Many people regain unwanted weight after losing it. The reasons for this are that they may fall back into old habits, or life events can happen to put them off track. Also, your metabolic rate can drop post-weight loss, and behavioural and dietary techniques can help you maintain the weight loss while keeping up your metabolic rate.
1. Exercise regularly. If you have gone from a low-calorie diet to a balanced diet, it is normal to regain 1-2 kg. Exercising regularly (most days) will help you to keep the extra kilograms off. Aim for at least 30-45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days.
2. Eat balanced meals every day. Skipping meals can decrease your metabolic rate, and eating regularly throughout the day can also help you maintain healthy eating habits because you don’t overeat at other meal times.
3. Engage in muscle-strengthening activities. Putting on muscle helps to maintain your metabolic rate and may increase your metabolism. Adults should engage in weight lifting, body weight, or balancing exercises at least twice weekly.
4. Eat plenty of protein. Many women, in particular, do not eat enough protein, and you need protein to maintain muscle mass and your metabolic rate. Also, eating more protein makes you less likely to overindulge in food rich in fats.
5. Get plenty of sleep. Poor sleep can lead to your hunger being signalled. Ensuring you get enough rest helps you make healthy choices throughout the day. Most adults need at least 7-8 hours per night.
6. Moderate your carbohydrate intake. Be mindful not to eat carb-rich meals and snacks all day. It may be hard to burn all these carbs off unless you are doing vigorous exercise.
7. Drink lots of water. As we age, our thirst and hunger mechanisms get confused. You may think you are hungry when you are actually thirsty. Aim for at least 2 litres daily.
8. Keep your stress levels down. Stress can increase emotional eating. It also stimulates the release of glucose through cortisol, which can be stored as visceral fat.
9. Moderate fat intake. Ensure you are not eating foods high in saturated fats like fast foods and most take away, and limiting other foods like fried food. Fat has the highest energy density and will put on weight quickly.
10. Avoid sugars. There are hidden sugars in most packages of foods, plus the obvious ones like cakes, pastries, and soft drinks. If you aren’t doing lots of vigorous exercises to burn this off, it will turn into fat and also may allow old habits to creep back in.
If you follow some of these simple tips, it should help you to maintain your weight and stay healthy enough to enjoy your life.
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