Congratulations on graduating from our foundation course – what a journey we’ve been on so far!
When working toward hitting your weight loss goals, it’s important to celebrate the wins.
Making a conscious effort to work on our mindset – setting effective and realistic goals, working together and reflecting on our progress, no matter how big or small, and embracing our ability to accept and learn from set-backs – is a huge part of successful weight loss.
Together, we can lay down healthy and nutritional foundations by encouraging a strong meal balance, practicing positive eating behaviours and identifying triggers for emotional eating.
We’ve supercharged our energy burn by moving more, exercising and staying motivated when times get tough.
Our stress levels are now under control by working towards tackling acute stress, chronic stress and building our overall resilience to stress.
And we’ve ensured we’re getting plenty of rest to be able to put our new healthy habits into action. Identifying whether we’re sleep deprived, optimising our bedtime routines and incorporating pro-sleep habits into our days have made staying on track more accessible and realistic.
So what’s the plan now?
Weight loss isn’t a linear process, so it’s important to pin-point the methods that work for you as an individual.
That said, hundreds of studies monitoring thousands of participants who successfully lost weight and kept it off found that there are a few key habits that support weight maintenance:
- Weighing yourself regularly (a minimum of once a week). Life gets busy, so feel free to set up a reminder to track your weight here.
- Making every day movement a part of your routine. Researchers recommend that those who’ve lost weight should do at least an hour’s worth of exercise every day.
- Listening to and honouring your internal hunger and fullness signals by eating slowly and practising mindful eating.
- Using a smaller plate to help with portion control.
- Working towards preparing home cooked meals as frequently as possible. When treating yourself to a meal cooked by someone else (ie: a takeaway or eating out), try to be more mindful about the dishes you’re ordering.
As we continue working on our weight loss journey, mindset continues to play a huge role.
The compliments and comments about your changed appearance from family and friends may not be as frequent as time progresses and the scales may start to stall.
Know that this is perfectly normal and tends to make an appearance in many other people’s weight loss journeys.
We do understand, though, that this weight loss plateau can feel discouraging and the lack of external rewards can cause your levels of motivation and focus to lessen.
When this happens, remember to reflect on your journey and celebrate how far you’ve come already. Take a look at your before and after photos, and be proud of the wins you have achieved.
Reward yourself for these wins, too, with some non-food related treats for sticking to your healthy habits.
Bumps in the road and lapses are part of the process and you we shouldn’t punish ourselves for experiencing them. What matters is what we can learn from them and how we can plan ahead to avoid mishaps in the future.
Office parties, buffets, travelling and other social gatherings can be a challenge when you’re working towards your weight loss goals. But, when times get tough and your determination feels a little lacklustre, reflect on your progress and make a note of how to plan for a situation like this in the future.
So for now, congratulations on your progress so far!
Don’t forget that we’re always here for you whenever you need us. Whether that’s to ask a question or you could do with a pep talk, we’re here to support, motivate and guide you.
Just shoot us a message on WhatsApp on +44 7709 979683 between 09:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday.
Ask to speak to a coach and we’ll be delighted to help.
Keep going – you’ve got this!
Madeleine,
Clinical Lead for Weight Loss
¹The National Weight Control Registry, Brown Medical School/The Miriam Hospital, Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center. Accessed 13/02/23. Available at: http://www.nwcr.ws/research/
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Dunn C, Haubenreiser M, Johnson M, Nordby K, Aggarwal S, Myer S, Thomas C. Mindfulness Approaches and Weight Loss, Weight Maintenance, and Weight Regain. Curr Obes Rep. 2018 Mar;7(1):37-49. doi: 10.1007/s13679-018-0299-6. PMID: 29446036.
Hall KD, Kahan S. Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity. Med Clin North Am. 2018 Jan;102(1):183-197. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012. PMID: 29156185; PMCID: PMC5764193.
Koutras, Y., Chrysostomou, S., Giannakou, K. et al. Weight-related behaviors and weight loss maintenance: a cross-sectional study in Cyprus. BMC Public Health 21, 1115 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11153-5
While we’ve ensured that everything you read on the Health Centre is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor.
