If you got in shape for summer or lost weight as an overall healthy lifestyle overhaul, then you’re no doubt keen to maintain your new figure and fitness level.
We’ve all heard stories or know people who successfully hit their weight loss goal but saw the pounds creep back on over time. After all your hard work and dedication, it’s key to have a plan in place to avoid this and stay as healthy as possible going forwards.
Use the five simple-to-follow steps below to maintain your current weight and enjoy enhanced wellness; staying in shape may be much simpler than you think!
Stick with the Meal Planning
So much of the success of a weight loss plan centers on changing how we approach and think about food. Snacks and meals should be a way to nurture our bodies, and each mouthful of them savored, rather than using them as a means of comfort or a distraction from boredom.
To this end, stick to the meal planning tactics you used as part of your weight loss program. Planning what you’ll eat throughout the week (and snacking on, too) means that you’ll be able to build delicious, nutritious meals into your routine and are therefore better able to resist the temptation of a sugary snack or regular take-out meals.
These best weight loss companies – one of which you may have used as part of your healthy lifestyle overhaul – offer a range of delicious meals or meal kits delivered to your door. Choosing such a meal plan can ensure your body is getting the right fuel and can lessen the risk of a hectic schedule jeopardizing your attempt to maintain your current weight.
Stay Hydrated
The body can often mistake the brain’s thirst signals for hunger, leading us to snack unnecessarily when our bodies really want a drink of water.
Staying hydrated is the second important step in maintaining a healthy weight. Men need around 3.7 liters of water a day (approximately 16 cups), and women should aim to drink 2.7 (about 12 cups) liters per day to support overall wellness.
This may seem like a daunting amount to get through, but there are plenty of tricks and hacks that can help you reach your target:
- Keep a chilled jug of water in the fridge containing the recommended intake so that you can regularly top up your glass and monitor how you’re doing.
- Put 12 small bead bracelets or hairbands on your wrist at the start of the day, and take one off for every cup of water you drink as the hours go by.
- Flavor water with slices of lemon, lime, or even a sprinkling of cinnamon, for added interest that’ll keep you sipping.
- Eat plenty of water-rich foods, such as cucumber, watermelon, and grapes.
- Every time you’re waiting for the kettle to boil for your cup of tea or coffee, drink a glass of water.
- Use a tracking app to monitor how much you’re drinking through the day – it’ll alert you if you need to up your intake.
Keep Exercising
While you may be able to dial down the extent and intensity of your exercise regime now you’ve hit your weight loss target; it’s important to keep exercising regularly to prevent the pounds from creeping back on and to keep both your body and mind in great shape.
Finding an exercise buddy to swim, walk, or jog with is a good way to stay motivated and can make exercising more fun too! Why not try new forms of physical activity: as well as helping to keep things interesting, you may also find something new that you enjoy.
Make Your Kitchen a Junk-Food Free Zone
If there’s something yummy in the kitchen cupboard that also happens to be high in sugar, fat, or salt, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to resist the temptation to tuck in, however strong our levels of willpower may be.
Keeping junk food out of the house will hugely help your mission to maintain your current weight. To support this, avoid going grocery shopping when you’re hungry: research has shown that you’re much more likely to add sugary treats to your trolley when you’re peckish. Online shopping could be the way to go if you know you’ll find it hard to resist temptation.
Fill your fridge and cupboards with healthy alternative snacks instead: think nuts, berries, cheese, eggs, cooked chicken breast, mashed avocado, and natural yogurt.
Be Kind to Yourself
And finally: accept that there may be days when you slip and feel bad about things afterward. How you deal with this is vital, however: it may be tempting to give up on your health plan entirely and become demotivated with the attempt to maintain your weight.
Instead, be gentle with yourself. Congratulate yourself on the achievements you’ve made to this point, re-set your intention, dust yourself down, and carry on. Remember that you’ve already done the hardest part in reaching your weight loss goal, and you are more than capable of continuing your new healthier, happier lifestyle.
Shubham Kansal is a bit addicted to the latest happening in the political and sports world. He loves to watch anime & manga, suspense, and Horror web series. He used to search and writes about the latest political, sports, and popular celebrity biography.