12 Habits Of People Who Reach & Maintain Their Ideal Weight
Ever wondered why most people never lose weight? Or why folks can’t keep the weight off after they lose it? There are many reasons why people fail to lose weight, but instead of focusing on those who fail, let’s look into those who succeed.
Here are a few things they do differently to lose weight and keep it off for the long haul. If you emulate what they do, soon you’ll be sharing your own success story.
1. They plan their meals.
People who successfully lose weight plan for their meals. Luckily, meal planning is an easy task. You just need to write down the foods you’ll eat, every day, for the week ahead.
If you don’t know the foods you should eat, hire a personal trainer to design a customized meal plan for you, or check out this clean eating shopping list to get started. A meal plan will save you time and also help you avoid making poor food choices. I advise people to set aside time to do this on Sunday night, it will help your week go much more smoothly!
2. They are flexible with their diets.
People who lose weight and keep it off understand that 100 percent adherence to diet is not necessary. So they eat healthy 90 percent of the time. Frankly, it’s totally fine to eat foods you enjoy every now and then. In fact, following a strict diet is stressful and usually leads to binging.
3. They don’t obsess over small things.
You’ll never hear anyone credit their weight-loss success to “training when the body is in the fat-burning zone” or “not eating carbs after 6 pm.” A lot of people in the fitness industry are looking to make a quick buck, and they’ll make you believe anything
What time you decide to exercise or eat doesn’t make a significant difference in weight loss. Instead of buying into these weight-loss myths, focus on things that really matter like, calorie intake, eating healthy foods, and establishing a regular fitness regimen.
4. They exercise regularly.
I’m sure you’ve heard of people who have lost weight without exercising. As appealing as it may sound, exercise is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle, and a great tool to help you maintain your weight. Exercise (especially strength training) will help build muscle mass and enhance fat loss. Aim to exercise at least three to four times a week.
5. They track their food intake.
Naturally, to lose weight you have to maintain a calorie deficit. Tracking your food intake will help you know if you are maintaining a deficit. Even though counting calories may be tedious, it will help you avoid overeating and will help you to realize how much you are actually eating. Now, you don’t have to count calories for the rest of your life. You can stop counting once you’re able to accurately eyeball portions.
6. They drink water.
Studies show that drinking plenty of water is good for weight loss. Make sure you drink at least two liters of water a day.
7. They don’t starve themselves.
Most people usually start starving themselves when weight loss slows down. But this doesn’t help at all. In fact, it has negative effects on the body.
Your body needs to get enough energy from the foods you eat for it to function properly. If it doesn’t, it breaks down muscles and use them for energy. As a result, metabolism slows down and fat loss slows down as well. It’s important to listen to your body. If you feel hungry all of the time, chances are you are not eating enough.
8. They account for all the calories they consume
Snacking and drinking calorie-containing beverages slows down weight loss. These small bites that go unnoticed eventually add up and reduce your calorie deficit.
Don’t assume that a pack of crisps or a bar of chocolate won’t make difference. Your total daily caloric intake should include everything that goes into your mouth.
9. They eat home-cooked meals.
Cooking gives you the opportunity to prepare delicious, healthy meals — and know exactly what is going into your meals. It also makes it easier to control portions.
10. They develop habits they can maintain long term.
These people understand that eating healthy and exercising is a lifetime thing. They don’t jump from one fad diet to another. Find and develop habits that you can maintain for a lifetime.
11. They follow workout routines.
The reason for having a workout routine is similar to the reason for having meal plans. It’ll help you know the exercises you’ll do for each workout session. Otherwise, you’ll end up skipping workouts and wasting a lot of time if you don’t have a routine.
12. They track their progress.
I suggest you track your weight and body-fat percentage. Weigh yourself once a week, at the same time each week, using the same scale. Taking daily measurements doesn’t make sense because weight fluctuates due to water retention. Also, measure your body fat percentage after every three weeks.
By the way, you don’t need to make all these changes at once. Make one or two changes every week and eventually they’ll become habits.
Brian Syuki is the creator of Focus Fitness, a blog that, offers advice on how to get fit at home using bodyweight exercises and proper nutrition. Download his 3-Day bodyweight beginner workout and follow him on Twitter.