Are you one of those people who's been told that "diets don't work" and that "95% of people who lose weight gain it all back"?
If so, you're
not being told the whole truth.
Fact is, the word "diet" comes from the Greek word meaning "a
way of life"-- and if you indeed change your
way of life, diets work just fine. For example: The National Weight Control Registry tracks thousands of people who have successfully lost at least 30 pounds and kept if off for a year. The average member of the Registry has done way better than that- 60 pounds average weight loss, kept off for five years.
Hardly sounds like failure to me.
What we've learned over all these years is that there are certain habits and behaviors that predict success in the weight loss arena. And one of the best is keeping a food diary.
You've probably heard about food diaries a million times, since every nutritionist I know pushes them. And let's face it, people hate them. A food diary causes you to be aware of everything you eat, something many people- myself included- would prefer not to do. It's a pain in the neck. And it's uncomfortable.
But it works.
New research backs this up. A recent study from the Center for Health Research at Kaiser Permanente Northwest attempted to identify what weight loss strategies work and what behaviors are associated with successful weight loss. At the top of the list was keeping a food diary. In fact, keeping a food diary was such a powerful strategy that those in the study who kept food diaries lost
twice as much weight as those who didn't.
Hey, if there was an infomercial selling a pill that actually produced 100% more weight loss in those who took it, the operators "standing by" wouldn't be able to keep up with the calls.
In the Kaiser study, researchers enrolled 1685 overweight or obese adults and offered 20 group weight-loss sessions over the course of 6 months. During that time, participants were also given instructions on the right number of calories for their target weight as well as how to follow a basic diet low in sodium, and high in fruits, vegetables, lean protein and low-fat dairy. They were also encouraged to complete 180 minutes a week of moderate exercise, and, of course, to keep a food diary.
At the end of the 6 months, 70% of the participants had lost at least 8.8 pounds, an amount considered to be clinically significant- (8.8 pounds or more of weight loss has been shown in other research to lower blood pressure). And the
average amount of weight lost in the study was even better- about 13 pounds!
A successful food diary is about more than just writing down what you eat. The participants were encouraged to measure as much as possible (using simple things like teaspoons and cups) and to approximate calories based on a calorie book or info available on the web. This calorie-estimating was an important part of the success of the program. (Note: it's not nearly as hard as you might think since most of us eat the same dozen foods over and over again.)
Other behaviors that predicted weight loss success were attending the group meetings and number of minutes of exercise a week.
Bottom line: losing weight may be a challenge, but it's very far from impossible. An old saying around 12 step programs is "learn from the winners"- in other words look at what people who are already successful at what you're trying to do and then copy what they're doing!
There's a strategy that works well in all areas of life, and definitely in the weight loss arena.
If so, you're not being told the whole truth.
Fact is, the word "diet" comes from the Greek word meaning "a way of life"-- and if you indeed change your way of life, diets work just fine. For example: The National Weight Control Registry tracks thousands of people who have successfully lost at least 30 pounds and kept if off for a year. The average member of the Registry has done way better than that- 60 pounds average weight loss, kept off for five years.
Hardly sounds like failure to me.
What we've learned over all these years is that there are certain habits and behaviors that predict success in the weight loss arena. And one of the best is keeping a food diary.
You've probably heard about food diaries a million times, since every nutritionist I know pushes them. And let's face it, people hate them. A food diary causes you to be aware of everything you eat, something many people- myself included- would prefer not to do. It's a pain in the neck. And it's uncomfortable.
But it works.
New research backs this up. A recent study from the Center for Health Research at Kaiser Permanente Northwest attempted to identify what weight loss strategies work and what behaviors are associated with successful weight loss. At the top of the list was keeping a food diary. In fact, keeping a food diary was such a powerful strategy that those in the study who kept food diaries lost twice as much weight as those who didn't.
Hey, if there was an infomercial selling a pill that actually produced 100% more weight loss in those who took it, the operators "standing by" wouldn't be able to keep up with the calls.
In the Kaiser study, researchers enrolled 1685 overweight or obese adults and offered 20 group weight-loss sessions over the course of 6 months. During that time, participants were also given instructions on the right number of calories for their target weight as well as how to follow a basic diet low in sodium, and high in fruits, vegetables, lean protein and low-fat dairy. They were also encouraged to complete 180 minutes a week of moderate exercise, and, of course, to keep a food diary.
At the end of the 6 months, 70% of the participants had lost at least 8.8 pounds, an amount considered to be clinically significant- (8.8 pounds or more of weight loss has been shown in other research to lower blood pressure). And the average amount of weight lost in the study was even better- about 13 pounds!
A successful food diary is about more than just writing down what you eat. The participants were encouraged to measure as much as possible (using simple things like teaspoons and cups) and to approximate calories based on a calorie book or info available on the web. This calorie-estimating was an important part of the success of the program. (Note: it's not nearly as hard as you might think since most of us eat the same dozen foods over and over again.)
Other behaviors that predicted weight loss success were attending the group meetings and number of minutes of exercise a week.
Bottom line: losing weight may be a challenge, but it's very far from impossible. An old saying around 12 step programs is "learn from the winners"- in other words look at what people who are already successful at what you're trying to do and then copy what they're doing!
There's a strategy that works well in all areas of life, and definitely in the weight loss arena.