The hardest part of the weight loss battle is sometimes just trying to keep the weight off. The classic yo-yo dieter will go through a breathtaking transformation but alas after a few months the old habits start to creep back in and the weight piles on again.
So why does this cultural phenomenon happen? The main reason seems to stem from a mind set that once the goal has been achieved, you can relax and start adding in a few more of the foods you once avoided. No doubt you have been in a position where you’ve come home from work with nothing to eat and you justify buying a takeaway because you can get away with it now, you’ve lost your weight. Naturally this snowballs out of control and you start justifying more and more treats.
With that in mind, here are a few simple tips to help you keep the weight off over the long term.
Remember Why You Lost the Weight
A study carried out by the National Weight Control Registry stated that 77% of their test subjects lost weight due to an event or trigger that happened in their lives. While, in many cases, this could be a traumatic or humiliating event, it can also serve as a motivator. When it comes down to deciding whether or not to order a takeaway, thinking about why you originally decided to lose the weight will often help fight the temptation.
Mix Up Your Exercise Programme
Hopefully you would have been doing this every few weeks anyway, but often people will stick with the same exercise programme they used to lose the weight in the hope that it will continue to work for them. However, your body will adapt to the stress you place on it, plus it helps break the monotony of doing the same routine over and over. You could try interval training, strength training, a variety of classes or sign yourself up for some half marathons/10k runs.
Mix Up Your Diet
Following on from the last point, mixing up your diet is always a good way to break monotony. Try out some different healthy foods or just try a different recipe with the foods you’re used to eating. If you’re a supplement junkie, try incorporating some of them into your whole foods e.g. using protein powder to make protein pancakes/muffins.
Always Have a Goal
Always having a target to reach or something to achieve will help you stay focussed. Entering half marathons, figure competitions, triathlons or just setting a target weight for yourself will help you keep the weight off and keep the enjoyment factor up. Weight maintenance will just become a side effect of trying to improve your running performance etc.
Take a Friend
Following any of these tips will be a lot easier if you have someone to do it with. Whether it be the competitiveness between you or just the general support, having a friend their will help motivate you and keep you on track.
 |
