Practical tips to maintain your healthy weight

Congratulations on the effort you took to reach your healthy weight! Maintaining a healthy weight is not easy but at the same time it is not as difficult as it seems. By following these easy and simple tips that we have listed below and discussing your calorie breakdown of your meals and your food list with your dietician, you will be able to maintain your weight and prevent unnecessary weight gain. Do not forget that exercise plays a role in weight management as well.

• Lead a healthy lifestyle: Make a commitment to eat healthy and be more active.
• Monitor your weight: One of the most effective ways to maintain your weight is to monitor your weight twice a week using an accurate weighing machine.
• Eat foods that are high in fibre: Whole grain cereals, legumes (lentils and beans), vegetables and fruits are good sources of fibre, are low in calories and can help you feel full. You should be sure to have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
• Physical activity helps: Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise for five or more days of the week. If you already get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, you can gain more health benefits by increasing the time or intensity of your physical activities.
• Choose low-fat dairy products: Foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt that can cut down on extra fat calories.
• Grilled foods: Stick to grilled, baked or roasted meats, chicken and fish.
• If you choose to eat out: Watch the food portions that you eat as portion sizes at restaurants are usually large. Avoid menu items that include the words "fried" and "breaded" as they are filled with excess fat and calories! Order salad dressings and sauces on the side and use two spoonfuls or less of dressing on your healthy salad.
• Forgive yourself: If you occasionally make mistakes with your diet, don’t give up! Eat an extra healthy lunch and dinner if you had a high-calorie, high-fat breakfast and remember to add more physical activity to your day.
• Your maintenance diet need not be strict: You are not limited to certain foods that you may not like but you can have a lot of food choices.

Good to Remember:

If you want to maintain your weight, you can exchange one food with another from the same food group. This way, you would not be adding any extra calories to your diet.

So, if you don't want a piece of sliced bread, you can exchange it with ¼ loaf of Arabic bread or ½ cup cooked pasta or 1 small baked potato. Same thing goes for meat, if you do not want to eat any meat at dinner, you can exchange it for eggs or low-fat cheese.

Did you know?

Did you know that one glass of fresh juice is equivalent to two pieces of fruits? Go for the fresh piece instead as it has more fibre and is lower in calories.

Discussing your eating habits and lifestyle with your dietician will help you get an idea of the right portions to eat in order to keep yourself in shape and to plan healthy food choices. A maintenance diet is a way of life which is flexible and takes your food likes and dislikes into consideration.