Even with a healthy meal plan, lots of exercising, minimal alcohol, daily weighing, very limited sweets, etc., the weight creeps back. It’s a constant struggle to keep off those 3-5 pounds. What works for you?
First of all let me say congratulations on meeting your weight loss goals! Unfortunately weight maintenance is a big problem for most people. Bad habits start creeping in once the weight is gone, and before you know it your skinny jeans are feeling a bit tight again. One of the biggest things is accepting that maintaining a healthy weight will be an ongoing struggle. Stop thinking about it as a “diet” and adopt your new healthy habits as a way of life. Today’s hectic, fast paced lifestyle makes it so easy to fall back into the bad habits that caused you to gain weight in the first place, so you need to be proactive and figure out what works for you.
Here are some suggestions:
- Remember that your body needs fewer calories now that you’ve lost weight. If you go back to eating the same amount of food you did before you went on a diet you will surely gain the weight back.
- Allow yourself one “cheat day” a week. On this day you can indulge in your favorite foods (in moderation of course) so you’re not feeling deprived following your healthy eating plan the rest of the week.
- Avoid magic pills, fad diets or cutting out whole food groups. Dieting this way can help you lose weight initially, but these habits are hard to maintain. Once you go back to eating “normally” again the weight will creep up.
- Mix it up. The human body adapts very quickly so it’s important to change up your diet and exercise routine on a regular basis to maintain good results.
- Avoid processed foods. Processed foods are high in sodium which can cause you to retain water and low in nutritional quality. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meats and healthy fats. Especially focus on the veggies! They are super low in calories and packed with fiber to help keep you full.
- Stop eating at least three hours before you go to bed.
- Avoid wearing baggy clothes. Baggy clothes can make it difficult to gauge if you’re putting weight back on or not. They give you that extra breathing room you need to overindulge which can lead to weight gain over time.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
- Lauren
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Labels: Ask The Experts, healthy tips, Lauren, Weight Loss
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Great tips! Esp the cheat day, and the less processed food.
But I wish there were also tips on how NOT to lose too much weight...because some people take their diets too far!