Dieting isn’t the way to go when it comes to losing weight. This is because it creates a temporary eating pattern, therefore, producing temporary results. The majority of people who diet regain half the lost weight in the first year of losing it while most of the rest is regained in the following three years.
The key to maintaining a healthy weight is to reinforce healthy habits. Developing healthy habits includes reforming the simple choice you make each day. Here are seven tips on how to successfully lose weight and maintain the loss over time.
- Have a Plan
Following strict meal plans or taking calories can feel difficult over some time. What’s more, relaxing your dieting efforts after losing weight can encourage falling back into old eating habits. Having a regular meal rhythm eliminates the temptation of snacking, nibbling, and overeating. Also plan for weekends, vacations, and special occasions. With a plan, you are more likely to have healthy foods at hand when you embark on the new meal routine.
- Stock Healthy Meals And Snacks
Having healthy snacks and meals stocked can be helpful if you don’t have time to plan or just feel extra hungry. Instead of stocking your pantry with potato chips opt for healthier options like nuts, sunflower seeds, and crunchy raw vegetables. Be sure to keep them in the kitchen or within arm’s reach of your workspace or home to have an excuse to get up and stretch your legs.
- Stay Physically Active
Regular exercise burns calories and builds muscles all of which help you feel and look good and keep weight off. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity a week. You don’t have to do this all at once. You can choose to go to the gym, go for a long run or go for a 30-minute walk every day. There is no specific rule book on the exercise you should do. Just choose something that gets you moving and will help with your overall health and weight management.
- Measure Out Your Portions
Increased and uncontrolled portion sizes contribute to overeating and unwanted weight gain. Measuring portion sizes can help prevent overindulging. To control your portion sizes, use smaller plates, snack before meals if desired, do not eat from the bag, and half your plate should contain green vegetables. While measuring out your portions may seem tedious, it works wonders in maintaining your weight.
- Drink Organic Tea
From chamomile and hibiscus to black and green tea, tea has been shown to have many nourishing properties. Drinking tea has been associated with several health benefits including starving off diseases, protecting cells from damage, and easing physical discomfort. Some studies have even found that tea can enhance weight loss and help reduce belly fat. Some types like organic tea have been found to be more effective at achieving this.
An easy way to maintain a healthy weight is to brew a hot cup of tea whenever you feel like it. The good thing about forming this habit is that you can easily find tea bags and loose leaf tea at either a physical or you can buy tea online.
- Reduce Sitting Time
Breaking up sedentary time and increasing activity is linked to many health benefits. Time spent sedentary is associated with obesity and excess weight, independent of physical activity level. Set reasonable limits on the time spent using phones, computers, and tablets, playing video games and watching TV.
- Eat Breakfast Everyday
Breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism, burning more calories and giving you energy to do more during the day. Skipping breakfast makes you so hungry that you tend to eat more later. This increases your calorie intake than you would have if you ate breakfast. Studies have found that people who skip breakfast tend to have higher BMIs than people who eat breakfast.
Weight-loss interventions that are founded on habit change are very effective at losing weight and keeping it off. If you’re looking to lose and maintain a healthy weight, get started by trying the seven healthy habits discussed above.