Many people are able to lose weight. The more difficult task is keeping the weight off – for good.
So how do people do it? They make small, steady, truly healthy changes that add up over time. And then, they remain fully committed to keeping these changes up for the rest of their lives.
The following are success strategies of people who have lost weight and kept it off for at least five years. These aren’t super surprising secrets, but they really work. If you can follow these tips, you just might join this group of successful long-term “losers.”
1. Eat breakfast everyday. Skipping breakfast can cause overeating later in the day. People who have lost weight and kept it off like to start their day off with a healthy, moderately portioned breakfast – usually cereal.
2. Exercise regularly. People who keep the weight off are more than just active – they’re avid exercisers, and engage in planned, routine exercise at least 5 days a week.
3. Weigh themselves regularly. No need to be obsessive about the number on the scale, but people who maintain a healthy weight over time do tend to weigh themselves regularly. This helps them catch upward trends before it’s too late.
4. Make weekends similar to weekdays. It’s often tempting to throw in the towel on weekends: eat whatever you want and be lazy. Unfortunately, just two days of this behavior can throw off a whole week of healthy eating, so it’s much more effective to keep your weekend routine as healthy as your weekday one.
5. Eat out 2 or fewer times per week. Restaurant meals are notorious for being huge portions, high calorie, and high fat. When you eat at home, you have more control over what goes into your mouth and can keep a handle on portion control, which helps prevent weight gain.
6. Catch slip-ups before it’s too late. We all have our moments of overindulgence and laziness, but whether our not this derails our healthy routine is what determines our weight loss success over time. When you get back on track immediately after a slip-up, you’re much more likely to stay at a healthy weight for a lifetime.