How to Keep the Weight Off

By David Hung

Imagine this scenario - you’ve spent months working out, eating well and living a balanced lifestyle. As a result of this effort, you’ve been able to get down to your target weight and are feeling great! Then, as a few weeks or months pass, you start to see the weight come back. You are frustrated and tired of feeling like all your hard work doesn’t really pay off in the long run.

Reality Check

Does this sound like you or someone you know? Gaining weight after a major loss is a relatively common occurrence, but fortunately there is a way to effectively address the issue. Although people may be satisfied with their health and wellness after getting down or close to their ideal weight, effort still needs to be made in order to continue to maintain a healthy, fit lifestyle. According to the New York Times (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/how-weight-training-can-help-yo...), the best way to avoid regaining weight after losing noticeable amounts is to incorporate regular weight training sessions into your fitness routine.

Benefits of Weight Training

Weight training is capable of increasing the amount of calories burned throughout the day, which is a major reason why people who weight train don’t gain the weight back. The amount of calories that a person burns each day is dependent on something called non-exercise activity thermogenesis (N.E.A.T.). N.E.A.T. measures how much energy is used for activities like standing, fidgeting and walking, which aren’t related to exercise. Once a person’s weight has decreased then the amount of energy their body requires for these everyday activities decreases. Weight training is one of the few ways in which you can put the effects of N.E.A.T. in your favor and continue to burn calories, which will allow you to effectively keep the weight off.

How to Get Started

Weight training should be done three times a week and should incorporate both upper and lower-body exercises. Coming up with a consistent and comprehensive schedule encourages more movement throughout the day and therefore activates N.E.A.T. to burn more calories. A great way to get started with weight training is receiving supervision. Supervision will provide assistance and help you determine proper form. Proper form is essential as it reduces risk of injury and increases the effects of the weight training exercises. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, people who weight train have a better walking economy and feel like moving is easier compared to those who do not weight train after weight loss. If you want to notice increased movement and calorie burn post-weight loss, weight training is the way to go.

In conclusion, weight training is the most effective way to keep off the weight after losing it. Even though you may feel fit and fantastic after putting in lots of effort and going through a major weight loss, it is important to maintain a consistent and comprehensive weight training schedule so you can ensure that you’ll keep the weight off, stay strong and feel great.