My top 5 tips for weight loss maintenance
I have spent most of my adult life either being on a diet, or falling spectacularly off one. No matter how much weight I lose on any given ‘diet’, I never manged to keep all the pounds off, when I am no longer on it. When I was younger, the pounds would come off more easily and stay off for longer. but as I get older, the same cannot be said. Weight is now harder to lose and even more difficult to maintain! I was in desperate need for some weight loss maintenance tips that actually worked!
Surely, there had to be some sort of sweet-spot between being on an ‘actual diet’ and having a ‘normal diet’, where the pounds don’t pile back on? Surely?! I was determined to find out, so turned to the internet for help with my diet-nirvana quest.
Though I would not dare to profess to have cracked this post-dieting dilemma, I think it only right to share what useful information I did gather (and put into practice!) Some of it, like maintaining a low carb diet, is old news. But there are a few things on my list that weren’t! In fact, they were completely revelatory and I am certain that they have been instrumental in keeping the pounds off this time round… Hallelujah!
#1 Keto/Low carb diet
Why low carb diet for weight loss maintenance works
If the benefits to weight loss maintenance, of eating a low carb/keto diet, are news to you, then you must have been living under a rock for quite some time! The theory is that if you eliminate grains, starchy foods and most fruit from your diet, you will achieve the state of ketosis. This happens when the body is being fuelled primarily by ketones rather than by glucose. Ketones are produced when the body breaks down it’s own fat reserves for energy, as opposed to using glucose by way of consuming carbohydrates.
The benefits of a low carb diet
A fat-burning keto diet has other great benefits. hunger is reduced, as is water retention & bloating, energy and concentration levels are often higher, and insulin levels are kept stable. All pretty good stuff.
Some people can get away with eating carbs on a regular basis, but I am not one of them. Bread is particularly bad for me. If I want to maintain my weight, I do try to avoid it most of the time. Thankfully though, once you are in full swing of your ketogenic lifestyle, even if you love carbs as much as I do, you no longer actually crave them! This is because your blood-sugar levels no longer spike and plummet, which is what causes the cravings.
I accepted years ago that carbs and I were not friends. It was going to be essential not to eat them, to stand a chance at maintaining my weight loss. Unfortunately though, experience told me, this alone, was not going to be enough, so other changes had to be made…
#2 Intermittent fasting
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that includes periods of fasting and periods of eating, more closely resembling the eating patterns of our ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors; where food was not readily available, and humans evolved to be able to function without it, for extended periods. There are many different fasting patterns but the one I try to stick to is the 16:8 method. This entails fasting for 16 hours, out of a 24 and having an eating window of just 8. In my opinion, it is the least antisocial way to get the benefits of fasting, as you really only have to skip breakfast, and you are pretty much there.
Why intermittent fasting can help with weight loss maintenance
Fasting affects our bodies on a molecular level; stored body fat is more accessible for energy when insulin levels are lowered. During fasting Human Growth Hormone (HGH) can increase up to 5-fold, which results in fat-loss, and muscle gain. Another weight maintenance benefit is that Noradrenalin – the fat burning hormone – is also released. The overall effect of these combined hormonal changes, is that one’s metabolic rate is increased.
Studies also show that people consume fewer calories during the ‘feeding window’ as most people don’t eat as much in 8 hours compared with grazing all day, so it really is a win-win; you eat less and you burn more!
Other benefits of intermittent fasting
There are many other health benefits, other than just weight loss, to fasting. Over time, inflammation in the body is reduced and heart health is improved. It can also increase brain function and studies show it could even help you live longer…
Using the 16:8 intermittent fasting model has been really easy to incorporate into my everyday life. If a regime doesn’t work in your real-life setting, you aren’t going to stick with it long term…
#3 Bulletproof coffee
Why drink bulletproof coffee?
I started drinking bulletproof coffee when I started intermittent fasting. As a really early riser, I needed to have something in the morning that would give me an energy boost. Something that wouldn’t without inter with my insulin levels to help me succeed with fasting until lunchtime! And Bulletproof coffee was the answer!
What exactly is bulletproof coffee?
On paper it sounds disgusting, but in reality, it is utterly delicious! It is simply strong black coffee, whizzed up with a generous dollop of butter (made from grass fed cows milk) and a spoonful of coconut (or MCT) oil. Sounds horrible, I know. Once put through the blender, however, the result is a frothy, creamy, indulgent coffee that is both satiating and immediately energising.
Why it can help with weight loss maintenance?
Best of all it doesn’t undo your fasting! The energy derived from it is from ketones and not glucose, essentially leaving the fasting process uninterrupted.
For me, having a bulletproof coffee instead of breakfast, really works as part of my weight-maintenance regime. But only use it as part of a keto/low carb lifestyle diet. If used just as a coffee drink, in the same way you would have a mocha-latte-frappuccino, alongside a blueberry muffin, you would not get any of the benefits, and you would be taking on a whole load of calories.
#4 Purition
Purition as a meal replacement
I am not very good at self-control with food. If there is more of something yummy, I will eat it! What works for me, both as a way of dieting, and maintaining my weight loss, is having a meal replacement; a limited quantity of something nutrient-rich that will hopefully keep me going until I can eat a real meal!
Back in the day, this took the form of the Cambridge Diet. It was brutal, but it helped me drop my teenage pounds. And then it was Slimfast. The problem with these sorts of shakes is that they are often full of chemicals and colouring. And very often they are sickly sweet and not really in keeping with my healthy eating goals. They are also not something I would want to consume on a regular basis. But then thanks to the Google algorithm, Purition started popping up on my social media feeds!
What is purition?
Purition is wholefood nutrition in a meal-replacement powder that can be blended with nut milk or real milk. If you prefer it can be, sprinkled on yoghurt, or made into a porridge. It is packed full of vitamins, nourishing fats, fibre & protein, all derived from real foods, not chemicals. And being low carb, it can be used as part of a keto/low carb lifestyle.
It comes in loads of different and interesting flavours; my favourites are the Coconut and the Vanilla & Macadamia. I especially love them mixed with plain Greek yogurt. It is quite a coarse powder, so it adds just the right amount of crunch, from all the delicious nuts and seeds. Yum! Another thing I love about it, is that it isn’t overly sweet. You can always add stevia or fruit to sweeten things up a bit, if you like.
I will often have Purition for lunch. Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking, but sometimes I just can’t be bothered to do it for one! , Purition provides me with a quick, portion-controlled, nutritious meal that is delicious & surprisingly filling.
#5 Carb cycling
What is carb cycling?
As you have probably worked out, I am a complete fan of the Keto diet! Earlier this year, when I was a woman on a weight-loss mission. I was doing it religiously but I was also doing what you shouldn’t really do, which was eating too little. For a few weeks that worked. My results were great, but after a while, no matter how little I ate the scales were not budging. This was frustrating and demoralising, so I started to delve into why it was happening. It turns out that far from helping my cause, by starving myself. I had actually messed up my metabolism. My body had decided that it would conserve my fat, rather than let me lose any more of it! Sadly, this is a very common phenomenon that affects ‘women of a certain age’ who eat too little when dieting.
Why carb cycling can help with weight loss maintenance
Thankfully, there is a way that you can repair your metabolism, without suddenly gaining loads of weight. It is a process called Carb Cycling. And it is so simple! Every third day or so, of a low carb diet, you allow yourself a decent portion of carbs. This tricks the body out of thinking it’s starving, helping your metabolism switch mode. This sounded too good to be true, but it wasn’t! By actually eating more, I was able to lose more weight! I allowed myself two carb laden meals a week. One was scrambled eggs on thick, granary toast (not hugely exciting, but one of my favs!) The other, a full portion of fish & chips, with mushy peas from the pub! Throughout lockdown, our lovely local pub continued to serve take-away food. So Friday night fish & chips became the highlight of my lockdown life!
Carb cycling has also helped me stick to a (mainly) keto lifestyle, and maintain my weight loss. It has probably been the most enlightening weight loss maintenance tips I discovered. Knowing that twice a week I can have a carb blow-out, of sorts, makes it much easier to stay on track the rest of the week. It also means that if you are invited out to dinner, you don’t have to be that person who refuses to eat a certain food group! And you get to really enjoy it!
I hope the list of my top 5 weight loss maintenance tips helps you reach and achieve your dieting goals. Stick with them and you won’t be disappointed! Check out my post on Getting fit at 50 for more ideas on fitness in relation to weight loss and maintenance…
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