One of the best feelings for someone who has been working toward losing weight is stepping on a scale and realizing he's finally hit his goal weight. All that hard work and sacrifice has finally paid off. The weeks or months or even years of dieting and exercise have been worth it. The last thing you want to do is watch all that hard work go down the drain. Once you've lost weight, there are some simple, effective strategies to keep it off for good.
Don't Think You've "Arrived"
Losing weight can be just as much mental as it is physical. Once you've lost weight, resist the temptation to think all the hard work is done and you can go on living your life as before. According to the Weight-Control Information Network, everyone should get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. And that's just to maintain, not to lose weight. You may not have to do as much work as you did while you were losing the weight, but maintaining weight does take work, otherwise most people wouldn't gain it back.
Adjust Your Calorie Intake
Maintaining your weight is easy to figure out from a math standpoint. You may not have to sacrifice that cheeseburger or slice of pie like you used to when you were trying to lose weight, but you still can't necessarily have it whenever you want. Use a calorie calculator to determine how many calories you can consume during each day to maintain the weight you've lost. Your number will be based on your current weight, height, age and average physical activity level. Sticking close to this number will ensure that you're not getting too many calories, which will ultimately lead to gaining the weight right back.
Find Support
According to a study by the National Weight Control Registry, those who utilized a support group---including friends, family or a weight-loss group, such as Weight Watchers---and continued relying on that support group maintained their full weight loss, according to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Find a weight loss support group in your area, or you can simply find a friend or family member who you can go to for encouragement when you need it. You can even try to find someone you know who is trying to lose weight and offer to be a mentor or coach through her weight loss in exchange for her being a support to you as you maintain your weight.
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