Weight maintenance: Keep the weight off permanently

You did it. You've taken off the pounds you've been battling for years, or at least a good many of them. You're delighted with the results — you have more energy, your cholesterol is down and so is your blood pressure — and you're justifiably proud of yourself. But at the back of your mind is a nagging fear: "What if I gain it all back?"

Weight maintenance is much like weight loss. The principals are essentially the same: eat healthy foods and exercise regularly. And like weight loss, weight maintenance requires a long-term commitment. Indeed, the key to successful weight maintenance is permanent lifestyle changes.

Assess your goals and motivation
How you approached weight loss — both your commitment and your plan — goes a long way toward keeping you on the road to success. First, take a look at your motivation. What prompted you to lose weight? If you make a long-term commitment to your health and well-being, rather than losing pounds for a special event, you're already ahead of the game.

In general, focusing on health rather than appearance is a better approach in terms of long-term success, especially if you pay attention to the many ways you feel better as you drop pounds. Also, focusing on the process of lifestyle change rather than the end result is important. Losing just 5 percent to 10 percent of your body weight can reap big health rewards in terms of lower blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and risk of joint problems, such as osteoarthritis. As an added bonus, it can improve your energy level and self-esteem and ease daily aches and pains.

Successful weight-maintenance strategies
Once you've lost the weight, you can't stop your efforts. Weight maintenance requires daily exercise, a healthy menu, a long-term commitment and constant vigilance. The following habits are essential to weight maintenance:

Continue your exercise program. One of the most important things you can do for weight maintenance is to continue a vigorous exercise program. Studies suggest that it takes 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity daily to maintain weight loss. Moderately intense physical activities include fast walking and swimming.

Enjoy healthy meals and snacks. Focus on low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Keep saturated fat low and limit sweets and alcohol. Remember that no one food offers all the nutrients you need. Choose a variety of foods throughout the day. It's not out of the question to eat and enjoy small amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods on occasion. But the main thing is that you choose foods that promote weight maintenance and good health more often than you choose foods that don't.

Know and avoid your food traps that cause you to eat. Know which situations can trigger out-of-control eating for you. The best way to identify food traps and emotionally triggered eating is to keep a journal. For as long as you find it helpful, write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you're feeling and how hungry you are. After a while, you should see some patterns emerge. Once you know these patterns and triggers, you can plan ahead and develop a strategy for how you'll handle these types of situations. This will help you understand and stay in control of your eating behaviors.

Monitor your weight regularly. People who weigh themselves at least once a week are more successful in keeping off the pounds. Monitoring your weight can tell you whether your efforts are working and can help you detect small weight gains before they become larger.

Be consistent. Sticking to your healthy-weight plan during the week, on the weekends, and amidst vacation and holidays increases your chances of long-term success.

Create a support network. Getting support for your efforts, whether through a friend, family member, trained professional or group of fellow travelers on the same path, can ultimately mean the difference between success and failure.

The best-laid plan
If you really want to lose weight and keep it off, the best approach is to focus on lifestyle changes and develop an eating plan that's enjoyable, yet healthy and low in calories. This approach results in weight loss that you can live with — that is, that you can maintain over a long period of time.

The good news is that weight maintenance gets easier over time. After two to five years, the odds of keeping the weight off increase greatly. Achieving and staying at a healthy weight does take planning and effort, but the rewards are great.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-maintenance/WT00026

I think this article is an excellent summary of ways to keep the weight off for good. :)

It encouraged getting support:

Getting the right support that suits you, individually, makes the world of difference. I believe support from the Lord, my family, Candy (the Editor) and my other sisters and brothers here at “Grace” has made a huge difference in my being able to keep the weight off this time for almost 4 years. Thanks everyone for your support. :)

I also believe it’s important to adopt a lifestyle that you can enjoy and continue for life. :)

:) Annette: Thanks for sharing! Excellent article and comments by you!

:fel:

What stands out to me is we always food journal.
Weigh once a week.
Eat low calorie foods that we find tasty.
Excercise everyday for 30 minutes.
Identifify trigger settings in food and circumstances.
Find a diet support like Grace Today Dieters
Never give up!

Ironia, you pointed out some really important things, there!!! :) And thanks for reminding me about journaling faithfully. It has now become such a habit for me I actually forgot to mention it. It’s become such a part of my daily routine, making such a big difference for me this time around. :)

Annette: With your journal, do you just journal your food intake or do you make a note of your emotions, activities, etc. If you do include your emotions/activities, do you find that helpful and is that something you have always done.

Do you have a sample you'd be willing to teach us with? The reason I ask is because you attribute your journal as a tool to your success. My journalliing is lacking and somewhat non-existant. It's far from consistent that's for sure.

Thanks and I sure hope you don't mind me asking!

Denise

Yes, along with the Lord’s guidance, journaling diligently has been one of the tools that contributed to my success, and I don’t mind you asking for samples, so as soon I get a decent block of time in my schedule I will be getting back with you, most likely within a week. I hope you don’t mind waiting. :)

:god:

It will be worth the wait I'm sure! Take your week one task at a time though. We don't want you stressed.