Survey Offers the Key to Losing Weight and Keeping it Off
By Staff Writer
People try all sorts of things to lose weight – diet pills, counting calories, exercise, weight loss programs and more. Even some experts disagree on the best way to maintain a healthy weight. So, what are all the weight loss hopefuls to do?
According to a survey of 21,632 readers of Consumer Reports, there were a few key weight loss strategies that made the difference between successful weight loss and failed diet attempts. The following approaches were echoed in the National Weight Loss Registry, a survey tracking over 5,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time:
- Keep a food diary – This is a great way to monitor your ups and downs and keep track of your food intake.
- Regularly step on the scale – You have to know the numbers to know how you’re doing. Three-quarters of registry members weighed themselves at least once a week. Even better is weighing yourself daily.
- Perseverance – Very few dieters succeed at maintaining their weight loss long-term on their first attempt, so try again and again.
- Stay true to oldies but goodies – Restricting calories and exercising were essential for 80 percent of successful losers. It is best to go walking, cycling or swimming for 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week. A low-fat diet, combined with portion control and plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, was the most successful approach to a healthy diet.
- Don’t skip breakfast – The majority of participants in the weight control registry ate breakfast every day.
- Skimp on dining out – The more you eat in restaurants or fast-food joints, the more likely you are to be overweight. As a good rule of thumb, limit eating out to no more than once a week.
Many of these strategies are already being used in the best weight loss programs across the country. At Structure House, a residential weight loss program for adults in North Carolina, a combination of education, menu planning, self-monitoring, structured meals and regular exercise have proven effective for thousands of men and women.