You’ve put in the effort, changed your eating habits and workout routine, and now you’ve achieved your weight goal—congrats! It’s not a simple task. However, the process isn’t done. The next step in your fitness and health process is keeping the weight off for a long time. The long-term goal of weight loss isn’t impossible; however, it will require an effort to plan and be organized.
Let’s discuss some feasible and sustainable methods to puravive weight loss and maintain them long-term.
WHY PEOPLE REGAIN THEIR LOST WEIGHT
If you’re experiencing difficulty, maintaining your weight loss has become more complicated than you expected. You’re not alone. Only 17% of the adults in the U.S. who lose 10 percent of their body weight can maintain it for longer than a year.
Satiety signals that are impaired The signals that go from your stomach to your brain to inform you that you’re full may be affected over time, which can lead to accidental overeating.
The biological drive to gain weight: Instinctive survival instincts view losing weight as a danger. For every kilogram you shed, there is a biological urge (aka the boost in hunger) to improve calories consumed by around 100 calories to compensate forfor the lost pounds. That is why you feel hungry when you attempt to shed weight! The rise in appetite may last for as long as two years after beginning the diet.
Lack of sufficient exercise: Decreases in the amount of exercise over time could cause weight gain.
Insufficient adherence to your diet: If you had difficulty adhering to your diet program and exercise regimen while losing weight, you’re more at risk of gaining weight again one up to two years after the first loss. This could be a sign of an eating plan that was too rigid, restrictive, or not the right fit for you.
Stress:Stress-related eating may wreck your efforts to shed weight and keep it off.
Food environments that are challenging: If you can easily access food items that are high in calories, low in nutrients, or highly palatable (like having access to vending machines), it’s more difficult to stick to your healthy eating habits over the long term. Constant temptations can make it difficult to maintain healthy habits for the long haul.
Burnout: Maintaining a healthy weight may be physically and emotionally exhausting. Many people are exhausted when they try to maintain their weight loss.
HOW YOUR METABOLISM CHANGES
When your body weight is reduced as you lose weight, the amount of calories you consume when you move is also decreased. This is because the body is lighter and, therefore, requires less energy to perform its duties. It is also common for your body to adjust to losing weight by reducing NEAT activity to preserve energy expenditure (thus slowing weight loss).
NEAT is a contraction of non-exercise activity thermogenesis. It includes fidgeting when sitting and walking from your vehicle to the shop or the store, etc. The less NEAT you have, can result in a decline in metabolism because your body is not moving as much. This reduction in metabolic rate is a normal process, but it must be considered when planning your diet and exercise routines to maintain weight loss.
THE ROLE THAT EXERCISE PLAYS
A high level of physical activity can improve the likelihood of sustaining weight loss. In losing weight, the most important factor to concentrate on is diet. To maintain your weight loss, keeping an energy balance by consuming at least the same amount of power as the food you eat is essential. Being physically active is an effective way to benefit and maintain this equilibrium. Do at least 35 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise daily to help keep your weight low.
5 ACCESSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE DIET TIPS
Maintaining weight allows you to have some space regarding eating habits, but there are better times to throw healthy eating and fitness routines off the table. Here are some easy diet tips to maintain your alpilean weight loss.
1. Include foods that are low in fat and calories.
Beware of getting caught up in the “buffet effect,” – which could cause you to consume more food even though many options are readily available.
2. Create a list of staples:
A list of the most commonly used healthy foods you frequently consume can reduce your options, but you must allow some flexibility to eat foods you love. Consider the healthy choices you like for your meals, and make a list to keep you in the right direction. You may also consider including “seasonal” options to keep your food fresh.
3. Maintain consistent eating patterns
Eat healthy meals, snacks, and regular breakfasts every day of the week and even on weekends. This will help you avoid unneeded food surpluses during the weekend, which can sabotage your hard-earned gains.
4. Continuous self-monitoring
If you’re tracking calories, macros, weight, energy, or just moving, keeping track of the activities you’re participating in and the way your body responds will help you avoid weight gain.
5. Food environment
Ensure you have a place for eating conducive to exercise and healthy habits. Remove high-calorie food items from reach (or away from your home as much as possible) and keep your kitchen with healthy choices that are easily accessible and ready to go. It’s much easier to choose healthier options when they’re readily available and easy to find. However, this can also make healthier options harder to locate (deleting applications for food delivery may be a good start! ).
SUMMARY
Most likely, in your journey to lose weight, you have discovered the perfect method. You may also have discovered diet plans and workout routines that were too rigid and not enjoyable. This information can be used to improve weight loss.
Keep practicing the same exercise and nutrition practices that helped you shed weight initially to help maintain your weight loss, but be flexible in your schedule to avoid burning out. After all is done, sustaining that weight-loss payoff is worth the effort.
