Starting a diet is a big deal, but keeping those results once you’re done? That’s the real challenge. If you want to hang on to your hard-earned progress, you need to build some lasting nutrition habits. Let’s dive into some easy, everyday tips that’ll help you keep the weight off and stay healthy for the long haul.
Why does This Matter? A Word on My Experience
I’m sure many can relate to a story like mine. I have struggled with weight issues my whole life. I was always chubby as a kid, so even before graduating high school, I had already had a history of various attempts at dieting. However, I would often lose weight and then gain even more of it back right after.
The first time I gained a significant amount of weight, I was about 20 years old. After I realized what had happened, I immediately started dieting intensively. I picked a method of counting calories while simultaneously researching everything I could about weight loss. After months of hard work, I managed to lose 16 kilograms (35 pounds) in half a year. However, given my genes, without taking control of my nutrition habits, I would have gotten to the same outcome in time and would have weighed at least twice as much as I do now.
After that experience, instead of being on and off with repetitive diets, I developed sustainable nutrition habits to maintain my weight for over 16 years without sacrificing all the pleasures life has to offer. I wouldn’t be able to share the whole journey with all the lessons I’ve learned in one article. I would also encourage you to do your own research on the topic to cover all the white spots for yourself. Yet, I’d like to share some easy tips that anyone can follow without the need to repeat my path to help you stay on track with your weight in the long run. Let’s dive in.
1. Know What Your Body Needs
To be able to sustain a lifestyle that would last, you’ve got to understand what your body needs. We’re all different – age, gender, how active you are, and any health issues all play a part. I recommend spending time on research into the topic of calories and your metabolic rate to be realistic with your body’s needs as a starting point. This way you can at least balance your calorie intake to make sure you are staying within your personal norm weekly. This point alone may help keep your weight stable over time. Alternatively, chatting with a dietitian can give you a clear picture of the types and amounts of food that are best for you.
2. Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating a balanced diet is key. Make sure you’re getting a mix of everything:
- Proteins: Think lean meats, fish, beans, and legumes – they’re great for your muscles.
- Carbs: Whole grains, fruits, and veggies give you energy and fiber.
- Fats: Healthy fats from things like nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil are great for your brain and hormones, especially feminine.
- Fiber: Don’t forget fiber! It’s crucial for digestion and helps you feel full. Load up on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes to get your fill.
3. Watch Your Portions
Portion control is super important. It’s easy to slip back into old nutrition habits, but sticking to proper portions helps keep things in check. Use smaller plates, measure your food, and pay attention to when you’re actually full. Whenever you start feeling like you are getting off track, try giving yourself a fasting day or two. Such short-term reboots will not be super hard to do. But they will help create a needed shake-up for your body, shrink back your stomach, and thus reset your portion habits. Though it sounds simple, it works like magic every single time, just give it a try.
4. Stay Hydrated
It’s important to remember to stay hydrated. Drinking water helps control hunger, keeps your digestion on track, and ensures that your metabolism is running smoothly. However, it’s important to be mindful of what you drink. It’s easy to consume too many “liquid calories” by drinking sugary beverages, like regular non-diet sodas and juices. To play it safe, stick to drinking still water at all times. Aim for about eight glasses a day, and drink more if you’re active, with the first glass or two drunk right after you wake up.
Also, don’t forget the trick of drinking a glass of water when you feel hungry – sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger. If your hunger persists after drinking water, then it may actually be time to eat or snack. However, about 30-50% of the time, when you feel hungry, it’s actually your body’s way of telling you that you’re thirsty. So, always try drinking water first to see if the hunger subsides.
5. Plan and Prep Your Meals
Planning and preparing your meals can make a huge difference by itself. It keeps you consistent and helps you avoid the temptation of unhealthy options. Plus, it saves you time during the week as well as money on the foods you would have bought. With the modern food industry’s standards at an all-time low, you may never be sure what exactly the producer put inside each portion of food you are consuming. Things like extra sugars or corn syrups can make you gain weight over time without even noticing it and without seemingly doing anything wrong. Similarly, supermarkets and restaurants add excessive fats or sugars, resulting in 20-30% more calories for their food to taste better. So keep that in mind next time you order your food out.
6. Keep Moving
Remember to prioritize exercise along with good nutrition. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, which is just a little over 20 minutes per day. Don’t forget to include strength training to keep your muscles strong and your metabolism high. This is because muscles burn 6 times more calories than other body tissues just to support themselves. Keeping your body lean and supporting your muscles mass would therefore result in higher metabolic rate. In other works you will be able to consume more calories without gaining weight. For this consistency is key. It’s more about repetition than intensity. Even small workout routines like plank exercises or daily walks can have a significant impact on your appearance and well-being when done consistently. In the long run, this consistent approach will be more beneficial than sporadic intense workouts once or twice a month.
7. Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating involves fully concentrating on the food you’re consuming and taking pleasure in each bite. It also means refraining from activities like grabbing a bowl of food to eat while watching TV or joining someone for a meal when you’re not truly hungry. Mindlessly clearing your plate for the sake of it is also part of this. Instead, try eating slowly, relishing your food, and paying attention to your body’s signals of hunger and fullness. When you feel satisfied and no longer enjoying the meal, stop eating. This can help prevent overeating and make dining experiences more pleasurable.
8. Manage Your Stress
Stress can disrupt your nutrition habits and overall health. To manage stress, find activities that work for you, such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or spending time on a hobby you love. Although some notes of anxiety or excitement can indeed shut your, it’s important to catch warning signs of stress before they progress. Chronic stress can have a long-term impact on your weight and health, so it’s important to address your body’s response to stress as soon as it arises.
9. Get Enough Sleep
Remember that getting enough sleep is crucial for maintaining a healthy weight and overall well-being. Similar to stress, lack of sleep can disrupt hunger-regulating hormones, leading to increased food cravings. Different people require different amounts of sleep, but a general guideline is to aim for 7-9 hours of good sleep each night. To establish more precise sleep targets, consider using specialized apps or sleep-tracking devices, such as smartwatches, to monitor your sleep habits. Keeping track of your sleep patterns can provide valuable insights into your overall sleep quality. Prioritizing adequate sleep not only supports weight management but also helps prevent various health issues associated with sleep deprivation.
10. Check In with Yourself
Keep track of your progress to stay motivated. Whether it’s a food journal, tracking your exercise, or just weighing yourself regularly, these check-ins can help you see what’s working and what needs a tweak.
If you don’t have a smart scale at home, I recommend investing in one. You can find a good device for as little as $20. It can help you keep track of your progress and store the data securely on your phone. This way, you can always see how your progress is trending and take action before it’s too late.
As tempting as this may seem, I wouldn’t recommend weighing yourself more than once a day. Stepping on the scale at different times during the day – wouldn’t make you any good. The weight can spike throughout the day based on the amount of food or water you’ve consumed. In fact, from my experience, it’s better to take measurements up to 2-3 times weekly to see the real picture, sticking to the same routine. For instance, I do this every other morning right after waking up wearing minimum clothes. This way I can compare the results and the real progress week to week. Besides just being realistic in terms of where you are headed, this process will add accountability for all changes in your body that you’re going to see. Stable positive changes will fuel your motivation to keep going.
Wrapping It Up
Keeping the weight off after a diet isn’t just about what you eat – it’s about creating nutrition habits that you can stick with. To help maintain these nutrition habits, consider using a digital habit tracker to monitor your progress and celebrate your successes.
Understand what your body needs, eat a balanced diet, control your portions, stay hydrated, plan your meals, exercise regularly, eat mindfully, manage stress, get enough sleep, and check in with yourself. These habits will help you maintain your weight, enjoy a healthier life for years to come, and foster a positive relationship with your body.
If you have some spare time, try incorporating a self-care routine into your mornings. This routine might be the key to starting your days on a positive note.
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