How to Maintain Your Current Weight

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Weight management encompasses an array of ways to maintain a current body weight. Weight management is different from weight loss in that you're not trying to shed pounds (which can be challenging). You're just trying to not gain them. Here are some tips.

Steps

1. Be mindful of your weight. It's your best feedback for how your lifestyle and diet are affecting your body. A big part of the reason people gain weight is because it happens gradually, and they don't notice until they've gained a significant amount. Balancing energy intake and energy expenditure is the basis of weight management throughout life.
   
2. Keep in mind that fluctuations of 1-3 lbs are normal throughout the week or even during the day. Do not become obsessive about weighing yourself daily; this mindset can become counterproductive. Because of fluctuations in weight during the week, recommendations say weighing yourself once per week is sufficient to help maintain your weight.
   
3. Eating a well balanced, healthy diet helps control caloric intake and maximizes vitamin and mineral intake. When your body has all the needed nutrients it requires, your energy levels stay high and you feel good about yourself. All these factors contribute to motivation to maintain a healthy diet, which in turn makes managing your current weight easier.
   
4. Balancing physical activity is imperative to maintaining your current weight. The American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 60 minutes of moderate level exercise, daily, to maintain weight with out weight loss. Keep in mind that all exercise is beneficial, even if you can not reach the 60 minute goal each day. Try breaking your exercise routine into portions i.e. a few 15 minute walks per day.
   
5. Creating a positive outlook on healthy eating, exercise, and weight will make weight management more effective and enjoyable.
   

Tips

• What is a healthy weight? For women, 100 pound for the first 5 feet of height, plus 5 pounds for each additional inch of height. For men, 106 pounds for the first 5 feet, plus 6 additional pounds for each inch of height.
  
• Utilize the Food Guide Pyramid at www.mypryamid.gov to help plan healthy meals, track calories and exercise, and to find more advice on weight management.
  
• Consider consulting a Registered Dietitian, the only credentialed nutrition experts, to help plan meals, identify problem areas in diet and exercise, and to provide novel approaches to weight management.
  
• Dr. Oz's weight management tips (combined with weight loss): http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery-health/33562-dr-oz-weight-loss-video.html
  

Warnings

• Always consult your primary physician if you have special health conditions or considerations when starting an exercise program or changing your current diet.
  

Things You'll Need

• Gym memberships are beginning to be covered by health insurance companies. Look into cost effective strategies to keep your enthusiasm for exercise alive.
  
• Non-food reward systems are a great way to stay on track during lifestyle modifications. Allow yourself a little splurge for staying on track.
  
• Look into farmers market options in your cities. Not only do farmers markets support local economy, you get exercise while shopping for natural foods.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Get a Beach Body
  
• How to Enjoy Getting Exercise
  
• How to Improve Your Body Image
  
• How to Tone the Butt With Walking
  
• How to Have a Healthy Nutritional Balanced Diet
  
• How to Create a Consistent Workout Plan for Regular Exercise
  

Sources and Citations

• L. Kathleen Mahan, Sylvia Escott-Stump. Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy; 12th edition. Saunders, 2008
  
• Weight Control Information Newtwork: Weight Management.Web accessed April 10, 2010. <http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications>
  
• American Dietetic Association. Web accessed May 10, 2010. <http://www.eatright.org>
  
• United States Department of Agriculture: My Pyramid. Web accessed May 10, 2010. <http://mypyramid.gov>
  
• K-State Extension- Johnson County. Homepage link. http://www.johnson.ksu.edu/. Accessed May 10, 2010
  

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