Don’t Regain Lost Weight

You’ve worked hard to lose excess weight, but you may be worried about regaining the lost weight. Many people will lose weight only to regain the lost weight or even gain more weight than they lost. It can be discouraging to work so hard only to be back at the starting line after a few months. There are some things you can do to maintain your weight and avoid regaining lost weight. 

Never skip meals. Skipping meals can cause you to feel more hungry at meal time. If you are very hungry at meal time, there is a chance you will overeat. Skipping meals also causes your metabolism to slow down. A slower metabolism means your body will store food as fat. Keep your metabolism humming along by eating a nutritious, high fiber breakfast that includes whole grains, low-fat dairy and fruits or fruit juice. Eating 5 small meals throughout the day is more effective to keep your metabolism burning calories than eating 3 big meals. Choose raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains as snacks between breakfast and lunch and again between lunch and dinner. Granola bars or whole fruits such as peaches, apples or pears can satisfy your hunger and keep your metabolism working. 

Weigh yourself once each week at the same time of day each week. Keep a journal to record your weekly weight. You can use the information to monitor your weight and track trends in weight fluctuations. Start an exercise journal. Write down all your physical activity along with duration and intensity of the exercise. For example, if you walk to work instead of driving or taking the train, write down how long you walked, your pace and the distance walked. Write down the duration and intensity of workouts on exercise equipment, too. Keep a food journal and write down everything you eat every day. After 6 to 8 weeks, compare the information in your weight, exercise and food journal. You should be able to recognize patterns in eating and exercise that correlate with your weight loss or gain.

Continue to eat a variety of healthy foods and get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.