Stage 3 – Healthy Weight for Life
Keep the weight off and stay healthy for life!
The secret is balance. You’ve earned the right to treat yourself every now and then, but after an indulgent day, follow it up with a light day to offset potential weight gain. That’s where our ‘weight maintenance meals’ come in.
We recommend eating between two and six Dietlicious meals a week to stay healthy and keep your weight from creeping back up. Use them when you’re pressed for time, need a healthy work lunch or can’t be bothered cooking something wholesome – our meals will save you dialling for pizza!
Healthy Weight for Life options from Dietlicious
Choose your favourites from our Individual Meals range, or try one of our Meal Bundles if you want us to do more of the cooking for you. The key is to ensure that your food choices fit into your lifestyle and your new healthy eating habits can be easily maintained. Read on for more tips below to help you keep a healthy weight for the long term.
Strategies for long-term weight loss maintenance
- Regular physical activity - Consistent exercise is crucial. Studies show successful maintainers engage in daily exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling, yoga or strength training. This helps burn calories, preserve muscle mass, and boost metabolism.
- Making healthy choices an everyday habit: A diet rich in wholefoods such as fruit and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins supports weight stability so stock up at home with healthful options. Meanwhile, steer clear of processed foods which often contain high calories, additives and salt with no nutritional value. Portion control and mindful eating help prevent overeating.
- Behavioural and psychological approaches: This includes self-monitoring weight regularly, identifying and managing triggers for unhealthy eating (like stress or boredom), and planning for setbacks by restarting healthy behaviours promptly. Using support systems or programs can improve adherence.
- Consistent routine: Keeping a consistent eating pattern across weekdays and weekends helps avoid weight fluctuations. Gradually adjusting calorie intake to find a balance that maintains weight is important, often requiring record-keeping or professional guidance.
- Muscle preservation: Incorporating resistance training prevents muscle loss that can lower metabolism, making weight maintenance easier.
- Long-term perspective: Weight maintenance is a lifelong commitment. Research shows that after maintaining weight loss for 2-5 years, the likelihood of continued success increases significantly.
To maintain weight loss over the long term, a combination of sustained lifestyle changes in diet, physical activity, and behaviour is essential. This supports lasting health benefits.
