Once you have lost the weight and have a fabulous body, how do you keep it? Unfortunately there is no magic potion that will keep you looking slim but with a little will power and motivation you can keep the weight off.

Firstly you can’t just quit your diet and exercise program, you have to wean yourself slowly to normal healthy eating, keeping up with a healthy lifestyle with healthy foods and a good exercise regime.

You need to remember that you can’t go completely back to the way things were before the Diet, there is no more pudding after dinner, and just one cookie normally turns to four. The realization that this is a lifestyle change for your own health, will be the stepping-stone you need to keep the weight off.

These tips will help you keep the weight off, by learning to live healthily.

Exercise

Depending how you lost the weight, there are two factors to consider

1. If you lost the weight while doing an intense boot camp, then you need to try and keep your exercise levels high, go to gym at least four days a week alternating between cardio and weights.

2. If you lost the weight by only sipping on cabbage soup (naughty, naughty!), then this is where you can become healthy. Start exercising, not only will it help keep off the weight (healthily) but you will also increase your endorphin’s which will turn you from the starving grouchy person, to someone that is full of energy.

If you have very little time to exercise then try go to the gym or have a run at least three days a week. Exercise is vital to keep the weight off and to keep your body healthy.

Eat More

Red grapes, granadillas, peanuts and berries as they contain piceatannol, a chemical that may help prevent the growth of new fat cells according to a study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The researches don’t know the quantity you need to eat to help you maintain your weight but adding them to your diet can’t hurt.

Garlic

Garlic contains allicin a compound that increases antioxidants in the body which helps with the prevention of muscle disintegration and as a bonus lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.

Spinach

This green super food has antioxidants and folate, a vital B Vitamin which has been shown to fight depression and weight gain.

Whole-grain breads, cereals and brown rice

High in fiber which keeps you full, making it easier to stay away from bad snacking

Whole-wheat pasta

Choose whole-wheat as it has three times more fiber as regular pasta, which keeps you fuller for longer, it is low GI which gives you lasting energy, and as a bonus it has B vitamins, folate, selenium and zinc.

Lean meats

Eat turkey, chicken and fish (without the skin) and grass fed beef – the leanest cut is the fillet.

Eat less

Avoid fatty meats like mince and lamb, always cut off the fat and never eat the skin. And of course sugar, sweets, crisps and those baked goods.

Dish it up

Firstly to keep weight off and the fat from crawling back to your hips you must keep portion sizes small (unless you’re about to eat a healthy salad – then eat as much as you want) but otherwise when eating a roast or pasta don’t overindulge.

To help keep your portion sizes small – eat off a side plate, in a study people believed they were eating more than they were. Another trick is to eat slowly; it takes a while for you body to realize it’s full so give it time before you get a second helping.

Cook it up

Fresh is always best for vegetables as no nutrients are lost but if you want them cooked, steaming is best. For meat, baking, grilling, boiling and steaming are the way to go, try not to fry anything.

Plan your meals:

If you plan all your meals and snacks then you will be prepared and won’t end up picking up that croissant when the hunger pangs arrive.

Also never skip a meal, this will make your sugar levels drop and make you grave unhealthy foods.

Shop right:

Firstly never go shopping when you are hungry that is when you will put junk food into your trolley.

Tip: If it’s not in your house it’s harder to eat.

If you’ve planned well then shopping should be a cinch, stay away from the sweet isles and focus on buying only what is on your list.

Plan for one treat a week

Allow yourself one real treat a week, if you have it on a Monday then you can’t have anything else for the rest of the week, and remember one means one slice, not one whole cake!

Write it down:

A helpful way to remember what you ate throughout the day is to write it down. If you had a slice of cake at work because it was someone’s birthday then remembering it will help you focus on eating healthy the rest of the week, and running just that little bit longer to work it off.

Losing weight can be the easy part, as you only need motivation and will power for a little while whereas to keep the weight off is harder, as you have the result you wanted so the motivation is gone and your will power is all dried up.

To keep weight off you have to make a lifestyle change, you need to be motivated to be healthy and fit and not just look good in a great body, because as soon as you have that body, you will exercise less and start eating one more piece of pie, which will lead to you putting on weight again.

Be consistent by eating healthy and working out then you can look forward to a great new you that lasts a lifetime.

All you ever hear when it comes to healthy living is “make sure you drink enough water”, but why? Here we will explain the benefits of staying hydrated, as after all, water makes up between 60-75% of your entire body weight.

To tell if you are correctly hydrated, there is one very effective method, and that is to examine your urine color. If you are hydrated to the right level, then your urine should be a straw-like pale yellow. If you are dehydrated then your urine color will be much darker (similar to apple juice), and may also have a strong odor.

Reasons to stay hydrated?

• Your general appearance – with water making up such a large percentage of the human body, ensuring you have the right amount of water in there is crucial. Whilst drinking water won’t make you younger per se, it can help improve dry skin, cracked lips and even help prevent wrinkles. There are also dental benefits, as water is needed to create saliva which is known to help prevent tooth decay.
• Mental Awareness – being dehydrated can limit the brain’s effectiveness. A lack of water in your system can increase your levels of tiredness, which in turn can reduce your motivation to exercise. Not only this, but dehydration can reduce your alertness AND reduce your short term memory
• Weight Loss – this will be the most effective fact to get people to drink more often. Research has shown that drinking more water as part of a low calorie diet yields better weight loss success when compared with those who don’t drink enough. The suggested reasoning behind this is that drinking water before and after meals can suppress your appetite, so you may be able to reduce your portions slightly; which in turn will help reduce your calorific intake. Also, for those looking to lose weight, drinking water has another way of helping: by replacing other drinks with water, you will be reducing your calorie intake. A 330ml can of Coca Cola contains around 140 calories and 33g of sugar. That is 7% of your recommended calorie intake and around 50-60% of your recommended sugar intake. Replacing this with water saves you the sugar and calories. Easy.
• Metabolism booster – closely linked to weight loss, drinking plenty of water helps speed up your metabolism, making your body more efficient at burning the calories that you eat,  helping you feel more alert and energized.
• Better gym workouts – Your muscles are comprised primarily of water, so without enough water on board you will fatigue more easily and the post workout recovery that leads to muscle growth can reduce the muscle gains that you might expect with regular resistance training
• Reduced chance of injury – Water plays a vital role in keeping your joints nicely lubricated. Drinking enough water ensures they stay lubricated, which in turn will reduce the risk of injuries.

More information about Hydrapack

Staying Hydrated

Here are a few ways that will make staying hydrated much easier:

• Eat fruit and vegetables regularly (with every meal if possible) – this works well as they both contain a high water content, so you’ll be taking water on board without realizing it.
• Drink a glass before each meal – drinking a glass of water before each meal is easy to remember and provides some structure.
• Set reminders on your phone – reminding yourself every hour or so that you need to drink some water will help make sure your glass is full. Eventually you will get used to doing this and start drinking without being prompted.
• Keep water handy – always having a bottle of water nearby will increase the chance of drinking becoming a habit. This works the same way as when you have popcorn in the cinema; you eat it because it is there.

There you have it, staying hydrated is important for so many reasons that should certainly motivate you to check your water intake and ensure you are fueling your body correctly. Even if all of the above reasons don’t appeal to you, some certainly will, so decide which are important to you and remind yourself of them to make sure you always stay hydrated.