February 2, 2022

The 17 best ways to maintain weight loss

Die 17 besten Wege, einen Gewichtsverlust aufrecht zu erhalten

Unfortunately, many people who lose weight end up gaining that weight back. In fact, only 20% of all dieters who start out overweight and successfully lose weight manage to maintain that weight loss over the long term. However, this should not discourage you. There are a number of scientifically proven ways that can help you maintain your weight loss. These range from exercise to stress control.

These 17 strategies could be just what you need to tip the statistics in your favor and keep your hard-won weight loss off.

Why do dieters regain weight?

There are some common reasons why people regain lost weight. These mainly have to do with unrealistic expectations and feelings of deprivation.

Restrictive diets: An extreme reduction in calorie intake can slow down your metabolism and affect your appetite-regulating hormones - both of which can contribute to weight regain (1).
The wrong mindset: If you see dieting as a quick fix instead of a long-term solution for your health, you're more likely to give up prematurely and regain the weight you lost.
A lack of sustainable habits: Many diets are based more on willpower rather than habits you can incorporate into your daily life. They focus on rules instead of lifestyle changes, which can discourage you and prevent you from maintaining the weight.

The best strategies for maintaining weight after dieting

1. exercise regularly

Regular exercise plays an important role in maintaining weight. Exercise can help you burn a few extra calories and increase your metabolic rate, which are two important factors in maintaining a healthy energy balance (2).

Maintaining a good energy balance means that you burn as many calories as you consume. As a result, your weight is more likely to remain constant.

Several studies have found that people who engage in at least 200 minutes of moderate physical activity per week (30 minutes per day) after losing weight are more likely to maintain their new weight (3, 4).

In some cases, even higher levels of physical activity may be necessary for successful weight management. One study review concluded that one hour of exercise per day is optimal for those trying to maintain weight loss (5).

It is important to note that exercise is most helpful for weight management when combined with other lifestyle changes including maintaining a healthy diet (6).

2. try to eat breakfast every day

Eating breakfast could help you with your weight management goals.

People who eat breakfast regularly tend to have healthier habits such as exercising more and consuming more fiber and micronutrients (7).

In addition, eating breakfast regularly is one of the habits most often mentioned by people who are successful in maintaining weight loss (5).

One study found that 78% of 2,959 people who were able to maintain a weight loss of 14 kilos for at least a year reported eating breakfast every day (8).

However, although people who eat breakfast regularly appear to be more successful at maintaining weight loss, the data is mixed.

Studies do not show that skipping breakfast automatically leads to weight gain or poorer eating habits (9). In fact, skipping breakfast might even help some people achieve weight loss and maintain their new weight (10).

Breakfast might be one of those things that is highly dependent on the individual. If you feel that eating breakfast regularly will help you reach your goals, then you should definitely eat breakfast. However, if you don't like eating breakfast and don't feel hungry in the morning, then there's nothing wrong with skipping breakfast.

3. eat plenty of protein

A high protein intake can help you maintain your weight, as protein can help you reduce your appetite and feel fuller (11).

Protein increases the levels of certain hormones in the body that can increase satiety and are important for weight regulation. Protein has also been shown to reduce levels of hormones that increase hunger (12, 13).

The effects of protein on your hormones and satiety can automatically reduce the number of calories you consume per day, which is an important factor in weight maintenance (14).

In addition, your body uses a significant amount of energy to digest protein. Therefore, regular protein consumption can increase the number of calories you consume per day (15).

Based on several studies, the effects of protein on metabolism and appetite appear to be most pronounced when about 30% of calories consumed are in the form of protein. For a calorie intake of 2,000 kcal, this corresponds to about 150 grams of protein (16).

4. weigh yourself regularly

Monitoring your weight regularly on the scale can be a helpful tool for weight maintenance as it makes you aware of your progress and can encourage weight management behaviors (17).

Those who weigh themselves may also tend to consume fewer calories per day, which can be helpful in maintaining weight loss (18).

In one study, subjects who weighed themselves regularly six days a week consumed an average of 300 kcal less per day than those who checked their weight less frequently (19). How often you weigh yourself is a personal choice. Some find it helpful to weigh themselves daily, while others are more successful if they check their weight once or twice a week.

5. be mindful of your carbohydrate intake

Maintaining your weight may be easier to achieve if you pay attention to the types and amounts of carbohydrates you eat.

Eating too many refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and fruit juices can be disastrous for your weight management goals.

These foods have been stripped of their natural fiber, which is necessary to promote satiety. Diets that are low in fiber have been linked to weight gain and obesity (20).

Limiting your overall carbohydrate intake could also help you maintain your weight loss. Several studies have found that in some cases, those who follow a low-carb diet after weight loss are more likely to be able to keep the lost weight off in the long term (21). In addition, people who follow a low-carb diet are less likely to consume more calories than they burn, which is necessary for weight maintenance (22).

6 Exercise with weights

A reduction in muscle mass is a common side effect of weight loss. This can limit your ability to maintain weight loss, as a loss of muscle mass reduces your metabolic rate, which means you burn fewer calories throughout the day (23).

Performing some type of resistance training, such as weight training, can help prevent this muscle loss and in turn maintain or even increase your metabolic rate.

Studies show that those who exercise with weights after losing weight are more likely to be able to maintain their new weight by maintaining their muscle mass (24).

To reap these benefits, it is recommended that you train with weights at least twice a week. Your training program should include all major muscle groups for optimal results (25).

7 Prepare for setbacks

Setbacks are inevitable on your weight loss journey. There can and will be times when you give in to unhealthy cravings or skip a training session.

These occasional slip-ups don't mean you should give up on all your goals. Instead, just keep going and make better choices in the future.

It can also be helpful to plan ahead for situations that you know will make healthy eating a challenge. Examples of this would be a vacation or holidays like Christmas.

8. stick to your plan throughout the week (even on weekends)

One habit that often leads to weight regain is eating healthy during the week and cheating on the weekend. This mentality often leads to people stuffing themselves with junk food, which can interfere with your weight maintenance goals.

If this becomes a regular habit, you may well gain back more weight than you initially lost (26).

Alternatively, research shows that those who consistently follow eating regimens throughout the week are more likely to maintain weight loss in the long term (27).

One study found that weekly consistency compared to more flexibility on weekends almost doubled the likelihood that individuals could maintain their weight within 2.2 kilos over a year (27).

9. stay hydrated

Drinking water is helpful for maintaining weight for several reasons. First of all, it promotes satiety and drinking a glass or two of water before a meal can help you keep your calorie intake under control (28, 29).

One study found that those who drank water before meals consumed 13% fewer calories compared to those who did not (28). In addition to this, drinking water has been shown to slightly increase the number of calories you burn throughout the day (30).

10. make sure you get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep can have a significant impact on your weight control. In fact, sleep deprivation in adults appears to be a primary risk factor for weight gain and may affect weight maintenance (31). This is partly because inadequate sleep leads to higher levels of ghrelin, which is also known as the "hunger hormone" because it increases appetite (32).

In addition, people who get too little sleep tend to have lower levels of leptin - a hormone necessary for appetite control (32).

Lastly, those who are short on sleep are simply more tired and therefore less motivated to exercise and make good nutritional choices.

If you are not getting enough sleep, you should find a way to improve your sleep habits. Sleeping at least 7 hours a night is optimal for weight control and overall health (33).

11. control your stress levels

Controlling stress is an important part of weight management. In fact, high stress levels can lead to weight regain by increasing levels of the hormone cortisol - a hormone released in response to stress (34).

Consistently elevated cortisol levels are associated with a greater amount of abdominal fat, as well as increased appetite and food intake (34).

Stress is also a common trigger for impulsive eating, which means you eat when you're not hungry (35).

Luckily, there are many things you can do to combat stress, including exercise, yoga and meditation.

12 Find a support system

It can be hard to maintain your weight goals on your own.

One strategy to overcome this may be to find a support system that keeps you accountable.

Some studies have shown that teaming up with someone who shares the same goals can be helpful for weight management - especially if this is a partner with similar health habits (36).

One such study looked at the health habits of over 3,000 couples and found that when one person took up a healthy habit such as exercise, their partner was more likely to follow suit (37).

13. control your food intake

Those who keep a record of their food intake - whether in a diary or an app - are more likely to achieve their weight loss goals (38).

Keeping a record of your food intake and calories is helpful because it raises awareness of how much you're really eating - especially if you're using an app that gives you an accurate overview of your calorie and nutrient intake.

In addition to this, many of these apps also allow you to keep track of your exercise, so you can make sure you're getting the amount of exercise you need to maintain your weight.

14 Eat plenty of vegetables

Several studies link high vegetable consumption to better weight control (39).

First of all, vegetables are low in calories. You can eat large portions of vegetables without gaining weight while still getting an impressive amount of nutrients. In addition, vegetables are high in fiber, which can promote feelings of satiety and automatically reduce the amount of calories you eat throughout the day (40).

Because of these weight management benefits, you should aim to eat one or two servings of vegetables at every meal.

15 Be consistent

Consistency is the key to regaining lost weight.

Rather than endlessly switching between diets and continuing with old habits, it's best to stick with your healthy new diet and your new healthier lifestyle forever.

Although it may seem hard at first to adopt a new lifestyle, healthy choices become habits as you get used to them. Your healthier lifestyle will come easily to you, making it easier for you to maintain your new weight.

16. practice mindful eating

Mindful eating means paying attention to your inner appetite cues. This includes eating slowly and without distraction and chewing your food well so that you can enjoy the aroma and full flavor of your meal.

If you eat this way, you are more likely to stop eating when you are really full. If you eat with distractions, it can be hard to know when you're full, which means you may eat more than you need to (41).

Studies show that mindful eating helps with weight maintenance by targeting behaviors that are often associated with weight gain - such as stress eating (42).

In addition, those who eat mindfully are more likely to be able to maintain their weight without counting calories (43).

17. make sustainable changes to your lifestyle

One of the reasons many people fail to maintain their weight is because they follow unrealistic diets that are not practical in the long term.

They end up feeling emaciated, which often leads to them gaining more weight than they initially lost once they start eating normally again.

Maintaining weight loss comes down to making long-term, sustainable changes to your lifestyle.

This looks different for everyone, but basically it means not being too restrictive, staying consistent and making healthy choices as often as possible.

Bottom line

Diets can be restrictive and unrealistic, often leading to rapid weight regain.

However, there are many simple changes you can make to your habits that are easily maintainable and will help you sustain your weight loss in the long run.

During your journey, you will realize that controlling your weight involves more than what you eat. Exercise, sleep and mental health also play a role.

Maintaining your weight can be easy if you simply adopt a new lifestyle instead of constantly following new diets.

References:

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/maintain-weight-loss

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