Don't Panic: What Not To Do When You've Gained Weight

It’s happened to all of us: You thought you were doing pretty well in the healthy eating and exercise department. However, you climbed on the scale this morning and it said differently. So you took your shoes off (just to be sure) and stepped on it again, but the verdict was the same. You’ve put on a few pounds.

It’s natural to want to jump into action when you’re surprised with a number you didn’t think you were anywhere near. But making certain certain changes after you’ve gained weight can actually cause you to put on a few more pounds. With that being said, skip those moves and try these ones instead.

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What Not to Do: Skip Meals

It feels like the quickest way to take off a few pounds, but it won’t pay off in the long run. Skipping meals actually slows your metabolism down and can cause you to overeat once you finally consume something.

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The Better Move: Plan Your Meals

The best thing to do after you’ve gained weight is to speed your metabolism up. Plan your meals for the day so you’re eating a small meal every four hours to keep your body burning calories around the clock.

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What Not to Do: Get on Your Own Case

It’s natural to not feel great after you gain weight. But when you’re feeling bad about yourself, the guilt can actually make you more prone to make bad decisions — like giving up.

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The Better Move: Think Positive Thoughts

Believe it or not, showing your body love and forgiveness after you put on pounds actually gives you the confidence to make better decisions to eat right and exercise more often.

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What Not to Do: Weigh Yourself Every Day

It’s good to keep track of your progress, but weight fluctuates from day to day. Just because you’re heavier one day doesn’t mean you’re not on the right track (but it may tempt you to backslide).

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The Better Move: Weigh Yourself Every Week

It takes about seven days for weight loss to register. A good diet plan will help you shed one or two pounds a week. Wait for a specific day every week to see a more accurate number.

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What Not to Do: Do Too Much at the Gym

The scale can make you do crazy things — like sign up for a fitness class every day. Don’t set yourself up for failure by taking on too much.

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The Better Move: Start Slow

Commit to working out at least once or twice a week and making small changes to your diet. Once you’ve done so and feel comfortable, add more days and more changes to your plan. Seeing results can boost your confidence and help you stick to the program.

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What Not to Do: Go on a Crash Diet

When you’re in a hurry to get the numbers back down, a diet with mostly cabbage on the menu sounds like a great idea. However, extreme diets don’t last long (and it’s very easy to put the weight back on once you complete them).

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The Better Move: Know How Many Calories You Need

Go online or download an app to check out a calorie calculator. You can put in your height, age, and the weight you want to be. The calculator will tell you how many calories you need to stay under each day to reach your goal.

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What Not to Do: Throw Out Everything You Love to Eat

It’s tempting to swear off cookies, cake, and all of the carbs you love all at once. But that doesn’t always work…

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What No to Do: Give Up

When you feel like you’ve been doing a lot and the scale still won’t cooperate, it’s tempting to throw in the towel. But when you’re low on motivation, there’s a better option.

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The Better Move: Try Changing Just One Thing at a Time

A revolution isn’t always the answer. When your motivation needs time to build back up, try swapping soda for water, fries for salad. Do just one thing that might have a big impact. Then, when you feel up to it again, make more changes and maybe even slowly but surely eliminate things from your diet.