What is Sustainable Weight Loss?

Sustainable weight loss is the ability to maintain a healthy weight over a period of time. This is opposed to a rapid weight loss through crash diets, and then rapid weight gain when the diet cannot be maintained.

Sustainable weight loss can be achieved through small and very often simple changes to eating behaviour. One simple change is to avoid snacking between meals, plan regular, healthy, interesting meals. If you feel you need a snack why not try nuts, or fruit. Good levels of fitness can also be sustainable through habit forming, such as walking to the shops or taking the stairs instead of the lift.

Sustainable weight loss requires patience. Crash diets are started because results are wanted immediately, weight loss takes time. Crash or fad diets tend to focus on limited nutritional foods, such as a cabbage soup diet. A sustainable diet includes all the food groups for a good nutritional balanced diet.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel, sustainable weight loss can be achieved through the 80-20 rule. The 80-20 rule is where a nutritious healthy diet is maintained 80 percent of the time and 20 percent of the time a treat can be added to the diet. This may be a sweet after a meal out in a restaurant on a Saturday evening. The important thing is to recognise a little reward will not destroy a diet but may enhance it.

Sustainable weight loss is best achieved with a sustainable exercise routine. This weekend why not go to the local pool for a swim or head out to the countryside for a walk. You don’t have to wait until Monday to start a sustainable life.

CONTENT SOURCES:

Health and Fitness Advice by FitFarms Editorial Team

Image Credit: Healthmeup.com