Are you able to reach your weight loss goals but can’t seem to keep the weight off? A lot of people are able to lose weight but can not maintain it. Maintaining your new found body can be a challenge if you aren’t taught a sustainable method of weight loss.
I know so many people who go on crash diets. I used to be one of those people. I would get so excited to have reached my goal weight and fit in smaller clothes. Then I went off the diet and guess what… the pendulum swung the other way and all the weight came right back and brought a few more pounds with it.
The good news is that after years of struggling with yo-yo dieting I finally found the secret to maintaining my weight loss. Today I’m going to share that secret with all of you. The magic secret is that there is no magic secret. Sustainable weight loss is a long process and requires hard work, dedication and a lot of patience. It is a lifestyle not a diet. It does not end when your dieting phase is over. You must continue to be mindful and work to keep the weight off.
If you aren’t sure why you can’t keep the pounds off below is a list of the top 5 reasons people are not able to maintain their weight.
Your nutrition is off. Losing weight is 90% nutrition and 10% exercise. How much you are eating is key to maintaining your loss. You can overeat healthy foods. You need to have a basic understanding of energy balance and what your maintenance calorie intake should be.
You're not moving enough. While nutrition is King when it comes to maintaining your weight your activity level plays a role. Moving burns more calories than being sedentary so if you were exercising to lose weight and stop once you reach your goal your caloric intake will need to be in line with your energy expenditure. So again that basic understanding of energy balance comes into play.
Your diet is unrealistic. Ok so let's go back to what you're eating. The only way to keep your weight under control is to keep what you eat under control. If you plan to maintain a restrictive way of eating it’s not going to work long term. I’m a big fan of the 80/20 rule. Make 80% of your daily calories from nutritious food that fuels your body and 20% of your calories from fun foods that you enjoy. I’ve personally lost over 100lbs and sustained that loss for years and I eat ice cream almost every day. So girl if your diet feels too hard or too restrictive it’s time to find a new way to eat that you can live with forever.
You’re starving yourself. This could have gone under number 3 but it deserves to be addressed individually. I see this all the time. When it comes to caloric intake less is definitely not more. People think that eating 1200 calories or less will give them fast results and while that might happen the results don’t stick. Listen to your body. It knows what it needs. If you are not in a weight loss phase you should not feel hungry all the time. If you do, you are likely not eating enough. Starving yourself leads to overeating and poor food choices which leads to weight gain.
You don’t have the support you need. Like I said I’ve figured out the secret to weight maintenance and one very important thing I learned along the way is that it is HARD. Just because it is a simple concept does not mean it is easy. Even now, years into my own journey and coaching clients daily there are times I want to eat whatever for days on end and skip my workouts. Even though I know that I feel my best mentally and physically when I’m active and providing my body with the proper fuel I still struggle sometimes. I probably always will. Something that helps me stay focused is my support system. My coach, my family, my friends all understand my goals and support me in my journey to be the best version of myself. My clients inspire me to continue to improve so I can be the coach they need and rely on for their support.
If you need guidance on losing, maintaining or gaining healthy weight the coaches at Ryan Howard Coaching have your back. We are here to give you the tools you need to succeed and support you as you work towards your goals. Drop a comment below and let’s chat or hop on over to the home page and book a free consultation with myself or Ryan.
-Stephanie