Of all the people who attempt dieting, only 20 percent successfully lose weight and keep it off in the long run. This shows that many people are shedding only to end up gaining the weight back.
Consequently, you need a cutout plan on how to maintain weight. Otherwise, all the hard work you put in to hit your preferred numbers on the weighing scale will go down the drain.
So, how can you successfully maintain your weight loss?
Consider the following pointers on how to maintain weight loss.
Theories Behind Weight Loss Maintenance
While losing weight is often difficult, keeping those extra pounds off can be more grueling.
It only takes 2-3 years for most people to regain their lost weight. A theory to explain this is that as you decrease your calorie consumption to shed weight, your body will consequently drop its rate of burning calories.
The time it takes for the body to do this differs from person to person. This is why you may find it difficult to shed off weight in months, while others do it in weeks.
The lower calorie burning rate is what makes you regain weight when you resume a normal diet. Since your body got used to burning fewer calories, the extra amount you start eating gets stored as fat.
You may also experience weight loss cycling in your weight loss journey. This occurs when you gain and lose weight repeatedly. Also known as “yo-yo” dieting, weight loss cycling is risky, depending on your bodily reactions. It may come with health issues like gallbladder disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
Why Do so Many People Regain Weight?
Most dieters regain weight because of feeling deprived and having unrealistic expectations. Other causes include:
Unsustainable Habits
Most individuals create diets based on their willpower and not their lifestyle. By focusing on rules, instead of strategies to incorporate in your day-to-day life, you get discouraged; making it difficult to maintain your weight.
Wrong Mindset
Don’t think of dieting as a quick fix. It’s a long-term solution to maintaining weight loss. It’s easy to go back to your improper eating habits and gain the lost weight with the wrong mindset.
Restrictive Diets
Sometimes, calorie restriction shifts the hormones that regulate appetite and slows down your metabolism. Both of these factors lead to weight gain.
Things to Do to Successfully Maintain Weight
It’s advisable to utilize the same methods you used to lose weight, to maintain weight. They include:
1. Exercising
Exercise is vital in maintaining weight loss. Even simple activities like using the stairs and walking have a positive, significant effect.
As a rule of thumb, participate in activities that burn 1000-2000 calories each week. Most successful dieters do moderate exercises for up to 200 minutes every week to maintain weight.
You may also want to try out resistance training which usually involves lifting weights to prevent weight gain.
All in all, the energy balance brought about by burning the same amount of calories you consume will help to keep your weight in check.
2. Dieting
You must keep watch of your calorie intake to successfully sustain your weight. Once you achieve your desired weight, gradually add about 200 calories of low-fat and healthy food into a week’s diet to see if you’ll continue losing weight.
If weight loss continues, add more calories to your diet until you figure out the right calorie intake to maintain your desired weight.
You can also opt for a Fitmeal box which contains all the required nutrients and calories to maintain your weight successfully.
Regulating the Intake of Carbs
You can find it easier to maintain weight when you pay more attention to the amount and types of carb you eat.
Consuming a lot of refined carbs like white pasta, white bread, and processed juices, will prevent you from reaching your goals. Most of these foods lack the natural fibers that promote fullness. This is why diets with low fiber are synonymous with obesity and weight gain.
Consuming a Lot of Protein
Protein helps with maintaining weight loss as it promotes fullness and reduces appetite.
It triggers changes in various hormonal levels by increasing the production of satiety-inducing hormones, which are vital for weight loss and weight gain. Protein also triggers a rise in hunger-reducing hormones.
And the best part is that your body requires more energy to breakdown proteins. This means that eating more protein can burn more calories.
Eating Breakfast Daily
Dieters who eat breakfast daily have reported having healthier habits. A study conducted on over 2,900 people who successfully sustained an average weight loss of 31 pounds for over a year, found that 78 percent of them took breakfast every day.
3. Monitoring Weight
Most successful dieters weigh themselves regularly. However, you don’t have to do it daily. Weighing-in once a week is enough. For daily cues to maintain weight, exercise logs and daily food records will work just fine.
Ensure you weigh-in at a scheduled time with the same clothes. This will help catch even the slightest weight changes. Weekly weigh-ins will not only help you to stay on track but also act as a reminder to restart the healthy behaviors in case you slacked a little bit.
4. Adopting Good Behavioral Strategies
You also need to adopt proper behavioral strategies to help you respond well to situations that would otherwise trigger an eating response. For example, instead of consuming more to alleviate stress, you can meditate, do yoga, or exercise.
Most importantly, pay attention to your activity levels and dietary choices so that you’re always in good moods.
Final Thoughts on How to Maintain Weight Loss
Now that you know how to maintain weight loss, brace for setbacks. Don’t let occasional slip-ups distract you from achieving your weight maintenance goals. It’s normal to skip a workout or succumb to temptations of unhealthy cravings.
As a rule of thumb, always plan ahead for scenarios that may make eating healthy or exercising a challenge. This can be anything from a holiday to a wedding party or a weekend trip with friends.
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