How to maintain your weight. The last few months have been a challenge to say the least. I can’t even count how many “influencers” have passed through my Instagram feed talking about their workouts and health diets. I don’t know about you, but that kind of pressure just makes me want to run to the nearest freezer to pick up a tub of ice cream. 

There are endless articles talking about losing weight and exercising during the pandemic. While I agree wholeheartedly that moving is essential why don’t we master the art of maintaining weight before talking about losing it? Hear me out for a second. It’s relatively easy to drop a few pounds (if you don’t have any medical conditions that keep you from doing so), the trick, however, is actually keeping that weight off for any significant period of time and that’s where many of us seem to get into trouble. 

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT

Be mindful of when you eat. It’s easy to overeat when we are bored or accustomed to eating a set amount of meals a day. If you switch your mindset to eating only when you are truly hungry, you will be able to control what is going in your mouth. You don’t need to eat because you think you have to or because you have nothing else to do.

Learn to be hungry. Humans hate being hungry, and really who can blame us? We are so afraid of being hungry that we often overeat and then eat the next meal without really needing it but because we think we do. Try getting comfortable with skipping a meal (I’m not telling anyone to do this on a regular basis or if they have any medical conditions or to avoid eating) and understand what real hunger feels like versus just being peckish or bored.

Love the food you are eating. Sure you can fill up on food that you don’t really like because it’s there or you can eat what you really love. If something is truly a treat you’ll be able to enjoy it without feeling the guilt.

Don’t obsess over your food. Basically, stop thinking about food (even the healthy things) all the time because the more you do that the more you will wind up eating.

Understand Calories. Now that you are trying to maintain your weight, you’ll find that you need to adjust your caloric intake. Keep in mind that it might take a bit of time before you can approximate your number, especially if you are keeping up with regular workouts.

Be consistent. There are days that you will over indulge, that’s normal so don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead, focus on being consistent with dietary regime that works for you. Jumping on the next fad diet will only cause weight gain in the end.

Continue making smart choices. This will not be easy, but then again your weight loss journey probably wasn’t either. When maintaining your weight loss, keep a food and workout journal. This way, if you start getting off track, you’ll be able to quickly nip it in the bud. Another trick is to plan your meals ahead. Sit down every week and put together healthy meal ideas that are realistic and that you can stick to. This way you won’t be left scrambling at the last minute when there might not be healthy choices available. If you were actively working out this isn’t the time to slow down. Keep moving to feel good and stay fit.

Don’t get too comfortable. Once you’ve reached your desired weight, it’s super easy to get comfortable in your new habits. Instead, give yourself incentives to maintain. If you go a month without your weight changing (keep in mind that small fluctuations are normal and your weight will change a bit during the course of the month), celebrate. Go for a manicure or get that new workout top you’ve had your eye on, just don’t splurge on dinner. Another fantastic motivator is to tape before and after photos on your fridge.

Understand why you overate in the first place. Take some time to figure out and recognize why you were overeating in the first place. Whether it was boredom or stress or something else, there was a reason for it. When you feel yourself getting stressed out, don’t head to the fridge, instead go for a walk, read a book do anything to distract yourself.

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