Eating for health is about more than just weight loss. Not only do healthy meals to maintain weight exist, but they can also help you if you’re saying, “I don’t want to diet, just eat healthy.” Skip the fad diets and find long-term wellness with a healthy diet.
Ahead, learn how to eat healthy but not lose weight featuring six tips approved by nutrition experts.
Eating Well Without a Weight Loss Goal
Did you know that healthy eating isn’t only about losing weight? If you’re already at a healthy weight, your eating plan can help support you in eating a variety of healthy foods to maintain that weight.
Looking for a formal way to eat healthy may seem tempting at first. However, abiding by lifestyles like the “80/20 Rule” (eating healthy 80% of the time and letting go of limits for the other 20%) can teeter on the edge of dieting.
Experts on either side of these diet or lifestyle debates usually agree on the same thing. You have to be “perfect” in your efforts all of the time to maintain a healthy weight. Focusing on more helpful indicators, like how food makes you feel, can help you navigate maintaining a healthy weight.
Eating Habits For Healthy Weight
Some meal plan principles for losing weight still stand for healthy weight maintenance. For example, in both cases it is important to avoid processed foods when possible.
However, other traditional methodologies can be misleading, such as considering certain foods “off-limits”. When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, it can be helpful to establish a sense of balance. You can enjoy your favorite fruits, vegetables, and dessert on the same day!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a helpful framework for establishing healthy habits. These tips (plus the ones listed in the following section) can help you keep your goals on track:
• Reflect on your eating habits, without judgment, and identify your triggers for unhealthy eating.
• Replace unhealthy habits with healthier habits. In other words, just make the next right choice (instead of being overwhelmed with the entire journey at once).
• Reinforce healthy eating habits, and don’t forget to be patient with yourself as you adapt and evolve.
How to Eat Healthy but Not Lose Weight
If you want to avoid weight gain but don’t want to lose weight, here are six ways to support wellness that are expert-approved.
1. Make It Mindful
Traditional weight management treatment plans—like “eat less, move more”—may not always be effective. Instead, introducing mindful eating habits is crucial for sustainable benefits.
Having a mindful mindset can help you focus on maintaining a healthy weight instead of being obsessed with weight loss or avoiding weight gain.
2. Evolve With An Expert
Especially if you’re working on maintaining a healthy weight after being overweight, the help of a dietitian can work wonders. Long-term healthy weight maintenance is often more successful when there is a supportive healthcare team on board.
Plus, having a team to support you makes sustaining healthy habits and keeping a positive mindset much more manageable.
3. Acknowledge Your Environment
While “triggers” are more often discussed with weight loss, it’s important to be aware of your environment even when you don’t want to lose weight. Demographic determinants might not count for nearly as much in weight maintenance as behavioral determinants do.
Modify your environment to match your goals, encourage better behavior, and support goals beyond the number on the scale (such as building muscle).
4. Do It For Disease Prevention
Motivation matters! When working on weight management, it can help to keep in mind that staying at a healthy weight can help reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Interestingly, maintaining a healthy weight can improve cellular health. Essentially, maintaining a healthy weight can be good for you now and also as you age.
5. Don’t Forget To Eat Breakfast
Breakfast really could be the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast can help people maintain a healthy weight, especially children. Those who choose to eat a balanced breakfast tend to be more prone to make proper food choices throughout the remainder of the day.
Be sure to include a source of protein and fiber with breakfast if you want to feel full for longer and curb the cravings.
6. Know Your Portion Sizes
Portion control is important even if you aren’t trying to lose weight. Knowing proper portion sizes can become a helpful habit and empower you to dish out the right portions for yourself.
Become more familiar with portion sizes in order to strike a balance between “too much” and “not enough.”
The Last Word On Eating For Weight Maintenance
In the beginning stages of weight maintenance, you may feel an obsessive pull towards weight loss or a fear of gaining weight. However, understanding all the ways you will enjoy weight maintenance can help you achieve all your health goals. Try these tips today to improve your outlook on eating for wellness without losing weight.
References:
Dunn C, Haubenreiser M, Johnson M, Nordby K, Aggarwal S, et al. Mindfulness Approaches and Weight Loss, Weight Maintenance, and Weight Regain. Curr Obes Rep. 2018;7(1):37-49.
Ellis E. Power Up with Breakfast. Eat Right. Published December 2019. https://www.eatright.org/food/planning-and-prep/snack-and-meal-ideas/power-up-with-breakfast.
Hall KD, Kahan S. Maintenance of Lose Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity. Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):183-197.
Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published June 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html.
Lopez W. I’m A Registered Dietitian and These Are the Only 3 Healthy Eating ‘Rules’ I Live By. SELF. Published May 2018. https://www.self.com/story/im-a-registered-dietitian-and-these-are-the-only-3-healthy-eating-rules-i-live-by.
Mason AE, Hecht FM, Daubenmier JJ, Sbarra DA, Lin J, et al. Weight Loss Maintenance and Cellular Aging in the Supporting Health Through Nutrition and Exercise Study. Psychosom Med. 2018;80(7):609-619.
Varkevisser RDM, Stralen MM, Kroeze W, Ket JCF, Steenhuis IHM. Determinants of weight loss maintenance: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2019;20(2):171-211.
