If you’re wondering how some people can either stay slim their whole lives, or drop fat and keep it off for years, there isn’t any one-size-fits-all answer. The human body is highly complex, and there are many factors involved in gaining and losing fat. Each person’s experience will differ based on their genetics, lifestyle, and choices. You might need to try several options to figure out what works for you, but ultimately, no matter how you lose it, there are only a few ways to keep excess fat off for good.
New medications can regulate weight long-term
One of the easiest ways to lose fat and not gain it back is through medication. If you’ve been looking into medications like Ozempic, you probably know that many people have been using them to lose weight and effortlessly keep it off. It’s not exactly a secret anymore, and that’s why so many people are taking advantage. The best part is you can get medication via telehealth, which makes it a lot easier. As Dr. Michael Snyder from Futurhealth explains, once you pre-qualify with an online assessment, a professional medical doctor will review your information and prescribe you the right medication to help you lose weight.
These medications work so well because they’re highly effective at curbing appetite. For example, Ozempic mimics the effects of the hormone GLP-1. This hormone is responsible for signaling to the brain that you’re full. Ozempic creates a similar effect while simultaneously slowing down digestion. When food takes longer to digest, you feel full longer, which means you eat less. If you struggle with food addiction or can’t seem to follow a diet plan without cheating, then medication could be the solution you’ve been searching for.
Although people experience consistent fat loss from medications like Ozempic, many need to continue taking the medication long-term to keep it off. For those who constantly struggle to stay slim, taking these medications long-term offers an easy way to maintain their weight. If you’ve been battling fat loss for a while and seem to always backtrack with your progress, medication is a solution worth considering.
Be strict with your food choices
Unless you have a thyroid problem that makes maintaining difficult, you might be able to keep excess fat off by remaining strict about the food you eat. Sugar should be avoided, along with junk food, fast food, and packaged meals. Processed and packaged foods have chemicals that disrupt the body’s hormones and have been shown to cause weight gain. They also make you hungrier, and that can lead to overeating. For example, MSG, refined flour, gluten, and high fructose corn syrup have all been shown to increase hunger.
If you take medication, like Ozempic, you’ll want to avoid these foods especially because they will just work against you. In the end, the medication will likely have a stronger impact in reducing your hunger, but you could thwart your progress by eating foods that increase your appetite.
Ultimately, the healthiest food you can eat will always be fresh fruits and vegetables, and home cooked meals made with ingredients that don’t come in a package. For instance, instead of buying canned peas, make them fresh. Better yet, get sugar snap peas. You can eat the whole pods and they will taste far better than what comes from a can.
Cooking at home will require a lifestyle and mindset change around food. If you’re not already in that routine, but it’s not as hard as it seems. You just need a plan, some good recipes, and the motivation to follow through. Prepping your meals ahead of time and placing portions in the freezer for a few weeks or a month at a time helps if you have a busy life, or if you’re too tired to cook every day.
If you struggle with changing your habits, try getting someone you live with to be your accountability partner. Willpower is said to be easy to gather, but that’s not the case for everyone. Sometimes it helps to have someone around who can follow the same schedule and routine as you, to provide more than moral support. Having someone to do everything with rather than just getting pep talks is often exactly what’s needed to be successful.
Support long-term health with good nutrition
Regardless of which path you choose, you’ll always benefit from eating a clean and fresh diet. Your body needs all the high-quality nutrients it can get. Even if you take medication for fat loss, your body will respond well to healthy meals full of nutrition rather than food containing chemicals that are designed to keep you hungry.
No matter what method you use to drop excess fat, eating healthy offers the best chance at maintaining your weight long-term.