Keeping weight off, how to get through the first year after reaching your goal

Month 1, finding your new level

Your lighter body needs a little more food than during the loss, but less than before you started. Add a little at a time. A slice of bread here, a slightly bigger portion of potatoes there. Watch your weekly weigh-in or your waist for a few weeks and stop adding when it holds steady. This is trial and error, and it is normal for the scales to move a little either way.

Months 2 to 6, protecting the routine

This is when old patterns try to return. The habits that got you here are worth keeping almost unchanged, especially a breakfast with protein, vegetables at lunch and dinner and fewer sugary drinks. Many people find that the weekly shop is where maintenance is won, since the same list keeps the same meals in the house. Our page on first steps to eating well is a useful reminder of the basics.

Movement matters more in maintenance than during the loss. The NHS points out that a brisk 10 minute daily walk already has real benefits and counts towards 150 minutes a week. Walks around Kingsmere or Elmsbrook, or a weekend loop of Bure Park, all add up.

Months 6 to 12, life happens

Holidays, Christmas, a new job, an injury. Plan for these weeks rather than hoping they will pass. Decide in advance what you will keep, even at your busiest. Perhaps breakfast and a daily walk. Everything else can bend for a while.

An early warning signal

Choose 1 simple sign that tells you to act. A weight 2kg above your target, about 4lb, or trousers that feel tight. When it appears, go back to the basics for 2 weeks. A small correction is easy. A large one is not. The NHS hub on managing your weight brings together tools and advice for this stage.

Identity, not a project

People who keep weight off often stop seeing themselves as dieting. They see themselves as someone who walks, eats breakfast and cooks most evenings. That shift takes time, and it is helped by being around people with the same habits. For the traps to avoid, read our article on stepping off the yo-yo cycle.

This article does not replace advice from your GP or another health professional, particularly if you have a medical condition or take regular medication.

A morning community

At Bicester Nutrition, the community meets each morning for breakfast at the club before work, which gives maintenance a steady anchor. A free assessment is open to anyone curious to see how it works.