After a ‘Fat Loss Phase’: What’s Next in Your Weight Loss Journey?

Imagine this: You’ve successfully shed a significant amount of weight. You’ve received compliments from loved ones and even caught the attention of someone you had a crush on. It’s an exciting time, as all your hard work, dietary restrictions, and gym sessions have paid off. But now you face the daunting task of maintaining this weight loss. It can feel overwhelming, even more so than the initial phase of dieting.

Constant worrying and anxiety won’t help you achieve your goals. Instead, take a step back and focus on transitioning to a sustainable lifestyle.

Maintaining Your Achieved Weight or Fat Percentage

According to Yash Vardhan Swami, a Health Coach, Business Coach, and Founder trained by YVS & Fitness Business Accelerator, maintaining your weight loss requires keeping your calorie intake in balance with your calorie expenditure. During the maintenance phase, which typically lasts 6-8 weeks, avoid making sudden changes to your diet or exercise regimen. If you decide to make adjustments, do so gradually.

Swami provides some helpful tips for adopting a balanced approach that goes beyond just the numbers on the scale.

1. Regular Exercise
   Incorporating exercise into your daily life is essential for maintaining energy balance and preserving your achieved weight. Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, along with 2 days of strength training.
2. Lifestyle Changes
   Whether you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your weight loss, it’s crucial to follow a sustainable dietary pattern or workout regimen. Extreme restrictions in your diet can lead to non-compliance and hormonal imbalances. Similarly, engaging in intense workouts solely for weight loss and then completely stopping once you reach your desired weight is not healthy. Change your lifestyle to change your appearance.
3. Reverse Dieting
   Reverse dieting is a method that involves gradually increasing your calorie intake to avoid regaining the weight you lost. The goal is to return to your previous calorie levels by slowly adding calories to your diet over several weeks or months. This process helps restore your body’s metabolism, preventing fat gain even with increased calorie consumption. Increase your caloric intake by 2-3% through carbohydrates and fats until you reach your pre-diet calorie consumption level. Reverse dieting allows for a shift from a restrictive diet to a more sustainable eating pattern.
4. Diet Breaks
   Similar to cheat meals, diet breaks or refeeds are designated days where you intentionally increase your calorie intake, primarily through carbohydrates. Some individuals have one weekly refeed, while others opt for 2-3 refeeds per week.

Achieving your target weight is a great accomplishment, but maintaining it requires a significant amount of determination. Seek guidance from a healthcare professional and prioritize your well-being.