Every person who’ve lost weight will understand the worry of the possibility of eventually gaining all the weight back. Although to you it may seem like the number on the scale will inevitably go back up, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact according to a recent analysis by the National Weight Registry, long term weight maintenance is very achievable, but only if you adhere to these crucial behaviors.
9) Building more muscle.
One way of maintaining and even increasing your metabolism is by building lean muscle as it has a higher metabolic rate than fat does. An effective way of achieving leaner muscles is by training with weights.
8) Counter your hunger with more filling foods.
According to a study done by the University of Pittsburgh consisting of 284 women between the ages of 25 and 45 , those who who were successful in avoiding weight gain were the ones who kept themselves full by eating foods high in fiber like fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains.
7) Avoiding temptation.
The study done by the university of Pittsburgh also found that that the women who were able to manage their weight were the ones who were good at resisting the temptation to binge on forbidden treats. But this doesn’t mean that you’ll have to swear off your favorite dessert forever, it’s all about picking and limiting your moments.
6) Counting calories.
Another way of successfully maintaining weight is by regularly counting calories. There are available apps you can use which have the ability to keep a running total of your daily calorie consumption. In the weight control survey done by the University of Pittsburgh, the women who were able to maintain their weight were the ones who stuck to a 1,800 calorie a day diet.
5) Planning your meals in advance.
This should come as no surprise, but a maintenance diet is a lot like a weight-loss diet. And an effective way of keeping yourself on track is by by having a meal-by-meal plan which you can stick to.
4) Adding minutes to your existing exercise plan.
According to experts, the recommended physical exercise is 30 minutes everyday for at least 5 days a week. They emphasize however that the more you exercise, the more you are able to maintain your weight loss. If you want to maintain your weight, aim for 60 to 90 minutes of physical exercise everyday.
3) Measuring your portions.
According to a study done by the Center for Disease Control, one big factor in the success of maintaining weight loss is measuring portions and fats. You don’t have to necessarily carry a food scale wherever you go, but if you use it often at your home, you’ll be able to learn how to estimate portion sizes whenever you eat out so you can immediately know how much to eat.
2) Weighing yourself daily.
According to the same study done by Center for Disease Control, people who weigh themselves everyday are twice as likely to succeed in keeping the lost weight off than those who don’t check their scale as often. Daily weigh-ins is especially helpful during weight loss maintenance as it lets you see and stop any weight increase as it happens.
1) Using the plate method.
If you’re not good at counting calories or portioning food, you can use the “plate method” as a way to limit how much you eat. The way it works is to imagine that your plate is divided into quarters. Whenever you serve yourself some food, at least two of those quarters, or half of your plate should be occupied by veggies. One quarter is for lean protein,and the remaining quarter is for whole grains.
