The Lost Art of Maintaining

BY David Pfeffer
March 13, 2024

Nutrition

The Lost Art of Maintaining

You’ve lost the weight. Now what?

One of the best things I’ve ever heard regarding weight loss in the U.S. is that we don’t have a weight loss problem here. Lots of folks lose weight. We have a maintenance problem. So many people that lose weight don’t keep it off. We coaches have heard it so many times, “I’ve tried everything you can think of to lose weight. I lose the weight, but it keeps coming back.”

There’s an entire industry surrounding weight loss for a reason. Very few of those programs TEACH you how to keep it off once it’s gone. To me, that’s the greatest value of a coach. I myself had a coach guide me through maintenance and I’m so very thankful for it. Every time he’d add food back, I’d say, “you sure?” He HAD to get tired of saying “trust me” but I kept doing just that. I would have NEVER had the guts to give myself back the amount of food I now eat. I’m eating almost twice as much food now as I did when I was at the bottom of my cut, but somehow, through some sort of sorcery, my waist is the same size. My pants still fit just fine. I’m so glad I gave time the time it needed to get here.

Once you’ve lost the weight, you should not be at your cut levels with food for the rest of your life. A deficit should be temporary. Once you’re where you want to be, you have to level off the weight loss and work toward finding your “sweet spot.” A coach can help you with that. Everyone’s caloric intake for maintenance is different. 2000 calories is what’s on the food labels, but that’s not the number for everyone.

BUT, what if your goal after the weight is gone is to add some muscle? Guess what, muscle has weight to it, too! You might gain a bit of weight. This is where the scale can REALLY get in your head. You’ve just gone through putting in the work to drop that number and when it creeps back up a bit, you panic. You think, “oh no, not this again!” This is a time to lean on your coach for reassurance. If you’re hitting your numbers and doing what you know you’re supposed to be doing, your coach will help you understand that you’re okay. Other tools help here so much more than the scale. The mirror is a big one. We’re our own worst critics; everyone knows that. But, when you’re brushing your teeth, what if you notice a bit more muscle definition (or even some where there wasn’t any before)? That’s a pretty awesome feeling! Your pants or a tape measure are another. Is your waist staying the same size? If so, again, let that be a sign that you’re doing something right. Are you lifting more weight? That doesn’t happen on accident! The scale is a useful tool, sure, but there are times where we need to not let it be the main one.

Maintenance is a glorious place, let yourself get there and enjoy it!

Meet The Author

David Pfeffer

I watched my parents try just about every diet there was. They’d lose weight and then gain it back, maybe even gain back more. I figured that was in the cards for me as well. Even though I was working out really consistently (and have always been active), once I hit my late thirties and early forties, the pounds started packing on. Cue my time with Jason. I learned so much from him and about how food actually works for and against us. I’ve developed a passion for everything nutrition-related which drove me to complete my nutrition coaching certification so I can share my knowledge and experience with others and help them have these breakthroughs of their own. The beauty of this program is the sustainability of it. I love sweets, pizza, burgers, etc. Learning how to eat this way lets me have those things. Since I’ve started living the macro life, I’ve NEVER once felt deprived of anything. What I’ve learned and put in place can keep me like this forever. A lot of people lose weight but never learn what to do afterwards. I want to help people see through all of that. Food and everything around it can seem overwhelming, but it really doesn’t need to be. I’m a husband, dad (human and canine), fun-loving, glass-half-full-kind-of-guy. I love movies, sports, being outside, good TV shows, and just being present with family and friends. I’m so very thankful for my opportunity to help people as a Nutrition Coach with Falcon Nutrition. I always say to leave the world better than you found it -this is another way for me to do that!