Why maintaining Weight can be HARD!

There is a good deal of preparation that goes into changing your lifestyle and your food choices, maybe even your activities when you start to think about losing weight. How much thought goes into how to maintain that weight loss you worked so hard to achieve? Usually very little. I have personally NEVER heard of a weight-maintenance plan being offered. Well, until now…

Once you reach your health and wellness goals it’s can be very easy to just slip back into old habits. We have only been working on a new way of eating for a short period compared to how long we have been working on developing a new lifestyle. There can also be triggers that feel so comfortable we just fall back into old patterns and not even realize it until we are weeks into our old ways.

I once discussed hypnotism with a friend who helps people develop new patterns to lose weight, quit smoking, etc. It was very interesting to hear him say that most of his job consists of not inputting new ideas and patterns into his client’s mind but to undo all the hypnotism we face daily. We are basically hypnotized to believe a certain thought, eat a certain way and our behaviors reinforce these beliefs day after day. No wonder changing our habits is SO difficult!

If we have a basic understanding of some of the pitfalls, we will face when trying to maintain our health goals, this can help us problem solve as issues arise. Some of the hardships we will face when trying to maintain our goals include:

1. Less reinforcement – While we are in the change phase there are visible, noticeable differences occurring. These changes get noticed by those around us and the positive comments from friends, family, colleagues reinforce what we are doing and help us stay the course. You too will see and feel changes in your own body. You may have increased energy; your clothes may fit better, and you might start to feel better about yourself. When you are in the maintenance phase the changes may continue but may come at a slower pace, they may also stop. There is nothing there to remind you to keep going. In this circumstance, my recommendation is always to MAKE A NEW GOAL. If you have the next target in mind you will start to focus on something positive and keep yourself moving forward.

2. Support May Decrease – If you have been working with a coach if you have been attending monthly/weekly meetings, or if you finished reading a book or got to the end of a program, the support and accountability you have been used to while reaching your goal may suddenly disappear. This is where I recommend you find an accountability partner, schedule a monthly check-in with your old coach, or put a date on your calendar where you have to check in with yourself on your goals and habits. You can’t just assume you will return to your old life and have different results. You need a plan to keep yourself checked in and focused.

3. New Mindset, Skills and Habits – To live a healthy lifestyle you have to develop skills and a mindset where you learn to be consistent. You are now taking this temporary situation you have been in to lose weight or reach a health goal and relieve symptoms to a new level of permanent life. Developing daily habits that will last a lifetime is extremely important. This is why looking into maintenance BEFORE you have reached your goal is important. You want to take a deep dive into what you are currently doing and figure out if those habits are sustainable. What might need to adapt to make your nutrition more practical long term? Your eating patterns need to feel good; they need to feel natural and they need to be rewarding!

4. Immediate Results – Just like getting into the weight loss phase took a little time and adjustment, figuring out the maintenance phase can take a little time. Maintenance habits take time to become permanent. I recommend giving yourself at least eight to twelve weeks at a minimum and know that most habits take about six months to become permanent. This means consistently following your plan and adjusting things as necessary. Knowing that this phase takes time can make all the difference mentally going forward with more confidence.

5. Lacking a Plan – If you are holding onto the belief that when you reach your goal you are done; this is something you need to let go sooner rather than later. To be able to maintain your weight loss you need a definite plan. You need to know that you are not just “done”, that there is still more work to do. It’s time to start thinking about what life will look like when you are where you want to be. What comes next? What will your daily habits look like? What do you want to continue and what do you need to change to keep this lifestyle for the long term?

Do you want to know more? Are you working on a health goal and need support with maintaining your results? Are you ready to change your habits for the longterm? Would you like to know more about how you can stop the yo-yo dieting and finally keep the results you are working for? Let’s chat about how holistic nutrition consulting and health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes so that you can feel your best every single day. I can provide recipes, meal and snack ideas and support changes to transform your health! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation.  I work with women from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!