This spring and summer I decided to get rid of 10 extra pounds and keep it off. It’s funny how the weight can sneak up on you even if you try to (mostly) eat right and live healthy. For me, the most motivating time to get to the weight, or shape, I want – is when spring comes and it’s time to think about shedding the layers of clothing.
I started in April and by the end of May I was mostly to my goal. I got rid of the last pound and a few extra pounds in early June and have done well maintaining. Losing weight of course is about a lot more than how we look. It’s so beneficial to our health and the way we feel. Recently I wrote (in the Joint Health article) about how one extra pound is like 4 extra pounds of pressure on your knees and six on your hips. That translates to pain or discomfort and I certainly don’t want either.
If you have worked hard trying to get your weight down and get healthy, you may be wondering what do you do next? Well the simple answer to that is to maintain your healthy lifestyle. However, sometimes you can lose motivation once you’ve reached your goal weight and can finally fit into your favorite pair of jeans.
Motivation is what kept you going when it got tough, but now that it’s gone how are you supposed to keep up the good work? Well here are some answers and some other tips on how to maintain your healthy, fit lifestyle.
- Get more motivation! If motivation got you into living a healthy lifestyle then keep at it. Maybe reward yourself every week you’ve kept it up by buying a new outfit or something for your favorite hobby. Another idea you could try is to have a Healthy Lifestyle jar. Every time you choose a healthy option put a dollar or just some change into the jar and then spend it on something fun for yourself.
- Choose good habits. Everything is easier once you’ve done it a million times. The more you keep healthy habits the easier it will be to maintain then. If you are having some problems getting into healthy habits, you could try marking off a calendar or planner every day you do it. That way you have a visual reminder to keep up the good work.
- Look for support. Whether it’s your family, friends, or a support group, having people to support you can really help. I personally find it most helpful to have the support of the people living with me. When they see me sitting around watching TV they can suggest I go take a walk or maybe suggest I have some fruit instead of those potato chips you’re eating. They can catch your bad habits when you can’t.
- Set a warning weight. Set a weight that may not be necessarily your maximum weight, but just a weight that triggers you to say: I’m slipping a bit. Then if you ever hit this weight you can evaluate where you’ve been falling and fix it before it gets too out of hand.
- Help someone else. I’ve known many people that get motivated by helping others, so why not transfer this to healthy living? Try to help your friends and family get fit and healthy too. If you’re going for a jog, invite your friend to come along. If you’re a parent, try fixing some healthier options for the family’s dinner. Now of course you don’t want to nag and annoy the people around you, but a friendly suggestion never hurts.
- Stay positive. Don’t get discouraged if you fail. Life is hard and sometimes we fail, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do it. If stress takes over your life and you find yourself overweight and unfit again, don’t give up. You were able to get fit once so you can get fit again. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Just get motivated again and move on.
To learn about the program I used to take off weight, and continue to use daily to manage my weight and because it is easy, nutritious and delicious – balances my blood sugar levels so I have plenty of energy every day and have low calorie meal choices: CINCH Weight Loss and Weight Management.