5 weight maintenance tips you didn’t know
You’ve likely heard just about every tip and trick under the sun for losing weight and keeping it off. Weigh yourself daily, count your calories, avoid fatty foods, reduce alcohol intake, and all of those things. However, there are some less obvious bits of advice that you probably haven’t heard! Here are our five favorite secret-but-not-secret tips that will help keep the weight off.
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Take it one step at a time.
You have to put one foot in front of the other, as the saying goes. It’s really easy to get discouraged during your weight loss journey when you overexert yourself right out of the gate, or realize that the journey continues even after the weight comes off. Don’t dive headfirst into a brutal two-hour daily workout. Start with little things first: plan your meals for the week, cut the cream from your morning coffee, bike to the store instead of driving — whatever you can do that feels manageable. Build from there!
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Keep an eye on portion sizes.
American culture is really lousy at dealing out appropriately sized portions of food. If you want to practice portion control, you’ve really got to learn to love reading labels and knowing how much a cup of food actually is. We’re raised in a “clean your plate” culture and it becomes second nature to polish off an entire plate of food without even stopping to think about exactly how much we’re eating. Take the time to learn what a “portion” actually is and keep track.
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Take stress into account and plan ahead.
One of the major players when it comes to weight gain is stress. When everything’s spinning out of control and time is at a premium, it’s incredibly simple to seek out quick fixes and easy meals. You only have so many hours in the day, so why not skip a workout? Things at work are off the wall, so why not pick up fast food for the third time this week? If you take a moment when things are calmer to plan ahead for stressful events, if goes a long way toward maintaining healthy eating habits. Have some time on the weekend? Make healthy meals to freeze for those days when it just feels like too much to cook.
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Make note of bad past behaviors.
It’s good to know your own weaknesses. Write them down on a list and keep it somewhere you can see whenever you need to. Even if it seems frivolous, check the list often and make a mental note when you’re starting to slide into those “danger zone” behaviors again so you can curb them.
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Make tangible goals you can build upon.
Create a “climbing list” of goals. That means starting with the goals that are easy to reach and steadily building up to tougher stuff, with mid-level goals in between. Try dedicating yourself to taking a 10-minute walk once a day, then build it up to 30 minutes, then make it jogging, then consider training for a half-marathon. Treat yourself to a nice reward to stay motivated.
Most importantly, stay positive! A good attitude works wonders. Weight loss is a constant journey, but with the right support system, you can definitely do it. Reach out to us anytime for help!
