To learn the habits of those who have successfully lose weight, take a look at the National Weight Control Registry. The registry was established in 1994 by Rena Wing, Ph.D., from Brown Medical School, and James O. Hill, Ph.D., from the University of Colorado. The registry follows more than 5,000 people who have lost weight and kept it off successfully.
Diet
People in the NWCR often lost weight by eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet, according to a 2005 study in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Low-fat foods are beneficial because they tend to be lower in calories. Participants also reported eating breakfast daily. Breakfast is helpful because you stay full throughout the day. Breakfast also gives you energy, so you may be more likely to engage in physical activity.
Physical Activity
People who've successfully lost weight tend to be extremely physically active, according to 2008 study of the NWCR published in "Obesity." On average, the participants burned about 2,600 calories per week in physical activity. To burn this many calories, aim to burn just over 500 calories a day, five days per week. Still, the amount of physical activity among participants varied greatly. One-fourth of participants burned fewer than 1,000 calories per week with exercise, while one-third burned more than 3,000 calories.
Self-Monitoring
Weigh yourself regularly if you want to lose weight. Participants in the NWCR tend to weigh themselves often, according to a 2007 study in "Obesity." About 36 percent of participants reported weighing themselves once per day. Those who gradually weighed themselves less often over time were more likely to experience weight gain. The researchers suggested this may occur because they didn't catch weight changes before they became significant. Buy a scale and weigh yourself at least once a week. Weigh yourself at the same time of day, because weight fluctuates throughout the day.
Consistency
People in the NWCR are more likely to experience weight-loss maintenance if they eat a consistent diet on weekdays and weekends, according to a 2004 study in the "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders." Participants who followed a consistent eating plan throughout the week were 1.5 times more likely to maintain their weight within 5 lbs. over a year than participants who dieted more strictly on weekdays. Use extra time during the weekends to prepare healthy meals and go to the gym.
References
- "Obesity;" Physical Activity Patterns in the National Weight Control Registry; V.A. Catenacci, et al.; January 2008
- "Obesity;" Consistent Self-Monitoring of Weight: A Key Component of Successful Weight Loss Maintenance; M.L. Butryn, et al.; December 2007
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition;" Long-Term Weight Loss Maintenance; R.R. Wing, S. Phelan; July 2005
- "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders;" Promoting Long-Term Weight Control: Does Dieting Consistency Matter? A.A. Gorin, et al.; February 2004
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