After Weight Loss: Keeping the Weight Off
You’ve finally done it. You achieved your weight loss goals, and you’ve never felt better. Congratulations, this is a huge accomplishment. You should be proud of how far you’ve come! Yet, at the same time, it’s normal to feel a bit of anxiety about reaching this milestone. Statistics report that almost 65% of dieters return to their pre-dieting weight within 3 years. That’s a number to worry about.
Losing weight isn’t always the hardest part, especially if you’ve been closely following a weight loss program. Now that the program is over, it’s hard not to jump back into your old, unhealthy routine. Here are the best, healthy tips for keeping the weight off after weight loss.
#1. Stick With Your Program
First, if you’ve already been using a weight loss program, stick with this if you still can. While some programs are only designed for the weight loss period, many also include plans for what to do once you reach your goal weight.
Even if you didn’t lose weight with a program, it could be smart to sign up now that you want to keep the weight off. The goal is to be consistent with your health and wellness. Don’t give yourself the opportunity to fall back into old habits. You can even find coupons to save money on these programs.
#2. Stick with Whole Foods
We can all agree that maintaining a quality diet with so many temptations around isn’t always easy. When you factor in that not everyone has nutritional training, it becomes even more of a challenge. The best start for a healthy lifestyle is to simply stick to whole foods.
Whole foods include anything that’s from nature and unprocessed. Eating whole foods is also necessary when you have just had gastric sleeve weight loss surgery to help your stomach adjust after the operation.These whole foods are shown to lead to a healthier lifestyle overall, and they’ll leave you feeling the best without having to worry about adding on any extra weight.
#3. Work Out Early
Who hasn’t struggled with the motivation to workout? If you know you’re prone to excuses that keep you from the gym, force yourself to go first thing in the morning. According to the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, those who work out in the morning have less desire for food than those who skip their morning workout. These morning workouts also are indicative of a more active lifestyle. While it’s not always easy to go straight to the gym in the morning, it’s got its benefits.
#4. Drink More Water
We all know how important it is to stay hydrated. But did you know drinking more water could also help you keep the weight off? It’s true. Having 8-10 glasses of water a day is shown to increase your metabolism and even suppress your appetite. While you still want to be sure you’re eating healthy, regular meals, cutting down on snacking is always a good thing.
#5. Surround Yourself with Support
Losing weight isn’t easy. Keeping the weight off is even harder. When you’re seeing that number on the scale change every morning, this is fabulous motivation. When you’re on your own, it’s a lot more challenging to remember why you started this journey in the first place.
Surround yourself with a supportive environment. Get a gym buddy. Make healthy meals as a family. All of these small things add up to big support. It’s never so hard when you’re in it together.
Are you ready to keep the weight off once and for all? Nobody wants to live their life as a yo-yo dieter. Those periods of weight loss and gain are hard on your body. Commit to healthy living once and for all with these tips above.