Maintenance Made Simple: Ditch Overwhelm and Keep Your Results

As someone with a never-ending to-do list, impossibly high standards, and two small children (plus a husband… who sometimes feels like a third child), I get how frustrating it is to manage calories and plan what you’re going to eat on top of everything else.

And don’t get me started on following the “rules”: no ice cream, no wine, no second slice of cake. Or the dreaded “cheat meal” — eugh. Since when was enjoying a birthday dinner with your family cheating? That’s called life.

The Overwhelm Is Real

When you hear “track your food, set your calorie and macro targets, and figure out how meals fit in” it already sounds like too much. No wonder most people think they don’t have time and just want to be told what to do.

But here’s the truth: you don’t actually want to be told what to do. What you want is for it to feel doable.

The Reframe

Maintenance doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. It doesn’t have to be “track everything perfectly” or “just wing it and hope for the best.”

It can be simple if you just pick one thing to start with.

Small, Manageable Steps

Here are some ideas you can try:

• Track one meal a day instead of all of them.
• Swap just one family dinner for a more macro-friendly version.
• Take a favourite meal and tweak it to better fit your targets.

And don’t forget to include things you actually enjoy:

• Build chocolate into your daily targets.
• Organise your targets around your favourite meal of the day.
• Give yourself grace for weekends and special occasions.

And please, ditch the idea of “cheat meals.” Sharing food and connection with people you love is not cheating, it’s living. One meal that’s a few hundred calories over won’t undo your progress. 

Remember: you didn’t lose weight overnight, and you won’t regain it overnight either.

The Bottom Line

Small, sustainable steps are what really move the needle. Stop beating yourself up for not being perfect. Just keep taking action in the direction you want to go.

👉 Your turn: What’s one small step you’ll try this week? Track one meal? Tweak one dinner? Add chocolate to your plan without guilt? Pick one, and start there.

👉 I love to hear from you so drop me an email or DM me on Insta and let me know what you’re starting with, or where you need help.

This hit home? Want to take the next step without more rules? Grab my FREE Post-Diet Guide to Maintenance and learn how to ditch the guilt, keep your results, and actually enjoy your life.