With so many people embarking on diets every year, it makes you wonder why everyone is still overweight. The fact is, most people that lose weight fail to keep it off over the long haul. The weight is quickly gained right back and sometimes even more weight is put on. It is becoming clear that keeping weight off is just as difficult if not more so, than losing weight in the first place.
People fail to keep weight off long term for a variety of reasons. The day to day diet may be to blame, or it might be due to unhealthy lifestyle choices. There could be a lack of physical exercise or maybe it is a combination of all these factors. In any case, it is important to find out what is going wrong so the problem can be corrected.
The Big Mistake Dieters Make
What usually happens when someone reaches their goal weight is that they resume their usual, normal lifestyle and believe on an emotional level the weight will not return. They think once the weight has been lost, most of the work is over. This isn't true though and the weight comes back quickly if a healthy diet and activity level are not maintained.
Going on a diet and losing weight doesn't make you fat-proof. If your usual eating habits made you fat before, they will do so again if you return to your old way of eating. The last thing you want to do when you reach your goal weight is to congratulate yourself by returning to a normal lifestyle or the weight will quickly pile right back on.
Reality Check - Track Your Progress
Hardly any of us were lucky enough to hit the genetic jackpot so that we can eat what we want and stay lean. We might have had a few fleeting teen years when we could but once into adulthood, we had to start working on it to stay trim. It really isn't too difficult to maintain a healthy body if you take the right steps.
Choose what stats you want to maintain. It makes the most sense to try and hold your body measurements steady. Every week on the same day and time, check your stats using the same procedure. Measure yourself in the same places and weigh yourself with the same scale.
Take action immediately when you gain five pounds or put on an inch of fat. Never allow yourself to go over those limits and never rationalize your fat gain. Take it off as soon as you put it on.
Learn To Enjoy Your New Lifestyle
Consistency helps you become self confident and gives you a sense of pride. You will develop self mastery that leads to a deeper personal growth. Not only will you feel great but you will look great and have more time in your life.
Your energy levels will improve and this will allow you to become more productive and get more done in less time.
You mind will be sharper, you will have more focus, and this will help you become more efficient in your job and learn new things more easily.
A healthy diet can be very enjoyable. There is no need to deprive yourself of good foods. You can choose from lean meats, low fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and complex carbs. Prepared correctly, you can dine on some delicious meals.
The author is an award winning Georgetown personal trainer who specializes in helping normal, busy people to lose weight effectively.
For free advice on Washington weight loss visit him at thebodyyouwant.
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