Being overweight is a challenge that many people have overcome. Once that challenge has been defeated, a lot of those who accomplished their goal see a slight increase in weight and see the scale starting to tip back upward. There are many people that struggle with maintaining the weight that they worked to achieve. There are a lot of tips, tricks, and strategies that can be used to help you maintain the number on the scale and keep you at your goal.
Exercise
Just like when you are trying to lose weight, it is essential that you maintain your exercise regimen. Staying true to your workout schedule and routine helps you manage your weight but also enables you to burn off extra calories and increases your metabolism. These two factors help achieve an energy balance in your body. Several studies have found that people who do at least 200 minutes of moderate physical activity a week (30 minutes a day) after losing weight are more likely to maintain their weight. Exercise is one of the most helpful weight maintenance tools that you can use. However, exercise is not the only tool that you have at your disposal.
Protein
Protein is an excellent resource to help you maintain your nutrition after you have lost weight. Protein is incredibly important for weight regulation. A steady flow of protein in your body has been shown to reduce the levels of hormones in your body that increase the feeling of hunger. Protein has also been shown to affect your metabolism as well as appetite. The more protein you can take in, the less hungry you will begin to feel as your body begins to adapt to the protein. A good ratio for protein on a 2,000-calorie diet is close to 150 grams of Protein.
Hydration
Water is an incredible resource when it comes to weight loss. Drinking water helps provide a feeling of fullness when you are hungry to help silence old eating habits from showing their heads. This feeling will help reduce the feelings you get from becoming hungry and deter the development of cravings for other foods that may not be the best source of nutrition. Water can help prepare your body for upcoming meals as well. If you were to drink one to two glasses before a meal, it would help you feel full quicker and help with portion control.
Sleeping
Your sleep schedule significantly affects how your body retains its weight. Sleep is a major influence on how you will perform through the next day. Not getting enough sleep can lead to weight gain as well as low energy levels. If your sleep schedule does not allow for enough sleep to really let your body rest and regenerate itself, the lack of sleep can lead to lower levels of Leptin. Leptin has been known to help control our appetite. Getting a good night of sleep is vital for our bodies to re-energize for the day ahead. Sleeping well provides energy, comfort, and allows your body to repair itself from possible damage caused during a workout such as muscle strains.
Support System
One of the most important things that you can have during a weight loss journey is the support of your closest friends and family. Support is something that everybody benefits from. Maintaining lost weight is much easier to do when you have a good support system backing you up during the process. Having a weight loss buddy, or a workout buddy that is in the same process of weight loss as you are can help you continue on a healthy path and make it easier to maintain the weight that you have worked so hard to lose.
Setbacks
Making sure that you are prepared to handle, identify and work through setbacks is an important quality to have. Setbacks are inevitable during a weight loss journey. You will absolutely find yourself slipping during your weight loss journey. Giving in to a craving or skipping a workout is going to happen during the journey of weight loss. It is important that you accept and learn from the slips. Just because there was a slip, it is not a cause for you to abandon your entire journey. You are on the right track. It is okay to hit a snag in the road. As long as you work past it and continue on your journey, then you are in a good spot.