4 Tips To Keep Weight Off Once You've Lost It
So you've changed the entirety of your dieting habits for good and have exercised your living buns off, by yourself or with the help of a weight loss clinic. Great job, you've lost the weight! Unfortunately, the hard part comes next, keeping the weight off once you've lost it. Many people find that they are able to lose weight with relative ease, but keeping said weight off becomes a bit of a chore or something that is notoriously difficult. Whether the reasons are psychological or physical in nature, there are things you can do to ensure that you keep the weight off once it's gone.
Take Action Immediately
If you're on the scale and find that you've gained 3 or 4 lbs., don't sit back and wait before you start taking action. Start doing things immediately! The easiest things to counter such a problem are, of course, to limit your food intake and become a bit more active. Remember that it is far easier to lose those 3 or 4 lbs that you have put on rather than to wait around for a bit and find that you have to lose 15 or 20 lbs. However, it's also important to remember that fluctuations are normal. Gaining a few pounds over a short period of time is quite normal and isn't something you should freak out over, so long as you stay on top of your dietary and exercise habits.
Decrease Exercise or Increase Caloric Intake
After you have reached your desired weight, you can generally decrease the amount of exercise that you perform or increase your caloric intake. You should not, however, be doing both of these things. By doing one or the other, you will ensure that you will be able to maintain your desired weight. By committing to both, however, you will only guarantee that you will gain weight. If you decrease exercise and increase caloric intake simultaneously, right after losing weight, you are almost guaranteed to "rebound" – or have any increased amount of weight. It will take your body time to adapt to such matters.
Allow Indulgences
One of the biggest problems that people face when it comes to keeping off weight that they've lost is that they set for themselves unrealistic goals. It is important to allow yourself to indulge every now and then. Allow yourself to have some of those foods that are high in fat, carbohydrates or caloric intake that you desire every now and then. If you do not, you run the risk of setting yourself up for burnout. Burnout takes place when you're unable to meet the unrealistic demands that you have set upon yourself and you wind up falling back into old routines that were unhealthy and allow you to gain an ample amount of weight.
Strength Training
Strength training is one of the best things you can do for yourself during your weight loss journey and after you've reached your goal weight. By strength training, your muscles will expand and become more flexible, and most importantly they will burn fat much more easily than they were in the past. Strength training has recently been shown to burn twice as many calories than previously thought. As such, you be able to take in more calories and your body will be able to adjust more easily than had you not had the muscle strength to do so. Strength training will also make aerobic exercising – if it is something you wish to engage with – all the more easier and fulfilling.
