Losing weight just to gain it all back again can feel defeating and exhausting. We checked in with health experts to learn more about what causes rebound weight gain, and how to maintain your current weight if you worked hard to drop pounds in the past. Read on for one essential tip from Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, and Lori Walker, registered dietitian and health expert at Easy Kitchen Guide.
Essential Tip— Keep A Food Journal
Keeping track of what you eat every day as well as when you exercise can help make working towards losing weight (or maintaining it) feel less stressful, Walker says. By staying organized, you can look back at what has made your body feel better in the past, and keep learning more about yourself and your health needs. "Keeping track of what you eat is the best way to prevent weight gain," Walker says.
She suggests "keeping a food diary and including everything you eat and drink, as well as snacks and drinks." This, she stresses, "will help you to see where you are overeating and help you to make better choices in the future." Walker adds that this "helps to keep you accountable for your eating habits." If you can see where you are going wrong, she notes, it is easier to make changes to your diet. "This tip also helps to show you how much progress you have made, which can be motivating."
Richards agrees, and says that "when temptation to slide back into old habits hits you," it can be helpful to "have something to reflect back on as a reminder." This doesn't have to be a classic diary, she says, as it "can be a note, a picture, or anything else that reminds you of why you started putting your health first through your diet."
It is also best to avoid the "fad diet pitfalls that result in rapid weight loss," she recommends. Rebound weight gain, she says, is a "big hurdle for those initially wanting to lose weight." A diet "focused on whole foods with most common allergens removed can help boost metabolism and speed along sustainable weight loss," she concludes. Noted!
