One of the most commonly asked questions is, “Once I lose the weight I want to lose, how do I keep it off?”
There is no easy answer or one specific way this will happen for every person’s body. Still, some tips will help you make the necessary choices to maintain your weight loss.
I have generally kept the weight off for years.
I have certainly made some poor choices along the way and gained some back, but the overall keto maintenance goal here is to:
- Be kind to yourself and know that it is okay to make mistakes.
- Get right back up, dust yourself off, and move forward with the lessons you learned.
- Awareness that extreme ups and downs can harm your body and avoiding the yo-yo is necessary if the goal is improved health.
So, what are the best keto maintenance strategies?
They begin with your mindset.
What messages are you telling yourself?
Are you telling yourself that you “have to” or “want to”?
Have you considered this a lifestyle or a temporary diet?
Have you committed to being a part of a larger community of people improving their health?
Here is something true to making changes to your health, whether it’s with your diet, the way you think about food, the way you think about fitness, or how you feel about how you look:
Changing your core beliefs and habits is hard work. If this were easy, everyone would do it.
The maintenance goes into your mindset first, then your habits. With that being said, the practices that require some thought when it comes to part of your journey.
Keto Maintenance
- Discovering ways to be excited about new keto foods/meals. This could be enjoying keto online (or hardcopy!) magazines, participating in online communities (like mine!), paying attention to your favorite keto foods – and treating yourself to them more!
- Counting macros. Like many of us, we get good at “eyeballing” portions and guessing the macros over time. The truth is we need to revisit measuring foods and calculating macros occasionally. Even the tiniest change can cause your efforts to derail if you are a small person. Even if you aren’t little, small changes lead to significant results in losing and gaining weight. It all adds up if you let it!
- Continue to follow a menu and meal prep when you can. Whether you are keto or not, meal prepping and menu planning are a considerable time and money saver, no matter what your “diet” consists of. Make this a life-long maintenance goal.
- Pay attention to calories. You should be aware of this while developing a keto lifestyle; don’t let this fall by the wayside. Keto maintenance includes paying attention to calories, which is a forever thing.
- Give yourself some grace. We all need to be easier on ourselves when doing things that are good for us. Remember, this is about the life-long management of our health. Our health includes mental wellness.
Keto maintenance does not need to create stress, want, or deprivation. More than anything, you should be excited about it because you matter.
I hope this helps; leave a comment if I should add anything to the keto maintenance agenda!
Talk soon,
Amy XO
p.s. Make sure you’ve downloaded my Keto Guide to help YOU get started (or restart) on your Keto Journey
p.p.s. Here is a blog on the Top 5 supplements I recommend for Keto
Thanks Amy, you are truly an inspiration to all of us!!!
Amy, I always feel better when I read your blog. I get great reports from my doctor’s lab reports. However, my skirts are never lose, my sleeves are not too big, & I am never in Ketoses. But I still pray I will understand later or soon.
How are you checking to see if your in ketosis ?
Hi Amy
Very useful information.
I think mindset is the most important tool. For both losing and maintaining .
Thanks for your guidance.
Hi! I clicked on the link for restart on the Keto guide. There is a banner across it that I couldn’t get removed. Am not able to see or download the article. Thanks. Kathy Huff
Thank you for this Amy. I am struggling to get back on track after multiple health issues (I know you an relate)
Thank you for this advice. I’m in maintenance and I am doing pretty good keeping off the weight. I love this community to help me keep going!
My name is Merri too lol
Thank you for the information
Amy, I love your Blogs, they give so much excellent info. Not on this incredible topic, but I have been doing your marbles trick with the 2 jars and I LOVE it!! I am a major visual person and I get so excited to move my pencils ( I don’t have marbles)!! I have already moved 5 pencils and only have 16 more pencils to reach my goal and 5 more if I want to have the extra 5lb Holiday cushion just in case. Thank you for Blogs, Tips and the Community!
I love this so much! Thank you Cathy. I’m always cheering you on!!
Thank you for all you do for us. You always have such good advice. And I always love reading your blog. I am not to my goal weight and still have a long ways to go. I am gettin there slow but at a steady pace. So I hope when I do get there it will be easier to stay there this time.
Remember to also set non scale goals. That’s what really helped me when times felt tougher. I believe in you XO
I love your blogs Amy! They are just one more weapon in our arsenal. My biggest struggle is tracking and prep. I got to be so good at it and then life happened…..a lot. I am working on it and these blogs along with posts sure do help!! Thank you so much!!
Thank you Amy. I love the keto wol. Even if I eat a few more calories I still don’t feel bloated and I dont gain weight. You have really helped make a difference in my life.
Dee
Thank you for everything you do and thank you for this advice. I’m in maintenance and I feel great!