After all your efforts and struggles, you’ve reached your ideal weight. Now, you need to work to keep it stable. Maintaining your weight is often harder than losing it.
Some people who go on a diet tend to regain weight after a while. It’s true that in any task, when you notice something isn’t working, you stop pursuing it. However, when it comes to dieting, most people consider their inconsistency as the reason for their weight regain. In fact, people are usually either trying to lose weight, have successfully lost weight, or have gained the weight back again.
We all know exercise is good for us, but only 20% of people engage in regular physical activity. Those who do exercise may become obsessed with trendy fitness styles like CrossFit. However, in my research, I found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and intense aerobic exercises might not be the smartest way to achieve the best appearance and well-being.
There are several factors that can cause weight to return after weight loss, and we’ll discuss some of these factors below:
Strict diets help you lose a lot of weight at first, but following these diets in the long term is impossible. If you’re using such programs for weight loss, you are essentially setting yourself up to gain the weight back. What most people don’t realize is that successful dieting is only possible with calorie reduction.
If your question is "What should I do to avoid gaining weight?" you need to have a healthy eating plan. Gradually reduce your calories. This way, when you reach your ideal weight, you’ll need to consume more calories than what you ate during your diet to maintain that weight.
If you don’t want to gain weight again after reaching your target, you shouldn’t deprive yourself of foods you enjoy. If you like carbs, use whole-grain bread in your diet. Occasionally, enjoy fast food. Your eating plan needs to be realistic and flexible for it to work in the long run. Otherwise, the weight you lost will return quickly. The key is to eat foods with low calories and high volume throughout the day so that you don’t feel hungry. Once you succeed in controlling your eating long-term, you’ll feel great satisfaction.
If you can prepare enjoyable meals for yourself throughout the day and fill your stomach with low-calorie foods, weight loss becomes easier. Try to keep yourself satisfied throughout the process. By doing so, maintaining your weight becomes easier since you’re consuming more calories to keep your weight stable.
After a while, the initial excitement of losing weight and reaching your ideal weight may fade, or a person may revert to old habits. The harsh truth is that maintaining weight is not easy. A 2005 study showed that only 20% of people who lost weight were able to keep it off.
Despite the discouraging findings of research, many experts believe that controlling your mindset can help prevent unwanted weight gain. It’s important to not see weight loss as a goal but rather as a lifestyle change. If you make the decision to focus on lifestyle changes, stabilizing your weight will be much easier. The mindset you develop as you progress in weight loss is essential for long-term success.
When you decide to fundamentally change your lifestyle, you’ll realize that stabilizing your weight is much easier than you think. Maintaining weight is a long-term journey, and if you want to succeed, you need to be persistent. Some experts do not consider taking breaks in your weight loss program, especially during vacations or trips, as acceptable. When you give yourself a break, you essentially take your eyes off your goal and often fall into bad eating habits, resulting in weight gain. A better approach is to slightly reduce the intensity of your exercise and calorie restrictions to achieve balance in your routine.
Before starting a weight maintenance program, it’s important to determine your target weight. This will define the quality of your planning from start to finish. If the goal is unclear, you may become confused midway. There are ways to define your goal, but the best approach is to consult with an expert who knows everything about you (your history, BMI, muscle mass, etc.). To set your target weight quickly, there are many tools available that take in information to determine your target weight. You can also reach out to fitness consultants for information about target weight and dieting.
Now we get to the difficult part—shifting from the mindset of losing weight to maintaining it. Dr. McKittrick (a nutrition expert) says that when stabilizing weight, you always need to stay alert. He advises his clients to follow this three-pronged approach once they reach their ideal weight:
Commitment: This includes following a healthy lifestyle and avoiding overeating.
Forgetfulness: Forget about mistakes and get back on track as quickly as possible.
Focus on regular weighing:
Seventy-five percent of people who successfully maintained their weight weighed themselves at least once every two weeks. This helps to prevent weight gain before it becomes significant and allows you to change behaviors that are causing weight gain.
If your weight loss was due to an intense workout routine, stabilizing it may be a bit harder. When people return to their normal routine after reaching their target weight, they forget everything. If you’re burning fewer calories, you should also consume fewer calories. However, you need to consider whether your new workout routine helps to maintain the muscle mass you’ve built. If you lose muscle mass, your metabolism will significantly slow down, and you’ll likely regain weight.
While your new workout routine should keep its intensity, the type of exercise you do should also be challenging, but you should avoid putting too much pressure on your central nervous system, as this can lead to extreme fatigue.
Researchers at Harvard University concluded in 2017 that regular exercise helps participants maintain at least 15 kg of weight loss for one year or more through the following:
Regular exercise
A sufficient breakfast
Watching less TV
Keeping a food diary
Weighing themselves regularly
Excessive Exercise and Two Key Hormones
Over-exercising releases two key hormones: CRH and cortisol, both of which are related to the stress response. CRH increases gut permeability and also affects the permeability of the lungs, skin, and blood-brain barrier. Cortisol levels rise during intense exercises like running, which can lead to wear and tear, as well as accelerate aging. High cortisol also changes the tight junctions between cells so that harmful small molecules can pass through. Additionally, high cortisol reduces gut motility, blocks digestion, slows blood flow to the gut, and lowers the production of mucus, which plays a key role in immunity. People who have disrupted CRH and cortisol regulation are advised to take a break from exercise to heal, and even professional athletes use various solutions such as probiotics, omega-3 supplements, and vitamin C. However, the best approach is to maintain balance.
On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle is also harmful. Sitting too much can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease, as well as tighten the hip flexors, leading to lower back pain and cramps. Don’t overexert yourself, but don’t be inactive either. Find a balance to enjoy the full benefits of exercise. If you don’t exercise enough, your immune system weakens, your stress resilience decreases, and your circadian rhythm becomes disrupted.
Goal-oriented exercises, explosive training, and adaptive exercises like Pilates or yoga are ideal. These types of exercises stabilize cortisol levels, aid in weight loss, and build muscle mass. I will now share my basic principles for optimal exercise:
But most of the time, seek explosive movements you can fit into your natural rhythm. For example, after waking up, dance, or do 12 push-ups after going to the bathroom. The goal is to incorporate movement into your day rather than forcing yourself to do intense exercise at a specific time. Start small—add 5 minutes of exercise to your day.
Focus on exercises that target fast, explosive muscle contractions two to three times a week in the morning or before 1 pm.
For explosive exercises lasting at least 30 minutes, a recovery drink helps increase muscle volume and activate the mTOR gene. It should contain 10-40 grams of protein and 7+ grams of carbohydrates.
For weight maintenance and energy, aim to sleep by 10 pm for 7 to 8.5 hours. If you're not getting enough sleep, take a short nap when you feel tired.
Exercise affects your hormones, and proper recovery keeps them balanced, preventing problems with adrenal hormones, sex hormones, and thyroid levels.
In the past, I severely limited my recovery. Now, I ensure to take adequate breaks between workouts to avoid injury and stress.
Even if you haven’t been exercising regularly, it’s never too late to return to the path. Choose an exercise you enjoy and aim to exercise four times this week. Exercise fights stress, improves sleep, and boosts endorphins, all beneficial for weight management, genes, and mental health. Walking also counts as exercise. Pay attention to your heart rate during exercise and at rest to find the right path toward the best feeling and appearance.
