What’s more difficult than losing weight? Maintaining it! Those “few extra pounds” can keep coming back, no matter how hard one tries to get rid of them. Be it due to restrictive diets, wrong mindset or lack of sustainable lifestyle habits, there might be a lot of reasons related to weight regain.

It is so unfortunate that only about 20% of individuals who get successful at weight loss are able to keep it off in the long term. If you are one of the remaining 80%, continue reading to find out how you can keep weight regain at bay.

1. Make Exercise A Regular Habit- Regular exercise, at least for about half an hour every day can balance your calories and help you maintain your weight. When you achieve energy balance, you burn the same number of calories that have been consumed.

2. Do Not Skip Your Breakfast- When you skip the first meal of the day, you end up consuming more calories than you really need. This could make you regain the weight. Eating a healthy breakfast daily can assist you with your weight maintenance goals.

Weight Gain
Losing weight and gaining weight are similar in that they must both be done safely. Gaining too much weight too fast is unhealthy and not recommended Jarmoluk / Pixabay

3. Monitor Your Weight Regularly- Do not hesitate to use that weight scale at home regularly to keep monitoring your weight. Doing so, can not only make you aware of your progress but also help encourage weight control behaviors. When you weigh yourself frequently, you might end up consuming fewer calories throughout the day and prevent weight regain.

4. Manage Stress Effectively- Stress management is one important part of weight maintenance. High-stress levels can increase your cortisol levels and lead to weight regain. Also, when your cortisol levels are elevated consistently, it can lead to higher appetite, food intake and belly fat. You can consider exercise, yoga or meditation to combat stress effectively.

5. Have a companion- When you involve your spouse or partner while you practice a healthy lifestyle, you can maintain your weight better. Not only will it help pursue your goals, having a partner involved can help control your weight better. Thus, do not hesitate to find a support system in your family, friends or spouse.