The Maintenance Plate: How I Keep 190 Pounds Off

Losing the weight was only half the story. This is the other half: how I keep it off — for six years and counting.

I'm Char. I went from 336 to 145 pounds, lost it with clean eating and exercise, and I've kept it off for six years. People ask me about the losing all the time. What they should ask about is the keeping — because maintenance has no finish line, no applause, and no end date. This book is my whole system for it, in plain talk.

Inside:

- The Maintenance Plate itself: protein first, vegetables and fruit big, a sensible serving of grains — plus a full sample day (1,690 calories, 122g protein, with complete nutrition including fiber)

- Eat by the clock: my real meal times are 4 AM, 11 AM, and 4 PM — and why eating by routine, not hunger, ends the daily food fight

- NO grazing: I found I was a grazer — a bite here, a nibble there — and bites add up. This one rule protects everything

- Protein at every meal: my short, budget-friendly list (tilapia, tuna, ground turkey, eggs, Greek yogurt) and why boring is sustainable

- The meal-prep system: cook once, eat for days — and how my husband and I eat different food from the same kitchen without it being a problem

- The weekly check-in: weigh once, write it down, manage a range instead of chasing a number — catch 3 pounds before it's 10

- When a few pounds come back: my honest regain story (15–20 pounds crept back) and the gentle restart that took 8 pounds off in two months — no starving, no shame

- Eating around real life: potlucks (I eat before I go), restaurants (egg white omelet, turkey burger no bun), holidays, and kind answers for food pushers

- Moving to keep it: morning workouts, daily walking, and the exercise you'll still be doing in six years

- The mindset that makes it a life, not a long diet — including time that's just yours, to reflect on the journey

The goal was never smallest. The goal is healthy. Choose YOU!

This book shares personal experience and general information only. It is not medical advice — talk to your doctor about anything medical in these pages.