John McGran, chief editor at Diet-to-Go, has been covering the fields of diet, fitness and health since 2000. He writes from the perspective of a dieter rather than a dietitian.
Over the past 30 years, I’ve lost hundreds of pounds by following a variety of diets. The problem: At the age of 50, I am still 40 pounds overweight because I never seem to fail at regaining the weight I work so hard to lose!
It’s called yo-yo dieting and it’s not only frustrating, but unhealthy as well. And I am not alone.
According to WebMD.com, “only about a third of dieters are successful at maintaining their loss. Seasoned dieters know that keeping it off takes vigilance, and for some folks, that’s more difficult than the actual weight loss.”
So join me today in making a vow to lose our extra weight… and keep it off! Here are five tactics that can help you avoid re-packing on the pounds.
Act Fast!
Continue to weigh yourself weekly and when you see a five-pound increase, take action. Cut back on calories and increase your activity. Within two to three weeks you’ll be back to the weight you want to be.
Practice Safe Snacks!
While no food is off limits, you do have to watch portion sizes AND be wary of the snacks you choose to eat between meals. Your best bet: Plan a few healthy snacks for each day – fruit, sugar-free Jell-O, and 100-calorie snack packs are satisfyingly sweet! The experts will tell you that those of us who snack between meals tend to fare better at sticking to a healthy diet.
Treat Yourself Well!
Yes, you can indulge in the occasional treat. Just be sure to spread out the treats and counter balance them with a serving of extra exercise.
Know the Enemy!
We all have certain foods that spark binges. They’re called trigger foods and you need to be aware of what foods are your weakness. While slip happens, you can avoid binges by keeping your trigger foods out of the house!
Get it Write!
If keeping a food journal or exercise log helped you lose the weight, don’t stop! There are plenty of tools than can keep you on the light track, but journaling is cheap, easy and extremely effective. So, write on dieter and keep track of everything you eat and all the activity you fit in daily.
Weight regain is not going to happen to you… not when you’re armed with tips and tricks to help you stay on the path to a healthy lifestyle for life!
See our Diet To Go review or visit Diet To Go now.