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Congratulations! You reached your goal weight, and you made yourself healthier and fitter along the way. But as just your weight loss journey came to an end, you’ve entered a new phase that requires the same level of dedication: weight maintenance.
Our team at Nova Physician Wellness Center knows that successful long-term weight control comes with its own set of challenges; that’s why an estimated 80-85% of people who lose a significant amount of weight eventually regain most of it.
But that doesn’t have to be your experience. Effective lifelong weight management starts with safe, sustainable weight loss and continues to build on that healthy foundation.
It begins with safe, sustainable weight loss
You were committed to reaching a healthier body weight, and you took concrete steps to make it happen: You started exercising most days, you cut excess calories and junk from your diet, and you worked on mastering portion control, mindfulness, and consistency.
Adopting lifestyle habits that lead to safe, sustainable weight loss — or about 1-2 pounds a week — helps set the stage for effective long-term weight control. How? Unlike fad diets and rapid weight loss, you can continue these healthy lifestyle strategies to help you maintain your weight for life.
9 strategies for long-term weight control
Essentially, the very same strategies that help you shed excess pounds can also help you keep them off long-term. It’s not surprising, then, that it’s easier to maintain weight loss when you:
1. Choose wholesome foods
Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and heart-healthy, plant-based fats provide all the nutrients you need to feel satiated and fuel your body. When you stay within your caloric needs, wholesome foods support healthy weight control, too.
2. Move your body every day
Like your daily eating patterns, your daily exercise habits are integral to continued weight control. Whether you like to walk, run, bike, swim, dance, do yoga, take group “cardio blast” classes, or all the above, keep moving your body for at least 30-60 minutes a day, at least four days a week, or every day if you can.
3. Incorporate strength training
Reduced muscle mass is a common, unintended effect of weight loss. Unfortunately, less muscle means a lower metabolism, which makes weight regain more likely. The remedy? Incorporate two or three short strength training sessions into your weekly workout routine to improve muscle mass, boost your metabolism, and support weight control.
4. Keep an eye on your efforts
Stay on top of your efforts by keeping track of your daily food intake and exercise, as well as your weekly weight status by keeping a journal. This weight maintenance record can show you when you might need to adjust your calories to stay on track and prevent weight regain.
5. Get enough sleep each night
Getting enough restful sleep is crucial to long-term weight control. Not only does quality sleep play an integral role in regulating your stress response and mood, but it’s also vital to hormone regulation, appetite control, metabolic function, and insulin sensitivity, all of which work in concert to support easier weight maintenance.
6. Manage your stress levels
High stress levels can lead to weight regain by stimulating the ongoing release of cortisol, a stress hormone associated with increased appetite, food intake, and belly fat. Stress is also a common trigger for impulsive eating and overeating. Stress management strategies like exercise, social support, and relaxation support sustained weight control, too.
7. Don’t take the weekend off
Successful weight maintenance is easier to maintain when every day is an “on” day, and no days are “off” days or “cheat” days. When you break your healthy behavioral patterns every weekend, it becomes increasingly harder to resume them for the week. Instead, enjoy the occasional treat within your daily patterns.
8. Deal with setbacks quickly
Virtually everyone who loses weight experiences periodic relapse or the temporary loss of control and return to old behaviors (i.e., giving in to cravings, skipping workouts). Learn to anticipate high-risk situations, such as a vacation or holiday, and make plans to keep some consistency in your routine.
More importantly, forgive yourself for any lapse and move on, following through with better choices to reestablish control and close the door on your momentary setback.
9. Lean on your support system
Involving a supportive partner, sibling, or friend in your healthy lifestyle can boost your odds of successful long-term weight control. If, however, the people in your social network tend to sabotage your efforts more than support them (with or without intention), joining a weight loss support group can be helpful.
Overcome weight maintenance challenges
Yes, successful long-term weight control is possible, and we’re here to help. For expert weight maintenance support, call or use online booking to schedule a visit at your nearest Nova Physician Wellness Center location in Fairfax, Lansdowne, Vienna, Arlington, or Charlottesville, Virginia, today.