5 Lessons from Veteran Weight Loss Maintainers

Over the past month, I have had the privilege of interviewing several Venus veterans on the topic of maintenance. These interviews will be coming up over the next few weeks on the main Venus Index webpage at www.venusindex.com


These ladies have not only lost weight (one lost over 100 pounds) but kept it off for 5 years or more. They have all gotten beyond average body shapes and have not only maintained their shapes but improved their bodies over time which I find incredibly inspiring in today's obesogenic society.


By my third interview yesterday, I realized there were some startling trends in what they had to say and I felt compelled to share. Here are their take away lessons:

It Takes Constant Effort

Not one of these ladies said they just sit back and maintain mindlessly. Maintaining is a whole new ball game for some of us although the effort required though is not as much as dieting down. Veterans may not count their calories everyday, but will still keep a mental tally of protein or calories. They consistently look at metrics or their look in the mirror over time. In general, they tend towards healthy food most of the time because it makes them feel good.

Be Kind to Yourself

Nobody is perfect everyday, and life deserves to be celebrated at times. Successful maintainers know that they can go out and enjoy themselves but it cannot be everyday. A few high days require a few lower days to balance out.

Keep the Swings Small

Your weight or metrics do not stay the same everyday. There are seasons with hormones and holidays. When you come back from vacation 5 pounds up, veterans know to jump right on it with a few low days as soon as possible. It is like gardening, if you pull the weeds when you see them starting to come up then it is less work if you put it off for a month.

Listen to Your Body

All the veterans talked about listening to your body whether it is in regard to nutrition, workouts, or how you feel. Your body is the ultimate endpoint to what you should do. It is pretty amazing if you take time to learn how to listen to it. One talked about working out less and looking better. All of them talked about healing various health issues with eating the right mix of foods for them.

Continue Your Fitness Journey

Veteran maintainers know that you have to be active to feel and look your best. Not that a workout burns that many calories but it tends to aid in better decision making all day. All of the ladies have also tried new workouts and new routines, always experimenting to see how it makes them feel and look.

Good stuff huh? Cannot wait to share these amazing ladies' stories with you all very soon!
X- Liss