People can put in enormous amounts of times, energy, and work into losing weight and becoming healthier – but what about after they lose weight? There are plenty of articles out there that give tips and tricks on how to lose weight and all of the necessary things that you need to do in order to accomplish your weight goals, but there aren’t very many articles that explain what happens after you lose a good amount of weight. If you think that you just need to lose 20 pounds and call it good, you’re in for a treat. Although it is an accomplishment to lose a lot of weight, it’s equally important to not forget about the post-weight loss process.
Here are some things that you can do after you lose a significant amount of weight to remain healthy.
Here are some things that you can do after you lose a significant amount of weight to remain healthy.
Remain Active
One of the biggest mistakes that one can make when they have reached a certain weight goal is to think that it will last forever. It’s simple: hard work will GET you to where you want to be, and hard work will KEEP you where you want to be. Does this mean that you shouldn’t celebrate your wins (or rather, loses)? Absolutely not. However, it does mean that you should prepare yourself for creating consistently healthy habits. Making healthy food choices, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep are all examples of what you should continue doing, even after you lose weight.- Take a fitness class
- Find a workout buddy
- Alternate between various exercises
Build Muscle
Now that you have lost some fat and extra weight, maybe the next goal you can have is to gain some muscle? Not only does muscle improve your health, but it also allows your body to really begin taking form. The best part about building muscle is that while you are doing so you are also losing fat! So, don’t be shy to start adding on a little bit of extra weight and build in some strength exercises into your routine (don’t forget to grab a spotter, too!)- Go for 6-8 reps instead of over 10
- Add weight throughout each of your sets
- Don’t sacrifice form for a higher weight
Stretch
One of the most underestimated workouts or parts of any workout is stretching! It’s incredible how much more productive your workout can be if you just take an extra 10-15 minutes to stretch before you begin. Not only will you feel like your workout is more productive, you will also be preventing a lot of injuries and strains that can occur because of your body not being completely ready to exercise. So before you begin your workout don’t forget: STRETCH! STRETCH! STRETCH!- You don’t have to stretch at the gym, you can stretch when you wake up
- You don’t have to go over-the-top but challenge yourself to stretch farther every day
- Mark stretching as an important task so you don’t skip it!
Continue To Watch Your Diet
Not everything that happens with weight and fat loss happens in the gym, in fact, a lot of it happens where you eat. I’m sure that if you have lost a significant amount of weight you already know how much of an impact food can have on your weight in general, but it’s important not to get too carried away with the junk food and desserts after you have lost weight. Some simple things that you can do to help watch your diet are:- Keep before and after pictures of yourself to remind yourself what you don’t want
- Just say NO to fast food
- Have specific days where you reward yourself for eating healthy