After summer, you’re bound to be looking at the person in the mirror and thinking, Wow, I let me go over the past few months! This feeling of disappointment doesn’t have to be permanent, though; there are several ways to keep the weight off after summer that you can use today! Keep reading to learn more about how to stick with your weight loss goals all year long.

1. Don’t Skip Meals

Make sure you don’t skip meals, or eat too late at night. While it’s important to take a break from time to time, going for long periods without eating can slow your metabolism. If you make sure you get three small meals and two healthy snacks every day, your body will know when it’s supposed to feel full—and when it isn’t. You should also avoid eating within three hours of bedtime. That way, your body has time to digest food before you sleep. This gives your metabolism an extra boost overnight and helps keep those pounds from creeping back on as soon as you fall asleep. : Make sure you don’t skip meals, or eat too late at night.

2. Set Realistic Goals

When people try to lose weight quickly, it’s nearly impossible for them to do it without getting frustrated and giving up. To avoid disappointment, it’s important that you set realistic goals. Instead of aiming for a certain number on a scale, aim for a weight range—the lowest being what you weigh now and an ideal weight at about 10 percent less than that. Aiming too high can cause you to get discouraged if your body does not respond as quickly as you would like.

3. Get enough sleep every night

Sleep is important. Getting enough restful sleep every night can have a huge impact on your energy levels and mood, which can help keep you more motivated in your weight-loss efforts. Additionally, research shows that sleep-deprived people tend to be hungrier than those who aren't suffering from a lack of shuteye. For example, one study found that when participants slept for only four hours per night for two nights, they consumed 385 more calories on average than when they were allowed eight hours of sleep. Over time, gaining a few extra pounds may add up—especially if you're making unhealthy food choices because you're so fatigued or stressed out!

4. Exercise Regularly

Exercise regularly is one of the best ways to keep your weight where you want it. After all, working out boosts your metabolism and enables you to digest food more efficiently. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of intense aerobic activity per week, plus two strength-training sessions, if possible. And remember that consistency is key! Pick a workout program and stick with it, varying your routine every few weeks for best results.

5. Cut Down on Salt

If you’re trying to lose weight, sodium is your enemy. Not only does salt make food taste better and satisfy cravings, but it also helps our bodies retain water and thus makes us feel fuller on fewer calories. Moreover, salty foods are usually more processed, which usually means higher calorie counts as well. A high-sodium diet can slow down your metabolism and cause your body extra work: It has to break down more fats than a low-sodium diet would so it can filter out all of that excess salt. So when you’re trying to lose weight, try cutting down on how much sodium you consume by eating fresh foods instead of things in boxes or bags. And remember: All bets are off at happy hour!

6. Eat Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

After summer, many of us find ourselves eating less fruit and veggies. While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in some hot dogs and BBQ for a few weeks, it’s important to get back on track once school starts up again. Your body thrives on fresh foods rather than processed junk food; if you take a break from eating well over vacation, it might be difficult to resume healthy habits when everyone else is busy scarfing down pizza. Instead of getting into a blah rut, change things up by trying out new fruits and vegetables that you haven’t had before; otherwise, your diet may quickly become boring which makes sticking with good habits a lot harder.

7. Walk Everywhere

One of my favorite ways to get exercise while on vacation is simply walking everywhere. For example, if I’m going from one resort building to another in a beachside town, I’ll just walk instead of hopping in a golf cart. Not only does it allow me to work on my tan and feel like a tourist, but it also keeps me moving at a time when many people tend to sit around too much. And that helps keep off some of those post-summer pounds.

8. Track your weight loss with a smart scale

If you’re looking for a way to keep your weight in check over summer, your scale can be your best friend—as long as it’s smart. Today’s connected scales, like those from Withings and Fitbit, use Wi-Fi to automatically sync with a companion app so you don’t have to manually enter data into an app or website. Not only does that save time, but it also makes it easier for you not to cheat (and lie about) what you’ve eaten. Withings Go even has a feature called Smart Detection that gives nutritional information about all sorts of food right on its face, so there's no guesswork involved!