Hey everyone,

It seems I’m on a bit of a roll with answering your questions at the moment. The latest one is something you might not have thought about yet, something that might seem very far away at the moment but is a critical part of your weight loss journey:

Can I keep my weight off?

Many people wonder “What next?” After they lose the initial weight. They are often confused about whether they should relax their eating, be more restrictive, or just what the heck to do!

MYTH: No one can keep the weight off

We’re often told by the media that all people who lose weight are just going to put it straight back on.

Yes, this will happen if you follow a very restrictive diet and then revert to your old habits as soon as you reach your goal weight. That is kind of obvious isn’t it? I mean, if you ate poorly before and were overweight, you’ll revert to gaining weight if you return to your old habits.

But if you follow some simple tips, you can enjoy your goal weight for years to come. A paper published in the shows that in reality, about 20% of people who lose weight can maintain it. There is no reason why this can’t be you!

I lost weight myself in 2007, and here I am in 2015, 8 years later, cruising along at my goal weight. I love my food and I certainly don’t deny myself anything. If I can do it, you can too.

Four key strategies to keep the weight off

#1: Keep active.  Just like losing weight requires you to be active, so does maintaining it. Aim for at least 30 minutes, five times per week. Since this will be ongoing for the rest of your life, you will want to find activities you will really enjoy, or change what you’re doing.

Looking for new exercises or routines? You might enjoy these articles about , , and . 

You might also enjoy recieving workouts on your phone: I really like the ones from .

#2: Keep your diet consistent: learn to love the food that loves you back. No matter what you do, you’re going to have to eat for the rest of your life! There is just no way around that one, is there?! This is why I am so against fad diets. Eating a balanced diet full of vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, lean meats and dairy will not only help you maintain your weight, but will provide excellent nutrition for your body through the years. Allow yourself the occaisional treat food and you’ll be just fine. I had cake and ice cream yesterday. Did I enjoy them? Yes. Will I have them again today? No. Will my weight change? No!

Wanting some great new recipes or ways to increase your vegetables? Then you’ll enjoy my  or .  

#3: Eat breakfast. Yep. It fits in quite well with being consistent, don’t you think? People who eat a good breakfast make better food decisions all day.

Here’s my  and an article about . 

#4: Monitor yourself. Weigh yourself, but no more than once a week. Any more than that is not helpful, but once a week will give you a gauge of if your weight is changing for the better or for worse. Unhappy with the weight you see? Try tracking your food intake for a few days and see if you can pick up any changes that have snuck into your routine.

Apps like MyFitnessPal and communities like SparkPeople can be helpful for this, there is a post on these in my reviews section which .

Have you lost weight and stayed at your goal for a year or more? Share your secrets and tips with us in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!

Your weight loss dietitian,

Emily

1 image by tisptimes.com/diet, image 2 by Arya Ziai, CC 2.0 3 by Arya Ziai, CC 2.0,