Based on research by The National Weight Control Registry (www.nwcr.ws)
Since 1993, the National Weight Control Registry (NWCS) has been studying the behaviors of people who successfully lose weight and keep it off. T
heir research began with simply describing the kinds of people that are successful weight losers and has progressed to research comparing the success of surgical vs. non-surgical weight losers. By the way, they found it doesn't really matter how you lost it, you MUST overcome the cues that got you overweight in the first place (reference 1).
Since their beginning, the NWCS has looked at the behaviors of over 5,000 people who have manged to lose 30 lbs or more and kept it off for at least a year - their averages are 67 lbs lost and 6 years maintained. Using all this data, they've come up with 4 common characteristics amongst all these losers.
NOTE: They did NOT find that genes had the overwhelming determination if you were going to be overweight or not. You have more control than you think!
What they Screamed!!
- weight loss is hard work
- don't believe in programs claiming quick, or easy methods... it won't stick
- Losing weight is worth the sacrifice! Life is better without the weight!
- It gets easier
- Eat a Low-Fat, High-Carbohydrate Diet
People stated they got most of their carbs from beans and veggies which equated to 56% of their total daily calories. In turn, they got 19% of their calories form protein and25% from fats. They seemed to consume between 1,300 and 1,400 calories per day, but the Registry feels like that's probably underestimated a bit. It was also clear to them that the problem for most people wasn't so much about WHAT they were eating, as it was HOW MUCH they were eating... calories in must be less than calories out.
- Exercise Every Day
Registrants exercised 1 - 1.5 hours/day, but made note that they broke up their exercise throughout the day. For example, walking the dog 20 mins in the morning, walking the stairs 20 mins at lunch and getting on the elliptical machine for 30 mins in the evening. They noted that the most common form of exercise was walking. They proposed this question: "If you could lose weight and keep it off for the rest of your life with just 1 hr/day of exercise, would it be worth it?"
- Eat Breakfast Every Day
They hypothesized that skipping breakfast often causes people to overeat later, or eat junk that is easily accessible (candy dish, vending machine). Registrants ate breakfast every day.
- Keep Track of Your Weight and Eating
They say that they aren't sure why regular food and weight journaling is a common characteristic, but speculate that they use it as an "early warning system." People who are very aware of their weight can tell whether they put on a pound over the weekend and need to step it up, or whether they maintained well. Gaining weight in large bunches (which could happen when not weighing frequently) is harder to recover from and can cause a drop in morale - which could lead to giving up.
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