Sadly, it is a fact that most people who have lost weight are not able to maintain their weight loss and have ended up gaining it all back, or even more. In fact, according to a study, only about 20% of overweight dieters were able to successfully lose weight and keep it off in the long term.
However, people who are on a quest to lose weight should not be discouraged by this statistic as there are a number of scientifically-backed methods that can be taken to keep the weight off.
Here are six strategies you can try to maintain your hard-earned weight loss.
6) Exercise Often
A crucial ingredient when it comes to weight maintenance, regular exercise helps you burn off the extra calories as well as increase your metabolic rate. Exercising helps you achieve energy balance, which basically means you are burning the same number of calories that you are consuming throughout the day.
According to a study, people who did at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day after losing weight were more likely to successfully keep the weight off.
5) Eat Lots Of Protein
Eating protein can be beneficial in maintaining your weight as it helps promote fullness and reduce appetite.
Protein has also been proven to decrease levels of hunger-inducing hormones while increasing hormones that induce satiety. This beneficial effect of proteins on your hormones can help reduce the number of calories you consume every day, which is a major factor in weight maintenance.
4) Regularly Weigh Yourself
Monitoring your weight on a regular basis really helps in weight maintenance as aside from it makes you aware of your progress and how far you have come, it also encourages you to stay on your weight-maintenance path.
In one particular study, it has been found that people who weigh themselves every week consume 300 fewer calories per day than those who did not.
How often you should weigh yourself in a week is all up to you. Some people prefer to weigh in daily while some like to do it once or twice a week. The important point is that monitoring your weight regularly can be beneficial to weight maintenance by making you aware of your progress, efforts and behaviors.
3) Watch Your Carb Intake
Paying attention to the types and amounts of carbs you consume makes weight maintenance a lot easier to accomplish.
Refined carbs like white pasta, white bread and fruit juices can be detrimental for your weight maintenance goals as these types of food have been stripped of their natural fiber, which has been proven to promote fullness. Countless studies have linked low-fiber foods to weight gain and obesity, so make sure that you limit your carb intake.
2) Lift Weights
A common side effect of weight loss, reduced muscle mass deters your ability to keep the weight off as losing muscle can slow down one’s metabolism. Practicing resistance training like lifting weights not only prevents muscle loss, it also improves your metabolic rate.
Countless studies have shown that people who engage in strength training at least twice a week are more likely to keep their weight off due to their muscle mass.
1) Be Prepared For Setbacks
Setbacks are unavoidable in every weight maintenance journey. There may be times when you might skip a workout at the gym or give in to an unhealthy treat.
What you should keep in mind though is that the occasional slip up is inevitable and should not be a reason for you to throw your all your goals out the window. Simply move on from the setback and make better choices next time.
