3 Major Differences Between Weight Loss and Healthy Weight Maintenance

Switching your diet over to healthy weight maintenance mode? When you’ve lost all the weight you want, it’s normal to think to yourself, “mission accomplished, go me!”

And that’s as it should be. Go ahead and congratulate yourself for a job well done. It took grit, determination and a lot of good choices to get you where you are now. You deserve that pat on the back—from us, from yourself, from everyone!

But there’s another job ahead of you: Keeping off the weight. Though it’s not the 95 percent figure you may have heard, a significant percentage of people who lose weight do gain it back. While this is understandably a very scary stat, no need to worry! You’re prepared for this.

During your time on Nutrisystem, you’ve learned what the perfect portion looks like, you’ve made your own Flex meals, which will be part of your life going forward, and your Weight Loss Coaches have helped you with everything, from making good choices at the grocery store to what to do when your favorite food is tempting you from across the table.

Whether you opt for a little help from us, or you’d prefer to go it alone, it’s important that you know the differences between losing and maintaining weight.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. You have superpowers.

It may seem scary to venture out on your own but seriously, you’ve got this! You’ve changed your relationship with food and left your old self behind in so many ways. There’s no reason to think you’ll suddenly lose all willpower and drive back into old habits. To make it easier to stay on track, keep doing the things you’ve been doing: Incorporate several servings of veggies into every meal, opt for lean proteins, complex carbs and healthy fats, and drink plenty of water.

In fact, studies done by the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), which tracked successful losers who’ve dropped 30 pounds or more and kept it off for more than a year, found that eating a consistent diet over time increases your chances for success at maintaining your loss.

Continuing to track your meal plan in the Nutrisystem app can help you stay consistent and manage your new weight.

2. You have to use it to not gain it.

For weight loss, science says that diet matters the most. For maintenance, regular physical activity is major factor in predicting whether you’ll keep it off, according to the NWCR.

We recommend increasing your activity level from 30+ minutes a day to 60+ minutes a day, as research shows this is important for weight maintenance. But don’t worry, this can be something as simple as increasing the amount of time spent brisk walking. You can do whatever you like—run, bike, walk, swim, dance or give your hips a regular workout with a hula hoop. The goal is to aim for a steady energy balance! 

Make physical activity a permanent part of your life. The good news? The more entrenched a healthy habit becomes, the easier healthy weight maintenance comes, according to NWCR researchers. You may not believe it now, but as time goes on, workouts can become a source of pleasure.

Need a little help getting moving? Check out the Fitness Section of The Leaf. It’s packed with activity tips and exercises for every level of fitness!

3. You have to stay accountable.

Holding yourself accountable is a maintenance must. Trying to keep weight gain away, you’ll need to take on more responsibility. Weigh yourself regularly if possible. Recurrent weigh-ins keeps you aware of the link between your eating habits and weight. Hang on to a chart to record any variations.

The reason: You can take action right away if the scale is nudging upwards in a meaningful way. It’s easier to lose one extra pound than five or 10. Obviously, small fluctuations in weight are normal, so remember to weigh yourself at the same time every day and don’t panic over trivial deviations.

And if you are on Nutrisystem, rest assured that you won’t be going it alone. You’ll, get tons of advice, tips and recipes to help your healthy weight maintenance plan become second nature. You’ll also have access to Weight Loss Coaches for that extra help you may need.