How to maintain that weight loss

If you've been on a diet more than once, you know that it can be harder to maintain weight loss than to lose it in the first place.

In fact, many people feel that dieting is easier and that not regaining the weight is the real challenge.

Here's help to keep off the kilograms you worked so hard to shed.

Hunger may subside

Some research suggests that being more relaxed about eating helps with weight management by boosting your psychological well-being.

Lifestyle changes are crucial. That means adopting a "forever" eating approach rather than thinking of weight loss as a diet that you go on and off.

In a previous Health24 article, research suggests that the feeling of hunger, one of the hardest parts of losing weight, may subside if you can keep the weight off for a year. 

If you've ever wondered how some people are more successful at staying slim than others, you'll find many insider tips at the National Weight Control Registry in the US. The registry tracks over 10 000 people who've lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for a long period of time. Sticking with exercise is their number one tip.

Scientific meal replacement

A 10-year study of 3 000 registry participants found three more essentials: Weigh yourself regularly, limit fat portions and avoid overeating. One key to not overeating is to always focus on your food. If you're distracted, chances are you'll eat more than you intended.

Here are some more National Weight Control Registry success tips:

• Exercise for an average of 1 hour every day.
• Eat breakfast every day.
• Weigh yourself at least once a week.
• Watch less than 10 hours of TV a week.

Also, remember that it takes fewer calories to maintain your new weight than it did your old weight. By not returning to old eating habits, the battle to stay slim will be won more easily.

An effective and relatively easy way to limit your daily calorie intake is scientific meal replacement options. Research has shown that just one meal replacement per day will result in an average of 3.9kg weight loss over a year, compared to someone not using a meal replacement.

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