The probability of success of any weight loss program depends on a number of factors, including your motivation to succeed. Fad diets promise quick weight loss with little or no effort. Seasoned dieters know that weight lost quickly can come back equally as fast. To keep weight off long-term, you must make permanent changes to your lifestyle, and this requires effort and dedication.
Strategies for Success
The Mayo Clinic names six strategies for successful weight loss. First, you must make a commitment to make permanent changes in your lifestyle and be focused on bringing that about. Next, you must find your inner motivation to lose weight, the reasons that will help you stay on track. Find supportive people to help you when you feel tempted. Set realistic goals of losing from one to two pounds weekly. Make sure that your goals are SMART -- specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-limited. Eat healthier foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and good fats, while cutting back sugar. Be active, allowing exercise to help you burn calories. Look at eating healthy and exercising as good habits you need to maintain for the long-term, rather than for brief periods of time.
Components of Successful Weight Loss
Results of the 2004 Health Styles surveys of U. S. adults aged 18 years and older found the following components of successful weight loss. Exercising more than 30 minutes a day and adding physical activity to daily routines were significantly higher among successful weight losers. These same people were unlikely to use over-the-counter diet products. Successful dieters planned their meals more, tracked calories and fat, measured their food and weighed themselves daily. Lifting weights and cooking or baking for fun were common among successful weight losers. These findings were reported by Kruger, et al. in 2006 in the "International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity."
Unsuccessful Weight Loss Behaviors
The odds of being successful at losing weight decreased for those who reported being influenced by weight control barriers such as eating away from home too often, finding diet or health foods not satisfying, enjoying junk food, or paying little attention to diet. Feeling too tired to exercise, not having time to exercise or having an exercise partner, finding it difficult to stick with an exercise routine and finding that the cost of diet foods was too high were also reasons for lack of success.
Measuring Accuracy
Weight Watchers offers the following advice about the scales you use to measure weight loss. They recommend electronic scales with a lifetime battery, saying they are more accurate than mechanical scales. Purchase a scale with a easy-to-read display. Some scales allow you to measure each 1/10 pound. Your probability of success in any weight loss program is increased when you consistently keep track of weight changes. Some scales come with memory that automatically calculates your goal weight and where you are in regards to it. Some scales use bioelectric impedance analysis to monitor your body fat ratio, which is also important. By weighing yourself once a week on the same scale at the same time of day in the same clothes you can get an accurate picture of your weight loss trends.
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