Skip to content
Apply Now

From 2 episodes

Why is maintenance so hard after losing weight?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated

The short answer

Maintenance is hard because it stops rewarding you the way fat loss did. Nikkiey explains that the scale holds steady, photos barely change, workouts feel repetitive and compliments slow down, so the regular dopamine hit disappears. Eating more can also feel scary. The fix is to give yourself new goals, not to keep dieting.

Hear Nikkiey answer it

Tap play to start right where it's answered. It keeps playing while you browse.

  1. Nikkiey's non-scale goals to chase once you're in maintenance

    Plays from 22:03 · Ep. 285: Why Does Weight Maintenance Feel So Boring After Fat Loss?

  2. Krista on her fear of eating more calories and Nikkiey's reassurance

    Plays from 20:02 · Ep. 331: Gained Weight at 40 Despite Working Out? What Worked

  3. Nikkiey's green flags that show you're doing maintenance well

    Plays from 25:03 · Ep. 285: Why Does Weight Maintenance Feel So Boring After Fat Loss?

  4. Why tracking biofeedback and practicing real life matters in maintenance

    Plays from 23:13 · Ep. 285: Why Does Weight Maintenance Feel So Boring After Fat Loss?

The full answer

On Ep. 285, Nikkiey explains that the boredom is built into the phase. During fat loss you get constant feedback: the scale moves, photos change and people notice. In maintenance, all of that goes quiet. Nothing is wrong with you. The goals you were chasing simply stopped paying out, so the plan needs new ones.

There is also a fear piece. On Ep. 331, client Krista, who spent years on around 1,200 calories, says moving to maintenance freaked her out because it meant more calories. She has a deep-seated fear that eating more means gaining weight. Nikkiey tells her those feelings are totally valid and normal, and Krista's coach reassured her that body recomposition is still possible in maintenance. Nikkiey's view is that maintenance is where the magic happens.

So what do you chase when the scale isn't the point? Nikkiey suggests:

  • Strength goals like PRs, more push-ups or more pull-ups
  • Fixing sleep or digestion, which often take a hit in a deficit
  • Hitting your macros about 80% of the time, with more flexibility
  • Fueling well so you feel optimized, not just restricted
  • Tracking biofeedback: energy, mood, strength, sleep, recovery, cycle health and relationships
  • Practicing long-term living, like going on vacation while still honoring your habits

She also talks about identity. Maintenance is where you stop being someone who gets ready for an event and start being a woman who takes care of her body year-round. Her green flags that you're doing it well: your weight has stayed within three to five pounds for three or four months, you're eating more than you did in your cut, and you feel much better.

From Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaching. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

Women also ask

More questions →

  • Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting

    When should I stop dieting and eat at maintenance?

    Nikkiey says it's time to move to maintenance when you've reached your goal, hit a plateau that won't budge for weeks, or your body starts pushing back. That means energy and gym performance drop, hunger is constant, mood or sleep suffer, or you're mentally burned out from dieting, often after months in a deficit.

    Read the answer →

  • Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting

    Will I gain weight when I start eating more?

    Probably a little, and that's expected. Nikkiey explains that when you start eating more during a retrain or reverse diet, your weight will usually fluctuate about two to five pounds from water, glycogen, food volume and salt, not fat. If the gain keeps climbing or holds around five pounds, the increase was likely too fast.

    Read the answer →

  • Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting

    Can you lose weight by eating more?

    Yes, according to The WarriorBabe Show. Nikkiey says almost every WarriorBabe success story involves eating more food, and members like Amy, Debbie, Lisa and Erin lost weight after raising their calories from chronic lows. The key, she explains, is eating enough to fuel strength training and build muscle, which is active tissue that burns calories even at rest.

    Read the answer →

Watch or listen in full

More on this topic →

Free Body
Transformation Assessment

Apply now