How to maintain your weight loss

Well, I'm at 171.5.





I've lost and kept off about 6 pounds since January 2nd.





More to the point, my average daily weight is about 10 pounds less than it was a year ago.





How am I keeping the weight off?





Discipline. Exercise. And smart food choices.





First, I'm determined that 172 is my maximum weight. I got down to 172 last year just before I ran a half marathon -- and I felt great. I stayed at 172-173 all summer. Of course, by fall, with less running, I gained. Not too much, but I gained.





Then, I set a goal of getting down to 170 by February 29th of this year. And I did it.





I weigh myself every morning M-F (I don't worry about the weekend because I don't want to stress too much).





If I weigh 172, that means NO treats that day. AT all. This takes discipline, especially if someone at the office has brought in donuts.





Next, I exercise. Last week, I ran three miles on Tuesday and again on Wednesday and Thursday. Then, I ran 4.5 miles yesterday. At least twice a week, I add some basic resistance training to the mix.





Running 3 miles takes me about 30 minutes and I run outside, so that's great, too. The point being, you don't have to spend TONS of time exercising.





I also sleep MUCH better when I'm running regularly.





So, maintain your weight loss by watching your weight daily, monitoring your intake of calories, and exercising. If you stop or decrease your exercise, as I did last fall, you WILL gain weight back.