The Weight is Off — Now What?

Finally you have reached your goal! You’ve taken off the pounds you wanted to lose and now you are feeling a little lost. You had all those goals and lots of activity to get there but since you have accomplished the goal you’ve lost the fun.

Well, not exactly. The fun is still there but you have to redirect your focus. Many people gain their weight back after they have lost small or large amounts of weight. Usually it is because they think that they are safe to go back to the way they used to eat and they may slack off in exercise. The problem with this thinking is that it is a sure way to get back to the same weight problem they had in the past.

Since this is a problem for many people you might want to know what you can do to keep the weight off. This is often called the maintenance phase of weight loss. What most people do not know is that the maintenance of weight loss is much like the weight loss itself. You still will need to maintain proper nutrition and exercise. This is often the challenge.

Ways to Keep Going
Once you have started a regular exercise program you can add more than one type of exercise to your program. This will stop you from getting bored. Many people start out with walking and then add swimming or biking so they have a change of pace. As your body becomes stronger you will be able to try different things to see what you like to do.

This is also a time to assess your goals. You had weight loss goals so you can decide on other goals at this time. Perhaps you have something you have always wanted to do and could not do it because of your extra pounds. Now is the time to try it. Maybe you wanted to try ballroom or other types of dancing. Find a partner and get started.

Instead of making a commitment to weight loss, make your commitment to health and fitness. This will allow you to step back and look at what you want your body to look like in the future. This can create goals that are obtainable on a regular basis.

Ways to Have Successful Weight Maintenance
By now you have created some better habits than when you put the weight on. You can now get started in developing these habits as a lifestyle. Here are a few tips:

Keep healthy snacks on hand. Instead of going back to eating chips and other processed foods that aren’t good for you, keep working with grains, fruits and vegetables. These are local calorie and have lots of nutrients to help you keep your body healthy. Stick to foods that are healthy and will create weight maintenance. If you are not sure what these are, you can try the Glycemic Index. Any food there that is <55 on the scale will maintain your weight loss.

Avoid those foods that trigger overeating. You know what we’re talking about because everyone has those foods that comfort and cajole us when we are having emotional challenges. Be careful of these foods because chances are they are the ones that put the weight on in the first place.

Create a network of people. If you don’t have a network of people that you can talk to and have fun with start getting out and meeting people. There are great classes at recreation centers that can help you meet people who have similar goals. You might even find people who love to do the same type of fitness that you do.