Gym, workout, strict diet, and many are on the list, but the heart wrenches when some of us find weight regain! Irrespective of thousands of efforts, maintaining weight loss is a challenge for many. In fact, 80% of those who have lost weight with the help of diet and exercise regain all of the weight they originally lost over months! Many blame self-control or failure to follow weight maintenance regimes. But actual culprits can be different than we can even imagine. Today, we will discuss the reasons behind unexpected weight loss and simple yet effective ways to prevent weight regain.
Table of Contents
Why Do We Regain the Lost Weight?
Experts say that set-point weight can be a significant reason. Our body will return to its set weight despite weight loss or gain. The set point weight is like a certain weight that our body wants to remain close to. Factors like age, sex, genetics, hormones, and activity level can affect this set point.
If you suddenly cut down on your calories, your metabolism might slow down. It is simply because your body uses less energy to do the same functions. As a result, the food you take doesn’t burn as quickly as we expect. Cutting calories may help in losing weight in the short term, but, after a while, you will start gaining weight back. Apart from this, our brain gets used to the pleasurable feelings that certain food brings to us. If you drastically cut calories, your body will crave new foods or drinks to fill that gap. It’s like finding satisfaction in other foods by ditching your regular ones. The cravings during the evening time are a fine example of this!
Can You Change Your Weight Set Point?
Experts believe that the weight set point can be changed with two essential ingredients— time and support. If you introduce changes over time and lose weight gradually, your own bodily system can adapt to the new circumstances. It’s more like taking time and patience to teach your body the ‘new normal’ weight.
Setting a new set point weight isn’t that easy. And you shouldn’t try it without discussing it with your dietitian. The weight loss journey is unique for everyone; what plan has worked for your neighbor may not show you satisfactory results. The first step to prevent weight regain is preparing your mind that this is going to be a long journey, and there’s no shortcut!
Tips to Prevent Weight Regain (Expert-Approved Weight Loss Maintenance Tips)
After gaining a temporary win in the weight loss battle, many wish for a pause for some days. This pause can be for a day or two but not more than that. Here, we are sharing some practical tips that have been helpful for many for maintaining weight loss.
Exercise Often
Regular exercise plays a major role in weight loss maintenance and overall health. In order to balance energy, you need to burn off some extra calories and increase metabolism. And both of these can be easily achieved with regular exercise. Even research says that people who do, on average, 29 minutes of moderate exercise per day after losing weight are more likely to maintain their desired weight level.
Have a Healthy Breakfast Everyday
Eating breakfast regularly may help you maintain your weight loss goals. Breakfast non-skippers generally have healthier habits. In fact, one study found that nearly 78% of 2959 people who maintained a 30-pound (14 kg) weight loss for at least 1 year reported not skipping breakfast for a single day.
Experts suggest adding more fiber and micronutrients into the diet. Opt for a balanced diet and check your improvements with a dietitian. If anything seems not effective, you can modify your dietary plan. However, be cautious of introducing any drastic changes overnight!
Try to Eat Lots of Protein
Since protein is effective in reducing appetite and promoting fullness, eating a lot of protein can help you maintain your weight loss. Protein increases certain hormones in the body that induce satiety and are important for weight regulation. It is also effective in reducing hormones that increase hunger.
The fullness and effects on hormones from protein can help you reduce the number of calories one consumes per day, which is a crucial factor in preventing weight regain.
Also Read: Are Chia Seeds Good for Weight Loss? Know the Reality Backed by Science
Control Your Carb Intake
Maintaining weight loss can be a much easier journey if you pay attention to the types and amounts of carbs that you eat. Completely ditch refined carbs, such as white pasta, fruit juice, and white bread, to maintain your weight maintenance goals.
Refined carbs have been stripped of their natural fiber. Natural fiber promotes fullness, and missing this vital thing in your diet can lead to overeating. Foods with low fiber are associated with weight gain and obesity.
Also Read: 10 Habits That Make You Gain Weight Unknowingly
Prepare Your Mind for Setbacks
Setbacks are inevitable but shouldn’t affect your confidence or commitment! Occasionally, you may say yes to an unhealthy craving or skip a workout for a day. The occasional slip-up shouldn’t throw your goals out of the window. If you have missed anything, accept it, but continue following your routine from the next day. For vacations or holidays when healthy eating seems like a challenge, you can plan ahead to shed extra pounds, like tweaking your diet or giving 15 minutes more in exercise. Weight loss and maintaining the desired weight level are more about consistency.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking water is a lesser-celebrated thing but helpful for weight maintenance and improving metabolism. For starters, the water intake can help you feel full and control your calorie intake. If you want to reduce your portion size, for example, you can drink a glass of water before each meal. Those who drink water before a meal can experience a 13% reduction in calorie intake compared to individuals who don’t. Apart from this, drinking enough water and staying hydrated can slightly increase the number of calories one burns throughout the day.
Get Sound Sleep
Sound sleep helps in weight management and mood improvement. Sleep deprivation is actually a major risk factor for unexpected weight gains in adults and may interfere with weight maintenance. Inadequate sleep can cause higher levels of ghrelin production. It is known as the hunger hormone, as it increases appetite. On the other hand, poor sleep can reduce leptin in the body and affect your appetite control.
Inadequate or disturbed sleep can make you feel tired easily and therefore less motivated to exercise or have healthy food choices. So, adjust your sleep habits; get a sound sleep every everyday of at least seven hours, ideally at nighttime, for better weight management and overall health improvement.
Also Read: How to Lose Face Fat Faster: 9 Tips No One Told You Before
Conclusion
There is no single-shot way to prevent weight regain. It’s more of a combined strategy of a balanced diet, moderate exercise, and consistency. With these simple changes, you can tweak your habits and make them easy to stick with, which will help you maintain your weight loss in the long run.
Managing your weight loss is much more than what you eat. Exercise, sleep, and even mental health play a role. It will be much easier to manage weight loss if you adopt a new lifestyle rather than trying random on-and-off weight loss diets.