The real challenge (and victory) in weight loss is to maintain the slim waistline after losing those extra pounds. Weight cycling, commonly known as yo-yo dieting, is a common problem among many people who lose significant pounds. A study in the journal Obesity, which followed 14 contestants from Biggest loser for six years after the 2009 season found that 13 of the previous contestants returned after the contest ended. And four contestants actually weighed more than they did when they first joined the show. The researchers who conducted the study say that after someone has lost weight, the body reacts with a potentially handicapped combination: a stronger appetite and slows down the metabolism. So how do you fight back?
Put these 10 simple strategies into play to control hunger, increase your metabolism and avoid pounding creeps from gradually increasing calorie consumption. And while you’re at it, try these 15 underrated weight loss tips that actually work.
If you have recently lost a lot of weight, you should definitely celebrate your success – with a tall glass of water! Just kidding. Go ahead and treat yourself. You deserve it. But if your celebrations involve many happy hours in a row or large portions of your favorite, fat- and sugar-laden chocolate cakes, the odds are likely to see the weight creeping back on you before you know it. Remind yourself of this sobering state before opening a bottle of wine: alcohol can reduce the body’s fat burning ability by up to 73%!
Here’s a smarter way to celebrate: reward yourself with something you can not put in your mouth. Leah Kaufman, MS, RD, CDN, a registered New York City dietitian, suggests making a concerted effort not to use food as a reward. “I suggest using things like manicures and SoulCycle classes as a reward for all the hard work,” she says. Eating junk food during times of emotional eating will “only lead to unhealthy yo-yo dieting.”
The most important concept to keep in mind after you have lost significant pounds is “metabolic adjustment.”
During weight loss, the body’s metabolism naturally lowers calorie burn daily to hang on to fat. In addition, your levels of leptin, the satiety hormone that tells your body when you are full, actually fall after weight loss, so you may feel hungry. The key to avoiding going back to eating the same number of calories as you did before you lost weight is to double your awareness of the calorie content and meals. Do this by keeping a daily food diary for at least a week after you have reached your weight loss goal. Studies show that paying more attention to what you eat (and how many calories they contain) will help you make healthier food choices and reduce snacks on high-calorie processed foods. Such a relaxed account will also focus on how much (or little) fiber you get in your diet. A high-fiber diet, mainly from beans, legumes, fruits and vegetables is essential for maintaining weight loss.
Most people who have reached their goal weight stop going on the scale. It’s a mistake. Although the number on the scale is not the only way to assess your continued success, research shows that those who avoid the ritual tend to pack more weight than those who do not. Why? The scale keeps you aware of your diet, and it will quickly lead you to weight loss. There is no need to be a slave to your scale; checking in once a week should do the trick. And here’s a tip: Since weight naturally fluctuates throughout the week, researchers say that weighing on Wednesday is the most accurate.
These enticing frozen options are marketed as nutritious and practical, so we can not say that we blame you for taking one off the shelf. But many of them are healthy, pound-dropping enemies in disguise. Just because they are tried as part-controlled and low-calorie does not mean you should refill. Like most ultra-processed foods, many frozen starters from diet programs contain a surprising amount of harmful sugars – 7 grams or more, plus inflammatory, processed additives. And as often as possible, make your meals at home from scratch. Doing so can help you banish these added sugars and reduce calorie consumption by an average of 200 calories per day, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.
After reaching your goal weight, some regimented diets will fall by the wayside. And if it is one of them to eat sufficient amounts of protein, it may be the reason why the weight starts to creep back. While you are getting enough nutrients, you can keep your muscles healthy, but not getting enough can slow down your metabolism. Just maintaining muscle mass helps burn calories faster, so your body then flares up unwanted fat. Without muscle, you are more susceptible to unwanted weight gain.
Protein intake differs from the individual. For many people, however, consuming 0.8 to one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day should be enough to maintain your weight loss. For a 130 pound person, that would equate to between 46 and 58 grams of protein. Good sources of the nutrient include low-fat dairy products, beans, grilled chicken, fish, lean meats, pork, barley or nuts and quinoa.
It may have worked to lose water weight and melt off the pounds in the beginning, but completely lowering your carbohydrate intake will give you some not so pleasant side effects that can make it difficult to go through your daily routine. Your body begins to show signs of fatigue, irritability and lethargy – all emotions, which have also been linked to overeating.
“Carbohydrates are essential [in our daily lives] as our brain and [central nervous system] requires them to work properly continuously “, says trainer and RD, Tim McComsey. Limiting carbohydrates completely will lead to all new added, fat burning muscle mass being metabolized for energy rather than carbohydrates. As long as you keep the carbohydrates at a reasonable percentage of your daily calories , and choose the right one, these starches do not have to hit the curb.
While exercise is crucial to maintaining your metabolism, if you have not recently changed your exercise routine, your body’s most important calorie intake mechanism may have been idling to burn slowly. Wake up your metabolism by shocking your muscles, suggests Sean M. Wells, personal trainer and author of Double-Crossed: A review of the most extreme training program.
“If you have been doing the same exercise in recent months, your body is no longer challenged, which means it does not burn as many calories as it could otherwise,” he explains. If you normally cycle for exercise, try running or tennis to give your metabolism a kick. Can’t bear to leave your stationary bike? Look for an intense spin class or challenge yourself by changing your typical route. Work in some steep, long paths to increase resistance.
Antidepressants, birth control pills, beta blockers, anti-seizure and migraine medications, steroids and rheumatoid arthritis treatments can all affect appetite, metabolism and weight. Never stop taking a prescription drug on your own. If you think a medicine is causing you to gain weight, tell your doctor. he or she can adjust the medication or suggest an alternative.
Inadequate sleep can slow down your metabolism and raise your pounds. In a study, researchers analyzed more than 500 participants’ sleep diaries on weekdays and found that loss of just 30 minutes of eyes increases the risk of obesity by 17%! Mild sleep deprivation also causes ghrelin – the hunger-stimulating hormone – to go into excess and at the same time reduce the levels of leptin – the hormone that suppresses appetite. In turn, this stimulates hunger even when you are drunk which can lead to overeating and weight gain.
The National Sleep Foundation suggests logging in for seven or eight hours of quality sleep each night. If you want to get back to your narrower self, try to go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual. See how you feel in the morning. Keep adjusting your bedtime until you wake up without the help of an alarm clock and feel rested and well rested.
Here is a simple way to combat the metabolism that often comes after weight loss: Drink green tea, a natural metabolic rocket. In one study, participants who added a daily habit of drinking 4 to 5 cups of green tea to their 25-minute workout routine lost an average of two pounds more and more belly fat than those who did not drink tea. How does it work? The brew contains catechins, a type of antioxidant that triggers the release of fat from fat cells and helps speed up the liver’s ability to turn fat into energy, which helps increase your metabolism. And if you’re looking for more, This is how you can use the power of tea to lose weight.
