The Secrets to Lasting Success: Key Takeaways for Losing Weight and Keeping it Off!

The weight loss journey can be a challenging one, as there are many things to consider and habits to remain consistent with to ensure success. Thankfully, there are several ways to support your body and lifestyle during this time so that you can achieve your goals. This article will discuss key strategies for losing weight and keeping it off, allowing you to live your best and most healthy life!

Challenges to maintaining weight loss

There are several challenges associated with losing weight and keeping the weight off. These issues range from things such as our genetics, ancestors, lifestyle, and normal bodily processes.

For starters, our bodies are wired for the hunting and gathering nature of our ancestors. From sunup to sundown, humans used to chase and work for their food. Since then, society has made major advancements in agriculture and technology, preventing the need to hunt and gather like we once did. We can now produce our own food without all the energy and resources we once needed. Doing such led us to a more sedentary lifestyle, where we are not regularly engaging in physical labor and where we have more time for leisure. However, our DNA is still built to survive in those prehistoric conditions, thus requiring us be active in some way or another.

Keys strategies for keeping weight off
Adopting a Mindful and Balanced Approach
Approaching weight loss with mindful eating can be incredibly beneficial to losing weight. Mindful eating involves being more attentive to what you are eating and what you are feeling while eating. When eating mindfully, you should:

• Eat slowly
• Minimize distractions, such as avoiding your phone or TV
• Only eat until you are full
• Understand how food affects your body
• Appreciate your food

Another aspect of mindful eating is attention to how much food you are eating. Portion control is very important, as many of us eat more than we should without even knowing. This is particularly important when it comes to weight loss, ensuring that you are satisfying your hunger cues while not also overeating. Tips for incorporating portion control include:

• Use smaller plates for your meals.
• Not eating out of a bag or carton. Instead, portion out your snacks and foods onto plates to create a finite amount of food to eat.
• Eat your meals in correct portions.
• Store leftovers in separate, portion-controlled containers.
• Avoid keeping large amounts of food and platters out on the table that could allow you to go back for seconds or that you can pick at.

Losing weight is also not just about counting calories. In doing so, you also should consider the quality of those calories, as it is very important to eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient-rich foods are packed with vitamins and minerals that can support your body and nourish your health. They also are low in sugar, salt, bad fats, and starches. Foods to incorporate include:

• A variety of fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Lean poultry and meats, seafood, eggs, beans, and unsalted nuts
• Dairy products that are low-fat or fat-free
• Drinking lots of water
• Limiting foods that are high in trans fats
• Limiting foods that are high in added sugars, salt, and cholesterol

Finally, when considering your eating plan, you will want to ensure you are eating at the right times. It is best to eat with an eight to ten-hour window and eat your meals at regularly scheduled times. You can have snacks but keep excessive snacking to a minimum and ensure your snacks are nutrient-rich.

Incorporating exercise

Coupling your meal plan and diet with a regular and consistent workout routine is key to losing weight. There are several different types of exercise that are beneficial for weight loss, so you can choose which one works best for you and your preferences.

One of the most important types of physical activity is to integrate is cardio. Cardio is one of the best and most efficient ways to burn calories, thus allowing you to lose weight. Cardio exercises include things like running, cycling, using the elliptical, swimming, jumping rope, and high intensity interval training (HIIT). NHS guidelines recommend about 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of intense aerobic activity for adults (1). However, if the goal is weight loss, you will likely want to engage in more cardio each week than what is recommended.

Experts also recommend engaging in strength training, which involves utilizing resistance to grow your muscles and increase your strength and endurance. Strength training can involve lifting weights, using weight machines, using resistance bands, or incorporating body weight exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups, or squats.

In general, we like to encourage a minimum of six to eight hours a week of meaningful exercise. Doing so can help you to overcome your ancestry survival DNA to maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle.
Finding support

The great thing about weight loss is that you do not need to embark on the journey alone! There are several ways to utilize your network to support and motivate you to meet your weight loss goals. There are hundreds of online support groups of individuals going through the same thing you are, so seeking out these groups can be beneficial. Your healthcare providers are also a great resource, supporting you with developing a diet and exercise plan to optimize your health. Finally, rely on your family and friends for support, and maybe even recruit them as workout buddies.
Managing stress and emotional eating

One of the pitfalls of weight gain is when we turn to food to relieve stress. This usually causes overeating and consequent weight gain. It is important to find healthier ways to deal with stress so that you can stay on track with your weight loss goals. Exercise is a great way to relieve anxiety and stress in addition to helping you shed the pounds. Consider also going to therapy if you find your stress to be particularly debilitating.

Conclusion

Maintaining weight loss is a journey that requires commitment, dedication, and a shift in mindset. By incorporating the strategies discussed in this blog post—such as adopting sustainable lifestyle changes, staying active, practicing mindful eating, and seeking support when needed—you can increase your chances of successfully keeping the weight off for the long haul. Remember, it's not just about reaching a goal weight; it's about embracing a healthier and more balanced lifestyle that nurtures your body and mind. So, stay persistent, be kind to yourself through the ups and downs, and celebrate every small victory along the way. You've already proven your resilience by shedding those pounds, and with the right approach, you can continue to revel in the joys of a healthier, happier you. Here's to a future filled with vitality and wellness!

References

1. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/#:~:text=do%20at%20least%20150%20minutes,a%20week%2C%20or%20every%20day

Author

David J. Bauder, PA-C David Bauder, PA-C, is a certified physician assistant and the assistant medical director at Weight Loss and Vitality in Manassas and Alexandria, Virginia, Washington, DC; and Gaithersburg, MD. He enjoys helping patients optimize their physical and mental health to improve their overall well-being. He earned his physician assistant degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Afterward, he gained admission into the reputable graduate program for physician assistant studies at the University of Nebraska Health Science Center in Omaha. David has over 26 years of experience working as a physician assistant. He’s practiced in podiatry, family medicine, emergency medicine, general surgery, urgent care, and functional medicine.