Attributes of Successful Losers

One way to improve at something is to learn from those who are experts at what you would like to do. You might find yourself trying to mimic a professional golfers swing, save or invest your money similar to a wealthy relative or dress like one of your favorite fashionable celebrities. Applying this concept to the success of weight loss and more importantly, weight loss maintenance is the theory behind a research group in Colorado.

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) from the University of Colorado, is the largest investigation of long-term successful weight loss maintenance. Given the prevailing belief that few individuals succeed at long-term weight loss, the NWCR was developed to identify and investigate the characteristics of individuals who have succeeded at long-term weight loss. The NWCR is tracking over 5,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time. Here are the key attributes of successful losers.

Eat Breakfast Every Day

Eating breakfast will provide you with the energy and nutrients throughout the morning. Skipping breakfast leads to skipping exercise (due to lack of energy), mood fluctuations and overeating at lunch and dinner time.

Accumulate 1 Hour Of Moderate Intensity Physical Activity Most Days

The most popular form of exercise reported by participants was walking, followed by cycling, weight lifting, and aerobics. Women reported burning off an average of 2,545 calories a week in physical activity. Men reported an average of 3,293 calories per week. This is equivalent to about an hour a day of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking. Remember, the important term is accumulation, so the 1 hour does not need to be performed all at once. Try to incorporate physical activity into your day and choose exercises that you enjoy.

Eat a Low Fat Diet

Registry members reported consuming an average of 1,800 calories per day with 24% of those calories from fat. The participants generally eat out less than 2.5 meals per week on average. They also average less than one meal a week in a fast food restaurant. Remember to tailor your caloric intake to your own weight and activity level.

Monitor Your Self Regularly

Registry members kept a detailed diary of their food intake and limited problem foods. Knowing how many calories are consumed is important for controlling body weight. Further, successful losers report weighing themselves regularly (44% weigh themselves daily and 31% hit the scales once a week). The researchers write that frequently checking your weight allows you to catch small weight gains and hopefully take steps to correct them. That said, find what works best for you. If you find normal day to day fluctuations in weight discourage your efforts then weigh yourself once a week. If you find weighing yourself daily reminds you of your goal then do so, but no more than once per day. It is also important to track other personal attributes not related to body weight such as your energy levels, mood, self confidence, happiness and others. You will find these personal attributes improve far more quickly than the number on the scale and will provide you with the motivation and confidence to reach your weight loss goals.

Maintain A Consistent Eating Pattern

Most registry members say they eat the same way on weekdays and weekends. Although weekends are a time for relaxation and rejuvenation from the stressful work week they are often found to be more challenging than weekdays as the lack of structure can throw people off. In this case, having a plan for the weekend can help to minimize mindless eating of unnecessary calories. Think of weekends as an opportunity to improve your health and partake in physical activity that is unavailable throughout the week.

Have a Relapse Plan

Prevent lapses from turning into relapses. Lapses are a normal part of any planned behaviour change. Reminding yourself that obstacles will arise and then responding positively to them is important for long term weight loss maintenance. Gaining a couple of pounds here and there was common among registry participants. But those who were able to prevent an extra pound or two from adding up were more likely to maintain their weight loss successfully over the long term.

A final technique for improving long term weight loss maintenance is to shift your focus from weight loss to improved health. By focusing on the process of weight loss rather than weight itself we ensure that we have a system in place while decreasing the emotional tie to weight fluctuations. Remember, what matters most is not what the number is on the scale but the direction that the number is going.

Drew Harvey is the founder and director of Healthy Weights
He is a kinesiology professor and has helped thousands at his research and weight loss clinic.
http://www.healthyweights.ca