Finding Balance With Food Again

As weight loss slows or stabilises, many people notice that eating starts to feel different. During weight loss, meals are often guided by external structure, such as calorie targets, tracking, or the appetite-suppressing effects of medication. In maintenance, that structure can feel less clear, which can create uncertainty around what and how much to eat.

In maintenance, hunger and fullness cues may feel more noticeable and portion sizes may need to change. Eating slightly more than you did during weight loss can feel uncomfortable at first, even when it’s appropriate.

Without any structure, meals can start to feel unpredictable. With too much structure, eating can quickly slip back into restriction or over-control that is familiar with all or nothing dieting. The aim in maintenance is to sit somewhere in the middle, enough structure to support appetite and energy, without rigid rules.

Balanced meals aren’t about perfection or following a strict meal plan. In maintenance, a balanced meal is one that:

That balance will vary from meal to meal and from day to day, but what matters most is how meals leave you feeling, rather than whether they look a certain way.

One helpful way to think about balanced meals in maintenance is through energy density - how many calories a food contains relative to its size.

Some foods are low energy density, meaning they provide fewer calories for a larger volume. Vegetables, fruits and wholegrains fall into this category. They’re high in water and fibre, which helps meals feel filling without greatly increasing calorie intake.

Other foods are high energy density, meaning they contain more calories in a smaller amount. Foods like nuts, seeds, oils, butter and cheese fall into this group. They’re nutritious and important, but they add calories quickly and don’t take up much space on the plate.

For example, two cups of broccoli contains around 60 calories, while two cups of almonds contains over 1,300 calories. Both are healthy foods, but they affect fullness and calorie intake very differently.

This is why balance matters. Relying mainly on high energy density foods can make it easy to eat more calories without feeling full, while eating only low energy density foods can leave meals feeling bulky but unsatisfying. The balanced meal plate helps bring these together.

As a simple guide:

Fats such as oils, dressings, nuts or seeds are usually added alongside meals rather than filling a large section of the plate. They’re an easy way to increase calorie intake, which is why being mindful of portion size matters.

Maintenance isn’t about trying to eat less anymore. It’s about eating in a way that feels normal and sustainable. If eating feels less controlled now, that’s not a problem. It’s usually a sign you’re moving out of weight loss mode and into something more sustainable.

You’ll already be familiar with TDEE as an estimate of how many calories your body uses day to day. During weight loss, calorie intake is usually kept below this level to drive change. In maintenance, the relationship changes. Rather than aiming to stay in a deficit, calorie intake moves closer to your TDEE so weight can stay broadly stable over time. This doesn’t mean eating exactly the same amount every day or needing to hit a specific number. Most people maintain their weight across a range, with higher and lower intake days naturally balancing out over time. This is why maintenance often feels different to weight loss. The focus shifts away from reducing calorie intake and towards finding a level of eating that feels sustainable and steady.

It’s not just how much we eat, but what we eat that matters when it comes to how we feel after meals.

Meals that are mostly carbohydrate on their own, or that lack protein or fat, can lead to a quicker rise and fall in blood sugar. This often shows up as hunger returning sooner than expected, a dip in energy, or feeling snacky not long after eating.

Aiming to include protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats with each meal and snack helps slow digestion and steady blood sugar. Meals and snacks structured in this way help us feel fuller for longer, hunger builds more gradually, and it can be easier to go a few hours between eating without feeling preoccupied by food.

This isn’t about avoiding sugar or carbohydrates. It’s about combining foods in a way that makes hunger and energy easier to manage day to day.

Sometimes hunger returns sooner than planned, energy dips between meals, or there’s a stronger pull to snack not long after eating. It can often be a sign that the meal was still set up more like a weight-loss meal than a maintenance one and can mean that meals need a little more structure, balance or volume. Small adjustments are usually more helpful than overhauling everything at once.

Meal structure in maintenance doesn’t need to be perfect or impressive. Meals that work reasonably well most of the time and are easy to repeat are far more supportive than meals that take effort, planning or control to get “right”.

As you spend more time in maintenance, meals usually become easier to handle day to day. You’re likely to spend less time second-guessing food choices, portions feel easier to judge, and hunger between meals becomes simpler to respond to rather than something that feels urgent or confusing. These changes tend to come from experience, not from trying to get meals “right”.

For now, the aim isn’t to optimise or fine-tune every meal. It’s to eat in a way that supports steady energy, manageable hunger and a more normal relationship with food. If meals are helping you get through the day without needing to constantly think about eating, that’s a good sign things are settling.