of clothing as your 'check' – whatever works best for you. But we do recommend a weekly check so you can address any blips quickly. It's perfectly normal your weight will fluctuate, the key is to get straight back to tracking to reverse any weight gain quickly. If you look after the pounds the stones will look after themselves!'

2 Keep up your tracking habits

By now, you'll have a good idea of portion control and the calorie / nutritional content of foods. But for occasions where you want to be more diligent, or are unsure of the calorie count of something, do use the app to help. Think of Nutracheck as your safety net, you may not need to use it as frequently as you did, but having it to hand gives you reassurance that you can maintain confidently. And you know exactly what to do if you experience any weight-creep!

3 Find an exercise routine you'll stick to

Regular exercise is your key to successful maintenance. You don't have to do it, but it will make maintaining your new weight so much easier. Our tip is to find the activity you love – then keep it going, consistency is important. Try to include exercise that builds muscle if you can, such as strength training. Muscle is your internal generator – it burns calories just by being there. So the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns, even at rest.

4 Enjoy indulgences – and offset

Holidays, meals out and other occasions are some of life's real pleasures – and you shouldn't hold back from enjoying them. Our mantra is 'everything in moderation'. The key is learning to balance the indulgences with periods of more controlled eating, to avoid spiralling into unhealthy food habits. Enjoy the occasion, then get back to tracking, don't let a day or two of treaty habits turn into a week's worth of indulging. Avoid a slip becoming a slide... you know the drill!

5 Consistency is key

Being disciplined and consistent about food planning, prep and eating habits is key to maintaining a healthy weight for longer than a short period of time. Making time in your daily life to choose better options for your body and your health, and enjoy eating them, is something you owe yourself after the work you've put into your weight loss goals so far.

APP TIPS

• To track your gradual calorie increase, we recommend using our Set My Own goal option. Open the app and tap the blue menu button in your Diary > 'Nutrient Goals' > 'Set My Own'. On the website, click 'Settings' from the top navigation bar > 'Set a nutrient goal' > 'Set My Own Goal' then manually enter your preferred target.
• To change your target to maintain in the app, tap 'More' > 'My Profile & Account' > 'Edit' in the top right corner. Follow through each screen, updating all your personal details, including your new weight. Change your overall goal to 'to maintain weight', and you're all set!
• On the website, click the 'Profile' icon from the top navigation bar, then click the 'Personal details' tab and scroll down to 'My personal goals'. Click '+Update' to save your new settings.