You’ve done it. You finally lost those 50 pounds that you gained while pregnant. Maybe you’ve struggled with your weight for your entire youth, and you’re ready to change your life by losing weight as an adult. It could be that you gained weight while taking it easy after an injury. You lost weight, but how do you sustain that weight loss? 

Losing weight comes with ups and downs. You feel better and look great, which is an immediate boost to your self-esteem. However, after the initial pounds come up, you often plateau. It makes it hard to stay motivated. We encourage you to keep going. It often comes down to finding the best foods for sustainable weight loss results.

Understanding What Your Body Needs

Understanding your body’s needs is most important as it shifts your mindset from dieting to fueling your lifestyle. There’s no one-size-fits-all in dietary nutrition. Your body needs:

• Biological regulators: Micronutrients that provide your body with vitamins and minerals for bone health, energy, and immunity.
• Energy: The calories you eat.
• Structural materials: Macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) that supply energy, maintain your body’s structure, and regulate metabolism.

When you lose weight, you are burning more calories than you’re taking in. There’s much more to it than that, however, as you could eat processed diet foods, lose weight, and never feel great. The “fuel” you’re consuming is of poor quality and will eventually leave you feeling dissatisfied. Instead, you want to make sure your daily intake includes:

• Antioxidants that help fight inflammation.
• Complex carbohydrates provide energy and fiber.
• Healthy fats that aid hormone regulation.
• High-quality lean protein helps keep your muscles healthy.

Instead of focusing on calories for sustainable weight loss, it’s important to focus on feeling full. Emotional cravings appear randomly, while real hunger builds slowly. If you focus on satisfying real hunger, cravings fade into the background. Feel fuller, longer with high-fiber foods and plenty of lean protein.

 Why Fad Diets Always Fail 

We’ve seen so many fad diets over the years. None of those diets is great for long-term weight loss goals. You might lose weight quickly, but keeping it off is challenging because you haven’t developed mastery of nutrition’s role in weight loss.

Between 1975 and 2016, obesity rates tripled. Between 2004 and 2018, interest in weight loss increased, and fad diets became the rage. This wasn’t the first fad diet in history. Some of the world’s first diet books date back to the 16th century.

Dr. George Chyne’s “The Natural Method of Curing the Diseases of the Body” is important because the doctor switched to a diet of milk and vegetables. After stopping and enjoying foods and beverages he’d given up, he regained the weight he’d lost.

That’s the problem with fad diets. They’re not good for sustainable weight loss. Around 80% of people who’ve lost weight on fad diets regain it. It creates a pattern that is both physically and mentally damaging.

Keeping the pounds off requires a lifelong commitment to meeting your body’s nutritional needs. Studies find that if you keep the weight off for two to five years, using nutrition as your guide, weight-loss maintenance usually comes more easily. Fresno is the ideal area for a permanent switch to a sustainable nutritional intake.

Fresno’s Rich Agricultural Landscape Is Ideal for Weight Loss

 Living in Fresno County puts you at an advantage. It’s easier to meet your nutritional needs when the top foods for weight-loss maintenance are abundant. If you ask dietitians what foods they recommend for weight-loss maintenance, the answers usually include many of these. Best of all, many of these are grown locally. 

Fiber and Nutrient-Dense Foods:

• Apples 
• Berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
• Leafy greens, including spinach
• Oatmeal

Overnight oats are one food we believe should be in everyone’s fridge. Make it in advance by mixing ½ cup of old-fashioned or sprouted oats, ½ cup of almond milk, ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce, and a dash of cinnamon in a reusable container. Before you leave the house, top it with some diced apple and walnuts or almonds.

Healthy Fats and Snacks:

• Almonds
• Avocado
• Chia seed pudding
• Dark chocolate

Chia seeds are high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein. Making a “pudding” snack cup is easy. Mix 3 tablespoons of chia seeds with 1 cup of almond milk and a splash of vanilla. Before eating, top it with some fresh berries and cherries. They’ll add the sweetness you want.

 Lean Proteins:

• Chicken or turkey breast
• Cottage cheese
• Eggs
• Fatty fish and salmon
• Greek yogurt

Eggs are one of the easiest proteins to keep on hand. Boil a dozen eggs at the start of the week and keep them on hand for quick sandwiches, salads, or snacks. If you’re craving something different, mix the egg yolks with avocado and fresh herbs for a healthier take on a deviled egg.

Fresno’s Seasonal Produce Calendar

The planting and harvest season takes up much of the year in Fresno. Knowing when to look at your favorite foods for weight maintenance is important.

 Fresno has several outstanding farmers’ markets and street markets where you can find local produce, grains, and nuts. Some of the area favorites include:

• Fresno State’s Gibson Farm Market – Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours are seasonal and subject to change.
• Old Town Clovis Farmers Market – Every Saturday morning from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
• River Park Farmers Market – Every Tuesday evening from 5 to 9 p.m.
• Riverview Shopping Center Farmers Market – Every Wednesday evening from 5 to 9 p.m. or Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Embrace the Area and Build Sustainable Weight Loss Habits

Eating a balanced diet high in protein, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats is certainly important, but so is daily activity. You need to get up and move around. Fresno’s parks and nearby mountain trails provide everyone with options for daily walks or hikes. If that doesn’t appeal to you, ride your bike on one of the area’s bike paths, such as the 13-mile Clovis Old Town Trail or the 9-mile Lewis S. Eaton Trail.

As you explore the area and engage in outdoor activities, make sure you’re staying hydrated. If you get tired of drinking water, try berries, celery, citrus fruit, cucumbers, melons, and tomatoes, all of which have high water content. They’ll help you stay hydrated between glasses of water.

You also want to make sure you’re keeping your body fueled. Instead of one large meal three times a day, break it up into smaller meals and snacks every couple of hours. This keeps your body from feeling starved and avoids crashes in your blood sugar levels, which helps you avoid feeling “hangry” and persistent cravings. 

Make an appointment with Premium Sports & Orthopedics to discuss the benefits of a doctor-supervised weight loss plan. When you’re supported by a team that knows how hard it is and provides the emotional support you need during a plateau and when maintaining your goal weight, you’ll find it’s easier to stay on track.