How to Prevent Backsliding in Dieting

More than 80 percent of dieters regain weight they've lost within two to five years.

Roughly two-thirds of dieters not only regain the weight they lose but actually add extra pounds and end up heavier than they were in the first place. It's a familiar tale and a depressing one for anyone hoping to keep the weight off in the long term. It is possible, though, to prevent backsliding, and studies by the National Weight Control Registry show that people successful in keeping the weight off have certain behaviors in common: lots of exercise, frequent self-monitoring of weight and food intake and low-fat, low-calorie diets.

Instructions

1. Avoid quick-fix or fad diets. Although many people find it hard to resist the attraction of speedy slimming, fad diets do nothing for your long-term weight management. If you return to your original eating habits after reaching your target weight, you'll regain the pounds within weeks. Instead, commit to a plan that will last you a lifetime and adopt a lifestyle based on healthy eating and regular exercise. If you've already lost weight using a fad diet, switch to a more realistic set of eating habits once you've reached your target to avoid backsliding.

2. Analyze your life in terms of weight gain and loss. Identify situations and events that have prompted diets and those that have led to adding the pounds again. The Mayo Clinic recommends that you "plan smart" to be aware of times when you're vulnerable and likely to adopt unhealthy habits again. Think about when you were pregnant, moving house or in a stressful period at work and check to see if your weight management was affected at the same time. Being aware of pitfalls like these can help you to prevent backsliding and regaining your weight.

3. Continue your exercise plan. Find a way to keep exercise routines as part of your daily schedule. Exercise isn't just for when you're dieting; it's for the rest of your life. Every little bit counts and it's important to avoid setting overwhelming goals. The bottom line is that exercise burns calories and the more calories you burn, the fewer will be stored as fat.

4. Combine this with a low-fat and low-calorie eating plan and you will hang onto your new, lower weight. The Doctors Hospital suggests taking the dog for a short walk twice a day because by the end of the week, you will have two hours of exercise in the bank. Use the stairs instead of taking the elevator because "climbing the stairs is an excellent aerobic workout" as well as a very good way of burning off calories.

5. Adapt your eating habits as you mature. Everyone's metabolism slows down with age, and weight gain can occur even when you're not overeating. In our 40s, for example, we can't eat in the same way as we did during our 20s. Just increasing your physical activity should take care of this but adapting your calorie intake, too, will ensure you don't backslide and regain the weight.

Tips & Warnings

• The longer you keep the weight off, the less likely it is you'll regain it.

• Find a diet plan you enjoy and can stick with easily.

• Be alert to emotional ups and downs that may lead to eating relapses.

References

• MSN Today: Health: Women's Health: Break the Dangerous Cycle of Yo-Yo Dieting
• U.S. National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health: Successful Weight Loss Maintenance
• The Mayo Clinic: Weight Loss Basics
• Everyday Health: Diet and Nutrition: Stop Yo-Yo Dieting ...and Lose Weight for Good
• Doctors Hospital: Ways to Sneak Exercise into Your Daily Life
• CVS Pharmacy: Health Resources: Lifestyle and Wellness: Yo-Yo Dieting