Best ways to maintain your weight loss

Published: May 10, 2019

You don’t know how many times we’ve heard of people gaining weight right back after struggling for months to lose it. In fact, only about 20% of people who start dieting end up successfully keeping weight off. But, don’t let this discourage you. There are many scientifically based ways to maintain your weight loss – from exercising to addressing your stress levels. These weight loss exercise strategies might be just what you need to fall into the positive spectrum of the statistics.

Why you struggle to maintain your weight loss and the pounds keep bouncing back

There are a few common culprits for why people gain back the weight they lose. Number one reason you cannot maintain your weight loss is – unrealistic expectations. The number two is feelings of deprivation.

• For the most part, extreme calorie restriction slows down your metabolism. Secondly, the restrictions change your appetite-regulating hormones drastically. Both of these dramatic factors contribute to weight regain.
• Idealization: When you think of a diet as a quick fix, you don’t really change your mindset that is crucial for long term results. You should think of dieting as a long-term solution to improve your health and hormonal balance. If your appearance comes first, you will be more likely to give up as soon as you achieve a milestone and will gain back the weight you lost.
• Lack of sustainable habits: It is wrong to base your dietary plan on willpower rather than improving your habits. You need to incorporate healthy habits into your daily life, like Zumba dance for example. Not (s)train your willpower all the time. If you focus on rules rather than lifestyle changes, this may discourage you and prevent you from maintaining the desired weight.
• Many diets are too restrictive with requirements that you will have difficulty keeping up with. Trust us, we know what a sweet tooth is. Additionally, many people don’t have the correct thinking before starting a regiment, which may lead to quitting before reaching the goal.

1. Exercising often is the best way to maintain your weight loss

Exercising is crucial to losing what you had extra, maintaining that new body frame and staying healthy. In addition to all those amazing changes you have incorporated into your life, a workout plan with a fitness trainer Dubai will speed up your metabolism. You’ll be burning off extra calories in no time. These two factors are what achieves energy balance, which is basically what makes you live a healthier, longer life. When you are in energy balance, it means you burn the same number of calories that you consume.

As a result, you are more likely to maintain your weight loss. Studies claim that people who do at least 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity after losing weight are more likely to stay on their goal. And yes, sometimes it will take higher levels of physical activity for successful weight maintenance. We advise one hour of exercise a day is for those attempting to keep up with weight loss. But you cannot forget sticking to a healthy diet, as number one common mistake among dieters is stopping after reaching the finish line.

2. The importance of protein

Eating a lot of protein will help you maintain your weight because it reduces appetite and gives you a feeling of fullness. Protein creates a specific hormone in the body that gives you the feeling of satiety. Protein also reduces levels of hormones that signal the brain that you are hungry. This happens as a consequence of protein needing a large amount of energy for your body to digest it. Therefore, eating it regularly can improve your health by boosting the number of calories you burn during the day.
According to many studies, protein’s effects on metabolism and appetite are best when it makes 30% of calories in your dietary intake. That is 150 grams of protein for a 2,000 calorie diet.

3. Watch your carbs if you want to maintain your weight loss

Any diet is easier to accomplish if control the types and amounts of carbs that you eat. Refined carbs, such as white bread, white pasta and fruit juices, will be detrimental to your weight goals. These foods have been processed, thus lacking natural fiber, necessary to get that feeling of fullness. Diets low in fiber are directly linked to weight gain and obesity. Limiting your carbs will help you maintain your weight loss. Follow our tips and make a weekly meal plan. Even more so, people on low-carb diets are usually eating fewer calories than they burn, which is mandatory for weight maintenance.

4. Think of setbacks as part of the journey

Setbacks are inevitable. There will certainly be times when you give in to a sugary craving or miss a workout. But the occasional sign of weakness doesn’t mean you should forget completely about your goals. Just go forward and follow through with better choices. The best tip we can give you is to be aware of the fact that you will have setbacks and plan ahead.

5. Hydration is key to losing weight

Drinking a lot of water is the base for successfully maintaining and even losing a bit more weight. Staying hydrated promotes fullness if you drink a glass or two before meals. In one study, the participants had a 13% reduction in calorie intake, compared to those who didn’t drink enough water. Drinking water also boosts the number of calories you burn during a workout.

11. Reduce your stress levels

All you emotional eaters already know how high-stress levels quickly contribute to gaining pounds. This happens because your body experiences increase in the levels of the hormone cortisol. This hormone is responsible for many defensive mechanisms since it is released in response to stress. Having cortisol consistently elevated is in direct correlation to higher amounts of belly fat. It increases the feeling of appetite and requires higher food intake even when you are not hungry. This makes stress the common trigger for impulsive eating, but fortunately, there are many activities you can do to combat stress. Some include exercise, yoga, and meditation.

Bottom line, diets can be restrictive and unrealistic, which is the number one culprit of putting the lost weight back on. You’ll need to make a set of simple changes to your dietary habits. Make them easy to stick with and you’ll be able to maintain your weight loss in the long run. You will quickly realize that your weight involves much more than what you eat. Exercise, sleep and mental work also play a part.