Are You Ready for Maintenance?
Congratulations if you hit goal weight, if you’re getting close to goal, or if you’re already maintaining. Losing the extra pounds takes a lot of work and shows your dedication. But unfortunately, losing the weight isn’t everything. Keeping it off is just as hard. Some say it’s harder!
Maintaining your weight loss requires the same healthy habits you developed while losing weight. They include getting plenty of satisfying protein, sticking to a controlled meal plan without too many calories or carbs, and figuring out how to fit in the occasional treat to keep yourself from feeling deprived. The BariatricPal Store has plenty of help for keeping the pounds off without it feeling like a burden.
Get Plenty of Protein
You know protein keeps you feeling fuller and helps support strong muscles and speedier metabolism. Chicken, fish, and eggs are some of the foods with the highest protein content, but they can get awfully boring unless you spend the time finding and making new recipes all the time.
No worries if gourmet cooking isn’t in your daily schedule. There’s a better choice than fast food or takeout. Just stock up on BariatricPal instant meals. They’re shelf-stable, so you can have a variety of them on hand. Choose from among any of our high-protein, calorie-controlled dishes, such as chili, lasagna, fettuccini Alfredo, and enchiladas.
They’re ready in minutes, so it takes less time to get your healthy meal on the table than it would to pass through the drive-through.
Stick to the Plan
What plan, you ask? Is a plan really necessary on maintenance? Well, following a meal plan can help you keep those calories under control so the pounds don’t creep back on. We understand if you don’t feel like meal planning anymore if you’ve already done it for so long while losing weight. That’s why we created meal plans you can follow along with ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snacks.
Treat Yourself
If you want to have any hope of keeping the pounds off for the long term, you’ll need to find a way to have the occasional treat without throwing yourself off your healthy diet. Are you craving a salty crunch? Help yourself to high-protein cheese snacks or pretzels. Is chocolate calling you? Choose from high-protein shakes, bars, and puddings. If you have a sweet tooth, there’s nothing wrong with a satisfying protein bar, whether it’s flavored with caramel, lemon, cheesecake, or peanut butter.
It’s never too early to start thinking about maintenance, so why not start now if you haven’t already? You can keep an eye out for great foods that are convenient for your lifestyle and keep you full without too many calories.
