Once you have reached your weight loss goal, you may be looking for strategies to keep it maintained, which can be just as hard as losing weight in the first place.
Why do people regain weight?
There can be few reasons why people gain back the weight they lose. Restrictive diets or extreme calorie restriction can slow the metabolism and shift the appetite regulating hormone. Short term quick fix mindset without the focus of shift to healthy food habits, will result in weight gain.
Establish healthy habits as well as focusing on willpower. If whilst on a weight loss journey, the focus is not on lifestyle changes this will continue as bad eating habits post weight reduction and become a hurdle in maintenance.
How to maintain motivation for weight loss
Maintaining a healthy weight is challenging. Most individuals tend to regain a significant amount of weight within a year of their weight loss. Just like weight loss, weight management is also a chronic issue. It is not uncommon for people to struggle after losing weight, and about 80% of people who lose weight are unsuccessful at maintaining their weight in the long run.
Though it may look harmless, weight cycling, or the constant up and down in weight can lead to a number of health problems such as insomnia, obesity, and increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Individuals should focus on their overall health as the motivator to maintain their weight.
Amount of calories to maintain weight loss
The calories needed to maintain a basal/resting metabolism phase is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR). This rate increases with a decrease in body weight. A healthy body weight however is calculated by body mass index (BMI) which assesses the body weight of an individual to their height and body fat content and indicates the health risk.
Ways to maintain a healthy weight
Planning is the most essential part of weight loss plans and weight maintenance plans. Having planned meals in advance can ensure the nutrition portion is being managed, and this should follow the post weight loss phase and develop into a lifestyle.
Healthy eating as you did during weight loss
Individuals who successfully lose the desired weight and then begin eating like they did before the weight loss, the scale will begin to dip in their favour. This happens due to a mechanism known as metabolic adaptation. During the weight loss phase, the body adjusted its metabolism to slow down to retain the energy.
This metabolic adaptation lasts for up to a year post initial weight loss, so it burns calories at the rate of its new adjusted metabolism. Hence maintaining a healthy diet is crucial to keeping that weight off long term.
Individuals who learn the art of portion control and avoiding empty calories can master the long term eating patterns to retain overall health.
Regular physical activity
Whilst a healthy diet is the most important factor in weight management, ensuring we are just as physically active as before is also important. A study concluded that individuals who continued 40 minutes a day of exercise 3 times a week continued to burn the same calories as before. Thus it is vital to incorporate both diet and exercise in the weight maintenance phase.
Following a Healthy lifestyle
A healthy habitual lifestyle is very important to ensure weight management. Studies have found that even 30 minutes less of sleep can increase the risk of obesity. Sleep deprivation causes the hunger stimulation hormone to increase which leads to overeating and weight gain. Individuals should try and follow a good sleep schedule.
Management of stress
Similarly feeling over exhausted and stressed can release cortisol hormone which considers the body in stress and makes it metabolise food more slowly. This also makes us crave fat and sugar high foods. The high calorie cravings and the stress related metabolism can cause weight gain. Individuals should practice stress management activities whilst in the post weight loss phase to ensure stress doesn’t affect their weight.
Consult a doctor
Weight loss journey is a challenging journey however can be very beneficial for overall health. To ensure long term results individuals should focus on establishing healthy eating habits, incorporating physical activity and managing stress. Individuals should try to make lifestyle adjustments and if needed consult a health professional for treatment options.
