After dieting and exercising diligently for months, you’ve finally lost those last three pounds that somehow seemed the hardest to shed, bringing your total number of pounds lost to 25! You are so excited, as you are now at your ideal weight and love your new figure. You feel more confident and energized. “What an accomplishment,” you say to yourself. “My hard work and efforts have finally paid off.” The hardest part is over, you think. But don’t kid yourself, since the hardest part, keeping those 25 pounds from creeping back on, is yet to come.

1. Eat well-balanced meals. Eat a variety of foods everyday from each of the five food groups: milk, meat, fruit, vegetable, and bread. And allow for an occasional treat.

2. Limit fat and sugar. Cut down on foods high in fat and sugar, or substitute with reduced-calorie and reduced-fat foods and beverages. The fat in your diet should be limited to 30 percent or less of total calories each day. And calories still count!

3. Evaluate your eating patterns. Sometimes six small meals a day can help you control your hunger. If you prefer to stay with eating three main meals, always plan for some low-calorie, between-meal snacks to help you avoid overeating at your next main meal.
4. Exercise. Determine what type of physical activity best suits your lifestyle. You should work your way up to regular aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging or swimming, since it is a key factor in achieving permanent weight loss and improving health. For maximum benefits, most health experts recommend exercising 30 minutes or more on most, and preferably all, days of the week.

5. Learn weight-maintenance behavior and continue to modify it by: accepting the fact that you will still be tempted by fattening foods; realizing you can eat tempting foods in moderation so you won’t feel deprived; increasing low-calorie and low-fat choices; trying new forms of exercise. (By making exercise fun, you will likely stick to it.)

6. Know your eating habits. Do you overindulge when eating your favorite foods? Do you eat when you’re depressed or worried? Do you use food as a reward? Keeping track of your eating habits in a food diary may help you cut down on how much you eat. Don’t let a temporary setback get you down. Go right back to your winning ways!