Maintaining Your Weight Loss

Most people think that the hardest part of weight loss is losing the weight. That is definitely a half the battle, but the other half comes after you've lost all the weight - keeping it off. Statistics show that 1 out of 20 people keep their weight off after they've lost it. This is not an encouraging statistic; however, following the guidelines below will help you keep the weight off and help improve that statistic!

Make a long-term commitment

One of the biggest mistakes people make is making a short-term commitment, like losing weight for a wedding, or losing weight for a high-school reunion. These people will probably lose weight, but right after the event it will creep back on, because their commitment was short-term. Focus on your health instead of your appearance - this will lead to a healthy lifestyle and ensure that you keep that weight off!

Eat right

This seems like a pretty obvious statement, but a lot of people start eating badly after they've lost all the weight. They use rationalizations like "I lost all of that weight, so I deserve a large piece of chocolate cake." After a few large pieces of chocolate cake, the weight will come back faster than you know it. Eat breakfast in the morning to help kick start your metabolism. Continue eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These foods are good sources of fiber, which will make you feel more full for a longer period of time.

Know your food traps

Knowing when you eat and why can help you keep your weight off. If you know that every day you come home from work, you go straight to the refrigerator for something to munch on, plan something at that time so that you aren't raiding the refrigerator. Keeping a journal of what you eat and when can help you identify these food traps. If you munch on snacks in front of the television at night, start doing exercises like push-ups, crunches, or squats in front of the television instead.

Monitor your weight

Studies show that people who monitor their weight once a week are more likely to keep the weight off. Knowing from week to week whether you gained, lost, or maintained helps keep the weight loss fresh in your mind. You know that if you gained a little, you can make adjustments that next week to make up for it.

Be consistent

Make sure you are being consistent all through the year. Don't give yourself a break just because you're on vacation, or just because it's Thanksgiving, or just because it's your birthday. These exceptions will lead to weight gain. It is ok to indulge once and a while, but make sure that you are walking an extra mile or doing an extra 10 minutes of cardio to make up for it.

Continue your exercise program

When people reach their target weight loss, many stop their exercise program because they think they don't need it anymore. Wrong. You do - your exercise program will help you maintain that lean muscle needed to maintain your metabolism and burn fat.

Get support

Get support from your family and friends and encourage them to encourage you to keep that weight off! You might even talk one of them into joining you at the gym every day, or take an aerobics class at night!

With these seven guidelines, keeping the weight that you lost off forever will not be a problem! If you avoid the mistakes that many other people make, you'll have no trouble keeping your new body just the way it is!

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