Maintaining weight loss long-term is one of the biggest challenges, but registered dietitian Orla Walsh shares her expert nutrition advice and weight loss maintenance tips to help you sustain a healthy lifestyle for good

When it comes to shedding pounds, there are a number of approaches and strategies for reaching your target. However, it’s crucial that the method proves effective over time, as one of the toughest aspects of losing weight is keeping it off.

Research suggests that approximately 80% to 95% of individuals who shed a substantial amount of weight put it back on within three to five years.

Alongside making sure you lose weight through sustainable lifestyle modifications, Irish dietitian Orla Walsh has also offered her guidance on maintaining weight loss and healthy practices for the long haul.

Orla Walsh is a Registered Dietitian and Physiologist, and the founder of Orla Walsh Nutrition, Ireland’s leading dietetic and nutrition clinic.

“Take note of what other things you’re gaining during this time,” she told RSVP Live. “If you asked an Irish person ‘are you better?’ after you knew they had the flu, they’d go ‘I’m recovered, yeah’ and list out all of their symptoms.

“They’d say their temperature is gone, their tummy is better, their energy is good, they’re back sleeping. How they know that they’re recovered from the flu is that all the symptoms have gone. There are also symptoms of a less healthy lifestyle.”

“If you were to think of all the symptoms you have, write them down on a piece of paper, make changes and then in a month’s time, look back and ask, how many of those symptoms are still there?” Orla continued: “I think when people solely focus on weight or body size, they don’t tend to achieve health and they also don’t tend to notice the other improvements in their bodily function or their lifestyle from making these changes. And there are so many!”

Among the numerous benefits that can accompany improved health and fitness are increased energy levels, enhanced sleep quality, elevated mood, improved digestive function, better body composition and reduced cholesterol.

“If people pay attention to all the things that they’re gaining while making these lifestyle changes, they’ll be much more motivated to keep it up,” said Orla. “Realistically when you make a change and you get a benefit from that change that really means something to you, you’re more likely to keep going.”

Further details about Orla’s clinic can be found at https://orlawalshnutrition.ie/.

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