How to Stay Thin
Balance your calories., Eat a balanced diet., Eat high-calorie foods in moderation., Eat until you're satisfied., Drink adequate fluids.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Balance your calories.
When you were losing weight you may have been focused on following a low-calorie diet or making sure you had a daily calorie deficit to help you lose weight.
Now that you're maintaining your weight, you'll need to balance your calories differently.
In general, when you want to maintain your weight, you'll need to consume roughly the same amount of calories from food as you burn through daily activity.
For example, if your total calorie burn during the day is around 1,800 calories, you'll need to eat about 1,800 calories to maintain your weight.
You can use a food journal or smart phone app to help you count your calories throughout the day.
Use online calculators to help provide you with an estimate of how many calories you should consume to maintain your weight.
Keep your total calorie intake in mind or note it in a food journal.
If your weight changes, you can make adjustments to your current average caloric intake. -
Step 2: Eat a balanced diet.
Eating a balanced diet will help you maintain your weight loss long-term.
This type of diet will provide you with all the essential nutrients your body needs.A balanced diet includes foods from all food groups each day and throughout the week.
Unless you have an allergy or cultural/religious reason to avoid foods, it's ideal to include all foods in your diet.
It's also important to eat a wide variety of foods within each food group.
Every fruit, vegetable or protein source offers you a different set of vital nutrients. , When you're trying to maintain your weight, you'll be able to indulge more often in your favorite, more decadent foods.
You may have restricted these more when you were actively losing weight.
While you can snack or have a favorite treat, it's still important to only eat these foods in moderation.
If you go back to having them on a daily or more regular basis, you run the risk of gaining your weight back.Consider using the 80/20 rule.
This is a general rule sometimes suggested by health professionals.
Aim to eat healthy, nutritious foods 80% of the time and have a more indulgent treat 20% of the time., When you were dieting you may have been counting calories, points or measuring portions on a regular basis.
In maintenance mode, you might not want to do this type of monitoring and don't necessarily have to if you only eat until you're satisfied.
If you eat until you're satisfied, not full or stuffed, you take in less calories.This can help you stick to smaller portions and a lower calorie diet.
When you're eating, think about eating until you are 80% full.
This may help you get a better idea of what satisfied is.
It takes about 20 minutes for your body to register that you have eaten, so eat slowly at a table.
Satisfied may feel like a lack of hunger, a decrease in the desire to eat and a feeling that you'll be satisfied for the next few hours. , Drinking more water may be one of the new behaviors you've picked up during your weight loss plan.
Being adequately hydrated can help you keep extra pounds at bay.Drinking enough water throughout the day has shown to decrease your hunger levels and desire to snack.Aim for at least eight 8-oz glasses (2 liters) daily; however, some health experts even recommend consuming up to 13 glasses (3 liters) daily.Choose beverages that are sugar-free and caffeine-free like water, flavored water, decaf coffee and decaf tea. -
Step 3: Eat high-calorie foods in moderation.
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Step 4: Eat until you're satisfied.
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Step 5: Drink adequate fluids.
Detailed Guide
When you were losing weight you may have been focused on following a low-calorie diet or making sure you had a daily calorie deficit to help you lose weight.
Now that you're maintaining your weight, you'll need to balance your calories differently.
In general, when you want to maintain your weight, you'll need to consume roughly the same amount of calories from food as you burn through daily activity.
For example, if your total calorie burn during the day is around 1,800 calories, you'll need to eat about 1,800 calories to maintain your weight.
You can use a food journal or smart phone app to help you count your calories throughout the day.
Use online calculators to help provide you with an estimate of how many calories you should consume to maintain your weight.
Keep your total calorie intake in mind or note it in a food journal.
If your weight changes, you can make adjustments to your current average caloric intake.
Eating a balanced diet will help you maintain your weight loss long-term.
This type of diet will provide you with all the essential nutrients your body needs.A balanced diet includes foods from all food groups each day and throughout the week.
Unless you have an allergy or cultural/religious reason to avoid foods, it's ideal to include all foods in your diet.
It's also important to eat a wide variety of foods within each food group.
Every fruit, vegetable or protein source offers you a different set of vital nutrients. , When you're trying to maintain your weight, you'll be able to indulge more often in your favorite, more decadent foods.
You may have restricted these more when you were actively losing weight.
While you can snack or have a favorite treat, it's still important to only eat these foods in moderation.
If you go back to having them on a daily or more regular basis, you run the risk of gaining your weight back.Consider using the 80/20 rule.
This is a general rule sometimes suggested by health professionals.
Aim to eat healthy, nutritious foods 80% of the time and have a more indulgent treat 20% of the time., When you were dieting you may have been counting calories, points or measuring portions on a regular basis.
In maintenance mode, you might not want to do this type of monitoring and don't necessarily have to if you only eat until you're satisfied.
If you eat until you're satisfied, not full or stuffed, you take in less calories.This can help you stick to smaller portions and a lower calorie diet.
When you're eating, think about eating until you are 80% full.
This may help you get a better idea of what satisfied is.
It takes about 20 minutes for your body to register that you have eaten, so eat slowly at a table.
Satisfied may feel like a lack of hunger, a decrease in the desire to eat and a feeling that you'll be satisfied for the next few hours. , Drinking more water may be one of the new behaviors you've picked up during your weight loss plan.
Being adequately hydrated can help you keep extra pounds at bay.Drinking enough water throughout the day has shown to decrease your hunger levels and desire to snack.Aim for at least eight 8-oz glasses (2 liters) daily; however, some health experts even recommend consuming up to 13 glasses (3 liters) daily.Choose beverages that are sugar-free and caffeine-free like water, flavored water, decaf coffee and decaf tea.
About the Author
Victoria Vasquez
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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