Weight Maintenance

Recently Answered

• QHow can I get rid of those last pounds to reach my weight-loss goal?

  2 Answers

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  A Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD , Psychology, answered

  Here are some tips to help shed those last pounds in your weight loss goal:
  
  1.Zig-Zag your calories! Your body will adjust to food (calories, really) just as it does to the mundane routine of walking on a treadmill day in and day out – yawn – and when it does, it stops working as hard as it could to burn fat and calories. So crank it up! How, you ask? Well, you must keep your body guessing. Say you’re consuming 1,200 calories a day, you’ll want to start the week by consuming 1,100 calories a day, then 1,050 calories, the next day 1,100 calories, then 1,200 calories, and so on. The trick is to keep the body guessing by reducing or increasing 50-100 calories each day. Eating this way turns up the body’s energy-burning power and kicks your metabolism into high gear.
  
  2.Eat your water! Eat high-volume foods like veggies, fruits, lean protein (grass-fed meats), fish and poultry that contain lots of nutrients and water. Eat more of the foods that are high-volume and contain high-concentrations of nutrients instead of those that are calorically-dense and have few nutrients (candy, cakes, pies, cookies, soda, chips, corn curls and highly processed foods).
  
  3.Start your day with a sundae! This sundae is made with fresh fruit: strawberries (half-cup), half of a banana, low-fat Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, and sprinkled with my favorite secret ingredient – matcha green tea.

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• QHow can exercise help me avoid hitting a weight-loss plateau?

  4 Answers

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  A Robert DeVito , Fitness, answered

  Check Your Workout Routine and Activity Levels

  Just like your diet, your exercise and activity habits can degrade too. Intensity can drop, you get pressed for time and start cutting your workouts short; it gets cold outside and you become a little less active. Over time, these reductions in activity can start to chip away at how many calories you are actually burning each day.

  Even a reduction of 50-100 extra calories burned from activity can have long term fat-loss and weight loss consequences. Over a period of 30 days, ending the day up 50 calories from working out with less duration or intensity can result in a gain of a half-pound of fat in a month.

  The trick here is to use the same approach to your exercise and activity that we discussed for the question: 'How can I avoid a plateau' around diet. Track your activity and exercise by:

  If you are not already, begin to journal your weight and resistance training exercise, as well cardio, using either the on-line option or trusty old pen and paper.

   Check to see if you are still coming in at or around your goal targets for fat/weight loss.

  Use the same method of tracking activity at least one week per month. Continue to alter your workouts weekly and do not let your mind get stale with your workouts. A good rule of thumb is if you have memorized your weekly workouts and workout schedule so did your body (a long time ago…). Keep things fresh and your body will continue to respond for longer.

  Here are 5 solid tips to maximize workouts and energy usage:

  • Make frequent changes to your workout. Workout changes prevent boredom and increase the challenge to your body. 
  • Utilize Strength Training. It helps to maintain muscle tissue, which will help to keep your metabolism higher, it maintains "tone" and it burns more calories than cardio does.
  • When doing strength training be sure to use "bang for your buck" exercises that use multiple muscles and motions. If your goal is not to be a bodybuilder, then do not train like one.
  • Do the things that you have been putting off. The exercises that you have not done recently. Chances are your body will respond to these because they are "newer".
  • Get a workout partner or join a Group Training Program. You will always work out harder when you are being challenged and you are in a supportive environment.

  To your health,

  -Robert

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• QWhat causes me to hit a weight loss plateau while I'm on a slow-carb diet?

  1 Answer

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  A Tim Ferriss , Fitness, answered

  

  Eating too late, not eating enough protein, drinking too little water are the three most common causes of hitting a weight loss plateau.
  
  The total percentage of bodyfat lost per month naturally decreases over time. The number of mitochondria in your muscle tissue largely determines your rate of sustained fat-loss. Targeted exercise, even just 20 minutes per week, will often double fat-loss that's plateaued, and
  should do so for at least two to four months.

  

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  The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman
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• QHow can I break a weight-loss plateau?

  15 Answers

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  You've lost weight, hit a snag, but still have that upward attitude about sending your weight downward. Rejoice in the other signs that show that your body is changing. Do your clothes fit better? Do you feel stronger? Yes means you’re swapping out fat for lean muscle and building your cardiovascular fitness, even if you're not dropping a pound.
  
  There are some ways to unstick your stuck scale. You may need to challenge your body more, which means you'll have to work a little harder. No, it's not fair. But the less you weigh, the fewer calories you burn doing the same thing. Here's how to up the ante:
  

  • Walk a little longer. If you’re walking 30 minutes a day, add 5-minute increases over a couple of weeks.
  • Walk a little harder. Throw in some hills, or kick up the incline on that treadmill. Add a few bursts of high-speed walking or jogging; the intensity helps burn fat.
  • Get a little stronger. Increase your strength training to one session every other day. No more, though; the in-between days are when you build muscle.
  • Choose smaller plates. Portion sizes will be smaller, and that makes your waist smaller.

  
  

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• QI have hit a plateau in losing weight, what can I do next?

  7 Answers

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  

  When you can't lose weight even though you are exercising and eating right, you may have hit a weight-loss plateau. In this video, Dr. Oz explains the reasons behind plateauing and how a following a method called "carb cycling" may get you over the hump.

  
  

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• QWhat are the signs that a thin person is not healthy?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Elise McCormack-Granja, MD , Internal Medicine, answered on behalf of Baptist Health South Florida

  It’s difficult to determine whether someone who has a low body mass index (BMI) is healthy based solely on the number, which is just a calculation. If that person has always been thin and other measurements (such as red blood cell count and nutrients in the blood) are normal, it may not be a concern. 
  
  But when there are signs of malnutrition, loss of bone density, anemia, heart problems, hormonal imbalances or cessation of menstruation in a woman unrelated to some other cause, doctors recommend a comprehensive evaluation, including a referral to a dietitian for instruction on how to eat to reach caloric and nutritional goals.
• QWhat is the best way to prevent weight gain when on the road?

  5 Answers

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  A Amy Jamieson-Petonic , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

  The best idea is to map out where you are going and try to plan where to buy your meals first. There are some good websites such as healthydiningfinder.com that can assist you with this... Second... put on a pedometer and make sure that you are getting at least 10.000 steps per day... This will help as well.

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• QCan I maintain a healthy weight if I eat only when I'm hungry?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Joel H. Fuhrman, MD , Family Medicine, answered

  

  To consume the exact number of calories necessary to maintain a lean body mass that will prolong life, you must get rid of toxic hunger (physical addiction to an unhealthful, low-micronutrient diet) and get back in touch with true hunger. If you eat when hungry and don't eat when not hungry, you will never have to diet or be overweight again. You do not have to carry around a calculator and a scale to figure out how much to eat. A healthy body will give you the correct signals. You only will desire the amount of calories you actually require.

  

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  Eat for Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, Live Longer (2 Volume Set)
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• QWhat can I do to regain some healthy weight?

  1 Answer

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  A Natalie Castro-Romero, MS, RD , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Baptist Health South Florida

  It is important to work with both your doctor and a registered dietitian to regain healthy weight. A registered dietitian will assess your nutritional status by performing a complete nutritional assessment on you. From the assessment, the registered dietitian will develop a meal plan that is adequate for your nutritional needs and health goals. During or before the appointment, the registered dietitian will collect a food recall from you (1 week, 3 days or 24 hours) to get a better idea of your typical caloric intake, eating habits and food preferences. The registered dietitian will work with you to determine how to increase your daily calorie intake with foods that have the best nutritional value. Your individualized meal plan will be tailored to your specific health goals and food preferences.
• QCan support groups help me in maintaining a healthy weight?

  2 Answers

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  A Dr. Lawrence J. Cheskin, MD , Internal Medicine, answered on behalf of Johns Hopkins Medicine

  Social support definitely helps with weight loss. Studies have found that support from people sharing the same experience and struggles with the difficult task of losing weight (and keeping it off) can enhance weight loss outcomes. 
  At the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, we encourage people joining our program to attend a weekly support group run by an experienced behavioral counselor and a dietitian. 
  This ensures that peer support, along with the expertise of our staff, is readily available to patients as they work their way through the changes needed to yield the best results.
  Additionally, working out with friends provides a level of accountability, which helps you carry through on your commitment to enhance your fitness and health. Plus, exercising with friends can provide a distraction and good company for what might otherwise be a more boring task.
  Depending on the relationship and relative level of exercise ability of you and your training partner, there can also be the benefit of support, encouragement, mutual teaching, “spotting,” and even a little healthy competition!

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