Congratulations! You finally lost weight and reached your goal. It's known to be easier to lose weight in the summertime since you want to be beach bod ready and there are less holidays to get in the way of your routine and diet. Nonetheless when the other seasons come, here are some tips to maintain weight loss.
Keep Exercising & Eating Healthy
Exercising is essential for weight maintenance and to prevent weight-gain. People who exercise more are able to keep their weight down, whether it's daily walks or creative workouts on the beach. You want to aim for 30 to 45 minutes of planned activity every day and try to reach 200 to 300 minutes every week to be safe. Then when it comes to weight loss, diet is also key. You want to remain in the "on-diet" mindset and continuing with healthy eating behaviors. To really keep the weight off, change the way you think about food. Plan your meals, cook more at home, avoid fast foods, and keep temptations out of the house. You want to fill your plate with low-calorie and filling foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, eggs, nuts, and legumes to maintain weight loss.
Accept Your Metabolism & Support
It's inevitable that metabolism adapts to a lower weight and it will change slightly - accept this change! Slow and steady weight loss is the way to go, that way your metabolism changes are less and you'll have more moderate weight loss. Remember that when you lose weight, your calorie needs are still less than before. Therefore you need to eat fewer calories and exercise a little harder than you used to in order to stay lean. Own it instead of worrying. It's also important to get support from others when you're trying to maintain weight loss and to not be alone. This can be a monthly dietitian, support group, friend, family member - anyone to keep you accountable. Just be sure they're a positive influence who will keep you on track.
Weigh In Often & Anticipate Setbacks
Daily weigh-ins can help you notice small weight gains before they become bigger ones, so it's crucial to hop on a scale at the same time every day. Typically you should do this in the morning right when you wake up and before you eat anything for an accurate number. You can also do this once a week if daily is too much for you. Either way, you'll be able to see any patterns or trends and have better maintenance. Then you must be proactive if you notice weight creeping back on. Did you sneak extra calories in? What happened this week? Logging your food intake and journaling can help with this greatly as well. In addition, go easy on yourself throughout this. If you do regain some of the weight you lost, don’t view it as a failure or give up. Pick yourself up, and remember even small amounts of weight loss still mean big health benefits. Have a plan to get back on track again, celebrate when you've lost the weight, and then refocus your efforts on keeping those pounds off for good.
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-Gina
