Losing weight and keeping it off are two entirely different challenges which may involve common strategies, but also have distinct techniques that people who have been successful in keeping the weight off continuously harp about.
Lifestyle Changes
To keep the weight off you need to implement lifestyle changes. This means simple gradual change in your daily habits. Modify one habit at a time. For instance, if you are an avid soft drink consumer, cut it down to rare occasions.
Once you feel like this is not burdensome, you may take on a new habit like eating a healthy daily breakfast full of good old oats and fruits. When your lifestyle choices are healthy and sustainable, your weight loss will be sustainable.
Bad Food isn’t Completely Forbidden
When you are trying to lose weight, you want to eliminate all types of calorie dense food, especially the six harmful Cs (chocolate, chips, cookies, cakes, croissants and colas). This is an excellent short-term strategy for losing weight, but over the long-term it is bound to fail. When you are constantly surrounded by the foods your love and continuously trying to resist, there will be a point in time when your self-control will fail you and you may find yourself in the deep end of the pool.
Find a way to incorporate foods in a healthy manner, always watching your caloric intake. Having the rare soft drink will not harm your waistline tremendously, but it has to be a rare choice rather than a habit.
Control Your Portions
It is extremely easy to overeat in one sitting without realizing you have done so, especially in a social environment where you are relaxed and interacting with family or friends. Overindulgence once a day will bring up your weight rapidly. This is one habit you really want to avoid to keep the weight off. At home or dinner parties, fill up your plate at the first serving with the exact portions you should be eating. Afterwards, take the time to savor your food while chatting away with your dinner mates. Above all, do not refill your plate no matter how good the food tastes. Eating slowly will give your mind time to savor the food and realize your stomach is full before you can reach out for seconds.
These strategies have been repeated by those who have been able to successfully keep the weight off, so you should definitely try them out and see if they fit your bill.
