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Check out her YouTube Channel

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Update: Shout out to Kimonica! She's lost 300 pounds!

Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Kimonica lost 234 pounds. This amazing YouTuber has been sharing her journey online for 5 years. She has inspired tons of people (over 3 million views on her videos). We are so excited to share her story today. What I love about her story is that it proves that you can start right where you are, regardless of your size or level of mobility.

What was your motivation?
My main motivation is to live. For a very long time I just existed. Now, I'm finally able to live a full life. My mom and my family have been so supportive and motivating!

What inspired you?
My mom really inspired me. She's over 50 years old and has lost over 100 pounds. She made it look easy!

How did you change your eating habits?
When I first started my journey, I was angry with myself. I could not believe that I's let myself get that big. I took the nuclear route: I cut out sweets, soda, pasta and breads for a while. I started eating more fresh fruit, fruit and veggie smoothies and drinking lots of water!

What did your workout routines look like?
When I first started out, I could not walk very far, so I had to build up my endurance. I started walking about 10 minutes a day, as well as doing other exercises while sitting down. Now, I exercise for 2 hours a day doing cardio and weight training!

What was your starting weight? 481 pounds
What is your current weight? 247 pounds
What is your height? 5'5″

How long did your transformation take?
3 1/2 years and still going strong.

What advice do you have for others who want to lose weight?
Don't wait, just do it! I feel like I wasted 10 years of my life that I can never get back. I told myself that food will always be here but will I? I ate whatever I wanted for ten years and it was time to take responsibility for my actions! That's exactly what I did.

I have been vlogging my journey since the beginning. I hope that I can help inspire someone out there. I want them to realize that even if you weigh 500 pounds it can be done without surgery! It will take time, but it can be done.

Youtube: www.youtube.com/plussizekimonica
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Kimonica28

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Kimonica lost 234 pounds | Black Weight Loss Success

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Update: Shout out to Kimonica! She's lost 300 pounds! Weight Loss Transformation of the Day: Kimonica lost 234 pounds. This amazing YouTuber has been sharing her journey online for 5 years. She has inspired tons of people (over 3 million views on her videos). We are so excited to share her story today.

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* In this moment, that is not on my lifestyle program.

* I don't always make healthy choices, but my goal is to make them today.

* I have a meal plan, and I'm sticking to it.

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Lost 100 lbs & kept it off for 10 yrs

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10 Year Weight Loss Transformation Anniversary: BWLW Diva and Wellness Coach lost 100 pounds and kept it off !! She was the first BWLW member that was featured in People Magazine. She is celebrating 10 years of releasing the weight. I asked her to share the insights and lessons she's learned and tell us about how she is helping other reach their goals.

Check out our original post on Myya's weight loss journey from 2013 more info on how she did it.

As I celebrate the 10 year anniversary of my weight loss and healthy lifestyle commitment, there are 3 tips that I would like to share with others who may be getting started or those who need motivation to get and stay on track.

First, set small manageable goals. Smaller goals are easier to reach than larger goals. Instead focusing on losing 100 lbs, I would focus on losing 5-8 lbs by the end of the month. I would also set non-scale victories such as, my clothes will fit more loosely by the end of the month, rather than always focusing on the number on the scale as an indication of success. As you get closer to your goal it will not be as easy for you to lose weight. Once you reach your goal, your focus will change to maintenance rather than weight loss, which is why focusing on non-scale victories is important. When you set goals you can reach easily, it makes you feel successful and that success will help you to stay motivated, to keep going and ultimately enable you reach your larger goals.

The second lesson I learned about losing weight is finding /creating a nutrition and exercise plan that I enjoy and that helps me reach my goals. It was very important to me that I did not feel deprived and I wanted my food to taste good. Therefore, I focused on finding healthier methods of cooking the foods that I loved but paying close attention the preparation and portions. I eventually was able to create my own nutrition plan which is what allowed me to lose over 100lbs and keep it off.

With regard to exercise, I looked for exercise methods that I enjoyed. Exercise should not feel like a chore. Exercise, like nutrition, is a requirement of long-term weight loss. My exercise regiment was and is a combination of cardio and weight training! I enjoy step aerobics, spinning and kickboxing for my cardio. I combine this routine with strength training (lifting weights), 5 days a week. If you plan to stay committed to a healthy lifestyle you should stick to things that you love!

The final lesson I learned is to strive for progress not perfection. We are not perfect creatures. Most people will never see their body as perfect. As I started to reach my goal, I focused on the fact that I was making progress and that I was successful at reaching the goals I had set along the way. I reminded myself that each day that I stuck to my goal I was closer to reaching my long-term goal. THAT is progress. I focused on being the best MYYA I could be, not trying to look perfect. I focused on improving my image and health, rather than trying to have legs, abs or a butt like someone else. You will always be you, and you will never be them, so you should refrain from comparing yourself to others. Instead you should focus on being the healthiest person you can be. Realize that weight loss and weight management is a lifestyle that is always progressing. It is not something that you should think of as having an end. It is forever. Therefore you have to keep going in order for your progress to continue.

Making the decision to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle is a huge task. I found that most people have every intention to commit to changing their lifestyle but they either do not know how to do it or at some point lack the motivation to keep going. I experienced this myself and I developed various methods to deal with this. This is why my company, www.myyamixon.com was created. Myyamixon.com is a 100% online health and wellness company that focuses on weight loss and weight management. I offer customized weight loss plans, 1 on 1 coaching, an ongoing support. I eliminate the guess work; calorie counting and frustration about what to eat to lose weight. My program's focus is on eating real foods in order to have long-term weight loss success.

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10 Year Anniversary: Myya lost 100 pounds and has kept it off | Black Weight Loss Success

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10 Year Weight Loss Transformation Anniversary: BWLW Diva and Wellness Coach lost 100 pounds and kept it off !! She was the first BWLW member that was featured in People Magazine. She is celebrating 10 years of releasing the weight.

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Short Results Report

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national center for biotechnology information

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united states national library of medicine

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Habit-based interventions for weight loss maintenance in adults with overweight and obesity: a randomized controlled trial. - PubMed - NCBI

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Since most of the US spends forty-plus hours at the workplace, it is important to focus on staying healthy while...

Just because it is based on alternative ingredients, it does not mean that vegan food cannot be tasty. You can...

Since most of the US spends forty-plus hours at the workplace, it is important to focus on staying healthy while...

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3FatChicks on a Diet! - Diet & Weight Loss Support

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Since most of the US spends forty-plus hours at the workplace, it is important to focus on staying healthy while... Just because it is based on alternative ingredients, it does not mean that vegan food cannot be tasty. You can... Since most of the US spends forty-plus hours at the workplace, it is important to focus on staying healthy while...

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Before starting her healthy weight loss journey, she used to ignore her weight. At a certain point, though, she couldn't ignore how her body felt. Lorrie lost 100 lbs. by calorie counting, keeping up a gym routine, and setting small goals for herself.

We followed up with Lorrie as part of our Where Are They Now? Series. She's still maintaining her healthy habits, calorie counting, and has taken up jogging. She still struggles, but stays motivated by giving herself new goals and mixing up her routine. And she also has a lot of great advice for others trying to do the same!
Refresh our memory, what was your "Aha!" moment, which inspired you to lose weight?
In January 2010, I started a healthy weight loss journey with calorie counting and exercise. It was just before that point that I realized what being overweight was doing to my body. My feet would hurt and my back would go out all the time. My first "Aha!" moment was in the summer of 2010 when I stepped on the scale at a local Big Lots. I was at my biggest, in the 270's. I usually ignored my weight. Even at the doctor's office I would look away when they would weigh me.

Transformation Tuesday Videos!

After that, I felt determined to set a goal and stick to it. I got down to 258 lbs. by starting a vegan diet and going on long walks. Shortly after, I started Calorie Count and a gym routine.
How did you determine your weight loss goal?
I determined my goal weight by using the BMI tool section of Calorie Count. I chose the high end of healthy for my height, 150 lbs. I also chose that particular weight because I was 258 lbs. when I set it and thought it would be cool to be a 100 lbs. lost Success Story on Calorie Count!
What was it like to go from weight loss to weight maintenance? Were you worried about the transition? What helped you the most during this time?
I am currently trying to lose about 20 more lbs. to get to 140 lbs. I want to be in the middle-range BMI and have more wiggle room. When I set the goal of 158 I wasn't sure if this was my end goal weight. I'm still a little worried from time to time about gaining. I want to get to my second goal, but have only been maintaining. I want to step it up and tone more too.
What are the most challenging aspects of maintaining your weight? Is there any part of maintaining that is more difficult than weight loss?
It gets harder and harder the closer you get to your goal. It's especially hard at night when I want to snack. If I don't meal plan my whole day seems to go out the window. I realized that I am really good at lying to myself about how many snacks are ok to eat. I'll say things to myself like, "Only one more." Or, "I had a hard day I earned such and such snack." For some reason, I need calorie counting to keep me on track with how much I can eat. At this point, I know that I have the working out down, but the overeating part I think I might always struggle with. I do know that I can't wait until I get to my goal weight. I know when I get to maintenance mode I will have to keep up my workouts and stick to how many calories I need to maintain. There will be no giving up here! Once I finish one mountain I have to find another one to climb!
Have you ever been tempted to renounce your new healthy lifestyle? Do you still log your food? How do you stay motivated?
I'm struggling with the overeating. Honestly, sometimes I feel a bit out of place in social situations because I have to tell my friends that certain things are not in my calorie budget. There was a point when I quit calorie counting for about a month and gained 10 lbs! For some reason, if I don't meal plan and see just how much energy I am consuming then I lie to myself really easily. I stay motivated by doing things like subscribing to new weight loss blogs, trying new healthy recipes, and asking friends to join me in workouts.
How has Calorie Count been instrumental in helping you maintain a healthy weight?
Calorie count has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me! I am constantly recommending this site to customers, co-workers, and family members. It helped me feel in control of my food instead of my food controlling me. I love how I feel after a good nutrition grade and when I have completed a workout! I love how this site is more than just calories - it's about moderation and an overall balanced nutrition and exercise routine.
What new healthy habits have evolved in the past year? What else can you tell us about your journey?
My new healthy habit this year is jogging. It took a while, but I am finally able to jog around Green Lake (2.8 miles) without stopping! Now I try to jog around Green Lake a few days a week in between my gym routine. Next, I am working on push-ups. I can't even do a girl one! Right now I'm doing counter push-ups until I can work my way to the floor ones. But man, do I feel the burn with the counter ones!
What advice would you give to people who are trying to lose weight or maintain?
I still live by what I wrote last year. Here is that advice with a little extra thrown in:

-Write a blog. It can help you create a sense of how you feel about your journey and connect with people who relate to you.

-Set realistic, smaller goals each week. Focusing too much on the overall goal can be overwhelming.

-Don't cut out all the "fun foods" from your diet completely. If you want a cupcake, have one! Just try to budget for it in your calories.

-Only lose weight if it's something you are doing for yourself.

-If it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Do your research.

-Drink more water and try to wean yourself off of drinks filled with chemicals.

-Eat more whole foods. When you switch to complex carbs, like 100 % whole grains, from the white refined stuff, you will find you are fuller longer and don't crash as easily.

-Don't give up! This is a lifestyle change not a competition or a fad. I wanted to lose 100 lbs. in 1 year, but it took 2 years for me.

-All that matters is staying on track and only compare you to yourself. "It is not how you compare to others that is important, but rather how you compare to who you were yesterday. If you've advanced even one step, then you've achieved something great." -Daisaku Ikeda

Source: http://caloriecount.about.com/staying-track-after-100-pound-weight-b612627
Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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100 Pounds Lost: Staying On Track And Keeping It Off - Vegan

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Only lose weight if it's something you are doing for yourself. Read my plant based weight loss transformation success story with before and after pictures along with more pics for motivation. My challenge was fast easy vegetarian meals and healthy vegan weightloss diet recipes.

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Credit: Photo credits, clockwise from top left:Maridav/Shutterstock.com, Robert Michie/StockXchng, Pressmaster/Shutterstock.com, llaszlo/Shutterstock

Losing weight is only half the battle - for many people, the bigger challenge is keeping the weight off over the long term. But is there a secret formula for success? To find out, Live Science interviewed experts and conducted a weekslong search for the best studies on the topic of keeping weight off. We combed through the evidence, and boiled it down to provide simple, science-based tips for how to maintain a slimmer, healthier self.

After a diet, it's common for people to regain some or all of the weight they lost - sometimes this is called " yo-yo dieting." A 1999 study estimated that just 20 percent of overweight or obese Americans are successful at losing at least 10 percent of their body weight, and keeping this weight off for at least a year. In fact, even people who are eventually successful at maintaining weight loss often go through several failed attempts first, other research shows. Researchers who followed more than 700 people who successfully lost at least 30 lbs. (13.6 kg) and kept it off for a year or more found that 91 percent reported they had previously made unsuccessful weight-loss attempts before they were finally able to keep the weight off.

"The challenge is that your body is very able to adapt to change," said Dr. Bruce Lee, director of the Global Obesity Prevention Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. "If you have been at a certain weight for a while, then the body tends to try to maintain that weight," Lee told Live Science.

But there is good news: Studies have revealed that people who are successful in keeping weight off share common habits. Although people tend to lose weight in lots of different ways, "what they're doing to maintain weight loss is a little more consistent," said J. Graham Thomas, an assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center of The Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.

We describe in detail below the exercise and dietary habits most commonly seen in people who successfully keep weight off, and the science behind them.

The truth is that, if you want to keep weight off, the cards are stacked against you: Your brain and your body are hard-wired to regain lost weight. This, combined with the abundance of high-calorie foods available today, makes it all too easy to put the pounds back on, experts told Live Science. After you've lost weight, your metabolism slows down, so you burn fewer calories than would be expected, even when you're at rest. "Your body goes from being like a truck, burning a lot of fuel, to being more like a Prius, burning less gas to go the same distance, when you've lost weight," Thomas said. This happens because your brain senses your fat stores are low, and sends signals to the muscles to become more efficient.

In fact, people who lose 10 percent of their body weight actually need to eat 20 percent fewer calories once they reach their new weight, compared with other people with the same weight, to maintain their weight loss, said Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, a professor of pediatrics and medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, who has studied weight-loss maintenance. For example, a person who weighed 200 lbs (90.7 kg), and then lost 20 lbs (9 kg), so that his or her weight was now 180 lbs (81.6 kg), would require about 300 to 400 fewer calories per day than a person who naturally weighed 180 lbs. "It's a disproportionately lower number of calories to stay right where you are," he said. [ Here's Why It's So Hard to Maintain Weight Loss]

On top of this metabolic slowdown, multiple systems in the body undergo changes that affect our desire to eat. For example, after weight loss, your appetite increases, you have to eat more to feel satiated and you may increase your preference for higher calorie foods, according to a 2015 review paper from a government-backed panel of weight-loss experts. Areas of the brain involved in the ability to resist eating are also less active, Rosenbaum said.

"You've created the best possible scenario to regain the weight you've lost," Rosenbaum said.

Physiological factors that keep weight on and drive a person to overconsume high-calorie foods would have been useful back when humans were hunter-gathers, and had to cope with periods of famine. But these adaptations are problematic today in developed countries, where high-calorie foods are so readily available. "Our brains and our bodies and our genetics are not well suited to our current environment," Thomas said.

Not getting enough sleep may also interfere with maintaining weight loss. A 2012 study found that sleep-deprived people show more activity in the brain's reward center when looking at pictures of unhealthy foods, and are more interested in these foods, than people who are well rested. And a study published in 2013 found that people who spent five nights in a sleep lab, sleeping just five hours a night, gained nearly 2 lbs (0.9 kg) over a two-week period, because they were overeating.

Finally, although many people can resist high-calorie foods for a limited period, it's often hard to keep this up over the long term, Thomas said. This may be because, when a person is losing weight, they experience the reward of seeing the pounds drop off, but when they're simply maintaining weight, this reward goes away, according to the 2015 review paper.

But despite these obstacles, there are some people who've managed to beat the odds, and keep weight off for years. To better understand how these dieters kept their weight off, in 1994 researchers at Brown Medical School and the University of Colorado launched the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks the habits of individuals with successful weight-loss maintenance. It's now the largest study of its kind, with more than 10,000 people. Because of the large size and long duration of the study, much of what we know about successful weight loss comes from this registry.

To be included in the study, adults need to have lost at least 30 lbs (13.6 kg), and kept it off for at least a year. But the average person in the study has lost 66 pounds (30 kg), and kept it off for 5.5 years. Participants must also provide verification of their weight loss, such as medical records. Every year, participants answer questions about their weight, diet and physical activity, as well as their strategies for maintaining weight loss. More than two dozen scientific papers have been published from the registry. Some of the most important findings from the registry are highlighted below.

When you're trying to lose weight, your diet is the most important factor, but when you're trying to maintain weight loss, exercise becomes the most important factor, said Dr. Jacinda Nicklas, a physician and weight-loss researcher at the University of Colorado Denver's School of Medicine.

Studies involving data from the National Weight Control Registry have shown that people who successfully keep weight off exercise more than the average person; for example, they walk for 60 to 75 minutes per day. In line with these findings, Nicklas recommends 60 to 70 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (like walking) per day, six days a week. If you do more vigorous activity, such as running, then your exercise routine doesn't need to be quite as long: about 35 to 45 minutes a day is enough, she said.

Because this amount of activity can seem daunting, Nicklas recommends that people start increasing their physical activity levels during the weight-loss phase, so that by the time they get to the maintenance phase, they are ready for the high levels of activity needed to maintain weight loss The researchers at the National Weight Control Registry note that, although 60 minutes per day is the average amount of exercise for the registry participants, some people engage in less activity and still keep their weight off. But Thomas recommends at least 200 minutes a week (or about 40 minutes a day, five days a week) to maintain weight loss. [ 2016 Best Pedometers]

One reason exercise is important for keeping weight off is that studies suggest it can prevent the metabolic slowdown that happens with weight loss, so the body burns more calories even in a resting state than it would if the person wasn't exercising regularly, Thomas said. Higher amounts of physical activity also mean you don't have to be as strict about your diet as you were when trying to shed pounds. "In order to counterbalance being more free with your diet, you have to have the exercise to have a buffer to prevent weight gain," Nicklas said. But this doesn't mean you can eat whatever you want - you still have to be careful with your diet so that you don't consume more calories than you burn. [ The Great Calorie Debate: Does Weight Loss Come Down to a Simple Equation?]

There's no "magic" diet for maintaining weight loss, Nicklas said, but studies of the National Weight Control Registry do find some consistent eating habits that may be helpful. Overall, people in the registry tend to consume low-calorie, low-fat foods. On average, they eat about 1,380 calories per day, with 29 percent of their calories coming from fat. (Men in the registry eat about 420 calories more per day than women, on average.)

Registry participants are more likely to say they eat "modified foods" that contain less fat and sugar, compared with people who've always been a healthy weight.

For example:

About 60 percent eat low-fat dairy, compared with 49 percent of people who have always been a normal weight.

Registry participants consume three times more servings of artificially sweetened soft drinks, like diet soda, compared with people who have always been a normal weight.

About 55 percent said they ate low-calorie dressings and sauces, compared with 44 percent of people who have always been a normal weight.

Eating these "modified foods" may help people consume a satisfying volume of food without eating excessive calories and fat, the researchers said. What's more, participants in the National Weight Control Registry have less variety in their diet - they come up with a healthy diet that works for them, and don't stray from it much. "These folks are selecting a more limited diet of 'safe foods' that they eat over and over again," Thomas said. [ 4 Calorie-Cutting Tips That Won't Leave You Hungry]

This "boring" type of eating may work to help sustain weight loss because it creates an environment that's essentially the opposite of one that promotes weight gain - where there are a variety of tasty, high-calorie foods. "Just by limiting the variety of foods that we allow ourselves to consume, we reduce the likelihood of unintentionally overeating foods with an unknown number of calories, fat grams, etc.," Thomas said. In addition, when people eat the same foods over and over, they become less excited by the foods, and so eat less of them, he said.

More than three-quarters of registry participants also say they eat breakfast every day. This fits with studies showing that people who skip breakfast tend to weigh more than people who eat a healthy morning meal, according to the National Institutes of Health. It may be that people who skip meals end up feeling hungrier later in the day, and this causes them to overeat. "One theory is that eating breakfast in the morning helps reduce the likelihood that hunger becomes overwhelming and uncontrollable over the course of the day," Thomas said. In addition to breakfast, registry participants eat other regular meals - on average, participants eat about five times a day.

In addition, they go out to eat less frequently than the typical American. On average, registry participants eat less than one fast-food meal per week, on average, compared with two to three fast-food meals per week for the typical American, studies have found.

Many experts emphasize that a successful diet is one that can be maintained long term. This means you should not completely deprive yourself of your favorite foods, or starve yourself all day. You can eat foods you like in moderation, but this should be balanced with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, leaner meats, low-fat dairy products and water. "This balance can aid fullness [and] reduce cravings ... while keeping caloric intake lower," said Mary Ellen DiPaola, a registered dietitian at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.

Michaela Kiernan, a senior research scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine, recommends trying to find some healthful, low-calorie foods that you think taste as good as the high-calorie foods you used to eat. This will probably mean that you'll need to try lots of new foods in order to find wholesome "replacements" that work for you, Kiernan said. And when you do indulge in your favorite, high-calorie foods, you should eat them mindfully - savor and relish them, Kiernan said. Mindful eating may help you feel satisfied without consuming too much.

DiPaola also suggests planning meals to avoid overeating, including what it is you wish to eat, when and where you will buy the food, how it will be prepared, how much you will eat and when it will be eaten.

Another important habit for maintaining weight loss is self-monitoring, which means keeping close tabs on your weight and eating habits. Studies have found that people in the National Weight Control Registry weigh themselves at least once a week, and over half of them track their daily food intake. Monitoring weight is important so that people know right away when the pounds are starting to creep back. "It's easier to catch and reverse a weight gain of a few pounds than it is to catch and reverse a weight gain of 10 to 15 lbs (4.5 to 6.8 kg)," Thomas said.

Some early studies suggest that technologies, like smartphone apps, can help with self-monitoring, or may even improve self-monitoring over traditional paper diaries. For example, a small 2014 study found that people tracked their diet more consistently with an app than with pen and paper. This may be because apps make tracking easier, and can be more engaging, Thomas said. [ The Best Calorie-Counter Apps]

Kiernan said that people can start some of the habits that will help them maintain their weight loss even before they actually lose weight. For example, sherecommends that you weigh yourself daily to see how your body weight fluctuates even when you aren't on a diet. You can then come up with a 5-pound range for the upper and lower limits to your current weight. When your weight gets close to the upper limit of your range, you can make small changes to keep yourself at your current weight, like eating 20 percent less at meals for a few days, or taking an extra walk, Kiernan said. Once you've familiarized yourself with these strategies, you can use them to help maintain weight after weight loss.

In a 2012 study, Kiernan found that women who mastered these weight-maintenance strategies before they embarked on a weight-loss program were better able to keep the pounds off later. A year after the weight-loss program ended, women who learned the maintenance skills first regained only 3 lbs (1.3 kg), while women who lost weight first regained 7 lbs (3.2 kg). Kiernan also recommends anticipating life disruptions - like vacations - and making small tweaks in advance. For example, you can work to get to the bottom of your weight range before going on vacation.

Reducing "screen time" may also help with weight-loss maintenance. A 2006 study of 1,400 members of the National Weight Control Registry found that 62 percent said they watched 10 or fewer hours of TV per week. At the time the study was conducted, the typical American spent, on average, 28 hours per week watching TV.

And support from family or friends may also help people stay on the right track to maintain their weight. A 1999 study of 166 people who had participated in a weight-loss program found that 66 percent of people who brought friends with them to the program sessions maintained their full weight loss six months after the program ended, compared with 24 percent of those who attended the sessions alone.

But certain kinds of support may be better than others. Researchers in Greece looked at differences in support between 289 people who were able to maintain their weight loss for over a year, and 122 people who regained their weight. The study, detailed online Jan. 22, 2016, in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, found that people who regained weight actually received more support overall from their social network, but it was often in the form of reminders of what they should and shouldn't do. In contrast, people who maintained their weight received more compliments about their weight, and their friends were more likely to actively help them with their maintenance goal, for example, byeating healthful foods with them. [ The Surprising Things You Shouldn't Say to Someone Who's Lost Weight]

So although the challenge of keeping weight off can sometimes seem impossible, there are a number of habits that seem to boost a person's chances of success. A healthful and consistent diet, lots of exercise and keen attention to your current weight and eating habits may help you win the struggle to keep weight off for good.

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Losing weight is only half the battle - for many people, the bigger challenge is keeping the weight off over the long term. But is there a secret formula for success? To find out, Live Science interviewed experts and conducted a weekslong search for the best studies on the topic of keeping weight off.

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Want to Keep the Weight Off? Study Says Change Your Habits

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A new study reinforces the importance of breaking old habits and creating new ones to losing weight - and keeping it off.

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Interesting Sounding Book

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maintaining your weight loss: a mindfulness-based guide to the adventure of a lifetime

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Maintaining Your Weight Loss: A Mindfulness-Based Guide to the Adventure of a Lifetime

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End the full-time struggle to keep weight off. Turn struggle into adventure - a joyful adventure. Maintaining Your Weight Loss is a roadmap for your adventure: * Access mindfulness, kindness, and self-compassion. * Learn to work with physical and non-physical roadblocks. * Invoke different kinds ...

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I've heard this book mentioned so many times, I had to post a link

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You've probably heard that 95 percent of all diets fail. In other words, almost everyone who loses weight eventually regains it. This isn't true, but it's easy to understand why so many of us believe it.

The problem isn't really with diets. It's with a lack of guidance after your diet. Christopher Sciamanna, M.D., discovered this the hard way. After losing 30 pounds, he described his new, lower weight as "shockingly challenging" to maintain.

Luckily for him-and for the rest of us-Dr. Sciamanna had the perfect job for learning how to deal with this challenge. He's a physician and research scientist at Penn State University's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He and his colleagues decided to study weight-loss maintenance.

For the past two decades, this field of research has focused on a single group of people: those who choose to join the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR). To qualify, they have to lose at least 30 pounds and keep the weight off for at least a year.
And when experts study NWCR participants, their efforts reveal this bleak checklist of post-diet strategies that nobody enjoys:

1. Exercise at least an hour a day, almost every day
2. Follow a low-fat, low-sugar, low-calorie diet
3. Eat more or less the same stuff all the time
4. Minimize TV watching
5. Eat breakfast

Ugh (mostly). You can understand why dieters continue searching for alternatives, and why dieters and nondieters alike believe permanent weight loss is virtually impossible.

But it's not. Dr. Sciamanna's team found that more than a third of those who lost at least 5 percent of their initial body weight kept it off. About a sixth of those who lost at least 10 percent were able to do the same.

These results should be encouraging. Remember, even if you fall short of your original weight-loss target, permanently downsizing 5 to 10 percent of your girth offers substantial health benefits, and almost certainly improves your appearance as well.

To keep weight off, you have to adjust. You'll require skills and practices that are different from the ones you used to drop the pounds in the first place.

"Maintenance requires a specific focus," Dr. Sciamanna says. "It's like an exit strategy to a war. Once you lose weight, it's not 'mission accomplished.' You need to rethink how you're going to maintain the weight loss." Here are three ways to keep lost pounds off for good.

Find your new normal. When you begin a weight-loss program, says Dr. Sciamanna, you're willing to make enormous, zero-to-60 changes. A drive-thru addict might quit cold turkey. A careless chowhound might start weighing his food and tracking his calorie intake religiously.

"But at a certain point you want your old life back," he says. "There's a huge fatigue that sets in. How long do you want to spend on that one problem?" You can't literally have your old life back, because that's how you gained so much weight in the first place. But you can create a "new normal" with these three practices. Of course, sometimes you feel ravenous even though you just finished lunch; in that case, some food ingredients could be sabotaging your waistline.

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You've probably heard that 95 percent of all diets fail. In other words, almost everyone who loses weight eventually regains it. This isn't true, but it's easy to understand why so many of us believe it. The problem isn't really with diets. It's with a lack of guidance after your diet.

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Amazing Weight Loss Transformation: Dee Dee lost 225 pounds. At 380 pounds, she was suffering from a number of serious health issues. She transformed her health and her weight. Now, she's a radio host, weight loss counselor and nutritionist. She shared with us about the actions she took to change her life.

I am submitting my weight loss success story to inspire others to fight obesity in the black community. What motivated me was when my doctor informed me that my kidneys were at 3.5 renal failure. I also had diabetes, extreme high blood pressure, sleep apena, asthma and high cholesterol. That right there was my inspiration to totally change my lifestyle.

I changed my eating habits immediately, letting go of fast food, high calorie foods, sugar laden foods and soda. I even stopped drinking diet drinks, juices, etc. I went on a clean diet, became vegetarian and drank water and green tea only.

My workout routine consists of 6 days a week in the gym; upper body, lower body and abs. I also walk 6-7 miles a week.

My starting weight was 380 pounds and now I weigh 155 pounds. I am 5'3″ tall. My transformation took approximately two years.

My transformation has led me to a greater height and greater devotion. Now, I am a certified weight management counselor and personal nutritionist specializing in children and sports nutrition. My advice for others who want to lose weight is: Be selfish. This is ALL ABOUT YOU! Love and forgive yourself. Visualize yourself as the queen you truly are. It is time to walk into your destiny.

I have a web radio show, "The Fitness Diva" every 2nd Saturday of the month on www.tribefamilychannel.com at 1:00 pm CST. My website: www.fitnessdivaforlife.weebly.com.

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Dee Dee lost 225 pounds | Black Weight Loss Success

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Amazing Weight Loss Transformation: Dee Dee lost 225 pounds. At 380 pounds, she was suffering from a number of serious health issues. She transformed her health and her weight. Now, she's a radio host, weight loss counselor and nutritionist. She shared with us about the actions she took to change her life.

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The Total 10 Rapid Weight-Loss Plan should have you feeling healthier than you did two weeks ago. Follow this maintenance plan to keep the momentum going and the weight off.

Rule #1: Reintroduce Food Groups One Week at a Time

Since your body has been without these foods for the past couple of weeks, it might have a reaction to them when they're reintroduced into your diet. Start by testing each food with a half-cup serving to minimize the effect of any potential reactions.

Add 2% milk, low-fat cheese and butter back into your diet. If you feel fine, continue eating dairy. If you bloat, gain weight or feel moody, cut ties with the food group.

Start incorporating pears, oranges, mangoes and peaches back into your diet if you'd like.

Introduce whole-grain bread, pasta and ancient grains back into your diet, but do it before 2 p.m.

Rule #2: Avoid Packaged Snack Foods

These types of snacks will pack on the pounds, so eat protein-based snacks such as hummus and veggies, hard-boiled eggs, turkey roll-ups and chickpeas instead. You should especially avoid sugary and diet snacks with artificial sweeteners.

Rule #3: Weigh Yourself Every Morning

People that weigh in every day have more long-term success. Look at the scale as your ally. Whether the number goes up or down, it can help you figure out what isn't working and what you can get away with. Remember, the scale isn't about getting a grade; it's motivation to make progress.

Rule #4: Allow a Splurge Once a Week

Don't strive for perfection in your diet, because perfection leads to failure. So indulge in a dessert, an entrée you've been craving or a glass of wine once a week.

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The Total 10 Rapid Weight-Loss Maintenance Plan

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The Total 10 Rapid Weight-Loss Plan should have you feeling healthier than you did two weeks ago. Follow this maintenance plan to keep the momentum going and the weight off. Since your body has been without these foods for the past couple of weeks, it might have a reaction to them when they're reintroduced into your diet.

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15 Empowering Quotes for Weight Loss Motivation

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This is the best advice for weight loss. Experts share how to become the healthiest you can be.

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Whether you're slogging through a tough workout, or logging hours in the kitchen for your weekly meal-prep sesh, sometimes you need a little extra motivation outside of what's on your Spotify playlist. That's where podcasts come in to play.

In 2017, at least 40 percent of Americans reported listening to a podcast, according to Edison Research, and many are flocking to ones focusing on health and weight loss. We spoke to real women about the podcasts that helped them shed inches and pounds, all while gaining major body confidence. Tune in to these to stay motivated on your weight-loss journey:

The Female Perspective

The Schtick: Fitness guru Brittany Lesser talks to women about not only weight loss and fitness, but body positivity. (The Female Perspective; iTunes.)

Why It Works: "Brittany is honest, smart, and willing to share. As a chiropractor, I know a lot about the human body, but it's nice to have people I can turn to who are also knowledgeable. I like that we speak the same language." - Jennifer Castille Powell, Chicago, Illinois, down 27 pounds

Kellcast

The Schtick: Powerlifter and certified personal trainer Kelly Lenahan breaks down weight-loss concepts so that they can be understood, and she helps subscribers take their fitness up a notch. (Kellcast; iTunes)

Why It Works: "I subscribe and listen to Kellcast because, as an aspiring powerlifter, Kelly motivates me to push through all of the tough stuff with faith and perseverance. She reminds everyone that we all had to start somewhere, and she is willing to share her wealth of knowledge on fitness." - Sade Smith, Dayton, Ohio., down 25 pounds
These 9 deadlift variations will tone your entire butt:
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Trust and Believe

The Schtick: The name says it all. Shaun T, known for the Insanity and t25 DVDs, encourages physical and mental fitness, and helps his followers build their confidence. (Trust and Believe with Shaun T; iTunes)

Why It Works: "'Trust and Believe' is really great when you need motivation for anything. He talks about busting through self-doubt and fear, which, for a person with anxiety disorder, can be huge." - Cathy Kirch, New York City, down 20 pounds
(Get the secret to banishing belly bulge from WH readers who've done it with Take It All Off! Keep It All Off!)
The Model Health Show

The Schtick: This is the top-rated fitness and health podcast on iTunes, with 16 million listeners. Nutritionist Shawn Stevenson talks all things health and wellness. (The Model Health Show; iTunes)

Why It Works: "I HIGHLY recommend. Shawn has so much to say about conventional health fads and clarifying what's actually real and not, and there is so much I've learned that I've implemented (or not) into my own lifestyle. It has helped me on my health and wellness journey in terms of just bringing a greater sense of awareness in all aspects of health in my life from food, fitness, workouts, sleep, supplements, water, morning routines. Everything health related." - Stephanie Berk, Copenhagen, Denmark, down five pounds and two inches.

The Complete Fitness Professional

The Schtick: This podcast caters to individuals who want to turn their passion for fitness into a career. It also helps motivate those already working in fitness, while keeping them up to date on trends. (The Complete Fitness Professional; iTunes)

Why It Works: "I gained 17 pounds while studying in Argentina. It took me a year to lose, and along the way, I decided to pursue a fitness profession. This podcast has inspired me, and I am able to implement what I've learned in my work as a Beachbody coach, as well as in my own fitness." - Madelaine Sendorf, Danville, Kentucky, down 23 pounds

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​5 Weight-Loss Podcasts That Might Actually Change Your Life

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Whether you're slogging through a tough workout, or logging hours in the kitchen for your weekly meal-prep sesh, sometimes you need a little extra motivation outside of what's on your Spotify playlist. That's where podcasts come in to play.

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We've carefully selected these blogs because they're actively working to educate, inspire, and empower their readers with frequent updates and high-quality information. Nominate your favorite blog by emailing us at bestblogs@healthline.com
We all want to be healthy and fit. But for many of us, setting a goal to lose weight is a lot easier said than done. A weight loss journey can also feel isolating without a strong support system.

That's where blogs can come in. If you're looking to lose weight this year or need some inspiration and motivation to keep you moving forward, these are your people!

Authentically Emmie

Run Eat Repeat

No Thanks to Cake

In 2010, Kelly decided it was time to make a change. So she started blogging about losing weight. She credits the bulk of her weight loss in those early years to Jenny Craig. Today, she writes about how she manages to keep the weight off. No Thanks to Cake is full of healthy recipes that are sure to make your mouth water. There's also plenty of inspiration for people starting out on their own weight loss journey.Visit the blog.

Runs for Cookies

Katie's weight has been a challenge her entire life. But after having two boys, she reached an all-time high: 253 pounds. That was when she decided to make a change, but it didn't happen right away. For the next three years, she dieted and bounced between losing and gaining 50 pounds. Her real weight loss journey began in 2009, when she used calorie counting and running to take off 125 pounds. Today, she writes about maintaining that loss, running, being a mother, and managing a bipolar diagnosis. Visit the blog.

PopSugar Fitness

The Fitnessista

Prevention RD

Nicole Morrissey is a registered dietitian who works specifically with diabetes and weight management. What sets her apart from many other dietitians is that she's struggled with her own weight since a young age. She was 14 when she went to her first Weight Watchers meeting, and the years that followed brought many ups and downs. Today, she accepts that she "may forever be a work in progress," so she focuses on balance. That means healthy, good-for-her foods, and doing the active things she loves, like running and hockey. Visit the blog.

Full Plate Living

The Healthy Foodie

Andie Mitchell

Andie is a healthy recipe developer and New York Times best-selling author. She shares some of her most delectable food ideas on her blog. She'll tell you right up front: She believes in balancing health and happiness. And it was through that balance that she lost 135 pounds - a journey that can also be found in her memoir, " It Was Me All Along." Visit the blog.

Not Afraid of Stripes

If you're looking for a writer to follow who's still in the midst of their own weight loss journey (and willing to admit might always be), Amy is your girl. She blogs about the ups, downs, and challenges on her path to weight loss on Not Afraid of Stripes. She doesn't hesitate to share her insecurities or efforts to improve her own body image. Visit the blog.

Instant Knock Out

Mexico Bariatric Center

Nerd Fitness

Workout Mommy

Life by Daily Burn

Powercakes

Kasey Brown is passionate about helping kids and women love their bodies. She's a certified personal trainer, a best-selling author, and an IDEA fitness-inspired advisor. Her posts on Powercakes provide healthy recipe ideas, new fitness tips, and inspiration to keep moving toward a healthier lifestyle. Visit the blog.

Mind Body Green

The Mind Body Green fitness section is full of articles sure to help fuel your health and weight loss journey. Multiple contributors talk about everything from the impact alcohol may have on your metabolism and the correlation between fitness and money to the workouts wellness leaders are obsessed with. Visit the blog.

Blogilates

Cassey Ho, award-winning fitness instructor and Pilates teacher, is the creator behind Blogilates. It's now the No. 1 fitness channel on YouTube. Her blog is an extension of that channel, where Cassey's aim is to motivate and inspire readers. She does this by sharing monthly workout calendars and posts about clean eating and getting fit in a way that's actually enjoyable. Visit the blog.

Carrots 'n' Cake

Carrots 'n' Cake is written by a food and fitness blogger who also happens to be a mom. The blog provides meal plans, advice for those looking to get fit while dealing with chronic illnesses, and relatable posts about maintaining health while balancing motherhood. You can also find some great recipes, like these blender chocolate chip cookies. Visit the blog.

The Lean Green Bean

Lindsay, a registered dietitian and new mom, has a passion for nutrition and healthy living. She shares that passion on The Lean Green Bean. She provides healthy recipes, nutrition information, tips for new moms, and workout advice. Her focus is on balance: She's all about helping you live a healthy lifestyle without feeling like you're giving anything up. Visit the blog.

Ross Training

Comeback Momma

Tony Gentilcore

Once upon a time, Tony Gentilcore helped found Cressey Sports Performance. While he no longer coaches there, he remains an active athlete and trainer. He contributes to fitness magazines and helps others reach their fitness goals. He blogs about finding focus in fitness and also has some fun posts about work and life. Visit the blog.

Tone It Up

FitFluential

IDEA Fit

Breaking Muscle
Leah Campbell is a writer and editor living in Anchorage, Alaska. She's a single mother by choice after a serendipitous series of events led to the adoption of her daughter. Leah is also the author of the book "Single Infertile Female" and has written extensively on the topics of infertility, adoption, and parenting. You can connect with Leah via , her , and .
Ace Fitness

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We all want to be healthy and fit. But for many of us, setting a goal to lose weight is a lot easier said than done. A weight loss journey can also feel isolating without a strong support system. But an online community can help with that.

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View as slideshow

Diet & Weight Loss

Shedding extra pounds is hard, but keeping them off can be harder. Steal the secrets of these big "losers" to help preserve your healthier, slimmer body for good.

They keep themselves accountable

To lose 27 pounds after having a baby, Stacie Krajchir, 48, found that sticking to the same menu day after day helped take the guesswork out of the process. But when it came to maintaining her weight loss, it's regular check-ins that have made all the difference. "I think my success in maintaining has been checking in and getting weighed every few months as a 'refresher,' Krajchir says. "And I set up a reminder to drink lots of water, and eat fruits and veggies packed with water like celery, cucumbers, and watermelon."

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Secrets of People Who've Maintained Their Weight Loss | Reader's Digest

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View as slideshow Diet & Weight Loss Shedding extra pounds is hard, but keeping them off can be harder. Steal the secrets of these big "losers" to help preserve your healthier, slimmer body for good. To lose 27 pounds after having a baby, Stacie Krajchir, 48, found that sticking to the same menu day after day helped take the guesswork out of the process.

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Today marks one year of maintaining my 100+ pound weight loss as well as three years of my start date from attempting to lose weight.

I'd say that attempt was pretty successful!

On January 15th of 2014 I took these before photos and then on January 16th I dove head first into weight loss: I started working out every single day and counting calories using the My Fitness Pal app and decided that at my heaviest EVER weight of 246 pounds, it was time to make a change and stick with it.

I blogged monthly throughout my first year of weight loss which is organized here so you can read those post to see how I lost the weight in more detail. If you don't have time I'll give you the cliff notes version: I ate healthy 80% of the time, worked out, and decided to never give up no matter how many bad weekends or cheat meals or screw ups I had. THAT'S REALLY ALL THERE IS TO IT! There is no secret to weight loss: it honestly just takes work and dedication. If you stay committed and consistent long enough you will see result! On my first year weight loss anniversary in 2015 I had lost 78 pounds!

I continued working hard in 2015 and saw more and more pounds drop. I hit a plateau at around 90 pounds down and was stuck there for awhile until I really started to feel motivated to hit 100 pounds down and started to really buckle down. Along my whole journey I ALWAYS would give myself some time off on the weekends to relax my diet a bit and have around two cheat meals: it honestly kept me sane and able to stay focused during the week! But I actually cut most of those cheat meals out after being stuck at my plateau for so long and was able to make it down to 95 pounds down...and then got stuck AGAIN.

I was happy with my body but frustrated. When you get soooo close to losing 100 pounds...you just want to reach it gosh darn it!!! I also couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong: I was eating really healthy and exercising (still having some cheats with wine!!!) but the scale would not budge.

Finally, I decided it was time to switch things up. I switched from solely counting calories to the If It Fits Your Macros diet plan where you track proteins, carbs, and fats. I started to lose weight IMMEDIATELY because I realized my body needed much more protein than I had been eating before, and less carbs and fats. Suddenly after being stuck for months, after only one week tracking macros I hit my 100 pound weight loss goal ON MY TWO YEAR FITNESS ANNIVERSARY! On January 16th of 2016 I woke up and weighed in to see that I had gone from 246 pounds to 146 pounds in exactly two years.

Thus began another year of staying dedicated to my health and fitness...but instead of actively trying to lose weight my goal was now to just maintain which in some ways is easier, and in some ways is a COMPLETELY different game.

At 146 pounds and 5 foot 6 feet tall, my BMI is 23.6 or in the "normal weight" range of 18.5-24.9. Ultimately, I just want to be healthy. I don't need to be a model, I don't want to train for a figure competition, I don't want to run a full marathon (at least I don't think so as of now!) I just want to be a normal, healthy girl who can live her life! So my mindset throughout this past year has mostly just to been to continue what I'm doing to maintain this 100 pound loss.

So: how exactly am I doing it? How have I went a full year maintaining my loss? Well I'll tell you first and foremost that mostly I'm doing the same thing I've been doing all along! You can't reach your goal weight and then just STOP and go back to your old ways or the pounds will creep back on in no time. One of the biggest things that has not changed for me is my exercise routine: I still workout pretty much everyday!

Exercise has always been the "easier" part of weight loss for me. No, it's not always "easy" when I do it but it's easy for me now to make sure I always fit a workout into my day. A lot of weeknights I will go workout right after work, and if I have something going on after work I make sure I get up early to get it done before work! It's just part of my schedule and something I always do now. Sometimes it DOES sucks. I've had long days at work where I just want to come home and lay on the couch and eat pizza (hah!) or there have been Sundays that are so cold that I just REALLY don't feel like going out and doing a long run...but I do it anyway. There have also been plenty of times where my workout is the most cathartic part of my day. I've taken spin classes or barre classes where I get lost in the music and the teacher's instruction or other times where I climbed the stair master like it was my JOB and loved every second of it. I randomly decided to go out and run a half marathon on a trail by where I live one Sunday in October and finishing that run was one of the most EMPOWERING moments in the world knowing that I've trained and worked and stayed dedicated to fitness long enough that I can go out and run a half marathon on a whim!

My current exercise routine normally includes going to the gym about three times a week where I do a mix of cardio and weights. My favorite cardio is the stair master and on week nights I will normally do 45 minutes on the stairs and then 15-25 minutes of different weight machines. I like to get a long workout in on Saturday mornings if my schedule allows where I will do an hour on the stair master and then 30 minutes of free weights and/or abs. I try to run twice a week (it's harder in the winter) with one shorter run during the week and a longer run on the weekend. I go to a barre class every Friday morning and then will often do another workout at home one day with various different workout videos.

For my diet: I've still been following the IIFYM diet plan and track my macros pretty consistently on average around 5 days a week. I paid Poppy Locks to calculate specific macros for my body/workout routine/diet history that add up to about 1700 calories with 145 grams of protein, 170 grams of carbs and 47 grams of fat. These are "fat loss" macros for me so if I stay on this set of numbers, I am supposed to lose weight. It's amazing how well my body has responded to this diet plan: whenever I am consistent with tracking my macros I always see the scale drop! Since I'm not trying to lose any more weight though, I only follow these macros around 5 days/week and give myself a break the other two. This is just what has worked for ME. Some people will do a "reverse" after hitting their goal weight and gradually increase their numbers and eat more every day, but I like the freedom of having two days to not care about weighing my food or worry if I'm exactly hitting my macros within 5 grams. It makes me feel "human" and normal and not like a crazy macro girl all the time ;)

Does this mean I go completely crazy and eat whatever I want those other two days? Most of the time no ;) I still get a workout in and I eat mostly healthy but will often drink on those days (sometimes wayyyy more wine than I could ever work into my macros!) or get an extra coffee (that I put way too much sugar in) or go out to dinner and get something that sounds a little more exciting than having a salad topped with grilled chicken. This method has been working for me to maintain since around 70-80% I stick to my fat loss macros and eat a lot of whole and healthy foods. I mostly fill my diet with natural foods and don't eat a ton of processed food. I eat a TON of veggies, lean protein, egg whites, greek yogurt, and then throw some fun stuff in here and there. Here's a sample meal plan from a regular day for me:

Breakfast: Egg white scramble with veggies and spinach topped with low fat cheese. Side of grapes on this day but often will be plain greek yogurt mixed with pb2 powdered peanut butter (affiliate link)

Lunch: A bunch of roasted veggies (broccoli, cauliflower and green beans) with some grilled chicken

Afternoon Snack: Alternative bagel from Western Bagel (code "mygirlishwhims" will get you 15% off your first order) with low fat strawberry cream cheese

Dinner: Greek yogurt chicken salad on lettuce wraps

Dessert: Protein bar from Good to Go Bar (code "GIRL" for 20% off any order)

I am used to cooking and eating healthy most days of the week now but do enjoy taking a bit of a break every now and again - realistically I think we all need it! Often times my two "non-tracked" days come on the weekend and I will have different events going on where it's hard to perfectly track macros anyway. Sometimes it's just nice to go to a birthday party and enjoy a piece of cake with everyone else. It's fun to watch football at a sports bar and drink and eat wings and mozzarella sticks. It's nice to go out to a BYOB with my boyfriend and eat sushi and drink wine and just have fun and relax! That is my favorite part about maintenance: the freedom that I have to sneak in some more of these extra indulgences that would have set me back further than I would have liked while l was trying to actively lose weight.

To be completely honest though, sometimes it's really, really, really hard to remember that these extra indulgences are just supposed to be that: INDULGENCES and not the norm. That is the hardest part about maintenance. I DON'T have to eat 1700 calories every day any more to maintain - I have some extra freedom and sometimes getting a taste of that freedom makes it hard to get back on track. I never struggled with binge eating when I was heavy because if I wanted something, I just ate it! There have been times this past year though where I have eaten to the point of making myself sick. Honestly it normally comes after drinking, but I will just start shoveling food in my mouth without stopping! I think it feels so freeing to me because I DO strictly track my macros most of the time so after getting a little buzzed I've found myself elbow deep in the peanut butter jar spooning gobs and gobs into my mouth or eating four protein bars in a row or slice after slice of pizza (like literally one time I ate all but two slices from a regular sized pizza!!!) It feels almost "fun" to me to be able to eat as much as I can shove into my mouth of these foods because I know I could never make that amount fit into a "normal" day for me.

Does this happen often? No. Do I feel gross and shameful and like a failure every time after it happens though? Yes. I went through a phase once where it was a pretty common occurrence and I started to feel pretty sucky about myself. I finally had to be up front with myself and realize though that just because I shove peanut butter in my mouth after having too much wine or eat more pizza than I should on a date night every now and again DOES NOT MAKE ME A BAD PERSON. I am still a good human being: I work hard, I'm kind, I'm compassionate, I love my family and friends and try and do good in the world. "Cheating" or eating bad food sometimes doesn't make me any less of a person.

However, I AM still trying to stick to a healthy diet and eating 8 slices of pizza or half a jar of peanut butter on the regular is neither healthy OR good for maintaining a 100 pound weight loss! Luckily for me though, one thing I have always been good and consistent about is my ability to get back on track every single Monday. THAT is the key to weight loss and even more so for maintenance now. Some weekends my diet is great, some weekends my diet is bad but every Monday just the same I get right back on track. Giving up is just not an option for me anymore. I've chosen to change my lifestyle and most of the the time I really DO enjoy it. I actually enjoy exercise now and I like the food that I cook and fill up my meals with. There will always be times be times when it is hard: someone brings a huge pan of brownies into work or some of my friends meet for happy hour when I need to go fit my workout in...and THAT is where the true test of will power and consistency comes into play. It's my norm now to just ignore the extra treats at the office, my schedule includes an hour of exercise everyday instead of an extra hour of TV, that's just all part of staying dedicated to my healthy lifestyle and what has kept me successful at maintaining.

I also recently took a challenge to go four weeks without drinking and it has been SUCH a good reset for me. I think you can still drink and be successful at weight loss/maintenance but I was letting drinking turn into an excuse for just eating whatever I wanted which is NOT a good habit to get into! I'm about halfway through the challenge and feeling better than ever. I needed this mental reset to realize that even when I have my "cheat" days or non-tracked days I still need to stay in control of my food choices. As someone who was heavy her whole life, I am ALWAYS going to have to watch what I eat. It doesn't always seem fair: we all know people in our lives I'm sure who it seems can just eat whatever they want and never workout and stay in shape just the same while I'm over here tracking and weighing every little bite of food I put into my mouth and getting up at 5AM to go workout. Unfortunately, life isn't always fair though!!! Staying in shape and being healthy is important to me now so if that means tracking my food, working out daily, or even giving up my beloved wine for FOUR WHOLE WEEKS to stay successful with maintaining my weight loss, then that's just what I'm going to have to do.

So where am I now and what is my game plan? I currently weigh around 142 pounds putting me at about a 104 pound total weight loss. My plan for this next year is to just keep on keeping on! I want to keep working out, keep eating healthy, and keep giving myself some breaks when needed. I'm at a really fun point in my life and I can honestly say that I'm happier than I've ever been before, partly because I'm healthier than I've ever been before! I have some fun trips coming up including some trips to Atlantic City, a weekend in Florida, and a whole week in Punta Cana (my best friend is getting married there in March!) and I'm so excited to be able to dress up in some heels and fancy dresses or throw on a bikini and just be able to have FUN and enjoy all of these experiences without having to worry about being uncomfortable from being so overweight or self conscious of how I look anymore.

I am forever grateful for the 246 pound girl who three years ago decided that she was capable of MORE. She was strong enough to change her life, strong enough to fight through the cravings, the sweaty workouts, the months where the scale would not budge and stay dedicated long enough to lose over 100 pounds and 42% of her body weight! Taking control of my health has been the BEST thing I have ever done for myself and I'm so excited for another year of staying on track.

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How I Maintained my 100 Pound Weight Loss for One Year

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Today marks one year of maintaining my 100+ pound weight loss as well as three years of my start date from attempting to lose weight. I'd say that attempt was pretty successful!

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In this new weight maintenance series, we interview some of our Lost It participants who have previously shared their successful weight loss stories. In this series, we revisit some of their fitness and eating habits, and find out how they really keep up with maintaining their new bodies and mindset.
Who: Ben Pobjoy (Read his original Lost It feature here)

City: Toronto

Age: 35

The Numbers: Current weight: 150 pounds and a total weight loss of 100 pounds over the years.

After Losing The Weight: Maintaining weight was easy because it wasn't a concern. Instead, I was more concerned with making time to implement as much varied physical movement into my day-to-day life as possible. And because my lifestyle shifted to a tremendously active one - comprised of a lot of walking and boxing - my metabolism completely changed. Now, I can probably get away with eating whatever I want, and sometimes I do. But more often than not, I'm super disciplined with my inputs - maintaining a wholesome plant-based diet - since it affects my physical performance and my general sense of well being.

For me, losing weight was easy because I found physical pursuits that were enjoyable... which was key. Additionally, losing weight is a straightforward thing; you just have to calorically expend more than you calorically consume. Others made the process sound much harder than it actually was. But, what was more challenging - and remains challenging - is the time and commitment it takes to eat well; all the grocery shopping, meal planning, meal preparation, etc. I generally make almost everything that I eat, and this requires a lot of time. There's definitely been a lot of late nights making the next day's lunch or early mornings making shakes before a workout.

"Healthiness to me isn't about denial, it's about balance and joy, and certain foods, ha ha, like cookies, just bring me joy..."

Your New Mindset: I'm the same person... just in a retrofitted vessel. While it was nice to be indirectly complimented for my efforts, the whole experience was eye-opening as to the objectification of bodies and the value people generally place on aesthetics; in terms of how things look vs. how things feel or inherently are. Now a healthy weight and in shape, I've experienced how thinner people are made to feel 'more' or better or just generally celebrated, and it's troubling and sad. Overall, it's been a personal reminder to judge character, not bodies.

I also now feel connected to my body like never before. In terms of the 'me' inside, I feel like the same person. But, achieving better health through walking expanded my consciousness. I've seen a lot of suffering on my walks both at home and around the world; homelessness everywhere, Syrian refugees in Istanbul, addiction on East Hastings or Skid Row in Los Angeles, and how people with mental health issues lack support and fall through the cracks in every city. This has made me keenly aware of my privilege/luck in life and has increased my empathy, and inspired me to distribute sandwiches to hungry people on the streets when I walk. I'm not naive enough to think I can change systemic issues but I refuse to be apathetic.

Movement has been meditative for me, enabling me to become a new person in terms of consciousness. It has rewired how I see and experience the world, which is why I'm always challenging myself to retool my physical movement into social movement that helps others, even if it's just through small acts.

I've long been a fan of boxing, and getting in shape has allowed me to pursue boxing in a serious way. I've been fortunate enough to train under a striking coach named Jorge Blanco for the last year. It has been humbling, incredible and really damn tough.

The Food Element: When I began to get healthy, I was very disciplined with what I ate because I had to rewire my unhealthy relationship with food. So, I cut out everything bad; soda, chips, refined foods, starchy things, etc. Previously, I ate until stuffed and ate treats all the time. But, when I overcame my compulsions, I learned how to pepper in treats because I could finally and responsibly enjoy them as such. I eat overwhelmingly healthy now, but I'll occasionally crush a bag of cookies or a whole pizza if I want. Healthiness to me isn't about denial, it's about balance and joy, and certain foods like cookies, just bring me joy.

"I don't care about what it took to get here, it was just a reset to a baseline of basic health."

Breakfast is some ungodly green sludge smoothie slurped back after a workout; spinach, romaine lettuce, goji berries, cucumber, unsweetened almond milk, blackstrap molasses, flax seeds and hemp protein. Lunch is a massive salad or veggie bowl with a spectrum of plants, seeds and proteins like beans or tempeh often with fermented dressings. Dinner is smaller and often made in a bamboo steamer; a head of broccoli, a brick of tofu, fermented miso sauce, avocado, olive oil, walnuts, etc.

I don't have cheat days, but if I want something unhealthy, I'll have it. To me, it's just about keeping unhealthy foods in check. I try and eat way more good than bad. And because I train so hard and so often, I know how important it is to eat well; because this not only fuels me, it helps with recovery post-workout.

Portion size is irrelevant to me because I'm more concerned with nutrition. If a meal is small but nutrient dense then I eat small. If the food is less nutrient dense then I eat more. However, I typically have a small breakfast, a massive lunch and a small dinner, trying my best not to eat late at night. And, I'll eat raw vegetables as snacks in between all these meals.

The Exercise Factor: I box six days a week, sometimes twice a day. Yes, it's exercise, but I just love it like a pastime. I don't even do it for the fitness, I just do it because it's so enjoyably challenging and gives me happiness. And, over the course of a week, I walk about 100 km because I love walking and live in the city so I don't need a car, cabs or public transit.

I train with my striking coach Jorge twice a week. He corrects my boxing technique, teaches me new techniques then gives me homework which I do in my own gym outside of the time I spend with him. Jorge has vastly improved my strength and conditioning. I've maintained the same weight but have become leaner and more muscular.

The Current Day-to-Day: I don't care about what it took to get here, it was just a reset to a baseline of basic health. So, I don't view it as an accomplishment, it's just a reset I should've done a decade sooner. But, now that I've arrived, I try not to take it for granted because health is a fleeting, ungraspable thing you have to actively try and grasp at every day. So, I try my best to grasp it and go beyond it, because every degree of improvement unlocks new performances or potentials and that's exhilarating to experience. I don't care about past accomplishments, I care about future challenges and surpassing them.

I'll drink a million lattes, savour American menthols or occasionally get blind drunk. I like to keep it funky. I'm far from perfect and rife with contradictions... meaning there's always another area of myself to conquer and improve. The process is perpetual. There's no finish line.

Do you have a weight loss maintenance story to share? Send us an email at CanadaLiving@huffingtonpost.com to be featured on our Lost It series.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. ALSO ON HUFFPOST:

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Maintain Weight Loss: After Losing 100 Pounds, This Is Why Maintaining It Is 'Easy'

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In this new weight maintenance series, we interview some of our Lost It participants who have previously shared their successful weight loss stories. In this series, we revisit some of their fitness and eating habits, and find out how they really keep up with maintaining their new bodies and mindset.

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Introduction: How to Lose 100+ Pounds and Keep It Off for Life

Several years ago, I decided that my life had to change. I was very overweight, completely sedentary, and ashamed of what I had allowed myself to become. I had been on so many diets throughout my life and had always gained the weight back. This time it was worse than ever. 100 pounds to lose. I committed to losing the weight and making this the very last time. I lost 100 pounds and this year makes 3 years of maintaining the weight loss.
In this Instructable, I plan to give you an inside look at what it takes to lose a significant amount of weight (100+ pounds) without gimmicks or nonsense, no shakes or pills required. I also plan on telling you what it takes (mentally and physically) to maintain that weight for as long as you are willing to put forth the effort!
Take heart, friends! Stop reading diet books! There is NO secret, only science!

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have lost weight in the very healthiest or best manner possible. I ate processed food, I partook of sugar substitutes, and I indulged from time to time. This is the way that I lost weight. It worked for me and has made me into a very healthy person. I am at the correct BMI for my height and have a great body fat percentage. That's not to say that it will be the best way for you or that it can't be done in other ways. This is the experience of just one woman. I would also like to stress that you should be consulting your doctor before you begin any kind of new diet or exercise routine.

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Step 1: Prepare Yourself Mentally for Weight Loss

There are some things you need to consider before you begin any weight loss journey that is as big as ours.

-It will not be comfortable. You spent at least the last few years being comfortable and if you want to lose weight, you're going to have to switch up your routine. You will step WAY out of your comfort zone. You are changing your life and the way you treat your body.

-It will not be an overnight change. There is a reason that people say "weight loss JOURNEY". This is something that takes time, like anything else that's worth doing. It may be years before you reach your ultimate goals. You will have to remember along the way to celebrate the smaller milestones. Dropping a pants size, going up a resistance level on the elliptical, having a friend notice a difference, even just feeling better about yourself are all great reasons to celebrate.

-There will be temptation. The world will not stop because you are losing weight. Every restaurant you love is still open and the food still tastes amazing. Work is still stressful. Lounging is still easier than working out. The people you hang out with are still not making healthy choices. The only thing that's changing is you.

-Your goal needs to be healthy and realistic. A woman who has 100 or more pounds to lose should not strive to look like their favorite celebrity. Likewise a man in the same situation should not expect to look like the guy on the cover of a muscle magazine. Your primary goal should be health. Any physical changes should be completely secondary. Make sure to make your goal weight something within the healthy BMI range. We will talk about realistic time frames in the next step.

You need to ask yourself if you're willing to accept these facts. if you're not, you may not be ready. You will have to go into this thing willing to make changes, withstand temptation, and accept any setbacks or mistakes.

If you are going to do this, the first thing I suggest is to make a point of mentioning it to everyone you know. Tell them what you're doing and what your goal is so that you get asked about your progress constantly. Post it on your Facebook and Twitter. Don't give yourself a chance to cop out. Put it into your head that this is starting and there's no backing down.

Next up, let's talk basics!

Step 2: Learn to Set a Healthy Goal

In order to lose weight, we are going to use a principle that is very simple, but tough to understand for some reason for a lot of people:

To lose weight, burn more calories than you consume.

That's really all you need. We'll talk more about this concept when we go into calorie counting. For right now, you need to know what constitutes a healthy goal, short and long term. Let's go through some figures you need to know.

BMI
In order to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index), you will need to know your current weight. Now might be a good time to buy a scale and put it in the bathroom. This website will tell you your BMI and what category this places you in. It will also tell you what the healthy weight range is for your height. Many people will argue that using the BMI is not always an accurate way to find a healthy weight loss goal because the system is outdated. However, I feel that if you take the healthy BMI range and put your goal somewhere in the middle, you can readjust when you make that primary goal.
Ex: I am 5'7" and I weigh 240 pounds. Currently that puts me in the obese category. My healthy weight range is between 118 and 159 pounds, so I choose to set a goal weight of 140 pounds initially.

Daily Caloric Intake
Now you need to figure out how many calories to eat each day in order to get to your goal. This website has a great calculator for this purpose. If you put in your basic statistics, the calculator tells you exactly how many calories to eat per day during every week of your diet for the first year. It will even adjust the amount of calories weekly based on your updated weight.
If you are following my plan, you'll want to put in moderate on the activity level, unless you also have a very active occupation, such as a job that requires you to walk around and stand for most of the day.

There are some things you'll want to keep in mind when you make this goal:
-A healthy amount of weight to lose per week is about 2-5 pounds depending on your starting weight and current physical condition. If you are planning on losing more per week, I highly recommend consulting a doctor regularly, especially if you currently have any medical conditions.
-A healthy amount of calories to eat per day for most people on a diet is 1200 calories or more. If you put your goal into the calorie calculator and the calories per day numbers are below 1200 calories, you will want to lower your yearly goal so that you can safely lose less weight within the first year.

Ex: I am 5'7" and 240 pounds. My goal is a healthy weight of 140 pounds. I put in the goal of losing 100 pounds in a year, but notice that this puts me under a healthy amount of calories per day toward the end of my plan. I can either choose to lower my yearly goal on the calculator or go with the current plan with the intention of eating at least 1200 calories per day toward the end of the diet for a slightly slower result toward the end. I will be losing around 2 pounds per week. During the first week of the plan, I will want to eat 1762 calories per day.

If you're losing 100 pounds or more and trying to do it safely, expect to spend at least a year working toward your goal and likely more.

Step 3: Food - Calories in (Introduction)

There is no better way to lose weight than calorie counting. If you look at any successful weight loss program, one of its main principles is limiting calories, whether you were aware or not. Food is fuel, and without any activity the fuel is stored.

Brace yourselves, here comes a metaphor:
You now have a daily calorie intake limit. It's a lot like the money you have in the bank. If you withdraw too much, something bad happens. In this case, you gain weight. If you don't spend it all, something good happens. In this case, you lose weight. You are already operating at a deficit if you've set a goal using the calculator, so we're doing great and "saving your funds"!
Here's another way calories are like your money. You have complete choice of what you spend your funds on. You are capable of being responsible and making great choices, or being irresponsible and wasting those funds. For a food to be something worth spending calories on it should be nutritious. Every day you need fruits and veggies, all your vitamins, and lots of protein, just like your mom told you. Some people choose to closely monitor this. I chose not to do this, but to keep it in mind. If you wish to understand your nutritional goals in more detail, I would suggest this article .
The choices you make will shape the way you feel all day. You can feel hungry and tired by choosing to spend 300 calories on a candy bar or full and energized by choosing to spend the same calories on whole wheat pretzels and a serving of natural peanut butter. You've been overspending your caloric funds for years, partly because your choices don't give you the nutrients and energy you need. We're trying to get more efficient.
That's not to say that you cannot indulge your calorie funds on your old vices, but you have to be realistic. Let's say that you love a good burrito at your local burrito place. It has rice,steak, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole...YUM! You look up the number of calories in the burrito: 1100 calories. Oh no! That's almost all of your daily intake! Can you spend your calories on that? Sure. Will it allow you to fulfill your daily needs? No. That's why tightening the belt is about getting creative. You could go to that same burrito place and have something very tasty and nutritious. Delete the wrap, make it a bowl. Get the SMALL bowl with rice, veggies, black beans and grilled chicken. Sub pico de gallo or salsa for the sour cream and guacamole. You've just lowered your meal calories to 500 or less and made it much healthier for you. It's doable.
What you need to do is acquire the tools to understand this new language and execute this new plan. How do you know how many calories are in something and apply it to your daily goal?

Step 4: Counting Calories

Supplies
Years ago, counting calories was very confusing. Your only resource was the food label and often fast food restaurants didn't have their nutritional information readily available. These days, we have the tools to make it much easier!
Here are the recommended tools you might want to use for calorie counting:

-Smart Phone or Computer
There are tons of free websites out there to help you to lose weight. One that's available both online and on your smart phone for free is called Daily Burn . It's the one I use and is very simple to operate. It gives you a food and workout journal with lots of free content. The food journal is attached to a searchable database of foods, one of the largest I've seen. Put in the name of what you're eating and how many servings to get a calorie total and a running total of how many calories you have left for the day. One of the premium (pay) features of Daily Burn on the iPhone also allows you to scan the barcodes of many products to expedite the calorie logging process. There are many other great websites and apps for calorie and workout logging.
Here is a small list of some other great ones:
Spark People is a great, user friendly website that gives points for participation and has a social aspect.
LiveStrong is a very popular choice with it's MyPlate program which is also available on smart phone.
Fit Day offers very detailed reports and is available on smart phones.

You may also choose to use a calorie journal and calculator. A calorie journal can just be a pad of paper with your daily caloric goal written at the top where you write what you are eating and add up your totals. This is much less user friendly and more time consuming. I started out using a calorie journal and the only thing I will say about it is that it does force you to think a little bit more about how many calories are in everything as you are writing and calculating, which helps you later on during maintenance.

-Measuring Cups and Spoons
You cannot get by without these. Serving sizes for food are usually by the tablespoon or cup. On occasion they are by ounce, which is why it could be useful to have a food scale, but not necessary. When you put an item into your food journal, you need to pay close attention to the serving size. If the serving size is one cup, you need to get out your measuring cup and put that much on a plate. Likewise, if one serving has too many calories, you can cut that figure in half by only measuring half a cup.

That's really all you need!

Tips and Tricks
Being a dieter for a few years helps you to understand a few things you didn't before. Here are some things to consider as you count calories:

-Water is your friend!
You need 8 glasses of water every day. If you aren't hydrated, you run the risk of mistaking your thirst for hunger. It is always a good idea to drink a glass of water with each meal and 1-2 in between. This will ensure that you are hydrated throughout the day.

-You can eat more if you make a healthy choice.
If you want to be able to eat a lot of food, choose something healthy and low in calories. If you are eating cucumber slices dipped in salsa, you'd be surprised how much you can eat before you even get to 100 calories. You're getting your veggies at the same time. Instead of eating ice cream for desert, you can eat cups and cups of fruit for the same amount of calories! It's all about making good choices.

-Invest in some lowered calorie foods!
Some products are designed as prepackaged diet foods, such as ready made frozen meals with low calorie counts or sugar free ice cream/chocolate substitutes with lower calories. There is nothing wrong with using these foods as tools, but remember that prepackaged foods are not necessarily the best for you. Some of them are packed with sodium, sugar substitutes or preservatives, things that can set you back because of how they interact with your body. This should be an option you utilize when you are short on time or having monster cravings.

-Plan ahead.
I would not be sitting here 100 pounds lighter today if I had not planned ahead. During my free time I would plan my next few days, maybe even a week of meals, then make sure I had shopped for the items, possibly even pre-preparing the meals and freezing them. It's not always easy work, but it makes your self-control possible when all the other elements of your life are in flux.

-Don't let your feelings get the best of you.
Many of us are hardwired to eat when we are stressed. Rewire yourself. This is your cue to take care of yourself better. If you're stressed, you're going to be forced to fix it, not medicate it with food. Find a way to breathe deeply, go for a walk, write down your feelings, or just plain do something else when possible. You'll feel better for it.

Step 5: Exercise - Calories Out (Introduction)

Remember how good food made you feel? Exercise can make you feel better.

Now beware the return of the metaphor:
Here we are back at our metaphorical calorie bank! If eating is making a withdrawl from your funds, exercise is making a deposit. With the daily calorie intake calculator, you have already accounted for a normal amount of exercise, about 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. But what if you decided that today you really wanted to indulge and go a little beyond your calorie goal? Could you make a deposit later to make up for it? Absolutely. But remember: Just like with money, calories are a lot easier to spend than they are to earn.
Exercise burns calories and that's the whole secret to losing weight! Exercise also builds muscle which helps you to burn calories even when you are at rest. Great news, right?
If you're new to exercise, it can be a little threatening.

Types of Exercise
Not all exercise is alike. There are three types and they have different purposes.

Flexibility
This kind of exercise is performed to increase your range of movement. This is the kind of thing you should be engaging in shortly before and after exercise to avoid injury. Flexibility exercises provide little calorie burn, but protect your body during a workout. Here is a good video guide to stretching. Similar stretches can be used afterward. Recent studies have suggested that stretching before a workout may not be beneficial. I invite you to draw your own conclusions . It is still a very good idea to stretch after a workout either way.

Aerobic
This is the cornerstone activity of weight loss. Aerobic activity is a continuous exercise such as running, walking, biking, or swimming as well as team sports. Not only does this activity strengthen your heart and muscles, it helps you get a great calorie burn going!

Anerobic
This is any strength training that you do. It includes bodyweight bearing exercises like push ups and sit ups as well as any form of weight lifting. Remember that this kind of exercise can help you tremendously when trying to increase the amount of calories you burn while at rest.

So when do you exercise and how?

Step 6: Exercise Plans

Suggested Supplies
Exercising can be simple and take few supplies or more complicated. It all depends on how you decide to burn those calories. Here are a few things you might want to have:

-Good Shoes
You don't have to go anywhere fancy to get good shoes. The good friends at Academy Sports and Outdoors have less expensive prices and their employees will know what to look for depending on the kind of exercise you plan on engaging in primarily. Without good shoes, working out can become painful, which will make you want to stop.

-A water bottle or some bottled water
You always need access to water during a workout. It is essential. You might be thinking that you'll need a sports drink because you're being active. Don't be fooled. That's you pouring calories into your mouth as you try to burn them! Unless you are running marathons or engaging in an intense sports game, you don't need sugary sports drinks. Water is fine.

-Smartphone or iPod/Book or TV
One of the biggest complaints I used to have about working out was that I had nothing to do on the machines. If you're going to ride a machine, you might want to have something to do when you get there. I would suggest that you tie some entertainment into any kind of exercise, whether you're listening to music, reading a book, or watching your Netflix que. It helps your workout time feel more like your free time used to. You're just not sitting on the couch anymore!

-Gym Membership?
Having a gym membership can help you by putting all of the fanciest, newest tools at your disposal as well as offering exercise classes. It can also be expensive and intimidating for people who are self conscious about their bodies or their lack of knowledge about exercise. Use your own best judgement. Will you use the gym membership? Are you better off just taking brisk walks around your neighborhood or following along with an exercise video for now? If you are not comfortable going to a gym, don't go.

Making Your Exercise Plan
Now it's time to consider how to make a plan to exercise. A major consideration for this will be when to fit it in. I would recommend aerobic activity at least 30 minutes a day, 6 times a week if not 7. How will you do this? Will you wake up early every day to fit it in? Will you go after work? Do you have enough breaks during your workday to break up your workout into two 15 minute sessions or even three ten minute sessions?
Another thing to consider is that your starting plan should be simple. It's important that you experience success early on and add more pieces later. Here's what your first plan might look like:

Mon-Sun: 30 minutes of walking with 5 minute stretch after.

That's it. Maybe within a few months you'll want to add strength training. Strength resides in your upper and lower body and in your core. You can do exercises for each muscle group on certain days of the week. Here's what that plan might look like:

Monday - 30 minutes of walking with upper body strength
Tuesday - 30 minutes of walking
Wednesday - 30 minutes of walking with core strength
Thursday - 30 minutes of walking
Friday - 30 minutes of walking with lower body strength
Saturday - 30 minutes of walking
Sunday - 30 minutes of walking

You can choose from a wide variety of exercises in the different areas. Here is a comprehensive list of exercises . You should try to choose 2 or 3 exercises for each area of your body and choose a reasonable amount of repetitions of the motion to start with. Maybe this is 10. Over time you may work your way up to 20 and then more. There are also things called sets where you do a certain amount of repetitions and then rest for a moment before doing more. Be sure to switch up the exercises periodically to challenge your muscles.

Later on, you might want to add more aerobic or anerobic exercise. I prefer to do around an hour of exercise each day and this can really speed your weight loss. You may want to add new and different activities to interest you. Whenever the exercises feel easy, make them feel harder. There is a difference between being hurt and being uncomfortable. Exercise should not hurt but it should feel uncomfortable. If it's comfortable, you are not being challenged.

Lastly, remember that you can record your physical activity in your calorie journal. Most of the aforementioned smart phone apps and websites will calculate for you how many calories you've burned or the machine might have a display that tells you. It should be noted that the calories you burn are not to be replaced through eating unless you are doing an excessive amount of exercise. It's just helpful to record your calorie burn for personal reference.

Step 7: Troubleshooting

Plenty of problems to be had with weight loss. Here are a few pitfalls you might have:

I'm not making my weight loss goals on the scale.
You have made a commitment and you need to be honest with yourself. If you are truly not meeting your goals on a consistent basis, think about what you're doing wrong. This is simple math. Either you put the numbers in wrong at the beginning or you are failing to record calories/failing to work out. Make sure that you take responsibility for your mistakes.
That being said, sometimes consuming excess carbs or sodium can cause you to retain water on the scale. Not enough to be terribly significant, but it can set you off your goal. This kind of weight gain should go away within a few days of your weigh in.

I don't like the food I'm eating.

The beauty of calorie counting is that you can eat anything you'd like. If you don't like the food you're eating, eat something different. If your problem is that you don't like vegetables or other healthy stuff, make like a kid and hide your veggies in something you do like, like whole wheat pasta with marinara or lowfat cottage cheese. Get creative.

I messed up. Now my diet is ruined.

To err is human. So you messed up for a day/week/month/year. You have the rest of your life to fix this problem and get yourself healthy. Dieting is hard and sometimes when we mess up we look at it as a sign that we can't do it. Don't believe that about yourself. Pick yourself up and start again.

It's my birthday/Christmas/Thanksgiving/Independence Day/Easter/office party!
Let me give you my personal plan for this type of situation. I try to have a small meal at every meal other than "the feast". I try to give myself at least 700 calories to work with. Don't count calories here, just keep your brain with you. Make the healthiest choices possible. (eg: Veggie tray and fruit tray not brownie bites and nachos.) Don't gorge yourself. If you are required to bring a dish, bring something healthy with you. Enjoy the company more than the food and eat slowly. That's the only way to know when you're full. Remind your friends that you're dieting if you feel weird about being the most sensible soul at the party.

I want to drink alcohol.
Okay! Just remember, alcohol has calories like anything else. The calories are often higher related to alcohol content. Enjoy 1 to 2 beverages and COUNT THE CALORIES. Don't overdo the alcohol or you'll find yourself missing your workout the next day!

I have an exercise related injury. How should I change my diet?
First of all, if you have an injury, see a doctor. Ask if you can use the pool to do your exercise. The zero gravity environment often lends itself perfectly to this kind of situation. If not, just suck it up and stay off your feet. Don't make the injury worse and do what you can. Eat your goal calories and get ready to pick it back up when you can.

I'm at a plateau. I have very little to lose and the weight won't come off.
Boy do I know this beast inside and out! Plateaus are common, especially with the last 10-30 pounds of your weight loss.
Make sure that you are lowering your calorie intake with your weight. As you get smaller, you need less calories. That still might not be enough.
Try changing up your exercise routine. If you usually walk, try biking. If you usually lift weights, take a week off and alternate with some yoga.
Calorie staggering is another technique that involves tricking your metabolism by having some low calorie days and other high calorie days instead of eating the same number of calories daily. This tool is something I would try at my own risk. It's not necessarily the best thing to do to your body because it triggers your starvation response.
The final option for this pitfall is simple. Maybe this is the weight that's right for you. Are you already in the healthy weight range? If you are still losing weight due to being unsatisfied with your looks but are completely healthy, you may be overdoing it. If you've tried everything and the pounds aren't coming off, you may be at a good place for you. Accept yourself and move on.

Step 8: Maintenence - Welcome to the Rest of Your Life!

You made it. Congratulations!! It's time to make sure the pounds don't creep back on. Some people think that this is the toughest part, but I think it's the easiest. If you did have 100+ pounds to lose, you're used to being in weight loss mode. The key to being successful in maintenance is to figure out what works for you in order to maintain the weight.
Here are my tips for maintenance:

- Keep it sensible or get crazy.
You have enough experience now to understand how to eat healthfully and exercise every day. You will always need to live this lifestyle to a certain extent in order to have the healthy weight you worked so hard for. There are some exceptions. During my weight loss journey I found a love for running that turned me into a marathon maniac. Because of this I can eat a lot more that other girls my size. I also run a 26.2 mile race nearly every month and put in 20 to 40 miles a week. Did you find a love like this? A love for biking, dancing, yoga, rock climbing or all of the above? If you found a fitness hobby and you can make it a big part of your life, you have the license to carboload. If you want to be any good at your sport, you'll keep a mostly healthy diet, but it is one way to beat the system. Decide where you'd like to do your work: On the road or on the plate?

-Weigh yourself every day.
This makes some people crazy and it can be anxiety producing. At the same time, knowing that you are accountable for your choices every day on the scale can be a good reminder of your lifelong commitment. Hopefully if you decide to do this you will give yourself some wiggle room, perhaps a 5 pound range to be in. Please also keep in mind that your body's weight can fluctuate up and down a few pounds for a variety of reasons. Don't take the number too personally. If there's an upward trend, start thinking about what you did to start it and how to fix it.

-Never let yourself off the hook.
You will go right back where you were if you forget what you've been through. Keep a good before and after picture. Keep one pair of your old pants that you'll never fit in again and stand in them whenever you think about skipping your daily workout. Speaking of pants, once you've hit your goal weight, only buy for your size and throw the rest of your old clothes in the donation bin. (Don't forget I told you to keep that one pair of pants!) Never buy new clothes. EVER. This is you now. You're not going back.

-Make friends with similar goals.
A lot of my friends run. If we're hanging out, we're running. My boyfriend and I take walks and go to the gym together. It's one thing to have some friends who have no health goals in mind, but if all of your friends are into lying around and ordering pizzas, you might want to think about finding a few to hang out with when you need to make healthier choices.

-Never forget how good you feel!
You are here, at your goal! The first several MONTHS will be full of congratulations and the disbelief of friends you haven't seen in a while. Some people will hardly recognize you or be able to believe how much weight you lost. One day soon, that will all taper off and you will cease to have outside reinforcement. When that happens, look within. Remind yourself how hard the work was. Be proud. You've done something amazing for yourself. Never let yourself forget what it was like to be you all that time ago. I highly recommend going to the gym and having someone spot you as you attempt to lift the amount of weight you lost. You may not be able to do it!

-Pay it forward.
Not everyone wants to lose weight and it is, of course, their choice. However, if a friend comes to you and asks you to give your expert advice in their time of need, do it. If someone mentions the start of a weight loss or fitness journey, make sure they know that you admire their choice. Share the knowledge you have when you're given the opportunity and share your encouragement whenever you can.

That's it! I hope it was informative! Enjoy the rest of your healthy life!

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How to Lose 100+ Pounds and Keep It Off for Life

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Several years ago, I decided that my life had to change. I was very overweight, completely sedentary, and ashamed of what I had allowed myself to become. I had been on so many diets throughout my life and had always gained the weight back. This time it was worse than ever.

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Name: Brian Wiley
Age: 43
Height: 6'0" (1.8 m)
Highest Weight: 260 lbs (118 kg)
Current Weight: 150-155 lbs (68-71 kg)

As Brian Wiley recalls, when he was about nine years old, he went from being a lean child to a heavy one.

"I remained pretty overweight up until my freshman year of high school, when I had a growth spurt, got involved in sports, and leaned out," Brian says. "But once I hit my twenties, I started to slowly start getting bigger again."

He attributes the weight gain to a combination of factors, including working a lot, frequent consumption of fast food, and being busy with his wife and first child.

"It crept up on me. I didn't keep track of my weight at all. I realized I had put on some weight but didn't really think much about it because I was young and healthy. But when I'd order food in a restaurant, the server would say, "And what do you want, big guy?' And I'd never heard anyone call me that before," he says.

At around 30 years old, he went out and purchased a scale in order to find out just how much he'd gained.

"I thought I'd be maybe 200 pounds (91 kg) or so, but when I stepped on the scale, I was shocked to see the number 250," Brian remembers. "I'd been about 160-170 pounds (73-77 kg) in high school, and I just couldn't believe I'd put on so much weight. That was pretty much a wake-up call."

At first, Brian figured he could take the weight off by just being more active again. However, working out at the gym only led to about a five-pound loss. Although disappointed that his efforts hadn't produced the kind of results he'd hoped for, he realized that exercising definitely made him feel better.

"Then I tried a number of different things to lose weight, including Weight Watchers. But their point system didn't work at all for me, because I'd just use all my points on junk. I had some success cutting calories to 1200-1500 per day but then would regain all the weight really fast once I started eating more."

Finding low carb

But everything changed in December of 2008, when his wife showed him a handout with basic low-carb guidelines and asked him what he thought about this approach.

"After looking over all of the foods allowed, I thought, I could do that. So we decided that we'd both start the diet on New Year's Day."

Although he felt good following the low-carb diet and was happy to be losing weight, he wanted more information about carb restriction, along with more concrete guidelines about how to move forward. So he purchased two Atkins books, began following the protocol, and never looked back.

"I started low carb on January 1, 2009, and by January of 2010, I had lost 100 pounds (45 kg), which I've kept off ever since," he says.

Although he's maintained his weight loss relatively easily for more than seven years, a few months ago he began noticing some undesirable changes in body composition.

"I think it was due to working out less because I was really busy with our kitchen remodel, along with eating higher-fat keto. When I did an experiment where I increased my protein intake, ate more fish and leaner cuts of meat, scaled back my fat intake a bit and avoided most dairy, I got noticeably leaner and more defined, even thought I still didn't have time to work out. I shared pictures of my experiment on social media," he adds.

Brian has since added dairy back into his diet but is sticking with higher-protein intake for now. His carb intake varies from day to day and may even be zero carb if his only option is hamburger patties or other types of meat. Although he doesn't track his food, he estimates that he eats about 20-50 grams of net carb most of the time.

A typical day of eating for Brian

Breakfast (10:30-11:00 am):
Coffee with half and half and a small amount of stevia/erythritol blend
Omelet made with 2-3 eggs, bacon or sausage, and spinach
30-45 grams macadamia nuts or almonds

Lunch (1:00-2:00 pm):
Hamburger patty with cheese, salad
Water

Dinner (5:00 pm):
Large portion of meat, chicken, or fish with vegetables or salad, avocado or guacamole

In addition, he occasionally has a homemade low-carb dessert, such as a Danish pastry made with Fat Head pizza dough or a low-carb cheesecake topped with heavy cream and a few sliced strawberries. He also has nut butters, berries, and slightly higher carb vegetables like Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, etc.

Brian says that he truly enjoys his low-carb lifestyle, even though at times he's the only member of his family following it.

"My wife lost 60 pounds (27 kg) with Atkins and has gone on and off the diet over the years. She's back on it now. I haven't been able to get the kids on board, although they seem to be naturally slim for some reason. But I'll be low carb for life," he says, confidently. "I just really like eating this way. And if there's anything that would tempt me, I can make a low carb version of it."

Other than brief periods where circumstances have prevented him from working out, Brian has continued going to the gym several times a week for many years.

"I do mainly weights but very little cardio. I'm usually there for an hour and a half. I go to the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I walk on the treadmill for a mile and then move on to strength training with heavy weights. I'll do upper and lower body and ab work on Monday, the same routine in reverse on Wednesday, and lift to exhaustion on Friday," he says. "Unfortunately, due to the kitchen remodel, I haven't been to the gym all summer, but I'm planning on going back very soon."

These are Brian's tips for successfully maintaining major weight loss forever:

1. If you start to regain weight or your body composition changes, experiment and tweak your diet until you find what works. It doesn't have to be drastic and should be something you can maintain long term. Jumping from one extreme dietary change to another can actually backfire.

2. Don't give in to peer pressure or temptation. You have the right to say "no" to people who encourage you to indulge in high-carb treats, even if their intentions are good.

3. Stick to low carb at all times. "I know some people that have lost weight with low carb and regained it, and then decided to go back to low carb to lose the weight again. But they found it much slower and harder to lose on low carb the second time around," Brian warns.*

You can follow Brian on Twitter @LCHF_TOOLBOX and Instagram @living_lchf.

-
Franziska Spritzler, RD

Comment from Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt

Congratulations Brian on your impressive long-term success!

*/ I found the finishing comment that low carb can be harder the second time interesting. It's something that people sometimes experience, but it's hard to say how common it may be. Here's my two cents on what can cause it:

1. Weight loss often gets harder with age, so if a long time has passed it may be harder to reach the same weight. This is an especially common challenge for women after 40, due to relatively rapid hormonal changes, but it also affects men as they age.

2. People may have more experience on low carb the second time, which is not only a good thing. If people know how to snack on low carb, or have desserts, or "low-carb" bread, or enjoy nuts and cheese, these are all things that can slow down weight loss. Sometimes, ignorance can be a benefit!

More
A keto low-carb diet for beginners

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Maintaining a 100-pound weight loss for seven years - Diet Doctor

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As Brian Wiley recalls, when he was about nine years old, he went from being a lean child to a heavy one. "I remained pretty overweight up until my freshman year of high school, when I had a growth spurt, got involved in sports, and leaned out," Brian says.

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Unfortunately, many people who lose weight end up gaining it back.

In fact, only about 20% of dieters who start off overweight end up successfully losing weight and keeping it off in the long term ( 1).

However, don't let this discourage you. There are a number of scientifically proven ways you can keep the weight off, ranging from exercising to controlling stress ( 1).

These 17 strategies might be just what you need to tip the statistics in your favor and maintain your hard-won weight loss.

There are a few common reasons why people gain back the weight they lose. They are mostly related to unrealistic expectations and feelings of deprivation.

Restrictive diets: Extreme calorie restriction may slow your metabolism and shift your appetite-regulating hormones, which are both factors that contribute to weight regain (2).

Wrong mindset: When you think of a diet as a quick fix, rather than a long-term solution to better your health, you will be more likely to give up and gain back the weight you lost.

Lack of sustainable habits: Many diets are based on willpower rather than habits you can incorporate into your daily life. They focus on rules rather than lifestyle changes, which may discourage you and prevent weight maintenance.

Summary: Many diets are too restrictive with requirements that are difficult to keep up with. Additionally, many people don't have the right mindset before starting a diet, which may lead to weight regain.

Regular exercise plays an important role in weight maintenance.

When you are in energy balance, it means you burn the same number of calories that you consume. As a result, your weight is more likely to stay the same.

In some instances, even higher levels of physical activity may be necessary for successful weight maintenance. One review concluded that one hour of exercise a day is optimal for those attempting to maintain weight loss ( 1).

It's important to note that exercise is the most helpful for weight maintenance when it's combined with other lifestyle changes, including sticking to a healthy diet ( 8).

Summary: Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day may promote weight maintenance by helping balance your calories in and calories burned.

Eating breakfast may assist you with your weight maintenance goals.

Furthermore, eating breakfast is one of the most common behaviors reported by individuals who are successful at maintaining weight loss ( 1).

One study found that 78% of 2,959 people who maintained a 30-pound (14 kg) weight loss for at least one year reported eating breakfast every day ( 12).

However, while people who eat breakfast seem to be very successful at maintaining weight loss, the evidence is mixed.

Studies do not show that skipping breakfast automatically leads to weight gain or worse eating habits ( 13, 14, 11).

In fact, skipping breakfast may even help some people achieve their weight loss and weight maintenance goals ( 15).

This may be one of the things that come down to the individual.

If you feel that eating breakfast helps you stick to your goals, then you definitely should eat it. But if you don't like eating breakfast or are not hungry in the morning, there is no harm in skipping it.

Summary: Those who eat breakfast tend to have healthier habits overall, which may help them maintain their weight. However, skipping breakfast does not automatically lead to weight gain.

Protein increases levels of certain hormones in the body that induce satiety and are important for weight regulation. Protein has also been shown to reduce levels of hormones that increase hunger ( 19, 20).

Protein's effect on your hormones and fullness may automatically reduce the number of calories you consume per day, which is an important factor in weight maintenance ( 20).

Furthermore, protein requires a significant amount of energy for your body to break down. Therefore, eating it regularly may increase the number of calories you burn during the day ( 18, 20).

Based on several studies, it appears that protein's effects on metabolism and appetite are most prominent when about 30% of calories are consumed from protein. This is 150 grams of protein on a 2,000 calorie diet ( 21, 22, 23, 24).

Summary: Protein may benefit weight maintenance by promoting fullness, increasing metabolism and reducing your total calorie intake.

Monitoring your weight by stepping on the scale on a regular basis may be a helpful tool for weight maintenance. This is because it can make you aware of your progress and encourage weight control behaviors ( 25).

Those who weigh themselves may also eat fewer calories throughout the day, which is helpful for maintaining weight loss ( 26, 25).

In one study, people who weighed themselves six days a week, on average, consumed 300 fewer calories per day than those who monitored their weight less frequently ( 26).

How often you weigh yourself is a personal choice. Some find it helpful to weigh in daily, while others are more successful checking their weight once or twice a week.

Summary: Self-weighing may aid weight maintenance by keeping you aware of your progress and behaviors.

Weight maintenance may be easier to accomplish if you pay attention to the types and amounts of carbs that you eat.

Eating too many refined carbs, such as white bread, white pasta and fruit juices, can be detrimental to your weight maintenance goals.

Limiting your carb intake overall may also help you maintain your weight loss. Several studies have found that, in some cases, those who follow low-carb diets after weight loss are more likely to keep the weight off in the long term ( 30, 31).

Additionally, people following low-carb diets are less likely to eat more calories than they burn, which is necessary for weight maintenance ( 32).

Summary: Limiting your intake of carbs, especially those that are refined, may help prevent weight regain.

Reduced muscle mass is a common side effect of weight loss ( 33).

It can limit your ability to keep weight off, as losing muscle reduces your metabolism, meaning you burn fewer calories throughout the day ( 34).

Doing some type of resistance training, such as lifting weights, may help prevent this loss of muscle and, in turn, preserve or even improve your metabolic rate.

Studies show that those who lift weights after weight loss are more likely to keep weight off by maintaining muscle mass ( 6, 35, 36, 37).

To receive these benefits, it is recommended to engage in strength training at least twice a week. Your training regimen should work all muscle groups for optimal results ( 38).

Summary: Lifting weights at least twice a week may help with weight maintenance by preserving your muscle mass, which is important to sustain a healthy metabolism.

Setbacks are inevitable on your weight maintenance journey. There may be times when you give in to an unhealthy craving or skip a workout.

However, the occasional slip up doesn't mean you should throw your goals out the window. Simply move on and follow through with better choices.

It can also help to plan ahead for situations that you know will make healthy eating challenging, such as an upcoming vacation or holiday.

Summary: It is likely that you will encounter a setback or two after losing weight. You can overcome setbacks by planning ahead and getting back on track right away.

One habit that often leads to weight regain is eating healthy on weekdays and "cheating" on weekends.

This mentality often leads people to binge on junk food, which can offset weight maintenance efforts.

If it becomes a regular habit, you could gain back more weight than you lost in the first place ( 39).

Alternatively, research shows that those who follow a consistent eating pattern all throughout the week are more likely to sustain weight loss in the long term ( 40).

One study found that weekly consistency made individuals almost twice as likely to maintain their weight within five pounds (2.2 kg) over one year, compared to those who allowed more flexibility on the weekends ( 40).

Summary: Successful weight maintenance is easier to accomplish when you stick to your healthy eating habits all week long, including on weekends.

Drinking water is helpful for weight maintenance for a few reasons.

In one study, those who drank water before eating a meal had a 13% reduction in calorie intake, compared to participants who didn't drink water ( 41).

Additionally, drinking water has been shown to slightly increase the number of calories you burn throughout the day ( 44, 45).

Summary: Drinking water regularly may promote fullness and increase your metabolism, both important factors in weight maintenance.

Getting enough sleep significantly affects weight control.

This is partly due to the fact that inadequate sleep leads to higher levels of ghrelin, which is known as the "hunger hormone" because it increases appetite ( 47).

Moreover, poor sleepers tend to have lower levels of leptin, which is a hormone necessary for appetite control ( 47).

Furthermore, those who sleep for short periods of time are simply tired and therefore less motivated to exercise and make healthy food choices.

If you're not sleeping enough, find a way to adjust your sleep habits. Sleeping for at least seven hours a night is optimal for weight control and overall health ( 49).

Summary: Sleeping for healthy lengths of time may help with weight maintenance by keeping your energy levels up and hormones under control.

Managing stress is an important part of controlling your weight.

In fact, high stress levels can contribute to weight regain by increasing levels of cortisol, which is a hormone released in response to stress ( 50).

Consistently elevated cortisol is linked to higher amounts of belly fat, as well as increased appetite and food intake ( 50).

Stress is also a common trigger for impulsive eating, which is when you eat even when you're not hungry ( 51).

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to combat stress, including exercise, yoga and meditation.

Summary: It is important to keep stress levels under control to maintain your weight, as excess stress may increase the risk of weight gain by stimulating your appetite.

It can be difficult to maintain your weight goals alone.

One strategy to overcome this is to find a support system that will hold you accountable and possibly partner up with you in your healthy lifestyle.

A few studies have shown that having a buddy to pursue your goals with may be helpful for weight control, especially if that person is a partner or spouse with similar healthy habits ( 52, 53).

One of these studies examined the health behaviors of over 3,000 couples and found that when one person engaged in a healthy habit, such as exercise, the other was more likely to follow their example ( 53).

Summary: Involving a partner or spouse in your healthy lifestyle may boost the likelihood that you will maintain your weight loss.

Those who log their food intake in a journal, online food tracker or app may be more likely to maintain their weight loss ( 35, 54, 55, 56).

Food trackers are helpful because they enhance your awareness of how much you are really eating, since they often provide specific information about how many calories and nutrients you consume.

Additionally, many food-tracking tools allow you to log exercise, so you can ensure you're getting the amount you need to maintain your weight.

Here are some examples of calorie counting websites and apps.

Summary: Logging your food intake from day to day may help you maintain your weight loss by making you aware of how many calories and nutrients you're eating.

Also, vegetables are high in fiber, which increases feelings of fullness and may automatically reduce the number of calories that you eat during the day ( 61, 62, 63).

For these weight control benefits, aim to consume a serving or two of vegetables at every meal.

Summary: Vegetables are high in fiber and low in calories. Both of these properties may be helpful for weight maintenance.

Consistency is key to keeping weight off.

Instead of on-and-off dieting that ends with going back to old habits, it is best to stick with your new healthy diet and lifestyle for good.

While adopting a new "way of life" may seem overwhelming at first, making healthy choices will become second nature when you get used to them.

Your healthier lifestyle will be effortless, so you'll be able to maintain your weight much more easily.

Summary: Maintaining weight loss is simple when you are consistent with your new healthy habits, rather than going back to your old lifestyle.

Mindful eating is the practice of listening to internal appetite cues and paying full attention during the eating process.

It involves eating slowly, without distractions, and chewing food thoroughly so you can savor the aroma and taste of your meal.

What's more, those who eat mindfully may be able to maintain their weight without counting calories ( 69).

Summary: Mindful eating is helpful for weight maintenance because it helps you recognize fullness and may prevent unhealthy behaviors that commonly lead to weight gain.

The reason why many people fail at maintaining their weight is because they follow unrealistic diets that are not feasible in the long term.

They end up feeling deprived, which often leads to gaining back more weight than they lost in the first place once they go back to eating normally.

Maintaining weight loss comes down to making sustainable changes to your lifestyle.

This looks different for everyone, but essentially it means not being too restrictive, staying consistent and making healthy choices as often as possible.

Summary: It is easier to maintain weight loss when you make sustainable lifestyle changes, rather than following the unrealistic rules that many weight loss diets focus on.

Diets can be restrictive and unrealistic, which often leads to weight regain.

However, there are plenty of simple changes you can make to your habits that are easy to stick with and will help you maintain your weight loss in the long term.

Through your journey, you will realize that controlling your weight involves much more than what you eat. Exercise, sleep and mental health also play a role.

It is possible for weight maintenance to be effortless if you simply adopt a new lifestyle, rather than going on and off weight loss diets.

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The 17 Best Ways to Maintain Weight Loss

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Unfortunately, many people who lose weight end up gaining it back. In fact, only about 20% of dieters who start off overweight end up successfully losing weight and keeping it off in the long term ( 1). However, don't let this discourage you.

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Technical, but worth the read

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Abstract

The long-term weight management of obesity remains a very difficult task, associated with a high risk of failure and weight regain. However, many people report that they have successfully managed weight loss maintenance in the long term. Several factors have been associated with better weight loss maintenance in long-term observational and randomized studies. A few pertain to the behavioral area (eg, high levels of physical activity, eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet; frequent self-monitoring of weight), a few to the cognitive component (eg, reduced disinhibition, satisfaction with results achieved, confidence in being able to lose weight without professional help), and a few to personality traits (eg, low novelty seeking) and patient-therapist interaction. Trials based on the most recent protocols of lifestyle modification, with a prolonged extended treatment after the weight loss phase, have also shown promising long-term weight loss results. These data should stimulate the adoption of a lifestyle modification-based approach for the management of obesity, featuring a nonphysician lifestyle counselor (also called "lifestyle trainer" or "healthy lifestyle practitioner") as a pivotal component of the multidisciplinary team. The obesity physicians maintain a primary role in engaging patients, in team coordination and supervision, in managing the complications associated with obesity and, in selected cases, in the decision for drug treatment or bariatric surgery, as possible more intensive, add-on interventions to lifestyle treatment.

Keywords: obesity, lifestyle modification, cognitive behavior therapy, multidisciplinary treatment

Introduction

The main challenge of obesity treatment is not weight loss, but long-term weight loss maintenance. This widely accepted view is supported by several studies indicating that a healthy weight loss of 5%-10% can be achieved through both behavioral 1 and pharmacological treatments, 2 but weight is gradually regained in a large percentage of individuals.

Weight loss maintenance is hindered by a complex interaction of environmental, biological, behavioral, and cognitive factors, which are only partly known. 3 Their constellation is presented in ; they variably interact in individual patients to an extent that is difficult to forecast. This explains why a high number of individuals, after a successful weight loss period, regain most of the weight lost. However, a proportion of individuals successfully maintain a long-term weight loss, 4 and the study of this cohort, who achieve the goal despite the strong pressures to regain weight, may help identify the factors associated with this desired outcome.

The most recent developments of comprehensive lifestyle modification programs combine dietary and physical activity recommendations with specific cognitive and behavior strategies to improve patients' adherence to a long-term weight management. They confirm that a large subgroup of treated patients is able to maintain a healthy weight loss in the long term. 5 These promising data have stimulated the development of multidisciplinary lifestyle modification teams aimed at providing patients with a comprehensive long-term management of obesity.

The aims of this narrative review are: 1) to provide a definition of weight maintenance; 2) to review the data on long-term weight loss maintenance; 3) to describe the characteristics of individuals who successfully achieve long-term weight loss; 4) to review the evidence-based strategies to promote weight loss maintenance; 5) to describe a multidisciplinary approach, based on lifestyle modification aimed at providing patients with a comprehensive long-term management of obesity and its complications.

Definition of weight loss maintenance

The aforementioned definitions share the notion that successful weight maintenance does not necessarily imply a large weight loss, but that a modest 5%-10% amount is sufficient. From a clinical point of view, this amount of weight loss significantly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in susceptible people, 9 and eliminates most of the other risks associated with obesity. 8 Moreover, this modest weight loss also improves psychological functioning, in particular, mood, body image, and binge eating. 10, 11

The Wing and Hill definition 6 introduces two additional indicators of weight maintenance. First, weight loss should be intentional. This criterion is important because several studies reported that unintentional weight loss is common and may have causes and consequences totally different from intentional weight loss. 12 Second, weight loss should be maintained at least 1 year. This criterion was set as a reasonable target for research on the factors that enable individuals to maintain weight loss. However, it is obvious that the term "successful" would require a much longer period of weight maintenance, hopefully life-long.

Data on long-term weight loss maintenance

Only a few studies have tracked successful weight losers over long-term follow-up or assessed the effect of lifestyle modification programs on long-term weight maintenance.

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) was established in 1994 as a prospective investigation of long-term successful weight loss maintenance. In 2014, Thomas et al 4 reported a 10-year observation of self-reported weight loss and behavior change in 2,886 participants, recruited primarily through newspaper and magazine articles, who had lost at least 30 pounds (13.6 kg) and kept it off for at least 1 year. The mean weight loss of participants was 31.3 kg at baseline, 23.8 kg at 5 years and 23.1 kg at 10 years. Of note, 87% of participants were still maintaining at least a 10% weight loss after 5 and 10 years. These impressive data show that long-term weight loss maintenance is possible in self-selected weight losers.

The 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey examined the prevalence and the correlates of long-term weight loss maintenance, defined as weight loss maintained for at least 1 year, in 14,306 US adults. 13 The study found that more than one out of every six US adults who have ever been overweight or obese has accomplished long-term weight loss maintenance of at least 10%. Although the period of weight maintenance was much shorter than in the case of the NWCR, the study confirms that also in nonselected individuals in the community, long-term weight loss is possible.

Hopefully, trials based on the latest generation of weight loss lifestyle modification programs, including the most innovative and powerful cognitive behavioral procedures, should produce even better long-term results. The most striking example is the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study, which assessed the effects of intentional weight loss on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in 5,145 overweight/obese adults with type 2 diabetes, randomly assigned to intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) or usual care (ie, diabetes support and education [DSE]). 16 At year 1, more ILI than DSE participants had lost ≥5% of their initial weight (68.0% vs 13.3%), with the ILI group showing an average weight loss of 8.5%, significantly greater than the 0.6% seen in DSE participants. At year 8, 88% of both groups completed an outcomes assessment, which revealed that ILI and DSE participants lost, on average, 4.7% and 2.1% of their initial weight, respectively. Among the ILI and DSE participants, 50.3% and 35.7%, respectively, lost ≥5%, and 26.9% and 17.2% lost ≥10%. 17 These impressive figures show that well-conducted lifestyle modification programs can produce clinically meaningful long-term weight loss, but also that the Look AHEAD was not able to completely solve the problem of weight regain in a large percentage of its participants.

The 10-year follow-up of the data of the randomized clinical trial Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) showed that the cumulative incidence of diabetes, among adults at high risk, remained lower in the lifestyle group, compared with the metformin and placebo arms. This outcome occurred even if the original lifestyle group partly regained weight. 18 The results of DPP underline that the effect of lifestyle modification programs may produce significant health benefits even if the weight lost is partly regained.

A few data are also available on the long-term weight loss maintenance with pharmacotherapy. The XENDOS (XENical in the prevention of Diabetes in Obese Subjects) trial, for example, randomized 3,305 patients to lifestyle changes plus either orlistat 120 mg or placebo, three times daily in a double-blind, prospective study. After 4 years, the mean weight loss was significantly greater with orlistat than placebo (5.8 vs 3.0 kg), and the cumulative incidence of diabetes was only 6.2% with orlistat and 9.0% with placebo, corresponding to a risk reduction of 37.3%. 19 Therefore, adding weight loss drugs to the lifestyle modification programs not only improves long-term weight loss, but also reduces the incidence of diabetes.

Clinical characteristics of individuals who successfully achieve long-term weight loss

The study of the characteristics of individuals who successfully achieve long-term weight loss is a potential useful strategy to elucidate the factors implicated in the long-term maintenance of intentional weight loss. The pivotal studies and the most recent published reports are presented in . 4, 13, 15, 16, 19- 29

Table 1

Reference

Number of cases, and characteristics

Study design - follow-up

Results

Factors associated with WL maintenance

Dalle Grave et al 15, 20; 2005 and 2014 - QUOVADIS study

1,944 obese participants enrolled by 24 obesity centers

Observational: 1,000 subjects contacted by phone - 3 years

5% WL (63.7% of cases) associated with higher dietary restraint and lower disinhibition. The number of cases who achieved 5% WL higher in continuers (40.8%) vs dropouts (22.7%)

The dropouts satisfied with the results (7.0% of participants), and those confident to lose additional weight without professional help (11.7%) reported a larger WL than continuers

Svetkey et al 22; 2008

1,032 individuals who had lost >4 kg during a WL program

RCT: self-directed control vs monthly personal contact vs access to an interactive technology- based intervention - 2.5 years

Personal-contact group regained less weight (4.0 kg) than self-directed group (5.5 kg).
Weight regain lower in the technology-based vs the self-directed group at 18-24 months, but no longer different at 30 months (5.2 vs 5.5 kg)

Monthly brief personal contact associated with lower weight regain. Interactive technology- based intervention provides early but transient benefit

Anastasiou et al 25; 2015 - MedWeight study

Analysis of LOC (internals vs externals) in 239 WL maintainers (≥10%) vs regainers

Observational, cross-sectional - 2 years

WL more commonly associated with expert aid or drugs in externals. Maximum WL significantly higher for internals.
Among maintainers, internals maintained higher % WL through physical activity vs externals

WL maintenance is associated with an internal LOC

The NWCR, described in the "Data on long-term weight loss maintenance" section, is the most important and longest study assessing the characteristics of individuals who successfully lost and maintained their weight loss, as well as the strategies they use to maintain their weight loss. 30 In a large NWCR analysis, the members reported an average weight loss of 33 kg, which was maintained for more than 5 years. The main strategies adopted by members to keep a stable weight in the long term were: 31 1) high levels of physical activity (about 1 hour per day); 2) eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet; 3) eating breakfast regularly; 4) self-monitoring weight; and 5) maintaining a consistent eating pattern across weekdays and weekends. An encouraging result is that the chance of longer-term success increases in members who had managed to keep their weight off for 2 years or more. Finally, low levels of depression and disinhibition, and medical triggers (ie, general practitioners or specialists promoting weight loss for medical reasons and/or having a family member with a heart attack) were also associated with weight maintenance.

A random digit-dial telephone survey that used a representative sample of the US adult population compared the behavioral strategies adopted by successful individuals who maintained weight loss (ie, an average weight loss of 37 pounds maintained for over 7 years) with those of individuals who regained weight and weight-stable controls. This study confirmed that maintainers reported higher levels of strenuous physical activity, greater frequency of self-weighing, and continued use of more behavioral strategies to control their dietary fat intake. 32

These reports, unfortunately, failed to answer the key question, namely, why some individuals persist in practicing weight-control behaviors, and therefore maintain long-term weight loss, while others abandon it. The fact that several individuals are able to maintain weight loss in the long term clearly demonstrates that the biological pressure on individuals to overeat in order to restore their original weight (the set-point theory) 33 is not the only mechanism involved in weight regain. "Complex behaviors" involved in maintenance of long-term weight loss are in part influenced by conscious cognitive processes. Nevertheless, cognitive factors have largely been neglected in traditional weight-loss lifestyle modification interventions, which are based mainly on the principles of behaviorism. The lack of an intensive cognitive intervention has been suggested as one of the reasons for their limited effectiveness in promoting long-term weight loss. 34

The QUOVADIS (QUality of life in Obesity: eVAluation and DIsease Surveillance) study, an observational study on 1,944 treatment-seeking obese patients in 25 medical centers authorized to treat obesity by the Italian National Health Service, 35 investigated several cognitive factors involved in the long-term weight loss. The study confirmed that some cognitive factors are associated with the amount of weight lost (ie, increased dietary restraint and reduced disinhibition), while others are associated with long-term weight loss maintenance (ie, satisfaction with results achieved, confidence in being able to lose weight without professional help). 15 According to these data, there is an urgent need to evaluate the effectiveness of specific procedures and strategies designed to address the cognitive variables associated with negative treatment outcomes. These strategies might help improve the long-term efficacy of weight-loss lifestyle modification programs.

Personality traits are habitual patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion that are relatively stable over the years, differ across individuals, and may play a role in long-term weight loss by influencing behavior. 37 Personality traits, psychological well-being, body image, and eating behaviors have been measured in the QUOVADIS II, an observational study of patients with obesity seeking treatment at eight Italian medical centers. Among personality traits and after adjusting for general confounders and eating disorder scores, only novelty seeking was significantly associated with the ≥10% weight loss goal at 12-month follow-up. 38 Similar data were reported in a weight loss lifestyle modification program, in which low novelty seeking was the only personality trait discriminating between patients who were successful in losing ≥10% and those who were unsuccessful. 39 These data support the observation that healthy dietary control and dietary restraint (ie, the cognitive control of food intake) are associated with low novelty seeking scores. 40

The poor compliance with long-term weight loss programs may also be attributable to the attachment style of individuals. Support for this hypothesis comes from a study showing that 12-month weight loss was significantly greater in patients with secure attachment than in those with insecure attachment, and that the patient-therapist relationship was rated more positively by those with secure attachment. 41 These data require replication in a different setting; they indirectly confirm that securely attached adults are more cooperative in a patient-therapist context, 42 and that therapeutic alliance is pivotal in the treatment outcome of obesity.

Teixeira et al 43 have recently published a meta-analysis on the determinants of healthy behavioral changes influencing weight loss and weight loss maintenance of subjects entering treatment programs. Thirty-five studies were included in the analysis; 42 possible mediators were selected, and their effects on weight loss/weight loss maintenance were assessed by stringent criteria. Overall, the analysis of medium-/long-term weight control (limited to 21 studies) identified higher levels of autonomous motivation, self-efficacy and barriers, self-regulation skills (including self-monitoring), flexible eating restraint, and positive body image as positive mediators for weight maintenance. A few of them were also determinants of physical activity, whereas no consistent mediators were identified for healthy dietary intake. Overall, this analysis points to large differences in the psychological characteristics of the treatment-seeking obese population, which suggests it is necessary to move from a standardized to a tailored approach.

Strategies to promote weight loss maintenance

Several strategies have been evaluated to promote weight loss maintenance. Among them is the provision of an extended care model. Some data showed that group sessions delivered twice a month for 1 year after the weight loss phase, keeping patients in active treatment, help patients maintain the weight loss. 44, 45 There is also evidence that some people maintain large long-term weight losses with a long-term self-help group pressure and support. 46 It has been speculated that an extended care model of treatment provides patients with the support and motivation needed to continue to practice weight control behaviors. 47

Recent studies assessed the efficacy of different interventions designed to improve weight loss maintenance, randomizing patients, after a period of weight loss, to one of two active interventions or to a control group with 12-30 months of follow-up. The STOP Regain trial found that a face-to-face intervention and an Internet-based intervention, both emphasizing daily self-weighing and self-regulation, improved weight loss maintenance over a period of 18 months, in comparison with a control group, which received quarterly newsletters. 21 This was mainly the case with the face-to-face program. The Weight Loss Maintenance trial found that, after 30 months, the participants allocated to the personal-contact group regained 1.5 kg less weight than those in the self-directed group, whereas those in the interactive technology-based group regained only 0.3 kg less than those in the self-directed arm. 22 The TOURS (Treatment of Obesity in Underserved Rural Settings) trial found that obese women from rural communities allocated to 26 biweekly sessions via telephone or face-to-face regained less weight (mean 1.2 and 1.2 kg, respectively) than those in the education control group (mean 3.7 kg). 23 Given the importance of motivation and support, a very recent feasibility trial of motivational interviewing showed that face-to-face and phone interviews improved retention in the study, and increased weight maintenance (−2.8 kg vs the control group). 27 All these studies confirm that the extended care approach, with monthly or more frequent contacts, in person or via telephone or Internet, can improve successful weight loss. They also reduce the risk of weight regain during the maintenance phase, with the exception of eHealth interventions, where evidence for effectiveness is limited 28 and was not confirmed in a meta-analysis. 48

However, extended care is not easily accepted by all patients. In a study outside the research setting, only about 15% of cases were still in continuous care after 3 years. 20 Future studies should be designed to identify the patients for whom extended care is more suitable, and those more likely to benefit from a shorter duration of treatment. Data from the QUOVADIS study indicate that older patients whose primary motivation for weight loss is improving health are more compliant in continuous care, while patients satisfied with the results they achieved with treatment, and those confident of self-managing additional weight loss may avoid weight gain without continuous professional assistance. 20 Finally, all the studies of extended (rather than continuous or indefinite) treatment did not report sufficient follow-up to exclude the occurrence of weight regain after the end of treatment.

To maintain weight loss, individuals must adhere to behaviors that counteract physiological adaptations favoring weight regain. 49 Physical activity has modest impact during the weight loss period, but becomes essential to weight maintenance. 26 Unfortunately, the level of daily energy expenditure necessary to prevent weight regain is high compared with the modern-day lifestyle, 50 and subjects with metabolic disorders do not perceive physical activity as a relevant component of healthy behavior. 51 Although total daily energy expenditure is a strong predictor of weight maintenance in obese individuals, 52 adherence to a prescribed exercise intensity and/or dose is quite low, also considering the perceived fatigue in accomplishing the desired intensity goals. 53

In order to increase motivation and adherence, individuals experiencing problems during weight loss maintenance may be addressed to pleasant programs of leisure-time physical activity. 54 Among leisure-time activities, dancing has a remarkable place; 55 dance stimulates positive emotions, social interaction, and relationships in the community, while the acoustic stimulation and the music might strengthen the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive functions. 56 In a pilot nonrandomized trial, a 6-month dance course was associated with similar weight changes but with lower dropout rates compared with self-selected physical activity programs. 57 This underlines the importance of social support and pleasant activities to increasing adherence to lifestyle intervention programs and to maintaining long-term weight loss in motivated patients. Self-body perception, enhanced self-confidence, and social support may thus increase self-motivation, facilitating weight loss maintenance in the long term, and overall quality of life. 58

A final, scarcely tested strategy is the provision of portion-controlled meals or meal supplements in the long term. An old study with positive results, reporting an average weight loss of 8% at 4 years, 61 received partial confirmation in a study in which continuing education and support (monthly meetings) were continued after an intensive weight loss phase. During this 12-month weight maintenance phase, all subjects were encouraged to consume a minimum of 14 portion-controlled meals they had received, free of charge, during the weight loss phase. 62 It is, however, unknown whether and how long this strategy may be maintained.

The role of the multidisciplinary team in long-term weight management

Lifestyle modification programs include a weight loss phase, consisting of 16-24 weekly sessions in 6 months, followed by a weight maintenance phase, which should last at least 1 year with monthly or more frequent contacts in person or by telephone. 8 The strategies for weight maintenance differ from those used to achieve weight loss, and should include frequent self-weighing (at least weekly), the consumption of a reduced calorie diet, and high levels of physical activity (>200 minutes/week). 8

As mentioned earlier, the promising results from long-term weight maintenance obtained by the new-generation, lifestyle modification programs should stimulate the physicians within the multidisciplinary teams to receive adequate training in cognitive behavioral therapy to engage patients in lifestyle modification. 65 Engaged patients should then be referred to trained lifestyle counselors (also called "lifestyle trainers" or "healthy lifestyle practitioners") 66 working closely with any other component of an ideal lifestyle modification unit (eg, dietitians, psychologists, physical activity supervisors), to implement both the weight loss phase and the long-term maintenance phase of the lifestyle modification. The physician supervising the team should also manage the medical and psychosocial complications associated with obesity, referring the patients to other physicians and health professionals according to specific comorbidities. Finally, the supervising physicians should periodically monitor the effects of treatment, both on lifestyle and on weight outcomes, and consider the opportunity to intensify the lifestyle approach with obesity drugs, residential rehabilitative treatment, and, in selected patients with severe obesity, bariatric surgery. This multidisciplinary approach based on lifestyle modification has the potential to address several obstacles to reach the optimum long-term management of obesity.

Conclusion

The difficulty in helping obese patients maintain a long-term weight loss has been challenged by recent studies showing that several individuals are able to maintain acceptable weight loss targets in the long term and by the promising results achieved by the new-generation lifestyle modification programs. These promising results should stimulate the adoption of multidisciplinary approaches based on lifestyle modification for the management of obesity. Only comprehensive programs administered by noneclectic teams addressing any mediator of lifestyle modification, managing the several medical and psychological complications associated with obesity and, if indicated, coupling the lifestyle treatment with other interventions (eg, drugs, residential inpatient treatment, bariatric surgery) might be successful. The effectiveness and the cost-efficacy of a stepped-care approach should be evaluated by future longitudinal observational studies.

Footnotes
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

References

14. Wing RR. Behavioral weight control. In: Wadden TA, Stunkard AJ, editors. Handbook of Obesity Treatment. New York, NY: The Guildford Press; 2002. pp. 301-316.

37. Kassin S. Psychology. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc; 2003.

42. Strauss B. Bindungsforschung und therapeutische Beziehung [Attachment research and therapeutic relationship] Psychotherapeut. 2006;51:5-14. German.

52. Soleymani T, Daniel S, Garvey WT. Weight maintenance: challenges, tools and strategies for primary care physicians. Epub October 21, 2015. [ PMC free article]

60. Cooper Z, Fairburn CG, Hawker DM. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Of Obesity. New York, NY: The Guilford Press; 2003.

62. Ptomey LT, Willis EA, Goetz JR, et al. Portion-controlled meals provide increases in diet quality during weight loss and maintenance. J Hum Nutr Diet. Epub February 9, 2015. [ PMC free article]

63. American Medical Association House of Delegates Recognition of Obesity as a Disease. Resolution. 2013;420(A-13)

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Long-term weight loss maintenance for obesity: a multidisciplinary approach

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The long-term weight management of obesity remains a very difficult task, associated with a high risk of failure and weight regain. However, many people report that they have successfully managed weight loss maintenance in the long term. Several factors ...

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The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), established in 1994 by Rena Wing, Ph.D. from Brown Medical School, andJames O. Hill, Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, is the largest prospective investigation of long-term successful weight loss maintenance.

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" Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future day-in-day-out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint" - Angela Duckworth

Angela Duckworth's insightful book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, highlights stories of people applying grit principles to excel at swimming, spelling bees, football, and even drawing cartoons; they all succeeded by sustaining long-term perseverance to reach their goals.
The act of weight loss maintenance easily could have been included as an example too. Again, the key word is maintenance.
As a society, we are obsessed with weight loss. Search for a weight loss book on Amazon and you'll receive over 100,000 results. We watch TV shows about it, and we read magazines that fetishize it.

When we do attempt to lose weight rarely do we think about how to maintain these changes long term. Most people that attempt weight loss perceive it as a phase; a phase where you implement drastic behavior changes for a bit but then return to your previous habits. It's an all or nothing approach too. People perceive that eating just one "non-diet food" is enough reason to quit.

It's not surprising people have this mindset.

Just look at the number of "documentary diets" depicting this approach: juice diets (and this one, and this one), fasting, plant- based , and low-carb. All emphasizing a diet for a set amount of time. In my opinion, this dieting mindset is part of the reason why research shows that 95% of people that attempt diets will regain that weight (if not more than what they initially lost).

However, a group of people have overcome this diet mindset and found behavior changes they can sustain.

Members of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) have grit.

Since 1993, the National Weight Control Registry study has collected information from over 10,000 people who have successfully lost weight (at least 30 lbs.) and most importantly, kept it off (for at least a year).

Let's look at their grittiness:

Overall, one study looking at over 2,800 participants highlighted that after ten years NWCR members maintained an average weight loss of 50 pounds. This is grit.

To put this feat into context, most people that participate in an exercise and diet study maintain only a 3.4lb weight loss (over a 12-month duration). In comparison to less complex behavior changes, almost 50% of people simply discontinue taking their high blood pressure medication after the first year.

Unlike other paragons of grit, day-in-and-day-out NWCR members need to overcome their biology that tells them to eat more.

When you lose weight (i.e., a negative energy balance) your body responds by decreasing satiety (i.e., the feeling of being full after eating); increases hunger, and food reward (i.e., increased pleasure from eating); and decreases your overall energy needs (approximately 300-400 calories per day). In other words, your body actively tries to put back on the weight you just lost.

Research currently shows that over time these adaptive responses do not change and may even increase in strength. NWCR members use gritty behavior change strategies to overcome these adaptations long-term.

Before I sing their praises too much, let's make sure to mention some limitations:

They're a self-selected sample of successful weight loss maintainers.

They're not diverse; 95% of the sample is white and 78% is female (this makes it hard to extrapolate to the greater population).

Sixty-three percent are highly educated (college degree or higher).

Around 65% are married and are in their mid-40's (again, not representative of the entire population).

It does make sense a large majority of members are female. Sadly, as a society, we created a social expectation that food and weight are female interests; in large part due to the fact women are more strongly judged by their appearance. Research also shows the "obesity wage" penalty is greatest for white females. For each additional 10 pounds their wages are 2.8% lower than they should be. Being a female that is obese also affects your overall employment opportunities.

The fact members are highly educated also matches a popular theory of behavior change maintenance; if you have basic resources covered (e.g., stable income, housing, and a steady job) it's easier to enact change and maintain it.

Nonetheless, NWCR members have grit. The beneficial habits they have adopted can provide insights on how the rest of us can take individual steps to improve our health: not drinking sugary drinks regularly, incorporating physical activity into our lives as much as possible, getting enough sleep, and limiting screen time.

However, the biggest take away from their experiences is that many different approaches can help people sustain weight loss. Members' share similar habits, but each used their own approach.

IMO, these members followed the two-key weight loss maintenance principles: adherence and enjoyment. To maintain weight loss, you need to adhere to whatever changes you made to maintain a negative energy balance and enjoy them enough to do them the rest of your life.

Too often diets, exercise programs, and food beliefs are made into one size fit all solutions. Unfortunately, a group of outspoken people have made following a specific diet into rooting for a sports team: low-carb, keto, paleo, Whole30, plant-based, juice cleanse, low-fat, etc.

Some promote their diet team to sell their latest book, documentary, and to increase their presentation fees at conferences. Others with less commercial interest I truly believe are well intentioned. They probably had personal success in adopting a diet and wanted to share this approach with other people who are struggling.

The issue is when they turn their food preferences and lived experiences into dietary dogma. They shun any research that goes against it, and only use their personal narrative as evidence to defend it. Diet wars are a waste of our time.

Do you eat low-carb and feel it has improved your health (while enjoying it)? Fantastic! Only eat plants and feel better? Neat! Keep up the great work! But just keep in mind because a diet works for you doesn't mean it will work for everyone.

The NWCR members should be applauded for their grit; however, it's important to mention that these individuals are also an incredibly small fraction of success stories compared to the 117 million US adults that struggle with obesity.

Anyone that works in the field of nutrition and public health will tell you it's the wrong approach to deal with excess weight after the fact at an individual level. It's best to prevent it in the first place and address the root cause system issues.

NWCR members' personal narratives can help serve as an example for a more nuanced view of the obesity epidemic though.

As a society, we should also remove stigma and financial barriers for people currently struggling with obesity to pursue beneficial medical procedures like bariatric surgery.
In the end, as the 2018 "diet season" approaches, keep these ideas in mind:

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" Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future day-in-day-out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality.

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Christina Marfice

Growing up, Kyle Frank never learned about healthy nutrition. He wasn't a particularly active child, either.

"Before college, I wasn't too active, but I wasn't completely sedentary either," Kyle remembers. "I would get together with friends and play football or go on bike rides, but I was never involved in any sports except for one year in high school participating in track."

Kyle's lifestyle wasn't a problem when he was young, but when he went to college, his weight started to slowly creep up-so slowly, in fact, that he says he didn't notice it.

"Thinking back, it's almost like I didn't see the weight gain happening," Kyle says. "Like I woke up one morning and stepped on the scale weighing in at 240 pounds and had no idea how I got in that condition."

Still, Kyle admits, partying and eating fast food took precedence over lifestyle change. It took a series of wake-up calls to convince Kyle he was unhealthy. Even after he decided to make changes, serial yo-yo dieting almost made him give up. But eventually, Kyle figured out how to feed his body in a healthy way. That 100 pounds he lost? It's still gone.

This is Kyle's story.

What was your lifestyle like in college?

After high school and during my first couple years of college, I was only interested in hanging out with friends and partying. Heavy drinking and poor nutritional choices led to steady weight gain. My food choices were anything and everything. I had no knowledge about nutrition, nor did I care. College involved a lot of drinking and partying, with late night pizza and burritos. There was quite a bit of fast food.

What was your 'aha' moment?

At first, I didn't care too much about the weight gain and kept up with my normal partying lifestyle. But as time went on, there were three different events that flipped the switch in my head and made me realize I wanted to do something about my weight.

First, I noticed I could no longer bend over to tie my own shoe. My stomach would get in the way, pushing against my legs, making it difficult to breathe.

Second, I was supposed to join my brother and his friend to go skydiving, something I'd always wanted to do. Upon arriving at the airfield, I discovered I was over the weight limit to do a tandem skydive with an instructor.

Third, one morning while getting ready for work, I was putting on the pair of jeans that I always wore. After I buttoned and zipped them up, I tried to adjust the pocket. In doing so, I split open the crotch. Although I was alone at the time, I felt humiliated.

I couldn't believe I'd let myself get to the condition I was in. I was sick of missing out on life by not being able to do things I wanted to do, and I was sick of feeling insecure. I wanted to change to ensure I would be able to live the life I wanted in the future.

What's the first step you took toward making a change?

The first thing I did was hit the books. I researched everything I could get my hands on, including tons of different diets and training plans. I found people in the fitness industry who inspired me with their videos or blogs. I tried so many different diets and meal plans, as well as tons of different exercise routines.

It was a challenge for me to be consistent with everything. I would switch programs quickly or be distracted by a new diet. I think I would have seen results faster if I had stayed consistent.

What finally made you stay consistent?

I stopped trying every fad diet and workout routine, and simplified the process for myself. I set smaller, more achievable goals, like eating more whole foods and going to the gym three times a week. Once that became habit, I was able to build on it. Eventually I turned to flexible dieting so I could eat in a healthy way without depriving myself.

What's your secret to long-term maintenance?

I stopped believing there are good and bad foods. I allow myself to have anything I want, but I manage the quantity. This was a huge mental shift for me.

I count macros and change them depending on my goal. I no longer feel restricted to a few select foods. Since I no longer feel deprived, I no longer have the need for "cheat days."

To me, the secret is finding what works best for you. This will result in increased consistency and adherence.

What was the difference between the approach that made you yo-yo and the approach that worked?

In the beginning of my weight-loss journey I restricted certain foods, trying to eat "clean" and "whole" foods, and definitely undereating. I struggled with how restrictive that was, and felt like I wasn't enjoying the food I was eating because it was so plain and boring. I remember initially being hungry because I wasn't consuming enough calories.

I still had to be in a caloric deficit when I switched over to counting and tracking macros in order to lose weight. The difference was that since I was tracking food, I had objective data to look at and know where to make adjustments if my weight loss plateaued.

The other main difference was simply the mindset shift when switching to counting and tracking macronutrients. I no longer put any food off-limits. If I wanted a serving of ice cream and I could fit it in my daily macro count, I would have it.

I still prioritize whole foods. But I got hooked for good when I saw results while still including foods many people consider off-limits.

Since you've been counting macros for so long, what strategies do you recommend?

Learn to read a food label, and use an app on your phone to track the food. The apps make it very easy and most come with a barcode scanner, so you have the nutritional information right at your fingertips.

I think flexible dieting is a great thing for everyone to try at least for a little while. In doing so, you start learning what a serving size looks like. You also begin to understand the macronutrient composition of foods.

I have been doing it long enough that I can look at most food items and more or less know their serving size and the macronutrient makeup. That knowledge can help anyone trying to lose weight.

How did Bodybuilding.com help you reach your goals?

Bodybuilding.com was the first website I came across when I decided I wanted to transform. The articles, videos, and training programs I found kept me motivated. I always read the new articles that come out to keep learning. I find lots of tasty recipes, and I always find inspiration.

I honestly give Bodybuilding.com the credit for sparking my interest in fitness and giving me the motivation that has put me on the path to where I am today.

What does your diet look like now?

Day 6: Random day. I use this day to work on anything I feel like I haven't hit in a while, or I'll do a light outdoor recovery activity such as rucking, paddle boarding, or a trail run. Sometimes if I'm feeling good, I might put together a mini circuit of strongman movements or an interval weight-training session.

Day 7: Rest

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Christina Marfice Growing up, Kyle Frank never learned about healthy nutrition. He wasn't a particularly active child, either. "Before college, I wasn't too active, but I wasn't completely sedentary either," Kyle remembers. "I would get together with friends and play football or go on bike rides, but I was never involved in any sports except for one year in high school participating in track."

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Name: Melissa Forehand
Age: 41
Height: 5'4 1/2" (160 cm)
Highest weight: 240 lbs (109 kg)
Current weight: 145 lbs (66 kg)
Lowest weight: 125 lbs (57 kg)

Back in the summer of 2001, Melissa Forehand was miserable and depressed.

She could feel that her clothes were getting tighter but wasn't even sure how exactly much she weighed.

"I stopped weighing myself at 225 lbs (102 kg)," she admits. "I probably weighed about 240-250 pounds (109-113 kg). I'd had my daughter several months before but was still wearing maternity clothes and stretchy size 20's."

Melissa was prediabetic with a strong family history of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. In addition to her baby daughter, she had a six-year-old son and a husband in the military.

"I didn't realize I had gained so much weight until my son took a photo of me and my daughter, and when I looked at it, I just couldn't believe how big I'd gotten. I didn't even recognize myself. And my husband never said a word. He'd always tell me I was beautiful. He had recently deployed, and I didn't want him to come home to me being 300 pounds (136 kg)," she says.

However, she wasn't sure how to go about losing the weight. In the past, she'd tried portion control, 100-calorie food packs, and focusing on "healthy whole grains" - none of which produced any meaningful weight loss.

Finding Atkins

Fortunately for Melissa, fate was on her side. Right around that time, she found an old copy of 'Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution' laying on top of a pile of books at a local thrift store.

"I was in the thrift store and just happened to see this diet book laying there. I picked it up, bought it, and began reading it. And I thought, this has to be for me. I think I was just really in the right place at the right time, I think."

She started the first phase of the diet, also known as Induction, which restricts carbs to 20 grams per day. Immediately, she noticed that she was less hungry.

However, she admits having a few false starts with low carb.

"I would do so well all day, and then the cravings would hit, and I'd give in, and then I'd be so disappointed in myself. But I found that the cravings would pass if I changed my focus," she remembers. "And that made me feel so proud of myself and gave me self-confidence. It made me realize that I could keep going, and I did."

Although Induction is meant to last only two weeks before progressing to Phase 2, Melissa decided to stick with it.

"I stayed on induction for the entire 10 months it took to lose 100 pounds (45 kg). Because I did so well with Phase 1 that I just never made it to Phase 2," she laughs.

She realizes that not everyone loses this amount of weight in such a short period of time and attributes part of her success to walking for an hour every day while losing weight.

Melissa also decided to keep the weight loss a secret from her husband, who returned home almost a year after she'd started the Atkins diet.

My own husband didn't even recognize me!

"My own husband didn't even recognize me!" she recalls. "When we went to pick him up, he walked right past me. I called out, 'Larry!' And he turned around, and he literally didn't recognize me. He was completely shocked, but in a good way. He walked with me all proud, like 'Yeah, this is my wife,'" she laughs.
At 41, having maintained a 100-pound (45 kg) loss for 15 years, Melissa is frequently mistaken for being much younger.

"People actually sometimes think my son, who's now 22, is my boyfriend. It embarrasses him, of course. They sometimes ask, 'Is this your significant other?' And I say, 'No, I'm his mother,'" she laughs.

Melissa makes it a point to eat only when she is hungry, which often means skipping meals.

"Back when I was losing weight, there were times where I would just naturally not be hungry, so I'd go take a walk instead. Sometimes when I came back I still wouldn't be hungry, so I wouldn't eat until later. This was before I'd ever heard of intermittent fasting, but that's what I was doing. And I continue doing it, especially skipping breakfast, because I'm never hungry when I wake up."

Although she now allows herself up to 30 grams of net carbs per day, she usually remains under 20 grams of net carbs most of the time. And unlike some long-term maintainers, she doesn't track her meals in an online food tracker or app.

"I don't track my food at all," she admits. "I did in the beginning, but it really became second nature. I just pretty much know how many carbs are in all the foods I eat, and I eat the same types of food every day."

A typical day of eating for Melissa

Coffee break (10:00 am):
1-2 cups of coffee with 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream and stevia drops.

Lunch (sometime between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm):
Bunless burger, salad with lots of cheese, olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper.

Dinner (6:00 pm):
Meat, chicken or fish, grilled veggies with plenty of butter (if hungry) or a salad.

And low-carb or keto sweets? They're not part of her diet as a rule.

"I don't eat low-carb cookies and stuff like that too often because I don't think I do very well with those. I mean, I do try them here and there because I'm human, and there are so many recipes that look really good," she says. "But when I start eating goodies made with almond flour and that sort of thing, I've noticed that I can't just eat one, and it brings on more cravings for other sweet foods as well."

Melissa says the one treat that doesn't cause cravings for other sweets is dark chocolate, and just a square or two is enough.

Keto is like marriage. You can't cheat on it and expect it to work.

Although she admits occasionally eating a few chips with salsa at a Mexican restaurant while waiting for her meal, she doesn't believe in "cheat days" or "cheat meals."
In fact, she has an imagine posted to her Instagram account that reads: " Keto is like marriage. You can't cheat on it and expect it to work."

Her best tips

Like many successful long-term weight loss maintainers, Melissa exercises regularly.

"I hike as much as possible, and I just love hiking the trails nearby. I'll even do the nerdy-girl power walk, getting my arms going," she laughs. "I still walk for about an hour a day. I can't run because I have knee problems from when I was overweight, but I do walk a lot. And right now I'm not lifting weights at the gym, but once my youngest starts school at the end of the month, I'll go back to lifting again."

These are Melissa's tips for people who want to successfully maintain their weight loss forever:

1. Change your focus if you have cravings. "I found that if I picked up a book and started reading, the cravings always passed. Instead of reading, you can knit, take a walk or do something else to change your focus. I promise the craving will go away if you just stay strong," she says.

2. Don't look at low carb as a short-term solution. It has to become a way of life.

3. Keep your meals simple. "I notice a lot of people struggle trying to find replacements for their high-carb foods and treats. I think it's okay to experiment later on, but when you're losing, just focus on meat, vegetables and healthy fats. Keep the treats for later on or maybe never, depending how they affect you," she says. [Note: Check out our super-simple keto meals here]

You can follow Melissa on her Instagram account, @lowcarbkitty.

-
Franziska Spritzler, RD

More
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How Melissa lost 100 pounds with a keto diet, and kept it off for 15 years - Diet Doctor

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Back in the summer of 2001, Melissa Forehand was miserable and depressed. She could feel that her clothes were getting tighter but wasn't even sure how exactly much she weighed. "I stopped weighing myself at 225 lbs (102 kg)," she admits.

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When Nancy Nygren had a meeting on the fourth floor, she opted for the stairs.

By the time she reached the top, she couldn't breathe. It took most of the meeting for her to catch her breath.

The 5-foot-5-inch woman weighed well over 200 pounds at 47. With her 50th birthday only a few years away, Nygren didn't want to hit the milestone as obese. So she made changes to her eating habits and got off the couch.

"I thought, 'This is a problem. Take care of this,' " Nygren said.

Now, Nygren weighs 160 pounds.

She had stopped weighing herself once the scale flashed 225, so Nygren knows she lost at least 65 pounds but estimates the true number is closer to 80. The Omaha woman has kept the weight off for a decade.

While many people may lose significant amounts of weight, sometimes through trendy diets, they aren't all able to maintain it, said Jennifer Yee, instructor of Nygren's boot camp class. Nygren made exercise, nutrition and fitness key parts of her life.

"She's the perfect example of somebody who has lost a significant amount of weight and has done it the right way," said Yee, who is also an instructor in Creighton University's exercise science program.

Nygren, now 57, said she was never athletic, but after she had children, her lifestyle became more sedentary.

Meals consisted of fast food at least five times a week and soda every day. She loved to snack on salty foods, especially chips.

Nygren started by writing down everything she ate in a day.

"I was shocked by the sheer volume," Nygren said. "Clearly no one needed to eat that much."

She stopped eating out. Chips and soda no longer had a home in her pantry. Nygren started keeping tabs on her eating habits and how many calories were in the foods she ate.

She took up walking. Nygren, along with a few co-workers, would walk from their building on the Creighton University campus to the CenturyLink Center and back over the lunch hour. At home, she would walk along the nearby Papio Trail.

"I walked off the first 40 pounds," she said. "I wasn't doing anything super exciting. ... I did all the stuff we know about but just don't follow."

Nygren's walking group also participated in a boot camp class offered by Creighton's exercise science department. She's been participating in the class three times a week for 10 years now.

At first, it was intimidating. Nygren hadn't done a pushup since high school. But the participants - women of all ages and fitness levels - were welcoming.

In a recent class over the lunch hour, Nygren and about a dozen others hopped from station to station performing different exercises. On a basketball court in the fitness center, Nygren started by riding a stationary bike. She moved on to lift weights, complete pushups and planks, swing kettlebells and toss around a weighted ball.

Nygren tries to eat whole foods, eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains throughout the day. No foods are off limits; that mindset would make her want them more. If she wants pizza, she has a piece or two and not the whole pie.

Kelvin Nygren said he was excited when his wife decided to craft a healthier lifestyle.

"She's a very private person. She doesn't like to make a big deal out of herself and her accomplishments, but I think she probably has been an inspiration to people," he said. "It's something I think anybody can do. You just have to really change your mindset and that was the big deal for her."

Occasionally Nancy Nygren plateaued and stopped shedding pounds. Last year, a fall during boot camp broke her elbow, hip and pelvis. She was sidelined for eight weeks before returning to class. Nygren credits her fitness level for her speedy recovery.

"I wanted to get back and do things I was used to doing," Nygren said. "I wanted to keep that up."

Nygren said she's determined to keep the weight off. She does that in part by setting goals. She set out to walk 2,017 miles in 2017. Her injury was a setback, but she finished her last 3 miles on Dec. 31.

"I realized I really needed to change a few things in my life," Nygren said. "I changed the focus of my life. I want to be fit. I want to be healthy."

kelsey.stewart@owh.com, 402-444-3100, twitter.com/kels2

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Little lifestyle changes help Omaha woman maintain 65-pound weight loss for 10 years

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When Nancy Nygren had a meeting on the fourth floor, she opted for the stairs. By the time she reached the top, she couldn't breathe. It took most of the meeting for her to catch her breath. The 5-foot-5-inch woman weighed well over 200 pounds at 47.

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Lose weight more efficiently with these simple tricks to boost your metabolism, no matter your age.

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Perhaps my biggest secret to success: I stopped believing that "fat happens."

Courtesy Nancy Dunham

The massive, wrinkled fat rolls pictured on the Facebook post repulsed me. I blinked hard before I noticed the middle-aged women who had flashed their abdomens for the camera were smiling. And then I saw it-the "fat happens" mantra beneath the photo. This is the exact age it becomes harder to lose weight.

My immediate thought was to delete the post. As I kept studying the picture, though, I decided I had to respond. I couldn't post anything-not even an "LOL"-that might signal agreement with the sentiment, even though a dear friend had shared it. As a former chair-busting 40-something, I knew karma would punish me if I didn't speak out.

"It doesn't have to be that way," I typed, noticing my left hand tremble just a bit as I pecked out the letters. Candidly, it was difficult to write even that. But those words had changed my life, prompting me to start a journey that led to losing 100 pounds. I hoped at least they'd give others pause.

After I lost the weight, I promised myself I'd never again support the belief that middle-aged women-and men-are destined to grow fat, lose muscle tone, and develop heart disease. I just couldn't propagate that falsehood once I knew differently.

I was never a fat kid. I ate right, I was active, and I just had fun. But that all stopped after college as I walked the tightrope of my stressful career. Food was my escape. Sure, I tried to lose weight through the years. After dozens of half-hearted, failed efforts-name a diet and I tried it-I gave up. I told everyone I would always be fat. I couldn't change.

I believed that until my husband and I, joined by two of our closest friends, took a cruise to the Caribbean to celebrate my 50 th birthday. I was having incredible knee pain-that tends to happen when you weigh almost 250 pounds-and could hardly hobble around our cabin. Still I agreed to go on a shore excursion around one of the islands.

My knee threatened to give out several times as I slowly walked out of the cabin, around the stairways, and down the gangplank to the van. After hoisting myself into the van and taking a seat, I watched as a massively obese woman (even compared to me!), slowly climbed aboard. Everyone pretended not to notice the woman's face, scrunched in pain, as she slowly shuffled to her seat.

"Ah, a glimpse into my future," I jokingly whispered to my friend Sherry.

"No, it's not," my friend said in a dead-serious whisper. "It doesn't have to be that way. You can diet. You can exercise. You can change."

That simple statement triggered something in me. I started to think about my life and how I'd gone from semi-athletic kid to queen-size pantyhose wearer who could hardly walk a few hundred feet. And how my mom-who didn't have the internet or DVD workout programs or any of the other more modern conveniences we have now-kept weight gain at bay.

Modern weight-loss systems weren't working. Why not give the tried-and-true method a chance? Don't miss the 50 things your doctor wishes you knew about losing weight.

These are the lessons I learned in my mission to lose 100 pounds:

You can't buy weight loss. Yes, there are plenty of high-priced diets and workouts available. Unless you are committed to losing weight, though, no pricey systems will do a shred of good.

Calories count. Count them. When I began my serious weight-loss journey, I used (and still use) the free tracking system SparkPeople. Yes, it takes time to track food, but the accountability you gain is well worth the time and money.

Think ahead. If I knew I was going to dine out, which I rarely did, I would pre-plan my meal. Then I could put the calories into my tracker ahead of time. Pre-planning let me know exactly how much I could eat the rest of the day so as not to exceed my calorie limit.

Network. SparkPeople has a recipe database and forums where members share ideas. I credit those forums with introducing me to healthier versions of recipes I enjoyed (chicken fingers, tuna casserole). The quality of your food calories count, and this program helped me eat healthy, appealing foods. Another bonus: The other members gave me words of encouragement when I didn't lose weight or, sadly, gained weight. Their words meant a lot, because they understood.

Set aside time to exercise. You don't need to join a gym or buy expensive equipment. You do need to set aside the time to move and commit to moving during that time. Yes, you're busy. We all are. But how much is your health worth? I started moving by thinking about what I liked to do as a kid-swimming. So I joined a community gym and began swimming. I branched out to other exercises from there. One of my favorites is "walking workouts" by fitness guru Leslie Sansone. There are plenty of other at-home exercises that work well too.

Choose to move. Remember: All movement counts toward fitness and weight loss, even housework and laundry. Set a timer to remind yourself to move at least once an hour-no, you won't remember. A timer can help build the habit.

Now that you've heard about Nancy's journey, it's time to start your own. Make changes to your lifestyle with these 50 ways to lose weight without a lick of exercise.

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How I Lost 100 Pounds At Age 51 And Kept It Off | Reader's Digest

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Perhaps my biggest secret to success: I stopped believing that "fat happens." Courtesy Nancy Dunham The massive, wrinkled fat rolls pictured on the Facebook post repulsed me. I blinked hard before I noticed the middle-aged women who had flashed their abdomens for the camera were smiling.

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12 Habits Of Women Who've Lost 100+ Pounds-And Kept It Off

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Maintaining weight loss is a constant battle. Here are tips from 7 women who've done it.