Secrets to Maintaining your Weight after Dieting

So you’ve achieved your weight loss goals and you’re done with dieting.  Congratulations!  Now you’ve got to make sure that you don’t destroy everything you’ve worked so hard for.  Here are a few tips on how to maintain your new weight and make sure that you don’t fall back into your old bad habits.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

The National Weight Control Registry, which tracks more than 3,000 Americans who have achieved a weight loss of around 60 pounds and kept it off for about six years, found that eating breakfast is an important factor in keeping weight off. Eating a healthy breakfast makes it less likely that you’ll overeat during the day.  Remember that skipping meals can slow your metabolism down.  Starving or depriving yourself will not help you keep the weight off, because you’ll just end up eating more and binging in the end.

Weigh Yourself Once a Week

Monitoring your weight will help you stop weight gain from taking place by creating an awareness. You may not always feel a difference in how your clothes fit, but seeing your actual weight on a scale will let you know if you start putting any weight back on. If you see your weight increasing, you know you have to work a little harder. Keep in mind that a women’s weight tends to fluctuate a few pounds at a certain time of the month, but if your weight goes up beyond five pounds or so, it’s time to regain control by dieting again for awhile.

Stay Active After Dieting

Physical activity is one of the most important aspects of keeping weight off after dieting, so do your best to keep active every day. To maintain your weight, it is recommended that you exercise at least 30 minutes a day, and do strength training at least twice per week.  Now that you are lighter and thinner, you may even feel like kicking your exercise routine up a notch.  With your new found confidence due to dieting, Huntington is sure to have some activities you will be interested in.  Maybe you will be inspired to join a soccer or kickball team, or maybe even take up rock climbing!

Stay Motivated & Accountable

Rewarding yourself is a great motivator!  Consider buying some new clothes to show off your new look, or a new CD or book.  You may even want to take even a mini-vacation!  Try to find other people who are trying to keep their weight off. By sharing tips, success stories, and struggles, you’ll find it easier to maintain good habits. If  you can’t find anybody, consider joining an online support group.

Consider it a Lifestyle

Remind yourself that eating well and being active are lifelong methods of keeping yourself healthy. The healthy habits that you learned while dieting shouldn’t disappear once you’ve lost the weight.

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