Top Six Achievable Habits for Weight Loss & Maintenance

Losing weight is one thing, but managing to keep it off is another level of greatness.

There are so many different temptations looming; sometimes, it’s tough to say no.

Working so hard on a goal for many months — or even years can somehow wear out those excellent habits we’ve built over time.

So will one tiny piece of cake put it in the negative?

Well, yes and no.

The honest answer lies in how you react after eating that cake and your steps a day after the incident.

We can become our own best advocate or the inhibitor of a successful weight loss outcome.

Habits play an important role in determining our results and achievements.

Over time, as you exercise those habits, they become second nature.

This occurs with both good and bad habits, mind you.

For example, you may not necessarily realise that you have overeaten because it’s a habit-based upon hours of practice.

We can develop our blind spots, which someone else might have to point out before we have a light bulb moment, kindly!

There are, in fact, four eating habits which a clinical study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, which happen to be associated with a successful weight loss outcome after just six months.

They are:

• Eliminating fried foods (why fry when you can use an air fryer which is just as good)
• Consuming less sugar-sweetened drinks
• Eating at home more often than in restaurants
• Avoiding desserts (but not eliminating them)

These all seem like very dependable habits that most of us do far too often.

I’m a dessert consumer myself, which can sometimes get out of hand.

We each have our food Achilles heel to deal with when times get rough.

After the four years, these following habits kept the weight off

• Less meat and cheese
• Eating more veggies and fruits
• Fewer sweets
• Less sugary drinks

Here are the main culprits for weight gain, uncovered in a study of over 120K healthy men and women.

1. Refined grains
2. Sugary foods
3. Potato chips
4. Sweetened beverages
5. Potatoes
6. Processed and unprocessed red meats

But to be fair, we have to include the lifestyle changes that also contributed to the weight gain, which were;

1. Lack of physical activity
2. Indulging in too much Alcohol
3. Smoking those ciggies
4. Sleep deprivation
5. Watching too much tv (or perhaps being addicted to your laptop too)

When we gather all that evidence and put it into a bite-size summary, we can conclude that the following six tips will help you keep the weight off for life.

One. Adopting some form of exercise daily

One of the critical components of accelerating your weight loss is activity.

You probably already know that my recommendations would be weight training.

But this shouldn’t be the only thing you do, as cardio is also essential.

Depending on how much weight you have to lose, HIIT is a great alternative a few times a week, or perhaps if you are a beginner, walking a lot more will help you get into the habit of being more active during the day.

The trick is to get off your bum A LOT during the day. No TV — listen to audiobooks on the run instead.

Two: Eating more veggies, fruits, nuts, whole grains and yogurt

When eating during a meal or on their own, all of these combinations benefit weight loss.

They are also known for their gut enhancing properties.

Green veggies feed our good gut bacteria, essential for weight loss, maintenance and overall health.

Plus, having a healthy gut does help with mental clarity and makes you feel good.

Three: Take the time to cook more at home, eating out less

When you think about it, portion sizes are enormous when you go out compared to your home-cooked meals.

Plus, you know what’s in the food you cook.

Fast food is harmful to your health and any weight loss goals you might have.

Sure it’s convenient, but as a long term strategy, it’s not going to do you any good.

Also, it’s so tempting to add dessert to your meal — which in itself is one of the critical factors for weight gain.

Here is a good cookbook that might help you start the home meal prep journey.

Four: Make it a priority to do your health investigative research

I love anything and everything about health.

I don’t know everything, but I research, read and then make my calculated assumptions — then go ahead and become a live test dummy.

You will build the knowledge base to push through any health obstacles if you do the same.

Most of the stuff I write about is based on my research.

But, I double-check those findings through clinical studies or a professional's findings (think Dr Gundry & Dr Jason Fung.)

It will help you back up your decision-making process. But, unfortunately, there are many pseudosciences everywhere, so use your good judgement.

Five: Get the right mindset

It’s essential to have the correct mindset on success instead of failure.

We aren’t perfect, and there will be days when it’s hard.

The most successful people who get to their goal realise this and don’t give themselves a hard time.

They dry up the tears starting the next day again.

One bad day or meal won’t harm you — but making several mistakes day in day out just because you have moved into the wrong frame of mind will set you up for disaster.

Practice forgiveness and gratitude, then move on and do better the next day.

Six: Why not tell your friends about the goal

Friends (the ones that want what’s best for you, of course) will help become your biggest supporter and give you the push you need to stay accountable.

Plus, they are welcoming when you’re having a hard time and need a friend.

Support from people, social contacts and your family will help hold you up when you need it.

I can‘t tell you just how much my best friend of over 35 years has helped me through everything.

We are each other building buddy — especially during those rough days

Key Take away

Working on yourself first and building better habits will help you lose weight and keep it off for life.

It’s not an easy path to walk on, but the benefits will far outweigh the hard times you may experience and the work involved.

Remember, there are people around to support and hold you up. So reach out and know you are never alone.

If you would like to express gratitude with coffee, send the love via this link.