How can I make sure to maintain my weight loss?

I do a full seminar on something called an EXIT STRATEGY and I preach the importance of having equal focus and attention to what you do after you reach your goals not just while you are trying to reach your goals.

The only difference between when you in the middle of reaching a goal and trying to maintain it is the time you are putting in.  Maintenance requires some exercise and good nutritional habits but not as much as when you are losing because you are just trying to create a even wash in calorie management, not a deficit.  This however requires equal focus and attention as when you are losing fat.

Below are some key points on Exit Strategies:

• You are not Carl Lewis, You are Roger Bannister -  It is cliche but your fitness is not a sprint, it is a marathon.
• The Finish Line - Have a very clear line and timetable to where you are finishing and when you are beginning maintenance 
• Reflect On The Journey - Review How You Became Successful
• Review Your Failures - Know what made you successful but also look for predictable patterns where you may have failed
• Maintenance Phase - Have a Plan for being normal
• Active Rest - Take a mental break not a physical or nutrition break
• Healthy Fluctuations - Once you reach your goal have about a 5 to 15 lb fluctuation that will allow you a bit of room to relax.  Mini rollercoasters are fine 
• Your Next Goal - Periodization is key and it is normal to have variance in your motivation levels.  It is wise to have 2 to 3 major goals in a year that give you extra motivation with small breaks in between
• Learn More - You are more dangerous and likely to hold your progress with more knowledge about yourself and fitness
• Have a Coach or Support Group - It is hard to mess up with accountability

As you plan your weight loss program, think ahead about how to maintain your new weight. Many people are successful in losing weight but have a hard time keeping it off. What are the strategies used by people who get it off and keep it off?

Weight Loss and Physical Activity Together

• Remember that weight loss and physical activity go hand in hand. Studies show that exercise is an important part of both taking the pounds off and keeping them off. People who keep lost weight off say that daily exercise is an essential part of their lifestyle. They also report eating more fruits and vegetables than before, a healthy habit they hung on to even after they went off their “diet.” 

Maintaining weight loss can sometimes be very scary. All you think about is putting back on the weight and possibly even more. If you want to maintian the weight that has been lossed you should continue doing what you did when you lost the weight. Maintain a strong and healthy diet, get plenty of rest, and stay active. once you follow those guide lines you will be fine. Do not make the error of going back to eating what you want because you lost the weight you wanted to lose. Stay on track for the rest of your life.

To ensure you maintain your weight loss it’s important to track your activity levels and your calorie intake, this will help you to keep track and make it easier to maintain your weight loss. To maintain your weight the amount of calories you eat has to equal the number of calories you burn through daily activity and exercise.  By tracking your daily activity through a pedometer or body monitor like the exerspy or body bug you can track your daily calorie expenditure. There are several monitoring programs that you log food intake into and get an accurate idea of total calories eaten.  If you burn as many calories as you eat then you will maintain your weight. 

Lost a little weight recently? Here's the magic number you need to know to keep it off: 275. That's how many extra minutes of exercise per week a study group needed in order to maintain a 10 percent loss in body weight for 2 years. Grab an extra 40-minute walk every day and you're covered.

Unfortunately, when people lose weight, almost half of them tend to regain it within 6 months. But you don't have to be part of that statistic. Just a little extra physical activity could keep you enjoying your new size indefinitely. But that means more than the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity a day needed to prevent disease. Researchers estimate that most people need 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week -- in addition to eating right -- to keep lost pounds off. Start today. Stay lean. Stay strong.

Take the RealAge Test!

Make fitness a Lifestyle. Do not go into your Weight Loss plan thinking of it as a Diet. Mentally, if you think of it as a Lifestyle change then you will be better off in the long run. Stick to your plan, reach your goal and do what you need to do to maintain but think of it as a new life!

When I speak to people who have been successful in weight maintenance, there are always common conditions that have contributed to their success. Here is some sound advice from people who have succeeded in losing weight permanently:

• Make sure that your goal weight is realistic.
• Be flexible and sensible when you're in a situation of "no return." This means that you don't starve yourself if the food you're being served isn't in your plan. Be moderate, don't panic and eat the best of the worst! If you can't exercise for a couple of days, don't do a 3-hour marathon! Take the stairs more often at work, park farther away or do some abdominal crunches before going to bed.
• Monitor your weight weekly, not daily, to keep you on track. Try not to get stressed over a pound or two. Remember, day-to-day your weight may fluctuate for no apparent reason.

To borrow a phrase from the realm of religious philosophy: Don't hate the dieter. Hate the diet. This isn't to say that diets don't work. They do -- sometimes spectacularly well. The only problem is that the successful results from fad diets and other short-term eating plans don't last the long haul. All too often, quick-loss plans give way to nasty rebounds. Sometimes the "yo-yo effect" can be worse than the original fat gain.

The causes for this are many. Researchers are finding there are a multitude of reasons some people can't maintain weight loss or achieve it in the first place. Some are based in genetics, others on a lack of activity. No matter what hand nature dealt you, smart eating and an effective exercise program can give you a fighting chance. But you can't expect willpower alone to change a lifetime of bad habits. You must change your focus by changing your ultimate goal. Think of it this way: It's not about weight loss. It's about health gain.