Tricks to Keeping the Fat Off

There’s a lot of buzz in the media about weight loss (I prefer the term fat-loss. I'll explain why in a later post). American culture has an ever-expanding waist line that it’s trying to reduce. However, I haven’t seen many articles, news reports or blog posts about what happens after you lose the fat. That’s a shame because once a person reaches his or her fat-loss goal the work isn’t done. Case in point, look at the number of “Biggest Loser” contestants (including winners) who have gained the weight back. With all the focus on losing fat, we’re forgetting about what it takes to keep it off.

I’ve been there. I lost fat once and gained it all back plus a great deal more. The second time around, I was determined not to find myself in that position again. I knew that meant I had to stay just as focused on my maintenance as I did on the fat-loss. Here are a few things that can help you actually keep the fat off once you reach your goal.

1. Get rid of the “fat clothes” – Those too big clothes are just a crutch and if you keep them around you’re most likely going to grow right back into them. GET RID OF THEM! When you don’t have a larger size waiting for you, you’re more motivated to keep your clothes fitting right. Oh yeah, and it’s a tax write off when you donate all those clothes to a non-profit.

2. Set a new goal – Just because the weight is gone doesn’t mean you’re done developing. Set yourself a new fitness related goal to keep you motivated. Think about doing something with your new body that you couldn’t do with your old. Maybe it’s learning to play hockey or becoming a tri-athlete. It could be as simple as going across the monkey bars without stopping. Whatever it is just make it something active and DO IT.

3. Be accountable – It’s very easy to become complacent once you reach your goal and to start making exceptions to your healthy lifestyle. Before you know it, the weight has crept back on and you’re back to square one. Make your workouts an appointment on your schedule. Have a workout buddy. Get a personal fitness coach. When you know you have someone that’s checking in on you regularly, you’re more likely to keep those good habits going.

These suggestions aren’t things I just pulled out of thin air. They’re exactly what I used to keep the fat off for these past three years and I continue to use. They were simple to do and have kept the fat from creeping back on (as we all know it can so easily do). Remember, it takes just as much work to stay healthy as it does to get healthy. However, the rewards make it all worth it.