How to Maintain That Weight Loss

If you’ve been on a diet more than once, you know that it can be harder to maintain weight than to lose weight in the first place.

In fact, many people feel that dieting is easier and that not regaining the weight is the real challenge.

Here’s help to keep off the pounds you worked so hard to shed.

Some research suggests that being more mentally relaxed about eating helps with weight management by boosting your psychological well-being.

While it’s OK to relax some strict diet rules, sticking with positive lifestyle changes counts. That means adopting a “forever” eating approach rather than thinking of weight loss as a diet that you go on and off.

If you’ve ever wondered how some people are more successful at staying slim than others, you’ll find many insider tips at the National Weight Control Registry. The registry tracks over 10,000 people who’ve lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for a long period of time. Sticking with exercise is their number one tip.

A 10-year study of 3,000 registry participants found three more essentials: Weigh yourself regularly, limit fat portions, and avoid overeating. One key to not overeating is to always focus on your food. If you’re distracted, chances are you’ll eat more than you intended.

Here are some more National Weight Control Registry success tips:

Exercise for an average of 1 hour every day.
Eat breakfast every day.
Weigh yourself at least once a week.
Watch less than 10 hours of TV a week.

Also, remember that it takes fewer calories to maintain your new weight than it did your old weight. By not returning to old eating habits, the battle to stay slim will be won more easily.

More information

The National Weight Control Registry has more real-life tips to help you maintain your weight loss.

Source: HealthDay