So the hard part is done, and you’ve finally hit your target – but have you planned which ways to stay at your target weight? It’s easy to relax after the constraints of a diet, but you risk slipping back into old eating habits, and regaining some of the weight you’ve fought to lose. To keep looking your best, try to incorporate these great tips for ways to stay at your target weight into your life.
What was it that finally helped you lose weight? Did you cut down on sugar, or carbs? Give yourself a few treat nights to enjoy the foods you really love? Carry fruit as a snack, or use the stairs rather than the lift? Continue these into your post-diet life. Whilst you don’t need to be quite so strict with yourself, sticking to the basic principles of your diet is one of the best ways to stay at your target weight.
Shopping when you’ve just finished a diet can be amazing. Crisps, chocolates, biscuits…it can seem that there is a whole world that you are suddenly allowed to shop in. While you don’t need to ban any foods from your diet, don’t buy too many unhealthy snacks. Having them in the house makes them very tempting, and in many cases there are healthier snacks that are much better for you. Try swapping biscuits for crispbreads and fruit, for example.
Exercise isn’t just great for losing weight – it’ll keep you fit and looking your best, too. A study by the National Weight Loss Registry found that people who continue to exercise after stopping their diet lost 30lbs more than those who didn’t, and were much less likely to pile on the pounds again. Regular exercise will keep your base metabolism up, too.
It can be very easy to forget what made you want to diet when you are fitting into all your smaller clothes again! Keeping that motivation and determination is vital to staying at the right weight, though. Keeping a photo of yourself at your biggest on the fridge will serve as a daily reminder as to what you’ve achieved, and help you to stay on the right track.
If you find that you quickly gain weight when you stop dieting, look for healthy eating plans rather than diets. Plans that help you to develop a healthy lifestyle will be much easier to stick to long term, whilst diets can be restrictive and very easy to break. Aim to make permanent lifestyle changes.
Tempted to skip breakfast and save the calories for later? Don’t! People who skip breakfast are much more likely to snack, and a few snacks quickly add up. Breakfast is a vital part of a healthy diet, so try a few combinations (fruit, yogurt, cereal, eggs) to see what works for your lifestyle.
Don’t go mad with your weight. Weigh yourself once a week, maximum, and avoid the urge to jump on the scales more frequently! Your daily weight may fluctuate depending on a variety of factors. Judge your target weight by how your clothes fit and how you look and feel, rather than a figure on the scales.
How many of these ways to stay at your target weight have you tried? I’ll definitely be making sure that I weight myself once a week, don’t skip breakfast and keep up that exercise regime from now on! It’s that time of the year when holidays are getting closer, so please let me know your tips too. I’d love to hear them!