For me maintenance goes something like this, and I have kept it up fairly easily in the past:
A weekly allowance of 2-3 glasses of wine, if I fancy it. Light puddings once in a while (cream, milk, jelly based, for the most part, not too much baked stuff if any at all), every fortnight, or monthly. Small allowance of chocolate which I spread out rather than eat in one sitting on one day, so that my sugars don’t go too high. No sweets.
Natural veg based carbs take precedence over processed, every time. So I will happily eat one or two roasties if I decide I really want them, but I will not have stodgy, sweet, carby cakes and pudding.
Pasta/rice/crisps/crackers/cakes/biscuits are not good for me. Absolutely no bread. Especially not lovely crusty bread with soft cheeses. I simply can’t control myself with it. Never, ever any pretzel rolls as they are like crack to me. Every once in a great while, half a naan with my curry. Most of the time I would stick with poppadoms.
Don’t usually eat breakfast. If I’m not hungry I don’t eat lunch either. If it takes me all the way to dinner then cool, if not I’ll have a small snack when I do get hungry. Mostly veg based meals, enough protein but not too much. Every few weeks when I really fancy it, a slice of grain bread (the German kind, which I know agrees with me and doesn’t trigger cravings), with something like sliced boiled egg, or smoked salmon/gravadlax, or soft cheeses.
A big, big salad of all sorts of fresh lettuces/veg at least once a week, to make sure I get all the nutrients I need. Especially if I realise I haven’t been eating enough veg for a few days.
Most of the secret to success, for me anyway, lies in not getting lazy about meal prep, not slacking off too often, and staying vigilant on one”s emotional relationship with food. For me stress at work is a major problem. I have to guard carefully on a very bad day against the temptation to just shovel stuff in. If I am in a desperate place where I really do need something, I’m usually careful to be as sensible as I can, so I’ll have some peanut butter. Or an extra square of chocolate. Not two packets of crisps, a mars bar, a cupcake and biscuits when the tea comes round. If I really want crisps, one bag. Then straight back to lc’ing. Nothing gets carried over from one day to the next (‘I had a whole pizza yesterday so I might as well have ten biscuits, fish and chips, my favourite bun and a pudding after dinner today’- NO.)
Drinking lots of water doesn’t cost anything and is good for you. I plan to keep doing that. Keeping teas and herbal/fruit tea as my main hot drinks. Coffee every so often but not too often as it messes with my sleep. Not too many artificially flavoured/sweetened drinks.
Christmas this year I am not planning to over indulge. I am within reach of my target weight now and also well into healthy mind, healthy body territory so I won’t compromise that - I’ve been there and done it twice before and I never want to go there again. It’s a long, difficult slog back every time. Anything I do have, I will have because I properly want it. I will give it due reverence and eat it calmly, quietly, treating my mind at the same time I am treating my taste buds.
After Christmas I aim to experiment with fasting as well, not necessarily weekly or to any kind of set regimen, but certainly if I ever have any more serious carb blowouts.