It’s been a long road, but thanks to your GLP-1 therapy and a healthy eating plan, you’ve lost weight. But now you’re wondering about the next steps. What’s the best way to keep the weight off and stay in shape?
Health experts learned some strategies for weight maintenance from the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), a long-term observational study that began in 1994. The investigators continue to track the habits of more than 10,000 people who have lost significant weight and kept it off.
The following lifestyle habits gleaned from NWCR participants and nutrition experts may help you keep the pounds you’ve lost from creeping back.
Get enough sleep
A restful night’s sleep is critical for good health, and not getting enough Zzzzs can affect your eating and your weight. Research shows that sleep deprivation is associated with altered appetite regulation and cravings for high-calorie foods.
And, if you get your 7-8 hours of sleep at night, you’ll be more likely to feel like exercising the next day.
Exercise throughout the week
Most people know exercise is typically part of a weight loss plan, but staying active is important even after you reach your goal weight. For the prevention of weight gain after weight loss, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise. That’s about 20 minutes every day or 30 minutes 5 days a week.
Exercise doesn’t have to mean a trip to the gym. You can pedal an under-the-desk bike, walk around while you talk on the phone, or put on your favorite music and dance around your living room.
Keep tabs on yourself
It turns out that weight maintenance and self-monitoring go hand in hand. Keeping tabs on yourself can be as simple as keeping a food diary, observing how your skinny jeans fit over time, and stepping on the scale now and then.
According to a 2017 study, more than 9 out of 10 NWCR participants tracked their weight, food, or exercise in some way. For example, 3 out of 4 weigh themselves at least once a week. And many use exercise, food, or calorie-counting apps or fitness trackers.
When your tummy rumbles, drink water first
If you’re distracted or not dialed in to your body’s signals, it’s easy to misinterpret thirst as hunger. So, when your body actually needs water, you may grab a snack instead.
To stay well-hydrated — and therefore more likely to know when you’re truly hungry — sip water throughout the day. And when you feel what you think is hunger, drink a glass of water first to see if that satisfies the feeling.
Eat enough protein
Protein is a key nutrient for managing weight. Eating protein reduces hunger-promoting hormones and increases satiety hormones. That’s why a higher-protein meal helps you feel full, which may help you eat less throughout the day.
When you’ve dropped some pounds, eating more protein may help you maintain your weight loss over the long term. A higher protein intake also helps preserve your muscle mass.
For weight management, a general recommendation is to get 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight. That would equal about 80-110 grams of protein daily for a 150-pound (68 kg) woman — which is about 30 grams of protein at each meal.
For reference, here are some examples of protein-rich foods and the amount of protein they contain:
1 cup cottage cheese = 28 grams
3 ounces of lean beef, chicken, or turkey = 25 grams
3 ounces salmon = 21 grams
7 ounces Greek yogurt = 20 grams
½ cup cooked lentils = 9 grams
1 cup milk = 8 grams
1 cup cooked quinoa = 8 grams
1 large egg = 6 grams
To sneak in more protein, some people add protein powder made from whey or peas to smoothies. While it varies between brands, many powders provide 10-15 grams of protein per scoop.
Protein also provides your body with materials for building muscle tissue. And in people who are trying to lose weight, increased protein intake prevents loss of muscle mass.
Build more muscle mass
Having more muscle helps you burn a few more calories each day, and those calories can add up to help with weight maintenance. If you’re not sure how to start, talk with a personal trainer about the proper way to build muscle mass by lifting weights.
For another approach to addressing muscles and athletic endurance, ask your provider if you’re a candidate for sermorelin along with your GLP-1 medication. Our Belmar pharmacists can provide compounded sermorelin, a drug that may help increase growth hormone levels, which in turn may boost muscle mass.
References:
(1) National Weight Control Registry
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(13) Fact: Having more muscle mass can help you burn more calories: Ref below:
Link: Can you boost your metabolism?: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
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Link: Controversies in Metabolism
