For many people with obesity or abnormally high weight, the main objective is often to lose weight quickly. What they often forget, however, is that this is only the first part of the goal. Losing weight quickly will do you no good if it is not maintained permanently. That’s why, once you successfully begin to lose weight, it becomes vital for you to keep it off.
Whether you intend to lose your weight with the help of some weight loss program, doctor, or nutritionist, if you do not focus on “maintaining” it afterwards, all your efforts, time and money will go in vain. Similarly, regardless of the method you choose, whether it is a combination of diet and exercise or through cutting calories alone, your final success will be determined by “how long” do you keep your weight off and not by “how” you lose it. According to a recent 5-year study, all the successful people shared the following six-mix strategy for healthy and permanent weight loss.
The Six-Mix Strategy
1-Consistent Physical Activity: Regardless of their gender, people who maintain the desired / optimal weight show increased physical activity. This can be achieved by doing exercise in any form, like walking, cycling, weight lifting, and aerobics. According to the study, an hour a day of moderate-intensity activity such as brisk walking help men and women burning off an average of 3,293 and 2,545 calories respectively. If you are short of time, you can also burn your calories faster by practicing more intense activities like running, jogging, swimming & bicycling etc.
2-A Diet Low In Calories And Fat: Successful weight losers are good dieters. Their daily calorie intake is reported to be an average of 1800 calories / day with about quarter of this coming from fats. They usually eat out less than two and a half meals per week with less than one meal comprising of fast food.
3-Frequent, Small Meals: While you should skip a large lunch, never skip a breakfast as eating a typical break fast (cereal and fruit) increases your metabolism and help you burn more calories during the whole day. For the rest of the day, limit your daily food consumption to frequent small meals instead of a fewer large meals. A difference of three hours between two meals is mostly recommended, constructing four to five small meals each day (including break fast).
4-Regular Weighing: Make a habit of checking your body weight frequently and regularly (ideally you should do it daily or at least once in a week). This enables you to notice even the smallest weight gains and, thus, you take prompt corrective and preventive measures for the same.
5-Consistent Eating: Studies show that those who are consistent about their meals are more likely to keep their weight off. Therefore, be consistent and try to eat the same way on weekdays and weekends. This may seem a little tough at first but gradually you will get used to it.
6-Strict Command And Control: It has been observed that those who are able to prevent an additional pound or two from adding up are more likely to maintain their weight reduction successfully and significantly over the long term. Similarly, it is very difficult to successfully recover if your weight gain is more than 2 to 4 pounds. Accordingly, strict monitoring through various means such as keeping a food diary, exercise chart and noting down even the smallest gains will keep you well –aware of even the minute changes and you will then be able to deal with this change promptly. Likewise, it will empower you to control your own calorie consumption and you will have a command over how much calories you need to burn daily.
All in all, the objective of successful weight reduction is incomplete if you do not “maintain” it for long term. Some might believe this is the toughest part but, to tell you the truth, it actually gets easier with time.