Friday Blog!

Long-Term Weight Loss Maintenance: It’s All About Lifestyle Change.

It’s hard work to lose body fat, and it is way too easy to gain it back!

Maintaining weight loss isn’t just about counting calories or avoiding your favorite snacks, it’s about making lifestyle changes that will help you keep the weight off for good. I got to thinking about the key elements of long-term weight loss maintenance this week after stumbling upon an old app where I was logging my weight postpartum. It had me reflecting on what it takes to keep the weight off for good.

Self-Monitoring is non negotiable. This is exactly what you do not want to hear, but it has been a game changer in my journey, and many of my clients who have kept 30+ pounds off for years. A scale or body fat percentage measurement can help you track your progress and make sure you are maintaining a healthy weight. What we are not measuring we are not managing, and I am a big believer in daily weigh-ins so you can see a trend over the months and even years. You weigh in daily to collect the data and move on, not to obsess about it and let it define you. I find with infrequent weigh-ins there is so much pressure and anxiety for it to tell you what you want to see, whereas daily is simply just collecting the data. Don’t put the scale on a pedestal. Stop giving it so much power. Use the scale, do not let it use you.

Monitoring your calorie intake can also be helpful in making sure you are not overindulging and still getting ENOUGH nutrients each day. Notice I said enough, maintaining weight does not mean: eat in a calorie deficit forever. You should be eating enough, not too much, not too little to maintain your results. That can change based on your weight, activity level, biofeedback, and goals. Maintenance is a range, not a finite number. Do you have to track 365? No, but I can say tracking my intake most of the time has allowed me to stay lean and if anything continue to improve my health and body composition. Similar to the scale, use it as a tool and do not let it use you. Tracking and obsessing about every morsel of food you eat is not the goal here. The goal is knowing that most of the time you aren’t over consuming, nor are you under consuming, which can be harmful to metabolic health as well if done chronically.

Weight maintainers exercise consistently and regularly. They lift weights, they do cardio, and they have grown to enjoy what regular movement can do for them (in more ways then just keeping the weight off.) They value it as a powerful tool for a better life and as such their routine stays consistent year round. They don’t go hard and fast and burn out, they play the long game, and understand moving well forever is THE goal. They workout even when motivation is low, their discipline to the practice is greater then a fleeting feeling like motivation.

They keep a circle of like minded people around them. Whether virtual or in person weight loss maintainers find people who live like them who they can connect to. Because it is hard to live differently then the standard American does.

They also prioritize mental health, and know physical health and mental health are not mutually exclusive. They understand that a decline in mental health can directly lead to weight regain, or even loss, and not in a positive way!

It’s important to recognize that behavior change is essential when it comes to long-term weight loss maintenance. If you want to keep the weight off, you need to be willing to let go of old habits and adopt new ones, for good! This may include eating different foods, getting regular movement in your day, planning ahead, drinking more water, meditating or other activities that promote relaxation, and getting adequate sleep. Making small changes in your life that will have a big impact on your health overall such as eating more whole foods rather than processed foods; cutting back on sugary drinks; limiting alcohol consumption; incorporating strength training into your workout routine; reducing stress levels etc. All of these things should become part of your everyday life if you want to keep the weight off for good.

Long-term weight loss is actually rare, but possible if you understand what it takes. Oftentimes the methods that get you there, are the same ones you need to keep for good. This is why weight loss methods should be sustainable, and never a quick fix.