How to Keep the Pounds Off Try these strategies to maintain your healthier weight as you shed pounds.
- Keep a food diary.
- Weigh yourself once a week.
- Reward yourself.
Congratulations on the weight you've lost! Isn't it wonderful to know that your healthier eating habits and increased exercise are paying off? You deserve a lot of credit for the changes you've made. Now it's important to maintain them. To do this, continue eating healthfully and getting regular exercise. Here are some other strategies that can help.
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Keep a Food Diary
It may seem tedious at first, but using a food diary to keep track of what you eat is a great way to monitor your efforts. It also makes it less likely that you'll cheat "just a little." People who are the most successful at losing weight and keeping it off are very likely to write down everything that they eat each day. Inexpensive calorie/fat guides, available in bookstores, can help you determine whether you're meeting your daily calorie, fat, and cholesterol goals and where you need to improve. Your dietitian can also help you analyze your food diary.
You might also try writing down what you plan to eat before you eat it. Compare what you have planned with your diary of what you've eaten recently. Will your upcoming meal or snack fit into your goals for today? If it will put you over any limits you have set for yourself, how can you modify the meal or snack so that it's healthier? Taking a moment to analyze your plans in this way before you start eating can help you avoid feelings of regret later. It can also help you feel more in control of your meals.
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