Although much is said about the weight loss process, the challenge of maintaining weight loss is a goal unto itself - and one that takes commitment. For some, the challenge may stem from choosing an approach that wasn’t realistic while for others, however, it’s about lack of mental preparation and planning.
Whether you’re just getting started on your weight loss journey, beginning the maintenance stage or have been in maintenance stage for a while, here is some food for thought!
No one size fits All…Set your own rules…Along your weight loss journey, you might find new habits that will or won’t work well based on your lifestyle or personality. So its not really about achieving an end goal but having the opportunity to discover what unique practices will help you live the way that creates positive, consistent changes.
Establish new goals…. Always have some sort of goal in mind. Once you’ve achieved your weight loss goal, take advantage and start considering new things you’d like to try like training for a 5K marathon/walkathon, weight training or even yoga. Whatever the case, make sure you don’t sell yourself short by not having a “next” goal. It will keep you motivated and more likely to stick to healthy behaviors.
Check in… This is a simple but critical strategy for my clients. I always encourage them to do some self-auditing like journaling. It’s a great way to do a check in on yourself to confirm if your yearly blood or sugar levels are good, getting enough vegetables, exercise, drinking enough water, and to confirm you are still where you want to be.
Find activities you love to do…A daily dose of exercise can provide a lot of benefits, including increased happiness, better sleep and better energy. During the maintenance phase, make sure you incorporate activities that you love to do as often as possible and it will increase your likelihood of keeping the daily habit and continue to persevere.
Know your basics….Life is going to happen. There are going to be times when busyness or increased stress will jeopardize your plan.
Remember some of the simple behaviors to implement during these times to prevent the whole routine from falling out the window. It’s not about perfection but simply focusing on getting enough sleep, eating slowly and being present at mealtime, doing a 5-minute meditation or even taking a break to go on a quick walk are some simple but powerful behaviors to practice during those stressful days.
Surround yourself with good influences…build a strong support system of people who have the same aspiration to be healthy, and connect with them often. Choose those people to go out to eat with, make gym dates with or even hike with on the weekends. The more often you’re around these people, the easier it will be to continue your commitment to healthy behaviors. Whatever the case, know what support means the most to you, and have a plan in place for it.
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