If you are at your perfect weight and you want to stay there, it is easy to do so. Your weight will go up or down based on your current fat and muscle content. Keep these two factors the same by eating the number of calories you need to maintain your weight without creating an excess of calories that will make more fat or cause a deficit of calories, which will in turn cause you to lose weight.
Step 1
Determine if you want to make changes to your exercise routine. For example, if you want to maintain your weight but you would like to start doing cardio exercise for the health benefits it provides, you can do cardio and adjust your eating so your weight will remain the same.
Step 2
Reduce your strength training to twice a week to maintain your muscle, as advised by National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Do not stop weightlifting completely or you will lose muscle and lose weight.
Step 3
Figure out your maintenance number of calories based on your current weight, age, height, gender and your desired level of physical activity. Use your current level of physical activity if you are not making any changes. Plug the information into a calorie needs calculator (see Resources) to estimate how many calories you will need to stay at your current weight.
Step 4
Write down everything you eat in a journal, or use an online food diary to add up your daily calories for you so that you can hit your maintenance number. Use a meal planner (see Resources) if you prefer to figure out a plan for your daily eating ahead of time. This may make grocery shopping easier. Use a menu planner to reduce the likelihood of being short calories at the end of the day and needing to eat a huge dinner, or of using up most of your calories by the afternoon and thus not having enough left for a satisfying dinner as well.
Step 5
Weigh yourself once a week and if you find that your weight is changing. Adjust your estimated calorie goal to offset the changes. One pound of fat is made from 3,500 calories, according to the American Obesity Association. If you have gained one pound over the course of a week, reduce your daily calorie goal. Divide 3,500 by seven, which will be 500, and reduce your daily calorie goal by 500 calories. A gain or loss of half a pound would mean that you should eat 250 calories more or less each day, depending on if you gained or lost half a pound. Weigh yourself at the same time every week as your weight is likely to fluctuate somewhat throughout the day.
Things You'll Need
- Calorie calculator
- Menu planner
- Food diary
References
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: Course Manual;" National Academy of Sports Medicine; 2008
- American Obesity Association
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