5 Ways to Make Weight Loss Stick
A dietitian shares 5 ways to keep weight off for good.
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If you thought losing the weight is the toughest part, think again! The toughest part of the weight loss process is keeping it off. Oftentimes people lose and gain weight in cycles, leading to yo-yo dieting. A 2017 study published in the International Journal of Obesity examined the effects of yo-yo dieting in mice. Researchers concluded that this type of dieting is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. As such, if you’re going to embark on a weight loss plan, make it stick! Here are 5 ways to help you keep the weight off.
Eat Breakfast Daily
Members of The National Weight Loss Registry have lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for 5.5 years. In order to keep off the weight, 78-percent of participants reported eating breakfast every day. You don’t need to have an elaborate breakfast, but eating something healthy in the morning can prevent hunger from creeping up when you’re passing a bakery. Healthy breakfast options include oatmeal topped with fresh fruit, Greek yogurt topped with granola, or scrambled eggs with vegetables.
Keep an Eye on the Scale
According to the Weight Loss Registry, members who kept the weight off hopped on the scale at least once per week. Weighing yourself regularly just helps you keep an eye on your weight and raises a red flag if you see the numbers creeping up. When life gets busy, oftentimes healthy habits slide, but you can always get back in the weight loss swing of things.
Have a Support System
Being surrounded with like-minded people who are trying to stay healthy can help you stay on track. Meeting in a support group, healthy recipe swapping with friends, or just working at it with your spouse can help you get over the highs and lows of your weight loss and weight maintenance journey.
Exercise Regularly
According to the Weight Loss Registry, 90-percent of participants who kept off the weight continued to exercise post-weight loss for 1 hour, on average, each day. Whether you join a Zumba class, run the local high school track, or use the elliptical, do whatever form of exercise or a combination that you enjoy.
Get Back on the Wagon
Nobody is perfect, and indulging in a snack or meal is perfectly acceptable on occasion. But sometimes the occasional indulgence happens more frequently, and unhealthy eating habits return. Falling off the wagon isn’t uncommon, and is all part of the weight loss process. Your job is to brush yourself off, not be too hard on yourself.