Has this ever happened to you? You lost weight, and perhaps even reached your goal, and then you promptly gained it back. If you are like 95% of dieters out there, this has happened to you. The most commonly cited statistic shows that 95% of people who lose weight will gain it back within two years. That’s depressing.
Why does this typically happen?
I’m speaking from both sides of the aisle here – I’ve gained “lost weight” back more times than I can count, and I’ve maintained a loss. So many people tell me that losing weight is the easy part but the maintenance part is the area they struggle with the most.
For me, when I was on the diet merry-go-round, I’d lose 20 pounds or so, and then find myself gaining back 25 pounds very quickly. I’d no sooner see a small victory on the scale before I began to fall right back into my old eating habits. I didn’t consciously sabotage myself, but I suppose that’s what I was doing.
I remember feeling like, “I’ve got this weight loss thing under control, so I can have some Oreos.” Unfortunately, “some Oreos” turned into an entire package of Oreos, followed by chips, chocolate candy, and ice cream in rapid order. I’d weigh myself after the eating fiasco and see myself up a pound or two. “Oh well,” I’d think, “It’s just a pound. That will come right back off.” Only it didn’t.
That little pound turned into five, and before I knew it, I had gone right back up to where I had begun. It was so frustrating. And I know I’m not alone in having experienced that frustration. So what can you do to prevent regaining your hard-lost weight back? Are there certain strategies you can employ that will get you into the 5% of people who successfully maintain a loss? I think there are.
Here’s the first 5 things that I thought of when I thought of some Weight Maintenance Tips:
1. Don’t change anything the first week after you meet your goal. – Eat like you have been while losing weight and see what your weight does. It can be that you were so close to maintenance calories at the end of your journey that you don’t have to change anything. The only way to know this is to not change anything for a week or so. If you lose weight, then you know you need to add in a few extra calories. Believe me – it won’t be many!
2. Keep up with your exercise. Hopefully the exercise you’ve been doing hasn’t been so excessive that you find it impossible to keep it up. If you must cut back on the exercise you’ve been doing, then you have got to cut back on the food as well. If you don’t you will gain.
3. Make sure you’ve gotten rid of any clothes that are too big for you. (Exception: One or two items of clothing as a reminder of where you came from) By getting rid of the “too-big” clothes you are visually telling yourself every time you open the closet – this is my new size.
4. Have some form of daily accountability. If you don’t weigh yourself every day, make sure you have something that keeps you accountable. Maybe you journal your food, or perhaps you have a pair of jeans that is your “new perfect” size. If so, make sure you keep on checking in with yourself.
5. If you start to see a gain, nip it in the bud immediately. Go back to doing what you did to lose the weight, and that pound or two will come back off. If you don’t get right back at it, it’s so easy to let a pound multiply into twenty. (Believe me – I know!!)
What about you? Do you think it’s easier to lose the weight or maintain the weight? Do you have some weight maintenance strategies in place now or for the future? Diane
The hardest thing for me when I got to my lowest was that I didn’t believe that I had actually gotten to that size. I thought ‘you’ll gain it back’. I didn’t believe that I deserved.
I DID. and so do you.
.-= Michelle@Eatingjourney´s last blog ..Budgeting–need advice =-.
The only thing hard about losing it, is the mind game. Fighting the mind that tells you it’s not happening quick enough, or experiencing a setback (like holiday overeating) that makes you feel like an utter failure. But so NOT true!.
The mind can play tricks on us. We just need to stay the course, even with the bumps in the road.
.-= Yum Yucky´s last blog ..Greedy Giveaway! Minute Ready Brown Rice =-.
as always you and I entirely agree.
as not changing too much after I shed the weight.
for me (lost about 40 lbs but have kept off for 16 yrs or so) it was as NOTsimple
If I was hungry I did eat more but kept it clean.
kept up the exercise.
kept my healthy habits.
easy to TYPE
not to do as we all know…but has so so helped in maintaining.
.-= Miz´s last blog ..I love myself. part 3948 (giveaway post). =-.
I think both are hard. I took off 17 pounds last year and then slowly added 7 of them back in the last few months. I’m having a hard time getting started again and although I have quit gaining, I’m not sure I can claim that I am losing again. I never quite got to my goal. Perhaps I have set my goal so low that I will never accomplish it and so I don’t believe that I have ever succeeded.
You are describing my life as a yo-yo dieter to a T. I am much better at losing, have done it over and over. This time I intend to maintain forever. I just had to tell myself the old cliche – It’s not a diet it’s a lifestyle. I have decided that if I gain back even a couple of pounds I will rededicate my diet until I am not only back to my goal weight, but no longer feeling the call of the Oreo. You make great points.
Love these tips! And they are so true!
I find that maintenance is a constant struggle. I am never “done” loosing weight. There is no end to it. Everyday I have to be conscious of what I’m eating and how that fits in my overall Ins/Outs Balance. I’m not a naturally thin person. I like to eat too much!
I once heard someone describe maintenance as trying to hold a beach ball under water. It takes constant attention or it will pop back up! That image has stuck in my mind for years now. And it is true! Weight management has no end.
Mia
It is so much easier to lose than maintain! And those tips are all good when written down… but I can never seem to follow them. My issue is that I have long streaks where I am living healthy (and still enjoying indulgences) and then somehow, it just stops. And I stop caring and balloon back up. I have been trying to figure out what triggers this for the last 5 years
.-= kilax´s last blog ..Friday Question #95 =-.
I use a lot of the strategies you outlined. I also keep food and workout journals. I love having records of my progress!
.-= Joanna Sutter´s last blog ..Barenaked Ladies =-.
I think losing is the easy part, maintaining lots harder.
Thanks for these tips as this is where I currently am.
I do worry that I am eating my points to maintain but not able to train the last 2 weeks…thats about 14 days now.
.-= Marcelle´s last blog ..Good Day =-.
Sadly, all of the rules did not work for me, or even apply ! I lost 110 pounds and the next week confirmed that I was pregnant. It was NOT a normal pregnancy and within the first 6 weeks I began problems with threatened miscarriage , and was told to stay on bed rest for a few days to see if the baby would hang on. He did. That then led to total bed confinement because of Placenta Previa and a parade of other problems. The only “exercise” I was allowed from my 4th month till 8 1/2 months was to shower once a day and go to my numerous Doctor’s appointments. Miscarriage was always a threat , and my only coping mechanism was to eat ( it played on one of my deepest food issues) , and the final result was a healthy baby boy who weighed 11 lb 14 oz and was 23 1/2 inches long. Mom gained 98 lbs in pregnancy and lost 30 of those on the delivery table.I also lost almost all of the muscle tone in my body from so much bed rest. New motherhood brought other changes, then autism entered and the lights went out, so to speak. However, your advice for maintaining is sound and correct for those who do not find an unmanageable curve thrown at them . I really admire that you were able to experience pregnancies and maintain as well ! Some of us just seem to do pregnancy in a more “interesting” fashion though.
.-= Diane´s last blog ..One down, many more to go =-.
I don’t have much trouble maintaining my weight, but I think it is because I do follow the rules you mentioned. One thing I have noticed with friends who have gained back weight is that they tend to return to old habits slowly. Unfortunately, maintenance requires just as much dedication as initially losing the weight.
.-= karen@fitnessjourney´s last blog ..Stretch It Out : Part I =-.
Excellent tips, Diane!
I guess I’m in the 5%
I applied the Les Brown quote, “If you want to keep getting what you are getting, keep doing what you are doing,” except in a positive way. I had lost the weight I wanted to, and I just kept on doing the same behaviors that led to that, with running being the foundation of my exercise program.
Yes! It’s so great to see these practical tips from someone who has actually done it rather than someone who just wrote a book but hasn’t done it. Think Valerie Bertinelli who didn’t even lose hers on her own and has hardly maintained any time at all! Or Marie Osmond – give me a break.
You have done it, and I agree that maintaining is a lot harder than losing. I’ve lost a lot of times but maintained ZERO! This time will be different.
These are ones I’m going to print out and keep. I want to be like you – and be able to say I lost a lot of weight years and years ago and have kept it off. I don’t know anyone but YOU who has done that.
Thanks for the tips, and more importantly, the daily encouragment to not give up and always work towards my goals.
These are great as I too think that maintenance is harder than losing. It seems so hard to really make a lifestyle change. As much as we hear about it – doing it is a different story.
I have done the yo-yo thing more times than I can count and am determined not to anymore.
And I agree with Sara – you need to write a book, not Valerie B or Marie Osmond.
Coming from someone who has been on both sides, this is SO helpful! I especially find that keeping a food journal keeps me more honest than I ever thought possible. Once I stop doing that, my progress screeches to a halt.
.-= Gigi´s last blog ..Can You Hear Me NOW??!!! =-.
These tips are basic and yet they are what works. There is no magic pill for weight loss or maintenance. I actually have found losing to be very difficult. I have maintained a range somewhat easily. Or easier than it is to lose. I really have trouble losing at all now, no matter what I do (which may be a big clue to me that I should not try anymore).
There is truth to the saying that you do the same exact thing to maintain that you do to lose, with just a bit of tweaking.
.-= Lori (Finding Radiance)´s last blog ..Carb loading works! =-.
I’m going to be the oddball here and say that for me, losing was harder than maintenance. I think it’s because my problem wasn’t eating the whole bag of Oreos, it was that I chose Oreos over real food all the time.
I have made a lifestyle change that has changed my mentality and I don’t WANT the Oreos.
But that’s just me.
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..Running in the Cold =-.
Thank you for posting this topic today. I have printed it off so I don’t lose it. It’s one of the main things in the back of my mind after I get to my ideal weight. Right now I find I ask myself “is this something I can do for the rest of my life?” especilly in the work out area.
.-= Brenda´s last blog ..crunching my numbers friday =-.
For me the key was to make changes that I intended to stick to forever. I actually never went on a “diet,” but I made healthy food choices and kept track of portions. Portion control was the biggest thing for me as I was already eating mainly healthy foods. And I still have to watch my portions and be mindful whenever I sit down to eat. Otherwise it’s just too easy to go back for seconds when I really don’t need more food…
I also lost weight very slowly, which was frustrating at times. But making slow changes really allowed me to get used to the changes and fully incorporate them into my life.
I like your recommendation to keep track of your weight in some way on a regular basis. It’s just too easy for pounds to creep back on and before you know it, it’s a lot more than just a few pounds…
Great tips! It is harder to maintain I think. Right now I try to weigh myself once a week to make sure I am on track….
.-= Lauren @ Eater not a runner´s last blog ..Busy (baking) bee =-.
Very good tips. I found something useful out of there just for me trying to lose the weight.
.-= Leah´s last blog ..Weigh-In … The Price =-.
Maintaining weight loss is a constant struggle for way too many. Your tips are just a stepping off point to help beat the gain. #1 is so vital-so many people just stop their healthy eating habits that brought them to their goal weight once it has been reached.
I’ve always had a HARD time losing. My mom is one of those people that believes she can lose easy but has a hard time maintaining. Since I have lost or gotten to my goal weight one time since becoming obese, I don’t know how I’ll do maintaining. The last time I got pregnant with baby three and gained it all back. I don’t know if I can blame it on the pregnancy or if it was my lack of knowledge on how to maintain. Probably a little of both!
=-.
.-= Anonymous Fat Girl´s last blog ..My two month check in
I am still trying to lose the last 10! BUT I think your tips will help…I love your site…usually a lurker but today I just had to comment!
.-= sian-girlgetstrong´s last blog ..Mike’s Whirlwind New Year’s Attack on the Fitness Bucket List – Day 3 =-.
REALLY good posting!
I think people get ‘done’ and sort of step off the elevator.
And you are right – maintenance is pretty much the same thing as weight loss.
I personally think that one either weighs very regularly or has ‘perfect’ food/exercise. don’t have to have both, but have to have one or the other to maintain.
and I think a lot of people do the ’50 pound’ thing. they get within 20-25 pounds of goal and think ‘good enough’. and then they gain bits back until they have put another 20-25 pounds back on their bodies. and presto, they are sitting 50 lbs above goal wondering why their ‘skinny’ jeans no longer fit.
I happened to ‘watch’ a couple people hit goal and then balance out their calories/points to maintain.
One described the difference between loosing and maintaining as a half a baked potato. Everything else was the same – food and exercise, but she was able to eat a 1/2 a baked potato ‘more’ in maintenance and hold her weight.
People do not realize this is literally the truth.
And so when I hit my first maintenance level – I understood that it would be pretty much the same as weight loss.
And I held there for 2 years.
and then when I decided to drop more weight and hit my second maintenance level, I really understood.
No magic.
.-= vickie´s last blog ..side topic of men at the end of this story of moles and other related ‘spots’ =-.
Two tools that I use to track weight are Google 15 which you can add to your home page. It tracks your weight daily and tells you your average over the last week. Another site is Log Your Run dot com which allows you to record exercise and weight and it will graph it for you.
Great post!
Nip it in the bud. Yup, that is what I am doing. Of course I wish I had turned the train around at 5lbs instead of 30, but hey at least I am focused and going the right direction now. I think I learned a lot…I will have to be very diligent at goal for ever. Life long plan is what I call my calorie-counting-way-of-eating.
Cheers,
Trish
.-= Trish´s last blog ..drink up! =-.
I’ve been stuck at a weight that’s 7 to 10 pounds above my goal for a year. If I think about it as hitting a plateau, it’s discouraging. If I think about it as successful maintenance, it’s encouraging. I’m gearing up to make another push to get down to that goal. I’ve certainly changed my eating habits for good. I tell myself that this is how skinny people eat – a healthy diet based on lots of fresh produce. Telling myself that makes me feel good! Thinking positively has contributed to my success to date. Now to tackle those last pounds!
@Babbalou – great comment. I like that way of looking at it, I didn’t fail to meet my goal I am just maintaining here until I make another push for the last 10 pounds. I think the last 10 are always hard. I won’t say hardest because making a start and getting the momentum going is also hard.
Great tips! Numbers 3 & 4 are especially important.
.-= AndrewENZ´s last blog ..Cycle commute =-.
Diane,
Thanks for posting this, I have saved it to come back to when I hit maintenance. With it looming, I was actually going to put it out there for words of wisdom from people like you, thanks for already offering it up!
-Kim
Good ideas, and I think it’s good for those of us who are still in the losing phase to be aware of. I am looking forward to and yet fear maintenance and will need all the help I can get for it!
.-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Cookbook Winner! =-.
I am just finally experimenting with the idea of maintenance. My plan: weigh in once a week. If it’s above my maintenance weight of 155, take note and be good the next week. If it’s over 155 for TWO weeks, then I’m back to calorie tracking and calorie restriction (1500 per day) until it’s in check.
After the holidays, I’m looking at being back to calorie counting for a bit starting next Tuesday unless my body decides to drop a bit this weekend.
but I know it’s only temporary!
.-= Quix´s last blog ..10 Things That Make Me Happy =-.
These are awesome tips! I usually mess up #1 as I celebrate my loss! haha (by gaining apparently – very counter-productive)
.-= fittingbackin´s last blog ..Fist in Mouth Video.. I apparently Love You Guys… And a New Recipe =-.
Diane, always great posts! I am with you on everything you said! For me, I think the maintenance was easier because I kept on the learning process. What I did then, I do not do now because I learned from some mistakes I made back then BUT I keep exercising no matter what & I always have daily accountability to myself. I use the scale & clothes. For me, I have found that the scale may not be going up but my body shape may be changing in a way I don’t want it to & vice versa so I use both the scale & how clothes fit.
And Diane, a biggie for me & I know for you cause you have written about it too.. doing what is right for you & not for your friend or neighbor or workout buddy. We are all different. I say NO when I need to. My post Monday will be about this. It is the thing I have done for so many years & more people need to do it!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Boxing Update; Giveaway Information =-.
It’s amazing how quickly it comes back when you change what you did. In 2007 I lost 35lb doing WW on my own and did no excersize. I stopped when we went on a transpacific cruise and gave myself permission to enjoy my cruise and it took me 2 years virtually to the day to get remotivated after putting it all back on plus a couple of friends.
This time I am making a lifestyle change, eating clean and excersizing so when we do travel, I can at least workout and excersize if I do eat a little different than at home. I also don’t see any more of those extended cruises in my near future.
.-= Julia´s last blog ..Habit forming hump day =-.
On tip number 3:
When I lost about 70 pounds in 2002 (my first go-round with weight loss), I was scared to throw away my fat clothes. I was scared that I might need them again and then what would I do? Wander the earth naked, I suppose. At least that’s how I saw it back then.
But then, I did actually throw away all of my fat clothes.
After I gained a lot of weight (after each pregnancy), I kept packing away my skinny clothes for the “someday I will fit into this again” moment. So now I have bins filled with cute skinny jeans and shirts. So I suppose I have the opposite issue now. lol But then again… I know that I *will* fit back into those clothes again!
Thank you for the great post!
~Kellie
.-= The Chubby Girl Diaries´s last blog ..Healthy meal and snack ideas for the busy person… =-.
Great tips!
I think it is easier for me to maintain. The reason why I gained weight in the first place was since I was so used to eating so many calories for nursing, that I just continued on that track. I was always hungry. I was at the same weight for a long time before that. I’m hoping that once I get back into eating smaller portions like I did for years, then I can maintain. I hope.
.-= Stacy´s last blog ..A new personal best…2.5 days =-.
Diane, thanks for this post. I’m really looking forward to getting these last 10 lbs. off, and I will definitely be returning to this post after I hit maintainence. Have a great day!
Hope
I’m excited to get to the maintenance stage of my weight loss journey. This time I’m going to do it right. You were right when you said that one Oreo turns into many. And the weight comes back on way faster than it came off!
.-= Carla´s last blog ..First weigh-in =-.
I think it’s important to adapt a diet plan that you can maitain for your entire life WHILE you are losing weight, so that when you are in maintenance mode, you don’t see yourself having to make big changes in your diet.
.-= Tony´s last blog ..Again and Again =-.
Those are truly great tips Diane! I really love that weight maintenance isn’t magical or mystical, because that means that I can do it too! It’s not luck, it is consistency, vigilance, and perseverence. That, I can manage
Unfortunately I haven’t been at this point yet but I will remember it for once I get there because I’m sure I will!
.-= Fran´s last blog ..A day in my life: Friday January 8th 2010 =-.
You’ve captured it exactly! I haven’t found maintenance super tough, mainly because I’ve pretty much stuck to what I was doing before I got there. I get a few more splurges now, but I generally use them for healthier foods. Not counting Christmas, of course.
But now it’s back to the usual fare.
.-= Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..For Your Reading Pleasure… =-.
Great advice! I have to know that some foods aren’t possible for me to enjoy in moderation. Sad but true, I will always have to fight my food addiction! Thanks for the great advice! I’m gonna have to come back when I get down to my goal.
.-= Mackattack (Beth)´s last blog ..Friday, lovely Friday! =-.
Easier to lose no doubt. Of course, that is the reason I am trying to gradually merge into maintenance.
.-= South Beach Steve´s last blog ..Time For The Perfect 10 Check-In =-.
I don’t plan to change a thing. I don’t think I’ll lose weight until I disappear, and I’m sure I’ll slack off from time to time. That’s what the scale (and tight fitting jeans) are for. I actually met goal today (BMI = 25), but I’m still chubbier than I’d like, so I’ll keep going, until I don’t lose anymore. Realistically, I eat way too much and too heavy to get really skinny, but another 20 pounds would be okay.
.-= julie´s last blog ..I’m making YOU feel bad? =-.