Maintaining Weight Loss

When I first decided to lose weight, I viewed dieting as just a temporary thing. I thought, "Once I get to my goal, I can stop all this wackiness and eat the things I love again." Well, I was half right. I learned a little something once I reached my goal. You can either cut it out or sweat it out.  I know this sounds ultra cliche, but keeping the weight off is about making lifestyle changes. Read this carefully..."YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK TO YOUR OLD WAYS." That is why so many people end up gaining the weight back. In my opinion, maintaining the weight loss is much harder than losing the weight. This is because it's easy to get lazy once you feel good about your weight. You start by working out less and less and, all of a sudden, you're not working out at all. Or you let yourself eat crappy (i.e., delicious) until vegetables become as estranged as your feet, which you see less and less often.

Hold the phone. Before you scream f@#$ it, and binge eat all of the Oreos in the cabinet, I'll let you in on my secret. I eat donuts, pizz-ah (mmmm...deep dish), and pastrami (on sourdough no less) without killing my weight loss. I live in Austin, so nearly every weekend includes trying out a new restaurant or food truck. Guess what? I'm actually the thinnest I've been since high school. Here's a few things I do to help me indulge without fearing the scale (just kidding...I still fear the scale. Eeks!).

1. Plan ahead.
With the holidays in full effect, it's easy to guzzle too many libations, devour holiday cookies, and, in my case, snarf up tamales (oh those cheese tamales with mole on top...muy rico!). At any rate, the best way I've found to get around this is by loading up on sensible meals ahead of the temptation fest. I fill up on protein and fiber right before the holiday party to keep myself full. I also sip on water at the party in between snacking to keep that full feeling; this prevents me from tipping the scale in the wrong direction. This brings me to everyone's favorite past time...

2. Weighing In.
Remember that flat box thingy that flashes numbers when you step on it? The one that's gathering dust under that pile of random crap? It seemed like a good place to pile your health magazines,  but ironically, they've hidden the one tool you should be using to become a healthier you. I know it's the last thing you want to do after you've snarfed up half a pizza and buffalo wings, but kid, it's gotta be done. It's how I keep myself accountable. Each week I get on that sucker and remind myself that the number is not set in stone. Always remember you have the power to change it! Also, don't go crazy and weigh yourself everyday as your weight fluctuates day to day. Aim for once a week, the same day each week.

3. Track your calories.
I started tracking my calories back in 2008, and I've been doing it ever since. Who has time for that?!? You do! If you spent as much time tracking your calories as you did reading your friends crazy ass political opinions on Facebook, you'd fit into your skinny jeans. And tracking your calories won't raise your blood pressure. No matter how you dice it, it all comes down to calories. A nibble of this and a half a cup of that adds up quick. Before you know it, you've used up all your calories for the day, and you haven't even had a proper dinner. I stay on top of this by tracking my calories on an app called My Fitness Pal. I love it because you can find almost any food. It keeps track of calories, nutrients and exercise. Just enter your weight loss goal and it automatically sets your daily calorie goal. Stick to this, and you won't have to suck it in to get your pants on.

4. Indulge, my friend.

I live in a city where eating is more than just a meal; its like a freaking spiritual experience. Certain foods make me want to speak in tongues while handling rattle snakes. All because I must exercise the sinful compulsion that lies deep within me to eat gourmet donuts slathered with homemade maple frosting and freshly fried bacon! Baby J in a leisure suit, have mercy on me. I can't not try Bahn Mi tacos or house smoked pastrami, so I let myself indulge. I just go all in like cookie monster at a Mrs. Fields factory. Just shove it in your mouth, enjoy it, and say "Me love food!" But don't forget...

5. You got to walk it off kid.
Walking is easy. You do it everyday getting from the couch to the refrigerator. Now take it outside to get some real work in. I walk 4 miles about 4-5 times a week. That translates into a little over an hour each walk. NPR ran a story recently about how you get 95% of the benefits of running by walking. This type of exercise helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease. The experts in the story recommended walking 150 minutes a week, or about 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week at a moderate pace. Fast enough that you burn fat, but slow enough that you can carry a convo. Having trouble getting motivated? Listen to a podcast to get lost in a story or interview. Another motivator is tracking your walk to see how many calories you've burned. Try using an app like Map My Run to easily track your progress.

Now that I've shared these gems of wisdom with you, I'm off to shove my face into a blueberry lemon parfait. And I'm going to enjoy every tasty minute of it. Life is far too short to eat boring food.