Three Tips for Long-Term Weight Loss Maintenance
You have worked hard over previous months or years to lose weight, and you are now happily at your goal weight. While you may want to celebrate with a night on the town or a weekend at the spa with friends, it is important to ensure that the weight stays off long term. You have done an excellent job getting rid of the excess weight, and now the following tips will help you keep it off for the rest of your life.
Don’t consider the maintenance phase an end to your weight loss journey. Your journey will last the rest of your life, even though the needs of your body have changed. If you start thinking that you are finished dieting and are now thin for life, it is easy to allow too many treats and skip too many workouts. This leads you to regain the weight. If you made lifestyle changes in order to lose the weight, now is not the time to let those changes go.
Go back to your diet kits or plans whenever you feel it is necessary. If you know you are splurging on unhealthy foods too often or you have put a few extra pounds back on, a week or two on a stricter diet plan will help you refocus on healthier eating and exercise habits. Even though you have reached your goal weight, you may still need the tools that helped you reach that amazing goal.
Try to stay within a weight range rather than at one specific weight. For instance, you may try to stay between 130 and 140 pounds rather than forcing your body to stay at 135. The human body naturally fluctuates depending on a long list of factors, so you will see dips and spikes on the scale. As long as you stay within a healthy range for your body, you can consider yourself in maintenance.
Maintaining a healthy weight is not all that different from changing your lifestyle in order to lose weight. You still need to watch what you are eating, even though you may enjoy a special treat more often now that you have reached your goal. You still need to remain active and move your body to keep your muscles strong and your metabolism high. Healthy living started when you committed to losing weight and will continue for the rest of your life.