by Carol Gioia

Created on: March 22, 2010

Being successful in dieting, and reaching the weight-loss goal you have set for yourself, is an ego-boosting achievement. You finally can look into the mirror and see the person you aspired to become. Your trim appearance and sense of healthy well-being are just rewards for all the effort expended to remain focused on your diet regimen.

What comes after the period of dieting, that culminated in success, is ideal-weight maintenance. You do not have to restrict your caloric intake to the same extreme, and strenuous exercise can be toned down to moderate and consistent. However, you want to be wary of falling into the trap of letting down your guard to the extent that you gradually regain all the weight you worked so hard to lose.

Strategies for maintaining weight loss:

- Redefine goals -

All during the time you were dieting, one of the successful strategies was to set incremental goals and reward yourself when they were attained. When you have reached your goal weight, the best course is to redefine your goals to adapt from dieting to maintenance and continue with the vigilant eating and exercise habits on a lesser scale.

- Continue to practice healthy eating habits -

Determine how many calories you need to consume daily to maintain your present weight. Factor into the calculation a reasonable exercise program. Figure out how many calories are burned by your daily exercise routine and ensure the combined total of calories consumed and calories burned equals your daily allowed amount for ideal weight maintenance.

- Refocus on other goals -

Don’t allow your life to revolve around compulsive thoughts regarding weight. Refocus your energy into hobbies, interests and enjoyable pastimes. Find another self-improvement project to get passionate about. Perhaps you could revamp your wardrobe and update your fashion acumen. Of you might direct your energy outward and volunteer for a charitable cause. Helping others will make you feel good about yourself and give you a similar ego-boost as you experienced with your successful weight-loss journey.

- Continue rewarding yourself -

Begin a weight maintenance journal. Any time you have a setback and consume more calories than you should, record where you were, how you felt, who you were with, and any other pertinent information to help you raise awareness of your food weaknesses.

Periodically record your current weight and reward yourself in a non-edible way if you continue to be within 3 pounds of your ideal weight either way. A occasional new blouse, favorite CD or any other pleasurable treat might be impetus to keep yourself vigilant about avoiding weight-gain.

While weight maintenance is not as difficult as the initial dieting you mastered in order to reach your ideal weight goal, it is just as necessary to ensure you do not revert back to unhealthy eating habits.

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