5 Ways to Keep the Weight Off

At the start of the year, I realized that without even knowing it, I had packed on about ten pounds. I totally understand now how people say that they have no idea how the weight creeps on. I guess if I think about it, I could come up with a few reasons, but I had no idea that my life choices had changed that much and that my normally consistent weight was not so consistent anymore. I took a few weeks to hit the restart button and I lost all of the weight, but I didn't want to get myself back into the same situation again by continuing to make the same choices, so I needed to examine what I was doing and how I could adjust my lifestyle to make better choices that would help me keep the weight off. I've been able to maintain my weight now and want to share with you some of the changes I am making to stay at a healthy weight for me.

5 Ways to Keep the Weight Off

Change your portions

You don't have to skip out on foods that you love, you just need to change the portion size. I realized that I was eating a lot of good foods, I just was eating a lot of those good foods.  Those foods that weren't so good for me, needed some reexamination as well. For whatever reason I gave myself permission to pop in three chocolates at night. But those three chocolates packed a lot of calories. I found that I was just as satisfied eating one chocolate and if I really craved another, I would allow myself another.  I also started using a smaller plate at dinner so that my brain could see how the food filled the plate.

Stay hydrated

Experts say that usually the cues that we think are telling us we are hungry are actually the ones that are telling us we need to be hydrated. Drinking lots of water and having water easily accessible is a great way to take control of those cues. Find a water bottle or a cup that you can easily take with you or have nearby and make sure it's full throughout the day.

Grab gum first

I found that I had fallen into the trap of eating when I was bored. When I was in the thick of my weight loss program, I was able to eat several unlimited foods like red peppers and snap peas, but I was also able to eat unlimited sugar-free gum, so I would reach for Orbit Gum first to help me get past the snack attack I would have. I learned that I didn't need to mindlessly snack throughout the day when I was able to use gum as an alternative. My favorite Orbit sugar-free gum flavor is Citrus or Sweet Mint flavor but you can also find them in Spearmint, Peppermint and Wintermint plus much more! Sugar-free gum also provides oral care benefits so it's a great health and wellness choice to help me keep all my wellness goals.

Plan ahead

If you know you will be heading out to dinner later or going out with friends, make smart calorie choices the rest of the day so you can splurge on something a bit later. Out running errands? Pack some healthy high protein snacks to help prevent you from reaching for a high-calorie fast food alternative. I always make sure I have a granola bar and some Orbit Gum in my glove box because sometimes just having something to grab within arms reach will help your mouth feel occupied enough that it will be satisfied. Also, popping a piece of gum in your mouth makes it more difficult to reach for a quick bite and always makes it easier for me to say no to a high calorie appetizer or dessert.

Move more

This doesn't have to mean that you need to spend an extra hour at the gym. Just be more mindful of moving throughout the day. Park further away from the door, take the stairs instead of the elevator, create opportunities for yourself that will allow you to get up and move.

In order to maintain your weight loss you have to find new modifications that will help you make new lifestyle changes. If you find yourself going back to old habits, weight gain is going to be inevitable. Once you hit that goal weight you can relax a little but you need to be mindful and create new health and wellness habits that will help you stay on track. While gum is my personal secret weapon to keep from mindless snacking, I'm curious to hear what yours are.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.