A lot of people think that their work is done once they have reached their goal weight or their physique goal. However, maintaining that level is just as hard as it was to reach that goal in the first place.
Once a goal is achieved it does not mean to fall back into old bad habits. If anything, it is a driver which a lot of people gain more weight and a worse physique compared to when they first started.
Here are some solid tips to ensure you avoid in regaining the weight:
Add food back slowly:
A very common mistake that people make once they have hit a certain weight or desired body fat percentage, is to reintroduce the foods before they started on their journey. It is vital to reintroduce foods back into your diet slowly and if anything, try not to make it a regular habit. Adding a little bit back at a time helps you figure how much you need to eat, along with a balanced exercise program to maintain the weight. A good tip is to add around 100-150 calories back into your diet per week and see the physical response that your body shows. If you see your body maintain your weight then you can be more flexible and try adding another additional 150 calories the following week, however if you see you have gained some fat then it’s probably wise to not add any additional calories the following week.
Try and stick to whole-food sources and not add those extra calories back from sugars or sweet sources. It’s always better to add another small meal or snack compared to adding something is processed such as chocolate bar or a bag of lollies.
Keep Exercising:
Just because you’ve reached your dream goal weight doesn’t mean you don’t have to exercise anymore. Exercise strengthens your muscles, bones and other tissues throughout your body, along with it improving your mood drastically. Essentially, if you want to maintain your weight without limiting and decreasing your calories, you must stay consistent with your training plan.
To stay dedicated and motivated over time it is important to have a program that incorporates different forms of exercise. Not only will this keep things interesting, it will keep you mentally stimulated and focused which will help improve other areas of your life. Find forms of exercise that you enjoy and remember to always change it up, it’s meant to be fun and enjoyable not something you dread.
Track food three times a week:
Food tracking is one of the first things to go once people reach their target weight and goal. If you needed to track your food in order to reach your desired weight and fitness goals, guess what happens once you stop? That’s right, you take a step back and start falling back into poor eating habits which made you in your personal undesirable state before you started. Take a few days during the week and track your food. I recommend at least one of the three days being on the weekend, which is when your more likely to indulge into unhealthier foods due to social outings that occur throughout the year. Checking in every couple days can help ensure your not slipping back into poor eating habits.