HOW TO KEEP WEIGHT OFF

People who do regular activity have a lower risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and stroke.  You can also find lots of information on eating a healthy, balanced diet in Food and diet.  You can see the weight range that is healthy for you by using our Healthy weight calculator.  Give yourself enough time to work towards your goal – the safe rate of weight loss is between 1lb and 2lb (0.5kg and 1kg) a week.  Ditch the fad diets that promise your ideal weight in a matter of weeks. 

 keeping weight off  

It’s recommended that adults between 19 and 64 get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity – such as fast walking or cycling – every week.  If you are new to activity then you should try to build up to this amount gradually.  To start, you might decide to swap just one high-calorie snack a day with something healthier – a morning pastry, for example, for a currant bun or a piece of fruit.  Learn more in the 10,000 steps challenge.  Being physically active is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.  The key is making small changes that you can keep for life, rather than drastic changes that you only stick to for a few weeks.

Or you could choose a drink that's lower in fat, sugar or alcohol and therefore contains fewer calories.  For more see Physical activity guidelines for adults.  Instead, set a realistic goal.  A combination of diet changes and changes to their level of physical activity is the best method.  For many, brisk walking is a great way to fit activity into daily life.  On the whole, eating less while maintaining a balanced diet and being more active will keep weight off.

This also means accepting a steady rate of weight loss, rather than aiming for overnight success.  “You don’t need to achieve a healthy weight overnight.  For example, you could swap a sugary, fizzy drink for sparkling water with a slice of lemon.  When it comes to physical activity, Get ways to fit more movement into your day.  They don’t work in the long term.  There's more information and advice on getting active in Fitness.

Losing even a few kilos can make a huge difference to the health of someone who is overweight.”.  You can learn more about small, healthy changes to your diet by reading Healthy food swaps.  The key to keeping weight off is to make changes to your diet and lifestyle that you can stick to, and that means for life.

Occurring Changes 

In fact, the changes are working, as they are keeping you at your new weight.  At some point, the weight loss that results from these changes will stop, and your weight will stabilise.  But it’s important to remember that if you want to maintain your new, healthier weight, you need to stick to the changes.  “Really allow those changes set into your lifestyle.  Once you’ve known the lifestyle changes you wish to make, give yourself time to make them a part of your life.

If you let go of them, you’ll put weight back on.  “They feel as though the changes they’ve made 'aren’t working any more', and so they go back to old habits.  Once you’ve done that and your weight has stayed the same for a while, if you’re still not a healthy weight you can think about other set of small changes.  That’s the step-by-step method that will give you the best chance of achieving a healthy weight long term.