Staying Accountable: 5 Tips for Maintaining Your Weight Loss Goals
Staying Accountable: 5 Tips for Maintaining Your Weight Loss Goals
Maintaining weight loss goals can be challenging, but staying accountable can make all the difference. In this article, we will explore five tips to help you stay on track and achieve your weight loss goals.
1. Define Your ‘Why’ and Create a Plan of Action
Before starting your weight loss journey, it’s essential to understand why you want to lose weight. Identifying your motivation can help you stay focused and committed to your goals. According to Elizabeth Simkus, DNP, medical director of the Rush Prevention Center at Rush University System for Health in Chicago and an expert in lifestyle medicine, many people find their motivation in avoiding chronic health problems or wanting to lose weight so they can travel or be actively involved in their children’s or grandchildren’s lives.
Once you establish your why, developing a plan of action will provide a roadmap to help you achieve success. Simkus recommends setting SMART goals, which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. Examples of SMART goals include "I will not eat after 7 p.m. over the next four weeks" or "I will eat at least two servings of vegetables per day, three times per week, over the next four weeks."
2. Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress can help you stay accountable to your goals and lead to weight loss. A study of 171 people with either type 2 diabetes or prediabetes found that those who were actively engaged with tracking their progress in a nutrition app had the greatest overall weight reduction of 10.6 percent of their baseline weight after six months.
A number of tools can help you track your progress, including pen and paper, a digital spreadsheet, and digital apps like Lose It!.
3. Team Up With a Weight Loss Buddy
Research shows that social support can contribute largely to the achievement of weight loss goals. One study of 194 adults (predominantly women) categorized with an overweight or obese body mass index (BMI) divided participants into two groups with different weight management strategies — either taking part in group sessions and seminars or receiving dietary counseling. Participants who joined the group sessions saw a 6 percent weight loss, compared to a 4.1 percent weight loss for the ones who received dietary counseling.
"Accountability partners can take many forms," Simkus says. "Many of my patients have found success with group texting with family members, taking part in health challenges at work, and visiting with me, their health coach. They’ve also found online support groups and weight loss programs."
4. Enlist the Help of a Professional
Whether it’s your primary care doctor, a registered dietitian, health coach, or personal trainer, working with a professional can help keep you accountable to your weight loss goals. One study of 1,432 adults who were either overweight or had obesity looked at the effects of working with a health coach on weight loss during a six-month program. The researchers found that attending one-on-one coaching sessions, participating in live expert-led web-based classes, and receiving feedback on food diaries were associated with a higher level of weight loss.
"Stay flexible and adaptable — this is a lifestyle change and you don’t have to be perfect to achieve optimal results," says Michelle Routhenstein, RD, CDCES, a New York City–based preventive cardiology nutritionist at Entirely Nourished.
5. Celebrate Your Milestones
The road to weight loss success is challenging and can come with many ups and downs. Celebrating your achievements can help reinforce positive behaviors and continue to motivate you to stay on track. Avoid using food as a reward and instead make time for something you enjoy, such as indulging in a bubble bath, spending time in nature, reading your favorite book, or having a game night with family.
Conclusion
Maintaining weight loss goals can be challenging, but staying accountable can make all the difference. By defining your why, tracking your progress, teaming up with a weight loss buddy, enlisting the help of a professional, and celebrating your milestones, you can stay on track and achieve your weight loss goals.
FAQs
Q: What are some effective ways to stay accountable to my weight loss goals?
A: Some effective ways to stay accountable to your weight loss goals include defining your why, tracking your progress, teaming up with a weight loss buddy, enlisting the help of a professional, and celebrating your milestones.
Q: What are SMART goals, and how can they help me achieve my weight loss goals?
A: SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. Setting SMART goals can help you stay focused and committed to your weight loss goals.
Q: What are some effective ways to track my progress?
A: Some effective ways to track your progress include using a digital app, a digital spreadsheet, or a food diary.
Q: What is the importance of celebrating my milestones?
A: Celebrating your milestones can help reinforce positive behaviors and continue to motivate you to stay on track.
Q: How can I stay motivated to achieve my weight loss goals?
A: Staying motivated to achieve your weight loss goals can be achieved by setting realistic goals, tracking your progress, and celebrating your milestones.
