Maintaining weight

Published 27 September 2026.

Maintaining is where results last. It is easier than losing because you don’t need a deficit, but it still needs a few habits.

Keeping weight off is its own plan

After weight loss, the calories you need to stay at the new weight are lower than before. The NIH Body Weight Planner was built partly to show the permanent changes needed to keep weight off, not only to lose it [1].

Habits that work

• Pick a range, not a number. For example, within 1–2 kg (2–4 lb) of your target. Act when you leave the range, not before.
• Weigh weekly. Regular self-weighing is linked to better weight control [2].
• Keep a few default meals. Cooking the same handful of recipes makes intake predictable without tracking.
• Hit your fiber target. 25 g a day for women, 38 g for men (21 g and 30 g after 50) [3]. Filling, high-fiber meals make maintenance easier. See Fiber.
• Stay active. 150 minutes of moderate activity a week plus 2 days of strength training [4].

When the scale creeps up

Log your food for one or two weeks. Usually one thing has changed: more snacks, bigger portions, more oil. Fix that one thing.

General information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, check changes with your doctor.