I Want to Know How to Keep the Weight Off

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

I asked and you answered. Today, we're going to talk about keeping the weight off. In the world of fitness this is called "maintenance" - much like your car - you have to keep up your regular maintenance or you're going to have problems.

Sticking with the car analogy for the moment, let's say that your car breaks down on the side of the road and you take it to a mechanic. The mechanic looks over the car, runs some diagnostics and fixes you up. Then he tells you that you need to get regular oil changes and tune-ups. Ideally, your oil should be changed every three thousand miles or so and that you should get a tune-up every year.

Why should you do this regular maintenance? So that you can avoid the wear and tear that can lead to your car breaking down. Your body is absolutely no different. I can't tell you how many people I have known that jumped on the Atkins band wagon, lost 50 pounds and then went right back to their previous habits and gained all of that and more back.

Why did that happen?

Because just 'fixing' the problem, whatever your problem is, is not enough. You need regular maintenance for your body to maintain a healthy weight. For example, let's say you're trying to lose weight. You know that your body burns about 2900 calories per day just to function at the weight you're at right now.

If you exercise 30 to 45 minutes per day, six days a week, you're likely going to be burning about 500 calories during the workout and maybe another 300 calories throughout the day as a result of the workout. Now, take a look at what you're eating, do you consuming 3,000 calories a day? But you're burning 800 calories - so you're taking in about 2,200. That means you're creating a deficit.

Where does your body go to pay for that deficit? To your fat, exactly.

Work out and eat healthy regularly enough and the extra pounds and inches fall off, but now you've reached your target weight - so how do maintain that and still enjoy food, fun and more? We're going to talk about maintenance more tomorrow. Check back in.

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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