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How to Maintain a Healthy Weight
Here are some tips on how you can maintain a healthy weight, whether you just went through a weight loss journey or if you’re looking to maintain what you have.
Tips to Maintain Weight
Exercise often
You should aim to exercise at least 30 minutes a day if you want to maintain a healthy weight. Some easy exercises you can do each day include walking, biking, and jumping rope.
Fill your plate with half fruits and half veggies for every meal
You want to make sure that you are eating healthy, and eating half fruit and half vegetables with your meals can be one way to do this. Some healthy fruits and vegetables include strawberries, blueberries, bananas, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Eat breakfast in the morning
Research shows that breakfast can give you energy and help keep your appetite in check. Aim to eat a healthy breakfast each morning to maintain your weight.1
Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night
It has been proven that people who do not get enough rest at night experience cravings and can feel too tired to exercise. Furthermore, people who do not get adequate sleep will produce less insulin, a hormone needed to change sugars, starches, and food into energy. As a result, your body will store more fat than it needs.2
Drink water
Did you know that adults who drink water increase their energy expenditure by 24–30%?3 Drinking water during the day can help the body manage its hunger cycles and prevent you from snacking when you don’t need to. You should aim to drink around 8 oz glasses of water (about 2 liters) a day.
Keep track of what you eat
If you’re looking to maintain weight, it might be helpful to keep track of what you are eating. You want to make sure that you’re eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and healthy carbs. You will also want to know if you are getting into a bad habit of eating fast food.
Be prepared for setbacks
If you just recently lost weight, you might be surprised to see some fluctuations. However, you should give it 3 to 5 days to see if you did gain some unexpected weight. Try to use these setbacks as opportunities to amend your process and fix what may not be working in your routine.
Eat plenty of protein
Foods with protein in them can help you feel more satisfied and stay fuller for longer. Protein helps your body also build muscle, which is important to maintain as you lose weight since you might lose some muscle during the process.4
Control stress
Stress can be a contributing factor to weight gain because it increases the production of cortisol, a hormone that influences your body’s metabolism.5 You can check out our guide on how you can best manage your stress levels.
Lift weights
Another important part of maintaining a healthy weight is lifting weights. Weight lifting can increase your muscle mass while helping your body to use energy. This can help your body avoid storing excess fat.
Avoid fad diets or skipping meals
Your body needs a certain number of calories to function each day, as well as vitamins and nutrients. Avoid practicing fad diets or skipping meals because this could impact your health long term.
Find a support system
A support system can play a pivotal role in holding you accountable for maintaining a healthy weight. Whether you check in regularly with a group of like-minded friends or use a service, maintaining a support group can help keep you in check.
Consistently weigh yourself
Another way to ensure that you maintain a healthy weight is to weigh yourself once a week, in the morning at the same time. This way, if you find out that you’ve gained 5 pounds, you can take steps to change your habits before you lose your progress.
Why Do People Regain Weight?
If you recently went on a weight loss journey, you might feel disappointed if you’ve gained some weight back. Some of the reasons why people will lose weight after they reach their goals include:
- You did a fad or unsustainable diet. These tricks may work in the short term, but they do not help you make long-term progress when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight.
- Bad habits. You might eat fast food a few times a week or neglect performing adequate exercise. These habits can cause you to regain weight over time.
- You don’t stick to your maintenance goals. After you achieve your goals, you might neglect to stick to your goals and think that you’ll be fine. However, over time your inability to stick to a plan may cause you to put some of the weight back on.
How can I gain weight?
If you are instructed by a doctor or another medical professional to gain weight, you should follow their advice on how to best achieve your goal. They will know what steps you should be taking to achieve weight gain in a healthy manner.
Some healthy tips we can offer you to gain weight include:
- Eat foods such as avocados and peanut butter with healthy fats
- Eat small/frequent meals throughout the day
- Lift weights and build muscle
- Eat healthy snacks such as nuts, fruits, cheese, and dried fruit
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Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long-term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.
Sources
- Pagan, Camille Noe. “Can Breakfast Help You Lose Weight?” WebMD, Nourish. 27 December 2018. Accessed 10 July 2023. Link: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/breakfast-lose-weight#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20food%20you%20choose%20matters,morning%20meal%20every%20single%20day.
- Patruel, Amy. Ambardekar, Nayana. “Sleep More, Weigh Less.” WebMD, Nourish. Accessed 10 July 2023. Link: https://www.webmd.com/diet/sleep-and-weight-loss
- Bjarnadottir, Adda. “How Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight.” Red Ventures, Healthline Media. 17 February 2013. Accessed 10 July 2023. Link: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/drinking-water-helps-with-weight-loss
- Pai, Deanna. Ball, Jessica. “Can Eating More Protein Help You Lose Weight? Here's What the Science Says.” Dotdash, EatingWell. 10 August 2021. Accessed 10 July 2023. Link: https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7913417/can-eating-more-protein-help-you-lose-weight/
- “How Too Much Stress Can Cause Weight Gain (and What to Do About It).” OrlandoHealth. Accessed 10 July 2023. Link: https://www.orlandohealth.com/content-hub/how-too-much-stress-can-cause-weight-gain-and-what-to-do-about-it#:~:text=in%20excess%20amounts.-,Cortisol%20Can%20Lead%20to%20Weight%20Gain,sweet%2C%20fatty%20and%20salty%20foods