After a year of losing weight, and more than a year of maintenance, I've finally figured out how I can maintain my weight indefinitely.

There are so many things about weight loss and maintenance I still need to learn. But after losing 40 kgs (75 lbs) over the course of a year, and maintaining for another, I have finally fulfilled my mission statement: To reach a point, where maintaining good diet, weight, and health, is so easy that I don't have to think about it in my daily life.

I've developed this consistency and effort by trial and error. I've tried thousands of things, thrown out what didn't work - and kept what worked. The main criteria for keeping changes, are that maintaining healthy habits should be easy and require little conscious effort. In this post I'll try to share what works for me. The common denominator here, is that all of the rules I live by, require very little effort on my part. That's because they are habits I've developed over the years. If you develop these same habits, they will keep you slim for the rest of your life.

Fair warning: They are not easy to live by. That's why we grow fat. They have many subtleties, and gotcha's to them - too many for me to ever recount. They are not easy to necessarily understand and fully appreciate either, and can be hard to develop and live by consistently. But they are all common sense.

1. Eat slowly. Drink slowly. Meals should take at least 20 minutes.
2. Fill half your plate with vegetables, especially leafy greens at dinner time and lunch time.
3. Cut down on sugar, and simple processed carbohydrates.
4. Limit alcohol.
5. If you're not hungry, don't eat. It's OK to skip breakfast.
6. Monitor your weight consistently so you know if you're headed in the wrong direction.
7. Get enough sleep.
8. Get your heart rate up, at least 30 minutes a day.
9. Avoid drinking your calories. If you do, do it slowly.
10. Eat a great variety of whole non-processed foods. Whole grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, eggs, nuts, seeds, fish, etc.

The key is to structure your day, so all the rules above become easier to follow. Set aside at least 20 minutes for every meal, and dedicate yourself to eating it slowly (Which will also increase enjoyment). When you go to a buffet, always go to the salads first, and always have some vegetables in the fridge that are ready to plate. Don't buy candy, and swap simple carbs for more complex when you go to the supermarket. Commit to commuting to work by bike, or walk/run if possible. Swap out whatever foods you routinely consume with healthier alternatives a bit at a time, this will make it second nature. But above all: Experiment. I've done keto, CICO, IF, 5:2, meal replacements diets, all kinds of stuff. I've taken what worked for me, and thrown out what didn't work. Above all: Never bit off more than you can chew. One of the most common mistakes I see, is that people take on too many challenges at once.

Thanks for reading. Thoughts? Additions?

submitted by /u/dalsgaard
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