Changing your eating habits to be on a diet is hard work all by itself, but healthy weight maintenance is the struggle most people can never seem to overcome. The vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting has made our nation the fattest in the world, despite all the advances in fitness and knowledge designed to help us. If these things have not helped us, then what is the answer?

Living a healthy lifestyle is necessary for healthy weight maintenance and losing those unwanted pounds and inches. And it doesn't come easy unless you develop enthusiasm for remaining at your ideal weight. I lost 70 pounds and have kept it off for 15 years. How did I do it? Since I had a healthy weight loss, my body was able to heal itself in such a way that I no longer needed to take medications for my severe asthma and allergy problems. Words cannot describe how much enthusiasm this gave me to continue leading a healthy lifestyle.

Other than enthusiasm and my own personal reasons, there are certain things that are necessary for healthy weight maintenance Here are 6 healthy weight maintenance tips that can help you avoid gaining your weight back after you have spent time and money to lose those unwanted pounds and inches.

Healthy Weight Maintenance Tips #1: Exercise
You knew this would be at the top. It is extremely important to participate in some sort of aerobic exercise for least 30 minutes each day. For me, it's riding a bike 4 miles a day, rain or shine without exception. I make it fun by riding with a friend, or listening to my favorite music on my IPOD. Don't just do it for one day and then give up. The more you get out there and do it, the more you will enjoy it.

Healthy Weight Maintenance Tips #2: Meal Replacement
Everyone I help to maintain weight follows the same routine I do. I replace one high-calorie meal a day with an all-natural soy-based protein shake. This allows us to get all the nutrition we need on a daily basis without eating as many calories as we did when we were overweight. For me, it's the first meal I eat when I wake up in the morning so I never forget or become too busy to eat properly.

Healthy Weight Maintenance Tips #3: Keep A Food Log
When you write down everything that you passes your lips, you can be honest about your weight. If you look on your list and see too many junk foods, you know what you have to do to make that list shorter the next day so you can get back on track. This is extremely helpful for me at night when I feel the urge to snack while watching a movie. This is the worst time you can eat, so avoid it at all costs.

Healthy Weight Maintenance Tips #4: Make Healthier Food Choices
This doesn't mean you have to give up on all the foods you love. It just means that if they are high-calorie/salt/fat foods like pizza and fettucini alfredo, you must limit your intake. Choose lean proteins for no less than half of your weekly meals instead of rotating between things that are crispy, fried or smothered with high calorie toppings. Fish, chicken and filet are all healthy alternatives.

Healthy Weight Maintenance Tips #5: Drink Lots Of Water
This is extremely important because your body cannot function properly when it is dehydrated. Many times people think they are starving when all they really need is a nice cool glass of water. Keep a bottle full of cold water with you at all times. Who cares if it takes you a little extra time to keep it filled? It's better than spending time eating junk food you really don't need that will sabotage all of your hard work and efforts.

Healthy Weight Maintenance Tips #6: Drink Green Tea
Remember when I said I woke up every morning and drank a soy-based protein shake for breakfast? Well, there is one thing I do before that and it is drinking a hot cup of herbal green tea. Not only is this a super-healthy drink that provides all kinds of vitamins and minerals, but it actually suppresses your appetite while speeding up your metabolism! How awesome is that? Oh, and I almost forgot. It also gives you tons of energy! I usually drink 3 cups a day.

When you lose weight and want to keep it off for good, follow these six healthy weight maintenance tips and you will find yourself on the right path to having enough enthusiasm to maintain an ideal weight for yourself. Just think about it like this: If you gained weight by eating junk food, and you lost weight by eating right, you're obviously going to gain it all back if you start eating junk food again.

When you have a strong reason to lead a healthy lifestyle, you won't want to go back to old habits.