10 Habits of People Who Lose Weight and Keep It Off.

In this article we will look at the top 10 successful weight loss habits that have been proven to help people lose weight and keep it off. You will be surprised at how your daily routines and food choices have contributed to your success or failure.

Studies have proven that a lot of people who engage in dieting and weight loss programs do regain at least 50 percent of weight lost within the first 12 months. The rest will get the lost weight back usually within 3 years, plus some extra weight.

We humans are creatures of habit and the good news is that habits, albeit hard, can be changed. A small percentage of people lose the weight and are able to keep it off for rest of their lives. What do they do differently than those who are struggle?

It’s said that it takes at least 21 days to form a new habit and 90 days to create a lifestyle.

Regardless of new diet trends and weight loss programs, most people naturally know that keeping a healthy weight requires three disciplines: healthy eating, eating less and staying active. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to maintain these mantras at least for most of us.

It’s proven that the average person will make about 200 eating-related decisions today and everyday. Most of these decisions are made without a second thought or should I say they’re made rather habitually. This means that most people who lose weight and put it back on within the first three years eat unconsciously.

We eat without reflection, no second thoughts or awareness of what we’re eating and how much we’re eating. Habits are strong and they can be difficult to change, especially the not-so-helpful ones. Psychologically even the best intentions are mostly trumped by our hard-formed habits.

Eating healthy will help you lose weight and stay healthy. Staying a healthy weight requires that you reinforce healthy weight loss habits.

How a Weight Loss Habit is Formed

Imagine this scenario. You come back home from work in the evening. When you get home you eat a snack. An association is built linking getting home and eating a snack. It does not matter whether it’s a healthy snack or not.

Anytime you get home from work and eat a snack, the link is strengthened. If this continues over a long period of time, getting home and eating a snack becomes a routine you do automatically. This is how habits are formed.

If the snack brings on extra weight, you would realize that you’ve put on a few pounds after some time.

So here are…

The Top 10 Healthy Weight Loss Habits You Should Form

1. Eat at the same time each day. This can be a challenge at the beginning but keeping to a meal routine is one of the best eating habits to lose weight consistently. Have a regular meal rhythm greatly helps overall.

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2003 found that people who are successful at forming good weight loss habits tend to have a rhythm with their eating. Having a consistent pattern of eating for each week and overall the whole year gives you the added benefit of maintaining a healthy weight long term.

2. Eat healthy fats. Make it a habit to select healthy fats over the unhealthy component. To put it simply these are fats you obtain from nuts, avocado and oily fish. The fats you get from your favorite fast food restaurant are trans-fats that have been linked with cardiovascular diseases.

3. Get your heart rate up everyday: Remember that we’re forming good weight loss habits. These are built over time with consistency. Go for a walk after eating. You should aim to hit at least 10,000 steps everyday.

If you drive to work, you can take the stairs to your office instead of the elevator. Get off one bus stop from your designated designated station and walk. Spend 15-30 minutes 3-4 times a week on the treadmill you bought that’s gathering dust in your basement.

You can certainly work out at home and lose weight successfully if the gym is not your thing. The point is to get as active as possible.

4. Go for healthy snacks. People who succeed at long term weight loss and maintenance have a habit of ensuring they have healthy options available. If it’s not in your fridge or in your lunch box, you don’t get to eat it.

If you need to snack when going out or even at home, pack fresh fruits instead of potato chips.

5. Check your food labels: The labels will inform you what your putting on your plate and inside your body each day. Avoid high salt and sugar content foods.

6. Size matters – on your plates. A daily routine to lose weight naturally is being cautious with your meal portions. Use smaller plates which will give a sense that your plate is full. Drink water five minutes before eating. Make it a habit.

7. Reduce the time you spend sitting down. You ever heard of the sitting disease? Sitting is taking a massive toll on not just your weight loss goals but your health. The average American sits 11 hours per day. That’s massive! Decrease the sedentary lifestyle by breaking up sitting time.

Sitting is one of the unhealthy weight loss habits you should kick. The more time you spent being sedentary, the more excess weight you put on, the higher your chances of inviting obesity and type 2 diabetes.

8. What’s in your glass? Water or fruit juice? Store bought fruit juices are packed full of sugars and preservatives. Choose to drink water instead. If you must drink fruit juice, take one small glass, and better make the juice yourself.

Eating the fruit directly has the added benefits of giving you the nutrients at their best. You also get more fiber to help you meet your daily dietary needs.

9. Enjoy your meal. Take time to eat slowly while you sit at the table. And don’t eat in front of the TV. You will get distracted and you eat more than you should.

10. Aim for your five a day. One final habit of people who have lose weiht and are able to keep it off is that they aim for the recommended 5 portions of vegetables and fruits per day. And it doesn’t have to be strictly fresh veggies or fruits. It can be fresh, tinned or frozen. Fruits and veggies are less dense and have higher nutritional quality.

In Conclusion

Forming healthy weight loss habits that will serve you a lifetime takes time, effort and consistency. It’s taken you a long time to form the bad habits. It would be a lie if I told you that following these 10 tips for 21 days will fix your weight problems.

My advice is to embrace the process and commit to it. Make changes one step at a time. Once that good habit is formed you can add the next step. Enjoy the journey.