There is no such thing as being destined to be fat. The fact is that you can lose weight effectively and permanently if you maintain a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

In this article, we are going to learn different strategies of how to lose weight permanently in combination with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

How to lose weight permanently involves setting realistic goals, Avoiding fad diets, avoid skipping meals, staying hydrated, being consistent, mindful eating, planning your meals, associating with people of similar goals, and more as we discuss in the next section.

How can I lose weight permanently?

Below is a detailed discussion of the strategies we can use to lose weight and permanently keep it off.

1. Have achievable goals 

One of the reasons why people fail at their weight loss goals is being overexcited and setting unrealistic goals. Weight loss requires patience and consistency. you will not lose 50 pounds of weight overnight. Aim at healthy weight loss of losing one pound per week.

We have written an article on how to set realistic and achievable weight loss goals. You can check that out here.

2. Avoid fad diets or poorly planned diet plans

Most fad diets that promise weight loss have no science-backed evidence. These are very common today since people learned that you can make quick money by making a diet plan and sell it out for a few bucks. Always be cautious and get your diet plan from a reliable source. 

See our article with tips on how you can create a good diet plan.

3. Be patient and consistent

I know most weight loss strategies a boring and may take a little longer to deliver results. Sometimes you may be doing all things right, but will not be seeing results that quickly, don’t give up, keep the fight.

4. Take a ‘before’ photo as you start your weight loss journey

No matter how embarrassed or uncomfortable you may feel about this photo, it will help you feel much better later on. Knowing our history and where we have come from, helps us predict and fight for a better future. It will be priceless having a photo of how you looked a month back if you have been on the weight loss route. This will keep you motivated as you wouldn’t want to look like you looked the previous month.

5. Never skip breakfast.

Don’t think of skipping breakfast to cut calories, rather it will make you consume more. Eating a satisfying breakfast will get your body moving normally and will make you avoid the temptations of snacking. With a heavy breakfast, you happen to eat less during lunch since you won’t be extremely hungry.

See our article on what you can eat for breakfast while trying to lose weight.

6. Learn about diet and workouts.

In order to achieve lifetime weight loss, you should educate yourself on healthy meals and weight loss workouts. Having knowledge about healthy meals will help you make quick and clever decisions. This will help you know what foods you have been consuming that are harmful to your weight and will help you adjust for the good.

The same applies to workouts, get to know what workouts will act on that belly fat, overall body, and get calories burned, as it will save your precious time while working out.

7. Always use a small plate.

This is another interesting hack on how to lose weight permanently. Make it a habit to eat on a small and flat dinner plate. Our minds will just term food that is on the small plate as enough. When you use a large-deeper plate, your mind will be set on finishing what you have on the plate which means overeating.

8. Decrease your alcohol consumption.

A simple chart of calories present in beer From Men’s health.

Type of beer	Bitter	Mild bitter	Pale ale	Brown ale	Lager – premium	Dry cider	Sweet cider	Vintage sweet cider
Calories	180	142	182	160	338	190	220	580 calories

According to Men’s health, these are the calories in a 175ml glass of wine.

Red wine – 119 calories 

Rose wine – 125 calories 

White wine (sweet) – 165 calories 

A glass of White wine (medium) – 132 calories 

White wine (sweet) – 116 calories 

Sparkling white wine – 133 calories 

 

As you can see above, there many calories in alcoholic beverages.  Reducing your alcohol consumption will reduce your caloric intake. Just a few glasses late in the night could easily add up to 1000 calories incase you drink every day. If you are looking to lose weight permanently, try to do less alcohol or better stay away completely.

9. Workout, play and have fun.

There is nothing really special about workouts, just look at these routines as hobbies and enjoy them. Get a manageable workout plan that will suit your time and convenience. Try not to look at them as ‘work-outs’ but rather outdoor hobbies this will change your mindset about workouts and will boost your weight loss. 

10. Record your weight and measurements when you start.

As you start the journey, measure your weight, and keep the records. Also take measurements of your arms around the biceps, the neck, waist, thighs, and tummy. You could take these measurements every month to see if you notice any progress. If you notice some improvement, continue with the plan. If you don’t notice any changes yet, still, continue with the plan.

11. Schedule your meals

Have a diet plan or schedule the meals you are to eat the following day. If you don’t plan your meals, you are most likely to skip meals or pick on unhealthy food choices. Don’t fall prey to unhealthy foods that would add extra calories to your diet just because you didn’t plan.

Another hack with planning your food could be; just stock weight loss-friendly foods in your kitchen and you will never be forced to decide to prepare unhealthy food full of calories.

12. Drink a lot of water.

By staying hydrated the whole day, you will help your body function well and boost your metabolism. Water is calorie-free which means with whatever quantity you may take you are on the safe side. Our bodies sometimes misinterpret thirst for hunger making you do unnecessary snacking.

By taking water, you will feel satisfied throughout the day as this will help you to avoid snacking which would have added a lot of calories into your body. Drinking water will also help to avoid high-calorie drinks like sodas.

Learn how to lose weight by drinking water here.

13. Walk whenever possible.

Something as simple as walking can keep your calories in check. Walking is a normal exercise that you can do at home, work, or school without even attracting attention as push-ups would. Walk at your own pace while talking on the phone, park far from the mall so as to get a chance to cover some steps, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. 

It’s wise to have a pedometer on you to track your steps and help you reach your target of probably around 10,000 steps a day. This will do the magic in burning those calories.

14. Substitute refined grains with whole grains.

Refined foods are always full of calories and are low in fiber. Examples include white bread, bagels, crackers, white rice, and a lot more. It’s a wise decision to cut these out of your diet and replace them with healthy whole grains.

Examples of whole grains are whole wheat, millet, brown rice, barley, and others. The presence of fiber in these whole grains is an added advantage to the body. Fiber adds bulk in the stomach making you feel satisfied for longer. Also, whole grains are low in calories this means that you can eat a big volume while low in calories. 

15. Adopt mindful eating,

Mindful eating is a settled way of eating without distractions. Always get at the dining table with your family and enjoy a nice meal without distractions or rush. Eating in front of the TV or while walking will make you lose count of how much food you are eating and you will end up overeating.

16. Surround yourself with people with the same goal.

The company you keep will determine your lifestyle and body progress. Teaming up with people with the same motive of weight loss will help you stay focused and motivated. 

If you are surrounded by people who don’t mind about their weight, eating anyhow and also consuming unhealthy foods, you may be tempted to join them which will not help you achieve your weight goals.

17. Eat leafy greens and vegetables.

Fill your plate mostly with leafy greens and vegetables. They are highly nutritious yet low in calories and can get you satisfied while still within your calorie range.

18. Believe you can do it

I have seen a lot of success stories, and probably you too have seen people who were overweight but they managed to overcome the challenge. It’s not magic, you too can do it. It just takes commitment, self-love, and time.

A lot might happen, you might hit a plateau, see no progress, get bored and a lot more but don’t give up just yet. Stick to your goals and it will pay off. You will finally achieve them.

Related: 7 Amazing exercises for weight loss after childbirth

Bottom line

As you have seen in our discussion on how to lose weight permanently, weight loss is not as hard as what most people say. Do not be discouraged, be consistent, keeping in mind that weight loss does not happen overnight. It is a matter of choosing a healthy lifestyle, which among others involves eating healthy foods and being active. 

 

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