8 Habits of People Who Lose Weight
and Keep It Off
If your goal is to lose weight and keep it off, you may be considering making drastic lifestyle changes, like cutting out all sweets, or giving up alcohol, or spend hours at the gym everyday. And while this sounds like a surefire way to shed those extra pounds, it probably won’t last very long since drastic changes aren’t sustainable.
If you’re in the process of losing weigh, the sooner you start to build good habits to help you keep the weight off, the more likely you’ll guarantee that you’ll be able to maintain that weight loss. Here are 8 habits to help you achieve a healthy weight and sustain it for a long period of time.
1. They choose healthier substitutions
There are so many easy and tasty swaps that can help you lose weight and maintain it. For example, you can swap white bread for whole grain, mayonnaise for avocado, spaghetti squash for pasta, French fries for a baked potato, and sour cream for greek yogurt.
2. They eat proper portion sizes
Portion sizes are one of the keys to losing weight and keeping it off. When we eat more calories than our body needs, our bodies will store those extra calories as fat. By controlling our portion sizes, we can essentially control how much food we eat will be stored as fat.
3. They stick to a meal routine
People who maintain their weight keep to regular meal times and avoid snacking. Eating at roughly the same time every day makes it far easier to eat a consistent amount of calories.
4. They don’t deem any foods as “off-limits”
You may think that losing weight and keeping it off means forcing yourself to give up certain foods. Of course, you won’t be able to order from your favorite fast food restaurant each week or have a buttery croissant for breakfast every morning. But instead of depriving themselves of junk food, those who maintain their weight allow themselves an occasional treat. It’s all about everything in moderation.
5. They don’t drink their calories
You may be surprised at how many calories you’re consuming with your daily latte, soda or juice. In order to keep calories down, opt for water, tea or black coffee.
6. They never skip breakfast
Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can help prevent from overeating and unhealthy eating later on in the day. If you’ve got in the habit of not eating breakfast, due to either lack of time or just not feeling hungry early in the morning, have something simple like a Greek yogurt with fruit and oats or some avocado toast to help you start the day off right.
7. They incorporate daily physical activity
If you find it hard to find the time or motivation to keep up with a regular exercise program, you can find other ways to incorporate some physical activity in your day, such as taking the stairs, taking a walk around the block, parking far away, or commute by bike to work.
8. They keep a food journal
Mindlessly snacking on a bag of chips can easily result in finishing them off. But keeping track of all meals and snacks with a food journal can help you learn about your eating habits and help you make better food choices. For example, if you find yourself craving something sweet mid-afternoon at the office every day, try bringing some fruit or nuts so you don’t wind up buying a candy bar at the vending machine.
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