Weight loss is a real challenge. However, it's only half the story. Once you've lost all the weight you need to lose, you have an even bigger challenge ahead of you: you need to maintain your achievement.

How do you do that? These four tips will help.

1. Eat More, Exercise More

Once you're down to your goal weight, the temptation is to go back to your old ways of eating for a time, and then eat less when you see yourself gaining weight.

This is a dangerous practice. You must eat well, as you did while on your diet, and keep exercising, so that you maintain your metabolism. If you eat less, your metabolism will slow, which means that you will put on weight even though you're eating less.

Create an exercise program that you can live with. This program doesn't have to be complicated, however it should ensure that you're exercising for at least 20 minutes every day.

2. Track Your Calories With a Food Journal

Your food journal is a valuable tool, which will help you to maintain your goal weight. Track everything you eat and drink, and your exercise as well.

3. Cook Healthy Meals: Avoid Fast Food

Everyone's busy, so the temptation is to take shortcuts with meal preparation. You can find many shortcuts when you cook healthy meals. For example, you can cook in double quantities and create two healthy meals in one cooking session.

Vital: don't rely on fast food. If you do you will find yourself gaining weight.

Shopping for healthy food and cooking takes time. However for your own health's sake and for the sake of your family's health, take that time. It's well worth the effort.

4. Treat Yourself: Use a Rewards System

Create a rewards system for yourself. For example, for each month that you maintain your goal weight, give yourself a treat. This treat can be simple. Buy a new outfit, or even just a new DVD.

Make a list of rewards, so that you always have something to look forward to.

Maintaining your weight takes just as much effort as losing weight does, but you can do it.