With weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro seemingly able to melt the pounds away, you might well think you’ll never need a ‘diet plan’ again. Alas, you’d be wrong.
As a leading weight-loss nutritionist, I see a lot of people who have regained the weight they’ve lost as soon as they stop using these jabs. Yes, they’re life-changing for many – but often only for a limited time.
When you hit your target weight and stop injecting, your appetite returns and so, all too often, does the weight.
For those who don’t want to end up in an endless cycle of weight loss and regain, I’m here to show you how to maintain your Mounjaro weight loss easily and painlessly with healthy, long-term strategies.
It’s important to have a strategy for maintenance in just the same way you would when you’re losing weight. Read on for the Maintenance Plan, which I give to clients – my tried and tested way of keeping an eye on things and ensuring you successfully keep the kilos off long term…
PRIORITISE YOURSELF
Many of my clients come to me in the peri or menopausal stage of life. At a time of major hormonal change, they’re also having to look after children, grandchildren or elderly parents, and giving so much of their energy to others, they end up neglecting themselves.
They’re eating on the go, relying on convenience foods and snacks and reaching for the wine or chocolate as a boost at the end of the day.
You must prioritise your well-being as much as those you care for. Sleep is one of the biggest factors. If you don’t get enough sleep, it disrupts your appetite and satiety hormones and dials up hunger pangs and cravings. Go to bed at the same time every night and aim for a minimum of seven hours’ sleep.
COOK DON’T GRAZE
We’ve developed this culture of endless grazing but, actually, a key way to quash appetite and avoid calorific snacking is to eat well-balanced meals that will keep you satisfied for four to five hours at a time. Healthy food can be delicious. It’s about finding dishes you enjoy but don’t leave you feeling deprived.
Look for recipes that are not labour intensive and can be batch cooked so you can freeze two or three extra portions for later.
When you eat, do so mindfully at the table, not in front of the TV. Chew thoroughly and don’t wolf food down.
There’s so much recipe inspiration to draw from (I like paleoleap.com) and it’s good to trade recipes with your friends who may have lost weight, too.
Remember: this is a lifestyle now, not a one-off diet.
HAVE TREAT MEALS
You can have ‘treat meals’, just keep it to a maximum of two a week. And remember, a treat meal is not a massive binge. You don’t want to revert to the bad habits those weight loss jabs put a stop to.
Decide what you want as your treat and eat just enough to feel satisfied but not full and uncomfortable. As long as you are exercising – taking a daily walk, for example – and otherwise eating healthy meals with plenty of veg, good fats, proteins and moderate amounts of starchy carbohydrates, then a couple of treats are fine.
Just be mindful and make sure the amount you’re having doesn’t creep up over time.
BE SOCIABLE
Don’t avoid socialising because you think you might slip up.
Being sociable is vital to our well-being, and not going out is far more likely to make you feel miserable in the long run and turn to unhealthy comfort foods.
Accept those invitations, but choose restaurants carefully and make sure they have things on the menu that tread the line between over-indulgence and self-denial. Enjoy a delicious steak but don’t have the fries, for example.
You can also socialise in ways that don’t involve food or drink. Consider meeting a friend for a walk, or going to a yoga class together, instead.
WEIGH IN & MEASURE
Don’t avoid the scales. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time of day.
Instead of having one figure in mind for your ideal weight, give yourself a range that you want to stick within.
With my clients, if they are aiming to be around the 10st mark, then we’ll agree that if they hit 10st 4lbs we’ll look at their diet and take action.
Don’t rely entirely on the scales, though. Also take measurements with a tape measure to make sure fat isn’t creeping back on to your problem areas such as the waist or thighs.
ALTER YOUR MINDSET
Once you have reached your target weight, shift your perspective and embrace this lean person as the real you.
If you feel tempted to eat something that you know isn’t good for you, say to yourself: ‘I am a lean person and lean people don’t do that.’
Remember how bad you felt before you started on Mounjaro and lost the weight? Remind yourself that you love to feel energised and want to feel and look good in your clothes.
Is the brief enjoyment of an ice cream worth sabotaging everything you’ve achieved so far?
