In fact, unexplained weight loss could be an early sign of a serious health condition, says Kerry Hildreth, M.D., an assistant professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Colorado. “If you’re losing weight and nothing’s changed with your diet or activity, you need to worry about that a little bit.”
“It’s not common to lose a significant amount of weight without an obvious reason,” Dr. That means if you’re 150 pounds, a weight fluctuation of about seven or eight pounds in a short amount of time should be a red flag. If you drop at least five percent of your body weight in less than six months-and you can’t pinpoint a good explanation for that weight loss-it’s time to let your doctor know what’s up, says Anne Cappola, M.D., an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. But any more than that, and you haven’t changed your diet, it could be a sign of something bigger, he adds. It is normal for weight to fluctuate, typically between five to 10 pounds, and can be due to how much you’re eating, drinking, and moving in a given time period, explains Mir Ali, M.D., bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center. But if you can’t point to something that may have caused the changes, a sudden unexpected change in weight can be very scary–especially if you’re not trying to drop pounds and the scale is dipping lower and lower. So when it comes down to it, the best way to keep weight off is to create a sustainable, realistic diet and exercise program that you can stick to for the long haul.If you’ve ever noticed slight weight gain after a long vacation or holiday season, or a sudden drop in weight after an illness, you’ve experienced unintentional weight loss fluctuations. Once you stop seeing the reward of seeing the pounds drop off, it may cause you to stop trying so hard. So if you stop new healthy eating and exercising habits and go back to eating high-calorie foods and little physical activity, it is all too easy to regain the weight you lost.Īnd although you may be able to resist high-calorie foods for a period of time, it’s often hard to sustain this once you’ve reached your goal weight. This happens because your brain senses your fat stores are low and sends signals to the body to stock up. Combined with the abundance of high-calorie foods available today, this makes it all too easy to put the pounds back on.Īfter you lose weight, your metabolism can slow down, causing you to burn fewer calories than expected, even when you are at rest. Your brain and body are hard-wired to regain lost weight. Choose lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and low-calorie snacks instead. Make a list of healthy foods ahead of time, and steer away from the sections that will tempt you. Grocery shopping is important to making sure you’re eating right and not tempted to reach for something that will promote weight gain. According to recent studies, adults should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Poor sleep can have negative effects on your overall health, as well as throw off your levels of the hunger-regulating hormones, leptin and ghrelin. Set aside 30 minutes for exercise every day. The more active you are, the more likely you will keep the weight off. The best way to maintain your new weight is to establish a routine and stick with it. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day not only helps you burn calories by keeping your metabolism going, it also quenches your thirst faster and better than anything else, especially diet diet sodas and sugary drinks. Stick to healthier options like fruit, vegetables, fat-free yogurt, and whole wheat crackers. If you get hungry between meals, don’t go back to old habits of snacking on high-calorie snacks. Even if there are leftovers, stop eating when you feel satiated. You don’t need to finish everything on your plate just because it’s there. Include metabolism-boosting spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and turmeric.
Eating 5 small meals a day rather than 3 large ones can keep your metabolism working longer, helping you control your weight.
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