The Best Way to Keep Weight Off

To lose weight, you have to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. Once the excess pounds are shed, you will be faced with the challenge of keeping the weight off. If you go back to your old lifestyle habits, you risk gaining back the excess weight and falling victim to a vicious yo-yo dieting cycle. Yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling, increases your risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. To maintain your weight loss, there are various lifestyle adjustments you can make.

Instructions

• 1

  Record everything you eat and drink on a daily basis in a food journal. Write down your daily exercise routine and weigh yourself once a week. If there is an increase in your weight, you will be able to look at your diet and exercise regimen to see what is causing the weight gain. You can adjust it accordingly.

• 2

  Eat a healthy diet that is easy to maintain. Include fresh fruit and vegetables and lean protein such as fish and chicken. Eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and wholegrain bread. Avoid saturated fats that raise your cholesterol and opt for unsaturated fats such as canola oil and olive oil instead. Make water your staple drink because it fills you up, hydrates you and has no calories.

• 3

  Exercise regularly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, weight maintenance requires that you get at least 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week and perform strength-training exercises on two days of the week. Cardiovascular activity can include brisk walking, jogging, biking and swimming. Weighttraining should target all parts of your body.

• 4

  Practice yoga or meditation to help manage your stress levels. The Natural Health Website for Women states that high levels of stress are linked to an increased production of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is associated with weight gain, mainly around your waist.

• 5

  Sleep for eight hours every night. Lack of sleep can lead to overeating and cravings. Exhaustion can impair your judgment.