How to Lose Weight & Keep It Off

August 2, 2019 4:14 pm Published by TFadmin Comments Off

Have you ever tried that new ‘in’ diet? The first few weeks were tough, but you survived. You lost weight and that kept you motivated. Eventually you stopped your weight loss meal plan, either because you got to a weight you were happy at, the plan was too restrictive or hard to follow (usually the case), or you got bored of it. Gradually, over time the lost weight seemed to creep back on with a few extra kilos. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

The problem is that many weight loss programs are restrictive and hard to follow long-term. And even if initially successful, there often isn’t a weight maintenance plan in place. To help you plan for success, we’ve come up with a few tips.

Choose a weight loss program that will teach you healthy habits that can be used to maintain weight later. Avoid restrictive programs that get the weight off quickly but don’t involve healthy habits.
Plan how you will maintain weight after your weight loss program finishes. If you simply revert back to your old habits, you aren’t likely to maintain weight for long.
Include regular exercise. Exercise is not just important for health but also burns calories and helps you maintain weight.
Adapt and maintain healthy eating habits such as small, regular meals to reduce hunger, keeping your fluid intake up to keep hydrated and help fill up, smaller portion sizes and healthier meal choices.
If you get hungry, get into the habit of using non-starchy vegetables and salads as a way to fill up. These are low calorie, filling and good for you and therefore can be added to meals or snacked on in between meals.
Change your view about eating habits. View your healthier eating habits as habits for life rather than temporary.
Keep tabs on your weight but don’t get obsessive. Weigh in once a week or fortnight (not day!!) to track your progress or monitor your weight maintenance. If you are trying to maintain weight, have a radius of 2kg around your goal weight and don’t allow your weight to creep up higher than this before doing something about it.