5 Key Habits to Maintain Your Weight Loss
Losing weight is no easy task, but
maintaining a trim body often presents a new set of difficulties that
leads many dieters to regain their lost
weight. Studies have shown that
between 80 to 95 percent of dieters regain lost weight, often gaining
more than when they started (Tremblay, 2013). The key to maintaining
your weight is adopting healthy lifestyle habits that are repeated day
in and day out. Keeping extra weight off requires effort and
commitment, through changes in eating habits, exercise and state of
mind. These five tips will help you maintain, and keep pursuing new
challenges to improve your health and fitness.Tip #1: Stop Restricting Calories
Losing weight through extremely low calorie diets can
wreak havoc on your metabolism, leading to chronic fatigue, suppressed
immune and thyroid function, and adrenal stress. If you eat less and
exercise more in order to lose weight, your body responds by increasing
your appetite and lowering your resting metabolic rate, making it
increasingly difficult to lose weight (Teta, 2013). In order to
maintain your weight loss, you must learn to eat full, balanced meals
consisting of lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and
vegetables.
Tip #2: Acknowledge Progress and Reward Results
Maintaining your weight loss can be done through
establishing a routine of healthy habits that become part of your new
lifestyle. As time passes and your health and fitness continue to
improve, it’s important to acknowledge your progress and continue to
reward the results you show. Set weekly and monthly goals, and reward
yourself when you hit your targets. Have you completed all of the
workouts you committed to? Can you jump out of bed free of back pain?
Are you finally starting to see some definition in your abs? Give
yourself a pat on the back and celebrate!
Tip #3: Stop Wasting Money on Crutches
If you’re considering taking on a second job in order
to afford the protein shakes and organic pressed juices, boxed meal
programs and supplements that helped you lose the weight, it is time to
rethink your priorities. All of these are crutches, and are stopping
you from taking control of your diet and sustaining a healthy weight.
Take time to analyze your schedule throughout the week, and set a
schedule for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Commit to cooking your own
meals so you can control the portion sizes and ingredients used, and
stick to eating your meals on the same schedule every day.
Tip #4: Stop Sacrificing Sleep
If you suffer from a lack of sleep, your body cannot
maintain a regular appetite and eating schedule. Your hormones become
imbalanced, stimulating your hunger and decreasing the production of
Leptin, which suppresses appetite. If you regularly sleep less than
seven hours a night, studies show that you may be as much as 30 percent
more likely to be obese than those who sleep nine hours or more
(MD-Health, 2013). Avoid watching television or bringing unfinished
work in your bedroom, and keep your sleeping environment cool, dark and
quiet in order to get the best quality sleep.
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Finally, if you want to maintain your weight loss,
you must stay active and accountable for continuing to live a healthy
lifestyle. Just because you have achieved your goal does not mean you
should regress back to old habits. Share your success story and tips
through a support group or online forum, and find new motivation in
inspiring others.
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