Losing weight in itself is challenging, but keeping it off can be even harder for many people. The good news is that there are healthy ways like fitness and fasting to maintain weight loss.

Losing weight is a long and difficult process in itself, but successfully achieving your target weight is only half the battle. For many, they may slide back into habits that cause them to regain the pounds that they’ve lost. So, make sure you think about how to shape your lifestyle so that you can keep the weight off in the long run. We talk about some healthy ways to maintain weight loss here.

Lift Weights

Lifting weights can help you retain the same weight because it increases your body’s muscle mass. With more muscle, your body will passively use up more calories, and your metabolism will increase. For people who have just significantly decreased their weights, strength training is also beneficial because muscle often accompanies fat during weight loss. To build up your body so that it won’t tend to gain and retain weight again, try out lifting. You can start small and slowly increase what you lift or continue to work with relatively lighter weights. Make a schedule to follow for at least a couple of days each week, and try to hit all the different muscle groups in your body to keep your development balanced.

Mind Your Diet

Just as diet is instrumental in lowering your weight, it’s also critical in keeping your weight level. That’s why a healthy way to maintain weight loss is to monitor what you eat. This may look different for everyone, but keeping track of your food intake each day and including lots of vegetables in your meals are both great bits of advice. You may also find that increasing your protein can help you achieve a healthy diet, as it can curb your appetite and sustain the muscle mass that you’re building while working out. Adopting a fasting lifestyle is another method to consider. Fasting, whether time-restricted eating, intermittent fasting, or a periodic/extended fast, is a strategic way to lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight because it allows creates triggers physiological processes in your body that guide your body to be more efficient and use energy stored in your fat during the periods when you aren’t eating. When we are fasting, we allow the body to use its stored energy sources – blood sugar and body fat—something our bodies have evolved to do since the start of time. We store food energy in as blood sugar and body fat so we can fast for hours or days as circumstances may require without impacting our health.  When we fast, we are lower blood sugar and body fat by using them as energy. Over time the body will naturally lose weight.

Get Support

When you’re struggling to keep yourself consistent with eating and physical activity, try having someone hold you accountable. You can tell someone close to you what you should be doing each day to maintain your weight. That person can be a friend, family member, or partner who will check up on you regularly to ensure you’re staying true to your goals. If they follow a similar routine and diet to you, this can also motivate you to stay the course. For example, if you live together, it becomes natural to eat the same healthy meals at the right times when more than one person is involved. A support partner can also encourage you during home workouts, at the gym, or on runs outside.