How to Burn Fat and Not Regain it
Don’t laugh at the statement “Losing weight is the easy part” because the real challenge lies in keeping lost weight away.
A lot of people who have lost weight successfully end up regaining the weight they’ve worked so hard to shed and in some cases, they gain more weight than they lost.
There is however things you can do to make sure that the weight you’ve lost stay away.
Number one is never skipping meals.
If you skip meals, you’ll feel hungrier thus you eat more in your next meal. Skipping meals also cause your metabolism to slow down and store food as fat. It’s important to keep your metabolism active and running by consuming a nutrient-rich, high-fiber breakfast that includes low-fat dairy, fresh fruits and whole grains.
It’s often better to eat 5 small meals a day rather than eat 3 large meals. Eating small encourages your body to burn more calories than eating less frequently and bigger meals. Refer to the list of staple foods in Chapter 2.
Sticking to natural foods can make sure your body does not regain the weight you’ve just lost.
Monitor your weight every week.
Weigh yourself once each week at the same time of day and write down your weight in a journal. You can use your records to track trends in weight fluctuations.
You should also start an exercise journal and write down all your exercise, the duration and intensity. If walking is your exercise, write down the distance you walked and the duration. You should also note the intensity of any workout done on exercise equipment.
Also, write down everything you eat every day. This can be a guiding light to help you reach your ultimate weight loss and fitness goals.
After 6-8 weeks, compare the information in your journal – your weight, exercise and food. You should be able to recognize patterns in eating and exercise that directly affect your weight gain or loss.
Stick To a Realistic Diet and Exercise Program
Discipline is the key to keeping yourself from regaining the weight that you’ve lost. Eating well and on time as well as monitoring your weight can all help ensure that the bulge won’t return with a vengeance.
Sticking to a sensible, realistic diet and workout program from the start will also make it a lot easier for you to maintain your ideal weight once you’ve reached it.
Unrealistic diets are not sustainable for the long term and following one is the main reason why people regain weight.
Fad diets, commercial diets and very low calorie diets are an example of this. These diets restrict so many food groups that you end up eating too much of foods you’re not allowed to eat.
Extreme diets and exercise programs will make you lose weight at the start but they require drastic changes that it’s really difficult to follow them in the long term. Restricting what you eat and working out like crazy won’t teach you how to change your unhealthy habits for good.
Also, fast weight loss has side effects like:
- Loss of muscle which is bad because this will slow down your metabolism. Slower metabolism makes you gain weight faster and if you’ve lost a lot of muscles, you will end up with more body fat after regaining your weight.
- Physical problems like constipation, gallstones, dizziness, headaches, fatigue and loose skin are side effects of quick weight loss.
- Feelings of hunger and deprivation caused by too many restricted foods. Also, jumping into extreme workouts without fully preparing and strengthening your body results to exhaustion, body soreness and even complete burn out.
Choose a sensible diet and exercise program that can help you maintain your ideal weight after losing your excess weight. You should also make it a point to keep your body hydrated by drinking the right amount of water for you with a minimum of one ounce per every two pounds of body weight per day.
