Losing Weight and Keeping It Off: What Really Works?
We all know losing weight and keeping it off long-term is hard. The diet industry is a billion-dollar business, with new fad diets popping up every year claiming to help you shed pounds fast. But do any of these diets really work for sustainable, long-term weight loss?
If you have tried some of these diets, you likely experienced the yo-yo effect. Crash diets or extreme calorie restriction may help you lose weight quickly in the short-term, but can you maintain the loss for years? For most, the answer is no. This starts a cycle of weight loss and regain, making each attempt harder.
With the right combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes, you can lose weight and successfully maintain it
But why does this happen? The issue is viewing weight loss as temporary rather than a permanent lifestyle change. This mindset leads people to take extreme measures like cutting calories drastically. And those diets do yield rapid results initially.
However, once you lose the weight and resume normal eating habits, the weight returns. After restrictive diets, you tend to overeat and your body readily regains the weight. Repeating this cycle makes sustainability even more difficult.
True long-term weight loss requires maintaining lifelong nutrition and exercise habits. Research shows the key factors are: making gradual lifestyle changes, monitoring your progress comprehensively, practicing patience as change takes time, and finding sustainable eating and activity patterns.
So what’s the healthiest, most effective approach to lose weight and keep it off? Here are some evidence-based strategies:
Set Realistic Weight Loss Goals
Aiming to lose 1-2 lbs per week is a reasonable target for most people, according to experts. To lose 1 lb of fat, you need a calorie deficit of 3500 calories. This could be achieved through a combination of eating 500 calories less per day and burning an extra 500 calories through exercise.
Rather than focusing on the total amount you want to lose, break it down into smaller goals such as losing 1 pound at a time. Losing slowly and steadily is more sustainable in the long term than aggressive crash dieting. Be patient with yourself and the process – forming new habits and seeing results takes time.
Focus on Gradual Nutrition Changes
Radically slashing calories or eliminating entire food groups rarely works long-term. Make gradual changes to your diet for better adherence. Strategies like eating more protein and fibre, limiting processed foods, meal prepping, and planning snacks can help reduce overall calorie intake without feeling deprived.
Pay attention to portion sizes and try to avoid mindless eating in front of the TV or computer. Eat slowly and stop when you feel satisfied – not overly full. Be flexible and allow yourself occasional treats in moderation. The key is finding a nutrition plan you can stick to indefinitely, not just until you hit your goal weight.
Incorporate Regular Exercise
Adding physical helps maintain and build lean muscle mass. A mix of aerobic exercise like brisk walking, jogging, biking, or swimming and strength training provides the best results.
But don’t overdo it with long-duration cardio since it prevents muscle building and fuels muscle breakdown. The end result is your resting metabolism declines as you lose lean muscle mass over time through excessive long-duration cardio even if your nutrition is on point.
Increase your daily movement outside the gym too – take the stairs, walk more, fidget, pace during phone calls, or set reminders to get up and move throughout the day. Every little bit counts towards creating a calorie deficit. The key is finding types of workouts you enjoy and can consistently incorporate into your routine.
Track Your Progress
Staying accountable and monitoring your progress is associated with greater weight loss success and provides valuable feedback you can use to make adjustments as needed.
Also track non-scale victories like better sleep, reduced cravings, more energy, stronger workouts, and clothing feeling looser. The number on the scale is just one metric – focus also on how you look and feel. Celebrate all wins, big and small.
Support Your Mental Health
I can’t stress this enough! managing stress and underlying emotional issues is just as important as dietary changes for weight loss. High stress drives fat storage and cortisol production, sabotaging your efforts. Make time for self-care like therapy, meditation, relaxing hobbies, or spending time with supportive friends and family. Getting adequate sleep is also essential – lack of sleep disrupts hunger-regulating hormones.
Be kind and patient with yourself through the ups and downs – changing lifelong habits is hard. Don’t beat yourself up for slip-ups or plateau periods – simply get back on track the next day. Progress can be slow and non-linear. As long as you stick with your plan most days, you’re moving in the right direction.
Consider Your Lifestyle and Preferences
There is no “best” diet for weight loss that applies to everyone – the key is finding an eating style and exercise routine tailored to your preferences that you can sustain for life. Experiment to find the nutrition and workout approaches that best fit your needs.
Any diet can work if it creates a calorie deficit and you can stick to it long-term. Don’t force yourself to follow a plan that doesn’t align with your lifestyle, preferences, and habits. The goal is to develop lifelong healthy eating patterns, not just short-term weight loss.
Similarly, find physical activities you enjoy and can consistently incorporate – this could be lifting weights, dance classes, rock climbing, hiking, team sports, etc. Exercise is most effective when it becomes a regular lifelong habit, not just a short-term fix.
Stay Consistent With Your New Lifestyle
Make your health goals a permanent lifestyle shift rather than a temporary diet. Small sustainable changes over time lead to better long-term results than extreme short-term efforts. Each day and week that goes by sticking with your new habits makes them more automatic.
Expect setbacks and plateaus – they are normal and to be expected. You may hit periods where your weight loss stalls. This is just your body adjusting to its new lower weight. Stick with your plan and the scale will begin moving again. Don’t let slip-ups derail your progress. Simply get back on track the next day.
What matters most...
What matters most is finding a weight loss plan tailored to your needs and preferences that you can commit to indefinitely. With the right combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes, you can lose weight and successfully maintain it. Stay consistent, be patient with yourself and the process, and focus on how you feel – the results will follow!
Recommended reading
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If you are interested in improving your health and wellness, check out other resources such as Our Blog, Free Resources and/or join our private Body-Mind Transformation Secrets Community on Facebook, and The 360 Transformation Blueprint Podcast on Spotify and go on an even deeper dive with me to uncover how to succeed in your health and wellness goals.
You may also be interested in our Sleep Secrets Cheat Sheet. It is a great resource with strategies to fix and optimize your sleep which is crucial to succeeding in your health and wellness goals.
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