Congratulations, you have achieved your desired weight through dietary changes and regular exercise! Is it finally time for a reward and indulging in old habits?
Wrong! In order to maintain that success, it is necessary to adopt healthy eating habits as part of your lifestyle, and do so long-term.
Therefore, the healthy habits you adopted during the weight loss phase should not disappear once the goal is achieved. Of course, you can eat a little more than during the diet (especially if you were disciplined in exercise and built muscle mass), but the key to maintaining a slim figure actually lies in a healthy and active life.
For most people, a slim figure starts with breakfast. Research shows that breakfast is an important factor in maintaining the achieved body weight after a diet, but that breakfast must be balanced. In addition to providing energy for the start of the day, a healthy breakfast helps avoid hunger attacks and overeating throughout the day. Eggs are one of the better choices because they provide high-quality protein and are filling, reducing the possibility of unconscious snacking later on. Combine them with whole grain bread as a source of complex carbohydrates and fresh vegetables for valuable vitamins and minerals. Of course, you don't have to limit yourself to just eggs, but make sure your breakfast includes a source of protein. However, a regular breakfast is not necessarily a good strategy for everyone. Some people find it easier to achieve and maintain a slim figure by skipping breakfast, or by fasting for a longer period from the previous day, known as time-restricted feeding. If you have never been a breakfast person or simply aren't hungry in the morning, it's okay to skip it and focus on the quality of your next meals.
Gradually increase calorie intake
For successful weight maintenance, it is important that calorie intake is equal to calorie expenditure. Therefore, gradually increase calorie intake (each increase should be around 100-200 kcal, no more) through nutritionally valuable foods such as meat, fish, legumes, whole grains, until you find the right balance of calories to maintain your desired weight. This adjustment may sometimes take time, but a nutritionist can also help you.
Proteins and fibers are extremely important
We already know that proteins are an essential part of successful weight loss, but we also need them to maintain the achieved weight. Proteins keep us fuller for longer and reduce levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, which reduces the possibility of overeating and, consequently, excessive calorie intake. So, make sure to include a source of protein such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, tofu, and whole soy products in every meal. Another important component of food that helps us maintain satiety, stable blood sugar levels, and achieve a lean body is fiber. Interestingly, fiber has no energy value but offers numerous additional benefits to our body, including a favorable effect on the gut microbiome, serum lipid profile, blood pressure, etc. Therefore, make a conscious effort to consume enough fiber daily through vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains.
Identify the saboteurs
Stress and inadequate sleep can significantly increase your chances of regaining lost weight, so it is important to recognize and balance them. If you have high levels of stress in your life and do not have tools to neutralize it, it can quickly reflect on your figure. In stress, we release cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite and food intake, and often triggers impulsive eating when you are not actually hungry. Deep breathing, meditation, listening to your favorite song, or going for a walk are some ways to fight against it, but of course, find your own way of recognizing and resolving stress. Another possible saboteur of your success is poor quality, and insufficient sleep. The reason is not only that fatigue increases the chances of skipping or doing a workout with reduced capacity but also the hormones. It has been shown that people who sleep poorly may have a decrease in the level of satiety hormone - leptin, and at the same time, inadequate sleep can increase the level of hunger hormone - ghrelin. Therefore, pay necessary attention to your sleep.
No success without exercise
Regular exercise is a very important way to prevent the return of excess weight. Studies show that people who have lost weight and managed to maintain their ideal body weight exercise about 5 hours a week. This figure is in line with recommendations that suggest spending 150 to 300 minutes a week in moderately intense aerobic physical activity such as brisk walking or biking. If the activity is intense, then the target numbers are 75-150 minutes.
Additional strategies that can help
Numerous studies have been conducted on the topic of maintaining achieved body weight, and scientists agree that the following strategies can provide additional assistance:
Food diary
- by writing down what you have eaten, you can easily track your calorie intake and limit it. You can also identify foods that have no place in your menu.
Weighing once a week
- if the numbers on the scale are higher than expected, they can serve as an excellent motivator to fight against the brain's message to eat.
Boosting self-confidence
- by paying attention to your own qualities, you can greatly strengthen your self-confidence and reduce episodes of emotional eating.
Group support
- finding people who are in a similar situation can work wonders in maintaining a slim figure after diets. Sharing experiences and potential difficulties along the way will help track proper eating habits and regular exercise. If there is no one nearby who maintains your newly achieved slim figure, seek like-minded people online.