5 Tips to Keep Your Weight Loss Permanent
So you have finally reached your weight goal, great!
It certainly feels good to know that your determination and commitment have paid off. What you need to do now is to sustain your weight loss.
According to statistics, 92% of people who reach their target weight regain what they lost within a year. Do not allow yourself to be a part of that statistic. Outlined below are 5 tips to help you maintain your weight loss for good.
1. Find out the root cause of your weight gain. There are a lot of people who balloon to obesity because they seek comfort in food. If you are an emotional eater, discover what triggers you to turn to such behavior. If you think it is necessary, seek professional help. As long as the underlying problem is never identified and dealt with, you are most likely to eat uncontrollably once again.
2. Control your portions. You don’t have to be precise and carefully measure each morsel of food that goes into your mouth. What’s important is to be aware that half a cake is not beneficial but a sliver is fine. Pizza is okay as long as you don’t consume the entire thing. You can have a few slices with a large salad but you do need to go for a walk after dinner. Another way to limit the amount of fattening food you consume is by always eating salad with lunch or dinner and having something before going to a dinner party. If you keep a food journal, you will be able to see if you are eating too much and need to offset it with exercise and more salads.
3. Keep a food journal. A food journal is a very practical aid that enables you identify your eating behaviour, both good and bad. By jotting down everything you eat and when you eat, you will be able to find out what your weaknesses are as a dieter and make the necessary positive adjustments.
4. Find out how to prepare healthier versions of your favourite foods. There is a way to cut down the caloric content of your favourite dishes, you just need to be creative and resourceful. Check out cooking shows on TV and recipe books sold in stores as well as online which teaches dieters healthier substitutes for high calorie favourites.
5. Always keep the Golden Rule of Weight Loss in mind which is: you must burn off more than you consume. It is important to engage in some form of physical activity thirty minutes everyday. Walking is simple but very effective. You can upload music or any free podcast that interests you (a foreign language you can learn, sermons, motivational talks) and hit the pavement. Or perhaps a recreational sport may be more to your liking such as tennis, badminton or golf. You can also get the rest of the family involved to make it more fun and interesting.
In order to maintain your weight, you should be aware of your eating behaviour, specifically what you eat, why you are eating it (is it because you are hungry or is it just a substitute for something), and when you eat because you need to first digest your food before sleeping. It is not advisable to eat late at night as your body would no longer have the time to burn the calories. What it does is that it stores it as fat.
About the Author
Charles Volcolatte is a health and weight loss researcher for www.skinnyASAP.com. He writes and researches actively on Dieting Information and shares his knowledge at www.skinnyASAP.com where he works as a staff writer.
