Weight Loss: Keeping the Weight Off

Once you have achieved a desired weight, a positive attitude is very important in your efforts to successfully maintain it. To lose weight permanently, you must make a commitment to gradually adopt a healthier way of life.

Don’t fall back on those unhealthy eating habits you had before you lost weight.

Controlling your weight is not an impossible task. Balancing what you eat with how much you exercise will help you maintain your new weight.

How Can I Prevent Gaining Lost Weight?

Keep the following tips in mind:

• Do not skip meals. Skipping meals can slow your metabolism down. Skipping meals can also cause overeating later in the day.
• Weigh yourself once a week. Monitoring your weight will help you stop weight gain from occurring by creating the awareness. You may not always feel a difference in how your clothes fit. To ensure you are eating healthy, keep an accurate food journal. Write down everything you eat or drink. Be honest and accurate, otherwise the journal is not as helpful. The food journal will help you realize when higher calorie foods are being included more frequently then they should. Recording when you exercise (and how long) will also help you to look at trends. Are you gaining weight because you are eating the same but stopped exercising?
• Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need.
• Include choices from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean protein sources.
• Be sure to get plenty of activity every day.  Physical activity is one of the most important aspects of keeping weight off, so do your best to keep active every day.

For more information on assessing how many calories you need at your new weight, go to www.mypyramid.gov.

Reviewed by The Department of Nutrition Therapy at The Cleveland Clinic.