How to maintain weight after a diet | Independent Herbalife partner

For many, the goal of losing weight is so all-encompassing that they don't even think about life after achieving it. But in fact, it is important to know not only how to lose excess weight, but also how to avoid regaining the previous weight. Practice shows that only 10% of those who lose weight can maintain the achieved result for a year. Of these, 5% gain weight again over the next five years. Therefore, many people believe that maintaining weight is difficult and sometimes unrealistic. Because of this belief, some people do not dare to lose weight - why waste time and energy on restrictions and self-torture?

But if you know and follow a few simple rules, the question of how to maintain weight after losing weight will be resolved by itself.

Basic Prerequisites

The question of how not to gain weight after losing weight should be puzzled even before you start losing weight. Many reasons for the return of lost weight lie precisely in the wrong approach to losing weight, some of them relate to lifestyle and old eating habits. The main ones are:

Weight loss as a result of a strict diet is more than 20% of the original weight in an extremely short period of time. Typically, this situation arises when a person sharply and severely limits himself in incoming calories. If the body receives less than 700 kcal per day, it begins to use muscle mass resources to maintain vital functions. After all, it takes time to break down fat, but you need energy right now. As a result of such diets, a person noticeably loses weight, but more at the expense of muscles. But when the diet ends, the body, remembering the recent stress, quickly accumulates fat in reserve, filling the space vacated by muscles. As a result, a person can remain at the same volumes, but have more weight and a slightly plump figure.
Refusal of fats. Many are sure that all the fats consumed are immediately deposited on the sides. In fact, this is not so, but the lack of fat in the diet leads to more serious deviations. Without them, most vitamins cannot be absorbed, the production of a number of hormones is impossible, metabolism is disrupted, and the nervous system weakens. Therefore, fats should make up at least a quarter of the diet.
Return to the previous mode of physical activity, or rather, abandonment of it. If a person led a sedentary lifestyle during the diet, after it ends it will be difficult for him to maintain the achieved result.
Return to the previous diet. Rare and heavy meals, overeating, eating huge amounts of sweets and fatty foods - all this previously led to excess weight and will bring it back. Therefore, it is important not just to go on a diet, but to gradually replace your eating habits with correct ones.

Maintaining the weight you have achieved is not easy, but it is quite possible. Even if you lost weight incorrectly, you should not despair and be horrified by the weight that comes back. You always have a chance to change the situation for the better. To do this, you should follow a few simple rules.

How to lose weight correctly to maintain weight?

Based on all of the above, we can conclude that it is necessary to lose weight correctly.
We already know about the dangers of strict dietary nutrition programs. The desire to quickly lose weight is, in fact, the main reason for your failures. For most people, the process of losing weight is an extremely unpleasant procedure, but at the same time short-term. Almost every person agrees to fast for a couple of weeks and exercise. However, few people want to follow a healthy lifestyle all the time. That’s why we are so attracted to the promises of quick weight loss that are given by the creators of diets or various drugs to fight fat. You must remember that the process of losing weight can be compared to a marathon. Only in this case you will not be interested in the question of how to maintain weight after losing weight.

All this suggests that you must consciously and purposefully approach your upcoming weight loss. You need to be patient and correctly plan your daily routine and nutrition, physical activity, as well as the energy value of your diet.

It is very important to start by calculating the calorie content of your nutrition program. To do this, we recommend using the Harris-Benedict formula. However, remember that it does not apply to athletes and obese people. In the latter case, you definitely need to contact a specialist. Athletes, in turn, use special nutrition programs that the average person does not need. To calculate the required energy value of the diet, you need to have an idea of two parameters.

Basic metabolic rate (RMR)

This indicator determines the caloric content of the diet that is necessary to maintain normal functioning of the body. You should not consume fewer calories throughout the day. This indicator is calculated as follows: RMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age).

As an example, let's take a woman whose body weight is 75 kilos, her height is 165 centimeters, and her age is 45 years. As a result, we get the following figure: RMR = 655 + (9.6 x 75) + (1.8 x 165) - (4.7 x 45) = 1460 calories.

Activity-Related Metabolism (AMR)

This indicator reflects the number of calories that the body requires to maintain its current body weight. To determine it, you need to use the following information:

Passive lifestyle - RMR x 1.2.
Sports activities are carried out from 1 to 3 times during the week - RMR x 1.375.
Training is carried out 3 to 5 times during the week - RMR x 1.55.
Classes are held 6 to 7 times - RMR x 1.725.
Daily training and high physical activity at work - RMR x 1.9.

In our example, the selected type of woman with low activity needs to consume 1460 x 1.375 = 2007 calories. It is necessary to begin to reduce the energy value of the diet gradually. Reduce your caloric intake by about 10 calories each day. Once you reach an energy deficit of 200 to 300 calories. Only after this will you begin to lose weight. Once you reach your desired body weight, you should consume the number of calories that corresponds to your AMR.

How not to return everything back

Scientists have discovered that if you maintain weight for a long time, the brain takes the achieved result as a standard. This helps in case of deviation from the norm to quickly return to previous parameters. Accordingly, the longer we retain the excess in ourselves, the more reliably it is fixed at the level of the norm. What to do to prevent the previous kilos from returning after losing weight?

Lifestyle

A strict diet, “dying” in the gym, special diet pills - all this does not contribute to healthy weight loss at all. And at the end of this self-torture, the weight quickly returns to its previous levels.

You must be aware that you cannot sit on apples and water all your life; sooner or later you will have to return to a normal diet. If you go to the gym for classes as if you were going to hard labor, you won’t last long, and in 100% of cases it will end in sabotage. Even if you gather your will and do this for a long time, you will probably harm your health.

Therefore, to lose weight with long-lasting results, choose long-term diets that involve a gradual change in your diet. Likewise, physical activity should be introduced gradually and alternated with the necessary amount of rest.

In fact, for proper weight loss, which is long-term and permanent, you need to gradually change your lifestyle. Counting calories alone will give you nothing but neurosis.

Nutrition

You can find any number of different diets, but in general they will have similar nutritional principles:

cook food mainly by steaming or in the oven;
eat only fresh food;
include more greens, fresh fruits, and vegetables in the menu;
eliminate fast carbohydrates (sugar and products containing it), replacing them with slow ones;
eat often and in small portions;
drink enough water per day.

Of course, you need to give up junk food: sweet carbonated water, fast foods, processed foods. Don’t be afraid of feeling hungry, give your stomach a rest, but not for too long so that your body doesn’t experience stress.

Sport

An hour on an exercise bike, three group classes, torture in strength training - this is what leads to exhaustion and injury, but not to weight loss. Even if you manage to avoid these consequences, it is simply impossible to maintain such a regime for the required time. Soon you will give up not only it, but also any physical activity at all.

Immediately start at least moving more during the day: walking some distance to work and home, starting to enjoy walks in the evenings, or better yet, going for a run. Then you can add gym classes.

Start with one group class or 40-minute workout at the gym. Choose a program for beginners, or better yet, contact a trainer. If you don’t like strength and aerobic exercise, sign up for stretching or yoga. At the initial stage, this will give its results.

Rest

The most important processes that ensure weight loss occur during rest, mainly during night sleep. Therefore, it is important to sleep at least six, ideally eight hours per day. At this time, the necessary hormones are produced, active processes of muscle and nervous system recovery occur, which helps normalize metabolism and, accordingly, weight.

Liquid

Water is the basis of our life, and these are not just big words. The adult human body consists of 60% water. It is involved in the process of breakdown, absorption of beneficial substances, and elimination of toxic ones. Its deficiency has a negative impact on the functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

Therefore, even when you go on a diet, and especially when you engage in physical activity, it is important to maintain water balance in the body. To do this, you need to drink about two liters of water in small portions throughout the day. This does not include first courses, juices, tea, coffee.

You should drink the first glass of clean water in the morning on an empty stomach. Surprisingly, some are so unaccustomed to the taste of pure water that they simply cannot bring themselves to take even a sip. Then you can add a little lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and infuse mint in advance.

You can add half a teaspoon of honey to your morning water with lemon. This helps cleanse the body.

Activities in life

This is always said a huge number of times, but it is still worth emphasizing. Let an active lifestyle become natural for you. Set aside 15-30 minutes a day for exercise, try to walk more, take the stairs rather than the elevator, take short breaks at work by getting up from your desk and walking around the office. All these small and seemingly insignificant efforts will help achieve impressive results.

Calories under control

If you doubt your willpower and definitely need control, start (or continue) counting calories. The daily rate can be calculated using the following formula:

for women: 9.99 X weight (kg) + 6.25 X height (cm) – 4.92 X age (years) – 161
for men: 9.99 X weight (kg) + 6.25 X height (cm) – 4.92 X age (in years) + 5
Next, the figure must be multiplied by a coefficient depending on your lifestyle:
1,725 for those who train every day;
1.55 for those who train three times a week;
1,375 for those who train once or twice a week;
1.2 for those who do not train, during sedentary work.

How to regain weight?

It's no secret that being thin after an illness is not a good thing. How to properly restore weight and strengthen the immune system during the recovery period? Yulia Gennadievna Chekhonina, a nutritionist at the Moscow Clinic of the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, advises. – Normal weight after illness must be restored. This is necessary for the immune system to return to normal. Losing weight is stressful for the body, and a person who has become “emaciated” during treatment is more susceptible to recurrences of the disease and complications. But how to gain the necessary kilos depends on what kind of trouble you are faced with.

Flu and ARVI As a rule, in the spring the human body is weakened. Therefore, it is very easy to catch a cold or flu. When the temperature is elevated, you don’t want to eat. Drinking plenty of fluids during illness also suppresses your appetite. Another nuance is that many of us strive to go to work as early as possible. And sometimes they even suffer from a cold or flu on their feet. Therefore, the body experiences additional stress - and the weight “goes away” even faster. On average, a person loses several kilograms per week during the flu. How to get better Diet after ARVI and flu should take into account your energy needs. Usually, it only takes a week to “sit” on it, and the weight returns to normal. Cereals will help you gain back lost pounds. These include rice, buckwheat, oats. Porridge in the morning is an excellent recharge for a weakened body. In addition, it is nutritious and gives vigor. Fruits and vegetables do not significantly affect weight. But they contain vitamins that are necessary for a weakened body. Citrus fruits, kiwi and berries are suitable sources of vitamin C, which is so important for immunity. Rosehip infusion, which can be drunk instead of coffee, is also useful. Instead of sugar, add honey to this drink. It gives you vigor, is quite high in calories, and contains a lot of vitamins and microelements necessary for immunity. After the flu, it’s a good idea to eat a salad of orange vegetables seasoned with vegetable oil every day. It is useful to drink dried fruit compote. It stimulates intestinal function. In addition, it contains carbohydrates. They provide energy and, in some cases, promote weight loss. Protein is also necessary - be sure to eat lean meat and chicken. All these products must be divided into 5-6 servings - fractional meals help not only to lose weight, but also to quickly restore normal weight.

Removal of appendicitis During an attack there is no time to eat at all. But this is not the main problem. After a successful operation, your hospital stay usually does not last long. At this time, a person drinks water and unsweetened drinks - jelly and kefir. And she loses several kilograms. It is also important to follow a diet at home. Tissue restoration after surgery depends on it. If you don't eat right, the stitches can simply come apart. And this threatens complications. Therefore, weight loss after appendicitis removal can be quite noticeable. How to get better During the entire period before the sutures are removed, it is best to eat high-calorie and easily digestible foods. Foods that cause bloating should be avoided. Carbonated water, raw fruits and vegetables, legumes, and brown bread are prohibited. Instead of fruit for an afternoon snack or second breakfast, it is better to eat specially designed nutritional mixtures. They are sold in specialized departments of pharmacies. They contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates in an easily digestible form. Therefore, the body does not waste energy on digesting them. With the help of such mixtures, a person quickly gains weight. Dishes with vegetable oil - semi-liquid porridge and stewed vegetables - will help avoid constipation. It is better to cook soups in lean broth. To increase calorie content, you can add fatty sour cream to them. Lean meat or fish for the main course should be cooked until soft. It is better to add side dishes of cereals to them. This way you will get full faster and gain the missing calories. Gastrointestinal infections Indigestion is a rather unpleasant phenomenon; you don’t want to eat during it, and often it’s simply impossible. On average, it takes 3–5 days to overcome mild disorders. But treatment of severe poisoning and dysentery can take several weeks. During this time, the person noticeably loses weight. How to gain weight This situation is complicated by the fact that you need to gain weight without putting additional stress on your stomach. Therefore, it is worth paying attention not to the quantity of food, but to its nutritional value. The golden rule is fractional meals. You need to eat six times a day. Don't rush while eating. When eating quickly, satiety does not occur immediately. And you risk overeating. And this will not benefit even a healthy stomach. The diet limits foods that are “irritants” to the gastric mucosa. This is coffee, canned food, strong meat broths, everything salted and fried. The best “friends” during the recovery period are pureed soups and jelly. Cream soups made with low-fat broth are nutritious. They do not require additional energy to digest. Oatmeal jelly contains a sufficient amount of fiber. It helps restore the natural intestinal microflora. And this is very important after an infection. Just don't overdo it. Products containing coarse fiber should be excluded. White cabbage, turnips, radishes are useful, but not during the recovery period. Instead, it is better to eat boiled potatoes, stewed carrots, and zucchini. Meat dishes are best consumed in the form of meatballs or meatballs. To increase calorie content, add low-fat sauce to them. Eat rice and buckwheat as a side dish. They have a fixing effect - this is important if poisoning is accompanied by diarrhea.

Fractures Unfortunately, no one is immune from them. High-heel lovers and vegetarians are at risk. If you have to stay in the hospital for some time with a cast, the risk of losing weight is very high. Unusual food, not always tasty and not always high-calorie, does its job. But even if the doctor sends you home after applying the cast, the risk of losing too much weight remains - due to stress. As a result, we usually lose 2–5 kilos. How to recover If you have a fracture, you need to provide the body with calories. Without a balanced diet, bone tissue will take longer to heal. Your menu should include a sufficient amount of animal proteins. They are the building blocks for body tissues. Eat lean meat, turkey and chicken fillets. To add calories, eat them with side dishes of steamed vegetables. And of course, eat as many foods containing calcium as possible. Cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir - all this is necessary. Watch your fat content - the higher it is, the faster you will gain weight. A sedentary lifestyle during the recovery period often leads to constipation. Include more vegetables and fruits in your diet. Bananas, persimmons, grapes will help avoid intestinal problems. In addition, they are quite high in calories. In general, this diet should be followed throughout the entire recovery period. It will help strengthen bone tissue and prevent recurrence of fractures.

Ksenia ULYANOVA

Useful video

To learn how to maintain weight after losing weight, watch this video:

Nutritionist's advice on how to maintain weight after rapid weight loss

According to statistics, no more than 5 - 10% of those who have lost weight can maintain the weight for a long time. The rest return to their previous state, if not worse. First, it’s worth understanding the reasons for this phenomenon:

Wrong strategy for losing weight: observe strict restrictions for a week or two, and then eat as before.
During a strict diet, metabolism slows down, the body adapts to conserving energy and reserves for a rainy day.
If you lose weight incorrectly, weight loss occurs due to muscle mass and water.
High intensity training in a short period of time, during which the body gets used to the load. After you stop losing weight, calorie consumption changes, and there is simply nowhere to put the incoming substances.

Therefore, nutritionists immediately warn that losing weight and staying in shape is hard work throughout your life. Some recommendations will help make the task a little easier.

To learn how to maintain weight after losing weight (advice from a nutritionist), watch this video:

Eat more often, but less

You should eat 5-6 times a day. Both constant “chewing” and rare, untimely meals, but filling the stomach to capacity, are harmful. Portion sizes should be small. In addition, we must not forget to simply drink enough water or unsweetened green tea, since liquid improves metabolism and removes toxins.

When losing weight, you can’t skew your diet in one direction. It must be balanced and complete. If you exclude important elements, then due to a lack of substances, the body will send signals of hunger and deficiency, but this only leads to overeating.

More activity

No matter how trivial it may sound, you won’t be able to maintain weight without physical activity. The energy entering the body must be expended. Even if you reduce calories and the weight of portions, a lack of nutrients begins, a deterioration in mood and well-being, and then breakdowns and overeating.

Expert opinion

Yulia Mikhailova

Nutrition expert

Every day a person should walk about 10,000 steps. You can get this amount from everything - walking, going to the store or to the parking lot, going up to the floor. In addition, it’s worth training a couple of times for at least half an hour. You can do any activity as long as you enjoy it.

Weight control

Regular weighing is the best way to control weight. This way you can notice the increase before it's too late and get a grip. However, you should not weigh yourself every day, especially for women. An increase of a kilo or two may be due to heavy eating, water retention or the timing of your menstrual cycle. Therefore, you should weigh yourself once a week, at the same time.

We recommend reading about a strict diet for quick weight loss. From the article you will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of a strict diet, menus for the week, and options for short-term strict diets. And here is more information about the Chinese diet.

If a person decides to lose weight, then he should take it seriously. Such changes cannot be perceived as a short-term race. Now lifestyle and eating habits must change forever. But this is the path to health and beauty.