Quite often losing weight is the easy part when it comes to weight loss, but what happens when you finish the hCG program? How do you maintain your new body weight after weight loss?
Unfortunately, and more often than not the weight will return, plus some, as newfound habits are forgotten, and old habits start sneaking back in. It is for this reason that it is imperative that you have viable steps in place to prevent this from happening that will enable you to continue to maintain weight.
Ideas To Help Maintain Weight Loss After Losing Weight
I have put a few ideas together below that may help keep you in the weight maintenance zone and keep the rebound weight gain at bay.
- Firstly, follow the hard and fast rule of Phase 3… it’s important not to gain more than 900 grams from your final Phase 2 weight. The protocol booklet shows you how to keep on top of this.
- Transition slowly from your weight loss plan, as tempting as it is to start eating and drinking all the foods that you have been abstaining from in the past weeks, try to keep in mind that it was this kind of eating that has you following a weight loss plan in the first place.It is due to this reason that we have added a clean eating guide to the website so that you can continue to eat healthy post the maintenance phase of the diet. The clean eating plan will also keep you in the groove of eating healthily and show you just how easy it is to eat well and maintain body weight after weight loss.
- It is fantastic and important to have goals, and they do not only have to be set at the beginning of a new year or for that matter even be related to weight loss.Now that you have reached your weight loss goal do not stop now, keep going and start planning some short and long-term goals that align with your newfound confidence. This will help you to stay motivated and on track with your success, stay educated, perhaps enjoy taking a cooking class, or attending a few health-related seminars.Remember, it’s already an accomplishment to have had this weight loss success. Now keep your momentum going by either employing strategies to maintain weight loss, or enlisting people to help you do it.
- Surround yourself with likeminded people that have similar health goals in mind. They may even be the same people that supported you through your weight loss efforts, these people know what it has taken for you to achieve your success and will continue to guide you when needed. These support groups can be vital in helping you to stick to your healthy habits.
- Teach someone else how they may be able to lose weight, being a mentor to someone and sharing the tips and skills you have learnt will not only keep you on track but will help consolidate all the information you have learned over the time it has taken you to complete your weight loss journey.
- It is vitally important that you continue to exercise. 30-60 minutes of moderate exercise every day will help prevent weight gain and continue to nurture both your mind and body. Not only does movement or being active burn energy, it also prevents muscle loss, which in turn helps to keep your metabolic rate clicking over at a good healthy level.There is no need to go out and run a marathon, look for simple ways to move more during the day, e.g., walking the dog, taking the stairs at work instead of the lift, get outside with family and friends on the weekend. Be creative and make exercise or additional movement fun instead of thinking of it as just being a drag or something else to do.
- Weigh yourself regularly, this is the best way of knowing if your weight may be creeping up or not and to stop it in it’s tracks if this is the case. If you tackle it head on as soon as it starts to happen you are much more likely to maintain body weight. Studies suggest that those with the most sustained weight loss all had essential habits in common including regular weighing, tracking calories, healthy eating habits, frequent exercise. Over time, those who weighed themselves less often tended to regain more weight than those who increased their weight-monitoring frequency. You should also pay attention to how you feel in your clothes, this will also give you a great indication of whether you are gaining weight or not.
- Consistency is the key to long-term healthy exercise and eating habits, being consistent will not only help maintain fat loss but will help establish daily habits and patterns that will continue to serve you well post dieting.
- If you do feel hungry between meals, consider adding vegetables as snacks or adding more vegetables to your plate during a meal. They are low in calories and give you heaps of nutritional value, and additionally will help control hunger as they are rich in fibre which is highly beneficial for weight management and your digestive system. We also have a blog post listing healthy snacks for you to consider. 12 Healthy Snacks That Can Help You Lose weight
- I often talk about the importance of balance in my blogs, this one is no different. If you are asking the question, how to maintain body weight after weight loss? We do not advocate being on a weight loss regime forever, and if you are desperate to try out a new restaurant or for a treat meal it is important to have balance with these temptations. Include them in your diet occasionally, it’s when you have these foods on more than several occasions that it can lead to trouble. If you know that you have an event or celebration coming up and you want to indulge, do it and don’t beat yourself up about it. Stick to reasonable portions and try not to overeat and then continue with your healthy eating the next day. This way of thinking about food will be more sustainable overall and will give you a very balanced approach to diet and nutrition.
- Try not to forget how important it is to drink water, water in itself won’t make you lose weight however, it may help with appetite control, water is filling and may reduce your overall calorie intake.
- It is extremely important to keep stress under control when it comes to weight management. Stress is one of the most significant life factors when it comes to weight and it can wreak havoc on our healthy intentions. High-stress levels can mess with sleep and hormones leading to increased appetite, cravings, low energy, poor mood, all of which can negatively affect your ability to stick to a healthy eating plan.
- Recognise habits that lead to weight gain. For example, eating late at night or snacking throughout the evening.
- Emotional eating, are you really hungry or are you eating in response to how you feel? Are you eating mindlessly while binge watching Netflix or sitting in front of your computer at work? Instead pay attention to every mouthful ensuring that you are chewing properly and enjoying the delicious, healthy meal in front of you.
Overall, the best way to maintain weight is to do it by making, achievable changes to your diet and physical activity habits.
Be kind to yourself, if things don’t go according to plan, keep trying and don’t give up. You may need to adjust your goals from time to time to enable you to achieve them.
Maintaining weight is a life-long commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Keep yourself accountable and try to incorporate some or all the above tips to ensure your success. The hCG maintenance patch may also be a good fit for you and be of assistance in keeping the weight off for good.
Liza Brunell
Adv Dip Health Science Naturopathy, Nutrition
