For some reason or another, your goal is to find the best way to lose weight fast. Why else would you be here? What if I told you it's not as important what method you use to lose weight, but how you maintain it that truly matters. And weight loss and maintenance do not require the same exact behaviors. In other words, it's less important how you ditch those love handles, lightening fast or not. Your long-term success is all about your maintenance plan. Here's why.
Pen State research on how to keep it off
Research from Pen State University found that the behaviors needed to lose weight and keep it off are not in fact the same and these differences are a possible cause for weight rebound.
During the study, 1,165 adults that lost 10 percent of their weight were randomly surveyed via the phone. Weight maintenance was defined as keeping that 10 percent off for one years’ time.
Based on the telephone interviews, the Pen State researchers determined that the individuals following a consistence exercise program and consuming low fat protein sources reported maintenance of weight loss. Those behaviors were not correlated with losing weight. People that said they planned meals in advance and did different types of exercises reported weight loss, but not maintenance of weight.
It is easy to see from this research that maintenance and weight loss should have different behavioral approaches and all dieters really should have a maintenance plan in place once their diet concludes. Without it, you can see how one could quickly gain back or stagnate at their current weight when they want to lose.
Dr. Christopher Sciamanna's study
Another similar study by Dr. Christopher Sciamanna, did find overlap between some behaviors for losing weight and maintaining it. Her study was conducted on people that lost 30 pounds and kept it off for a year or longer. The research is available in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The weight loss only group reported...
Taking part in a diet plan, searching for info related to weight loss, nutrition and physical activity, cutting down on sugar, meal planning in advance, not skipping meals, and focusing on feeling better as your thinner self.
The weight maintenance only group reported...
Consuming more low fat protein sources, taking part in an exercise program, rewarding themselves for following through with a nutrition program, and reminding themselves why they needed to keep their weight under control. Can you see the overlap here?
Based on all the studies above, it seems less important how you choose to lose weight or go about it. The real trick is maintaining it. For that reason, I included weight loss tips that have been found to be the most effective for keeping weight off, regardless if you need to lose weight quick or at a more moderate pace. The truth is, you need to plan for when you come off any low calorie diet regimen. If you have a maintenance plan in place, you odds of maintaining some of those lost pounds goes up drastically.
Matthew Johnson (Google+) is a certified personal trainer, nutrition expert and an on-line fitness consultant that started ChangingShape.com back in 2001.
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