Purge Pounds Permanently Health Article
Print
Email
Save
If you’re like at least half of those who shed pounds, you’ll return to your baseline weight within three to five years. To avoid becoming a statistic, you’ll need a long-term plan to maintain your weight once it comes off.
“Just about any weight-loss method works temporarily,” says Susan Head, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in weight loss and management in Durham, N.C. “At some point, you kind of hit your stride, and losing weight feels easy, like you’ll never have a problem again. But that’s a fantasy. Eventually, your hunger will return and the numbers on the scale may start to creep up.”
If they do, don’t panic. Instead, develop strategies that can help support the new you. Here are Dr. Head’s strategies for long-term weight-loss success.
Lose weight sensibly
From the outset, don’t resort to drastic weight-loss measures, such as liquid diets or eating just cabbage soup for two weeks.
“By losing weight appropriately, without restricting the healthy, satisfying foods you enjoy, it will be easier to maintain weight loss,” says Dr. Head. “When you don’t feel deprived, you don’t have a strong rebound effect.”
As a guideline, she suggests 75 percent of your diet should be very healthy and well-balanced, with some room to enjoy yourself. If you’re starving most of the time or can’t imagine staying on a particular diet past a perceived deadline, you’re on the wrong track.
Recognize hunger cues
In maintenance, you can eat more calories than the weight-loss phase. But that can be hard to do.
“People tend to swing too far in the other direction, or feel afraid to eat enough and stay too hungry,” Dr. Head says.
To strike a healthy balance between not enough and too much, become sensitive to your body’s hunger and fullness signals by taking a small portion to begin with.
“If it’s not enough, wait about 10 minutes before going back for more,” Dr. Head says.
Also, to avoid getting too hungry—a setup for overeating—try to time meals and snacks for every four or five hours.
Get active
Regular exercise is crucial for weight maintenance. The National Weight Control Registry, which tracks more than 5,000 individuals in the United States who have maintained a weight loss of at least 30 pounds for a year or more, shows that 90 percent of participants exercise an average of an hour a day.
Weigh yourself regularly
To keep tabs on your weight, get on a scale at least once a week at the same time and under the same conditions, such as right before breakfast on Saturday. If you regain 3 to 5 pounds, consider it a red flag and time to eat less and exercise more.
Manage your attitude
At the same time, initially expect to regain a little of the weight you lost during the maintenance phase, as you’re getting used to a new routine.
“Don’t get discouraged by it, or minimize it,” Dr. Head says. “How you manage your attitude in the moment can determine whether a little setback turns into a major relapse.”