Episode 27: Mastering Maintenance: The Final M in Weight Management

We've reached the final M in our 3M Weight Management Success series, focusing on maintenance, the critical but often overlooked element that holds everything together after establishing mindset and motivation.

• Starting is exciting, finishing is strong, but maintaining is wisdom
• Maintenance feels harder than starting because it requires intention rather than adrenaline
• The Plus One Theory helps reconnect with maintenance habits, make one intentional choice that nudges you back into alignment
• Weekend challenges require shifting from 100% perfection mentality to focusing on quickly returning to routine
• Surrounding yourself with supportive people who celebrate your consistency is crucial for maintenance success
• Consider a new order: mindset → maintenance → motivation, where sustainable motivation emerges after establishing consistent maintenance habits
• Practical Plus One maintenance strategies include visible habit tracking, prepping double portions, setting a daily 10-minute reset timer, and regularly reviewing your "why"
• Maintenance isn't about changing who you are—it's about remembering and improving the best parts of you

Join my crowdfunding campaign for my upcoming book "The Plus One Theory" at pamdwyer.com or pamdwyerspeaker.com, and sign up for my email list to stay updated.

As promised, here is two links to meal prep containers I use!  

Amazon

Bariatric Pal Store

Transcript

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Introduction to Maintenance

Speaker 1 0:09

Well , hello friends , welcome back to the Plus One Theory Podcast . I'm your host , pam Dwyer , and this is the final episode in our 3M Weight Management Success Series and , honestly , I think we may have saved the most important one for last . We started with mindset , because it's the foundation of everything we do really . We moved into motivation , the fuel that keeps us going . But this final M , well , maintenance , it's the glue that holds it all together . And let me be real , this one is often skipped entirely . I don't know why . I guess because maintaining something is less exciting than starting it . But here's the truth Starting is amazing , finishing is strong , but maintaining well , that's wisdom . And a quick disclaimer here I'm not a doctor or a mental health professional . I'm simply someone who's walked this journey , with a lot of bumps along the way , and I'm here to share what I've learned and help you apply it to your own life . And today I'm going to answer a few listener questions and share a few laughs right now . So the first one is from Lisa . Lisa from Dallas , and she asks Pam why does maintenance feel harder than starting

Why Maintenance Feels Harder

Speaker 1 1:35

? That is a great question , lisa , because starting has adrenaline , but maintenance , it requires intention . Think of it like a new relationship Early on . Everything's so exciting and wonderful , but maintaining that connection takes commitment , effort and sometimes boring stuff like calendars , check-ins and hard conversations . It's the same with health . You meal prepped for three weeks Yay , it's awesome . But it's week number 12 now . And now your inner voice is like you know , taco Tuesday won't ruin everything . Spoiler alert . It's not about the tacos , it's about the pattern . Let me give you a plus one moment . If you find yourself slipping , don't hit the start over button . Just hit plus one one intentional choice that nudges you back into alignment . So let's go back a little ways . That nudges you back into alignment . So let's go back a little ways .

Speaker 1 2:36

After my bariatric surgery , I had one goal to lose the weight and never see it again . And I did lose it . I lost 100 pounds , but no one prepared me for the voice in my head that said you did it , pam . It's time to coast , it's time to celebrate . What followed were those little moments , skipping supplements here and there , saying yes to sugar , forgetting how hard it was to get healthy , until I started feeling that tiredness again , the tiredness I had before

Weekend Consistency Challenges

Speaker 1 3:11

the surgery . That's when I remembered what my granny used to say to me . She'd say , pamela , the road to hell is paved with good intentions . Sweetheart , maintenance doesn't care about your intentions , it honors your habits .

Speaker 1 3:28

I had to relearn discipline . I had to meal prep even when I didn't feel like it . I had to befriend structure . And for someone like me who resisted it for well , my whole life , that wasn't easy . But I came back to the plus one theory and asked myself what's one thing I can do today to keep the progress I have fought so hard for yesterday , literally just taking one day at a time .

Speaker 1 3:57

All right , let me give you another question that came in from Carlos . Carlos , from San Antonio , he's emailed me a question . Pam , I feel like I do great Monday through Thursday and then the weekend ruins me . Am I just not disciplined enough ? And if not , how do I do it ? Oh , my First of all , carlos , welcome to the club . You're not undisciplined , you're human .

Speaker 1 4:26

Weekend eating is a thing , but here's a mindset shift . Instead of aiming for 100% perfection , you know 100% or nothing mentality . That's the biggest trap . Progress isn't ruined by one indulgent meal , it's sustained by how quickly we come back to routine . Give yourself a little grace . Maintenance means closing the gap between slipping and resetting .

Speaker 1 4:55

All right , here's another question . This one's from Dana . Dana from Corpus Christi . She asks how do you stay motivated when no one around you cares

Staying Motivated Without Support

Speaker 1 5:05

about health ? Oh , that one hurts my heart .

Speaker 1 5:09

Dana , that's a tough one , and it's real , though . When your circle resents your resilience or your progress , it's like trying to run with ankle weights . But listen , you don't owe anyone your struggle . You owe yourself your success . Surround yourself with people who clap and celebrate when you stay consistent . Not folks who offer you seconds and say , oh , just live a little . Not folks who offer you seconds and say , oh , just live a little .

Speaker 1 5:40

Let's stir the pot a bit , shall we ? I mean , I do that every now and then . If you ask anyone , love to stir that pot . What if we got the 3M order backwards ? What if mindset comes first and then maintenance , and only then do we feel real sustainable motivation ? Think about it . You change your mindset , you build sustainable maintenance habits , you start feeling better , stronger , clearer , and that fuels your motivation . You don't wait to be motivated to prep your meals or go on that walk . You do it because your identity has changed . You're no longer someone trying , you're someone who maintains .

Actionable Plus One Strategies

Speaker 1 6:23

So let's get actionable . Here are a few plus one ideas you can apply starting now .

Speaker 1 6:30

Number one keep a visible habit tracker . You know a journal . You can keep it on your fridge , by your fridge , by your mirror or around your phone or on your phone . There's so many cool digital food trackers out there , or habit trackers . Number two prep double portions when you cook , so tomorrow's meal is done .

Speaker 1 6:54

Okay , I mean , when I first started prepping my meals for the week , I didn't do the full week , I just took one day at a time or just loaded my leftovers into a container that I could just quickly grab the next morning on my way to work . And a lot of times I would get tired of the same leftovers day after day . So then I would freeze my leftovers and make something new for the next day and take that with me . Plus , I didn't have enough containers at first . You know , to prep my full week . I mean that takes a lot of containers . I'll put where I get all my containers down in my notes . You guys should take a look and use the link , all right .

Speaker 1 7:42

Number three set a 10-minute reset timer each evening for cleaning , planning or reflection . And finally , number four review your why Literally journal it ? Why do I care about this anyway ? Sometimes you'll be surprised . Sometimes you don't even know your why . You have to really think about it and dig deep and then journal that , because the following week your why could change . My why has never changed . I would write my why for my businesses , my jobs , my relationships , all the choices I was making , good or bad , and I would write my why and it really helps

Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Speaker 1 8:32

you heal .

Speaker 1 8:33

So here's the takeaway today , my friends you don't need to change who you are . You need to remember who you are . You're capable , you're worthy . You've already done the hard things . Now it's time to protect what you've built . That's what maintenance really is . Let's stop calling it change , okay . It's not about changing you . It's about improving the best parts of you . Maintenance is love in action .

Speaker 1 9:06

All right , if this episode hit home for you , would you share it with a friend who's who's in the maintenance stage of anything Of something ? Share this with them . I think they'll find value in it . All right , I'm just going to remind you of my crowdfunding campaign .

Speaker 1 9:24

I'm in the process of trying to raise money for the publishing of my book , my next book , the plus one theory , and so if you go to my website , pamdwyercom , you can find the link , or pamdwyerspe , speaker dot com , and you can find lots of links . That's where I've been sending everybody to find all that I'm doing and I think you would find value in it . And don't forget to join my email list , folks , please . I'm constantly Well , not constantly . I send out probably two , maybe three emails a month just to keep you updated on status of things . But we'll be doing a lot of fun , fun things to bring awareness of the plus one theory book . So I know you don't want to miss that . All right , until next time , stay strong , stay grounded and keep taking that next small step . See you next week .