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How to Keep the Weight Off Long-Term

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At transformyou, we do everything in our capability to help you live healthy. Whether it is medical weight loss, men's health, women's health, pain management, or our personal training services, Dr. Bird and the rest of our team are here for your specific needs. However we want to help our clients understand that hitting your goal weight is not the finish line. In fact, you are only half way there after shedding those pounds. There is continual work needed to keep the pounds off. And keep them off for good!

Recent research shows that without a constant maintenance plan, those who lose weight soon settle back into old habits and revert back to unhealthy life style. This results in back stepping or possibly even back to the starting point. In 2010 Penn State College of medicine study discovered nearly 85% of people regain most, and often all, of the weight lost. This can be for a number of reasons. Some being because of lack of motivation, stress, life changes, or the weight was lost too rapidly making their losses impossible to maintain. 

Keeping the weight off becomes easier and helps you stay ahead of the game if you lose the weight in a healthy and slower manner. Once the weight is gone, you can make some specific changes to your habits and mindset in order to keep those pounds gone. Let's take a look. 

5 Way to Make Weight Loss Last

Once you see that magic number on the scale it is essential you do not stop the healthy living habits. It is like quitting smoking and then buying a pack of cigarettes to celebrate. You can't do that! It just does not make sense. So let us help by giving you 5 ways to make your weight loss-success a lasting one.

Be Patient With The New You

If you feel anxious about going out and socializing in your new, improved body, remind yourself that you’ve found your way to a healthy weight, and now you’re finding out how to get comfortable in your own skin. During this identity shift, show yourself the same level of care and compassion you would show a best friend who’s going through a big life change.

Avoid Triggers

While you were losing all that weight, you may have consciously avoided certain situations, such as eating out with friends. Be mindful that you might be able to indulge once in a while now. However, your old triggers are probably still triggers. Many times people have had to change friends or say goodbye to activities they once loved to ensure this healthy lifestyle.

Focus on Protein and Fiber

It is important to remain diligent about nutrition and balance.The key here is making sure you’re eating enough whole, unprocessed foods. Emphasize the importance of protein and fiber, because these foods quiet the “hunger-generating” hormones in your body.

Eat Intuitively

Processed foods, desserts and alcohol aren’t totally off-limits as you work to maintain your weight. However, pay attention to how your body feels before, during and after consuming them. This is called intuitive eating, and it’s a powerful tool in maintaining a healthy weight.

Exercise Regularly

Of course, even all these strategies combined aren’t going to be able to offset a sedentary lifestyle. To make your weight loss permanent, you have to keep up an exercise routine that you enjoy. If you slow down, so will your body’s metabolism. Your body’s daily caloric requirement is determined in part by how much you move every day. When you become inactive, you burn fewer calories throughout the day, and your metabolism responds by slowing down. Low levels of daily physical activity can also lead to illness and depression, which further sap your energy. But the biggest impact exercise has on your weight-maintenance efforts has less to do with calories than with fitness.

7 Changes to Make to Keep the Weight Off

Want even more tips? Here are 7 changes you can make right now to insure weight loss success in the long term. 

1. Include more fiber to your diet: Fiber is important to your health. It stays longer than the other substances you eat and keep you feel full for longer time making the digestion slow. It will help in controlling your appetite. Fiber helps in moving fat from your digestive system faster so that less fat will be absorbed. Fiber helps to keep your bowel movements regular. Fiber can be found in bread and variety of vegetables.

2. Control intake of calories and fat: Cut down intake of calories by preventing the foods with full of sugars, soda and wine. Avoid fatty foods such as burgers, cheese, and fried foods as these are highly processed foods. Instead include fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet. These are absorbed slowly and satisfy your hunger whereas highly processed foods are slow in nutritional value and don’t make you feel satisfied so you eat more of them.

3. Drink water: Water is one of the best sources to lose weight. If your body gets dehydrated, it sends signals to the brain and it is misinterpreted as hunger signals. Therefore you eat food instead of water. That’s why you have to drink enough water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated and preventing dehydration, constipation, slower metabolism and decreased energy.

4. Eat smaller meals: Eat smaller meals instead of one longer meal. Split three larger meals to six smaller meals. Eating frequently prevents your hunger and provides consistent energy. Your metabolism functions properly. Don’t skip your meals as it slows down your metabolism.

5. Take 10,000 steps daily: Check the total number of steps taken daily. Buy a pedometer and watch how many steps you are taking daily at the end of the day. Taking 10,000 steps is equal to the regular exercise workout or walking four miles. If you are taking 10,000 steps everyday, it will help in burning calories and lose weight.

6. Adequate sleep: Many people don’t get adequate sleep of eight hours daily. Your body needs adequate sleep to burn the calories. Lack of sleep makes you drowsy and lethargic in the daytime. It increases your hunger and makes you prone to cravings which results in excess weight. You are prone to sweets, chocolates, ice creams and other fatty foods. Lack of sleep decreases the production of leptin, which is used to tell the body to burn calories. Therefore sleep is important to lose weight and for better health.

7. Reduce stress: Stress can lead to increase in weight. Reduce stress by diverting your mind with reading a book, taking a hot bath, listening to calm music, playing with your kids or watching a movie.

Don't Go It Alone

When you're ready to lose weight, ask for help! Working with an experienced medical weight loss clinic can help you find the right path to a new you that will last. Contact TransformYou today to find out how. 

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