Meeting your goal weight is just the first step in making healthy lifestyle adjustments. You have a better chance of keeping the weight off if you incorporate things like exercise goals, eating whole foods, and spending less time in front of television and computer screens.
Now that you've reached your goal weight, you will need to continue to make healthy lifestyle changes so you don't regain the weight you’ve lost. The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) provides success stories of more than 10,000 people who have lost weight and kept it off. If you want to avoid regaining weight, keep a positive attitude and use the guidelines below.
- Exercise often: Studies prove that people with high activity levels are more likely to maintain their weight loss than others who are not as active. Set exercise goals, aiming to build up to a minimum of 200-300 minutes of exercise per week (ACSM guidelines).
- Eat a healthy breakfast daily. Seventy-eight percent of participants in the NWCR eat breakfast every day.
- Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water or other no-calorie unsweetened beverages. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Eat whole foods. Focus on a healthy eating pattern of whole, unprocessed foods that is rich in produce and fiber, contains lean protein sources, and is lower in fat.
- Eat responsibly and mindfully. Pay attention to portion sizes and avoid overeating. Look at the nutrition facts on food labels listed on packages, including the serving size. Using smaller plates and bowls may help you choose smaller portions at meals. Prioritize meal time. Eat slowly, with focus on your meal. Listen to your body ‘s physical cues to stop eating before you feel overly full. On special occasions, choose your foods as wisely as you would on any other day.
- Plan your meals ahead of time. By planning meals in advance, you can make healthier choices that are not influenced by physical hunger. Plan home-cooked meals, reserving restaurant dining for special occasions. Packing low-calorie snacks like fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help keep hunger controlled throughout the day.
- Get cookbooks. Need extra ideas for meals? Try some different recipes to avoid getting bored with your healthier diet choices. Great recipes can be found in cookbooks at the public library, bookstores or on the Internet.
- Decrease screen time. More time in front of the television or computer means less time on your feet using calories. Sixty-two percent of NWCR participants watch less than 10 hours of TV per week. Choose enjoyable activities that keep you on your feet and moving during leisure time. This movement is important in addition to exercise time.
- Monitor yourself. If you don’t hold yourself accountable, who will? Weigh yourself weekly, or take self measurements regularly; 75% of participants in the NWCR weigh themselves at least once a week. If you find yourself going back to old habits, try to keep a record of food and exercise for a few weeks until you get back on track.
- Join a weight management program. The longer and more often you are engaged, the better long-term success.
- Build a support group. Find a friend or family member who can listen and relate to what you are going through. Invite them to join you and make the changes together.
- Keep a positive attitude. Believe in yourself! Keep in mind that some days will be better than others. When you have a day of overeating, learn to pick yourself up and move on. Each new day is a fresh start for healthy eating.
- Think for the long term. A diet is only a short-term method or tool to lose weight. In order to continue to keep the weight off, long-term changes need to be made. Rethink your old ways of eating and identify habits that caused you to gain weight. Consider what, when, why, where, and how you eat. Make any changes necessary for a more healthful eating lifestyle. For example, did you previously overeat at night while watching television in the family room? If so, make a change to stop eating in the family room or in front of the television. Instead, eat only in the kitchen at the table.
- Make gradual turns. Plan one change at a time that can be incorporated into your new lifestyle. Once you have mastered it, plan another change. Studies prove that the longer people can maintain their new weight, the easier it becomes. Take one step at a time, and you will be headed for success.
- Skip the absolutes. Stay away from words like “never,” “always” or “must.” Be realistic with yourself and allow indulgences on occasion. You should be able to have your favorite treats without feeling guilty. Smaller portions of higher calorie foods can be worked into your new eating style. Thoroughly enjoy each bite instead of fixating on what you can’t have.
- Make an appointment with a registered dietitian (RD). If you need expert advice for nutrition information, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with a registered dietitian. He or she can provide helpful tips and point you in the right direction for a healthy lifestyle change.
- Continue your healthy eating habits. You have done a great job to get to where you are now. Keep updating your goals as new situations arise.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 11/25/2019.
References
- Donnelly JE, Blair SN, Jakicic JM, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. (//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19127177) Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(2):459-71. Accessed 11/18/2021.
- National Weight Control Registry. NWCR Facts. (//www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm) Accessed 11/18/2021.
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The Importance of Weight Loss and Exercise
Carrying around too much weight feels uncomfortable, and it can also damage your health. According the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity rates have skyrocketed in the United States in recent years. As of 2010, more than one-third of American adults have obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Body mass is derived by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared, and then multiplying the result by 703 (weight (lb) / [height (in)] 2 x 703). You can calculate your body mass by following these three steps:
- Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
- Calculate your height in inches squared.
- Divide the resulting number from step 1 by the resulting number in step 3.
Obesity can lead to a number of serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some types of cancer.
One method that can help a person lose weight is to limit the number of calories taken in through their diet. The other way is to burn extra calories with exercise.
Combining exercise with a healthy diet is a more effective way to lose weight than depending on calorie restriction alone. Exercise can prevent or even reverse the effects of certain diseases. Exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, which may prevent a heart attack.
In addition, if you exercise, you lower your risk of developing certain types of cancers such as colon and breast cancer. Exercise is also known to help contribute to a sense of confidence and well-being, thus possibly lowering rates of anxiety and depression.
Exercise is helpful for weight loss and maintaining weight loss. Exercise can increase metabolism, or how many calories you burn in a day. It can also help you maintain and increase lean body mass, which also helps increase number of calories you burn each day.
To reap the health benefits of exercise, it is recommended that you to perform some form of aerobic exercise at least three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes per session. However, more than 20 minutes is better if you want to actually lose weight. Incorporating just 15 minutes of moderate exercise — such as walking one mile — on a daily basis will burn up to 100 extra calories (assuming you don’t consume excess calories in your diet afterwards). Burning 700 calories a week can equals 10 lbs. of weight loss over the course of a year.
To receive all of the health benefits of exercise, you’ll need to mix in some higher intensity exercises. To get an idea of how hard you are working, you can check your heart rate. The basic formula for determining your target heart rate is to subtract your age from 220 and then calculate 60 to 80 percent of that number.
Talk to a trainer or your healthcare team to help you determine your best intensity for each workout. Those with special health concerns such as an injury, diabetes, or a heart condition should consult a physician before beginning any fitness program.
The type of exercise you choose for weight loss doesn’t matter as much as whether or not you’re doing it. That’s why experts recommend you pick exercises you enjoy, so that you’ll stick to a regular routine.
Aerobic
No matter what exercise program you implement, it should include some form of aerobic or cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic exercises get your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Aerobic exercises may include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, and dancing. You can also work out on a fitness machine such as a treadmill, elliptical, or stair stepper.
Weight Training
A big advantage of working out with weights is that, in addition to shedding fat, you’ll build muscle. Muscle, in turn, burns calories. Talk about a healthy feedback loop! Experts recommend working all the major muscle groups three times per week. This includes:
- abs
- back
- biceps
- calves
- chest
- forearms
- hamstrings
- quads
- shoulders
- traps
- triceps
Yoga
Yoga is not as intense as other types of exercise, but it can help you lose weight in other ways, according to a recent study by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The study found that people who practice yoga are more mindful about what they eat and, therefore, less likely to have obesity.
The total amount of exercise you engage in during a day matters more than whether or not you do it in a single session. That’s why small changes in your daily routine can make a big difference in your waistline.
Healthy lifestyle habits to consider include:
- walking or riding your bike to work or while running errands
- taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- parking farther away from destinations and walking the remaining distance
The average adult male who doesn’t exercise requires approximately 2,200 calories a day to maintain his average weight. A female needs about 1,800 calories to maintain her weight.
The following list contains common activities and the approximate amount of calories burned per hour:
Activities
Calories Burned
playing baseball, golf, or cleaning the house
240 to 300
brisk walking, biking, dancing, or gardening
370 to 460
playing football, jogging (at a nine-minute-mile pace), or swimming
580 to 730
skiing, racquetball, or running (at a seven-minute-mile pace)
740 to 920
Talk to your doctor before you start a new exercise program, especially if you are planning on doing vigorous exercise. This is especially important if you have:
- heart disease
- lung disease
- diabetes
- kidney disease
- arthritis
People who have been very inactive for the recent months, who are overweight, or have recently quit smoking should also talk to their doctors before staring a new exercise program.
When you are first starting a new exercise program, it’s important to pay attention to the signals your body is giving you. You should push yourself, so that your fitness level improves. However, pushing yourself too hard can cause you to injure yourself. Stop exercising if you start to experience pain or shortness of breath.