The truth about maintaining weight loss

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald about her new book, Keeping it off, Michelle Bridges reveals the key to maintaining weight loss. 

It turns out, keeping weight off requires the same amount of willpower required to lose it in the first place. Meaning, if you’ve come this far, there’s no reason why you can’t continue all of your hard work.

"I think this is the part that people can baulk at. But the reality is – and this is the thing no one talks about – is that this same conscious effort is what's needed to keep excess weight off long-term," says Bridges.

But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. However, Bridges does offer some advice. 

"Instead of seeing your efforts to maintain a healthy weight as a lifelong struggle, switch it around and see it as empowerment – a lifelong commitment to yourself," she said. 

Being able to recognise the thoughts that lead to you skipping the gym and picking up a block of chocolate is also important. 

"Every time you choose a healthier option, you'll be strengthening a new neural pathway, and the old one will slowly fade away."