1. Keep trying - a full 91 percent of weight loss registry members (people who have lost an average of 60 pounds and kept it off for 5 years) lost and gained weight repeatedly before they finally managed to take it off and keep it off. (yay, I'm not totally abnormal!!)
2. Do it your way - no one regimen fits everyone. Find the one that suits you. Following a book, joining a program, hiring a dietician or devising your own plan can all work. Almost half of all registry members lost weight on their own.
3. Start the day right - More than 75% of registry members eat breakfast daily. This may help them maintain weight loss by giving them energy and nutrients to be physically active and preventing the hunger that can lead to overeating later.
4. Don't skip meals - If you do, it is easier to overeat when you do eat. Registry members eat regularly and moderately about 5 times a day on average.
5. Get cooking - Registry members eat less than one meal a week in fast food restaurants and only about 2.5 meals a week in any other kind of restaurant. They eat most meals at home.
6. Move your body - almost all registry members combined diet and exercise to lose weight and maintain their loss. The number one exercise is walking.
7. Monitor yourself - More than a third of registry members weigh themselves daily and another third weigh themselves weekly. Weighing yourself, checking your measurements and/or trying on the same article of clothing on a regular basis keeps you aware of any loss or gain.
8. Keep the scale steady - once you've shed extra pounds, don't make yourself have to do it again. The more weight registry members regained, the harder it was for them to relose it. Almost half said that maintaining the weight loss was easier than doing it again.
9. Don't numb your sorrows - Research suggests that people are especially vulnerable to weight gain when they feel sad, lonely or depressed. If you find yourself reaching for food when you're upset or feeling down, try to identify why you're upset and comfort yourself in more healthful ways.
10. Go for the gold - life is better when you drop excess weight. The large majority (85%) of registry members say that their health, energy, mood, self confidence and general quality of life all improved after they lost weight and half say that they also perform better on the job now.
From Faily Circle October 2005 issue
) might be interested to know that the 'registry' referred to in the article is the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), a study group of more than 4000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and have kept if off for more than a year (the article is a little off on this part). It's a long-term study of weight loss maintenance, a frequently neglected subject. We have quite a few members right here at 3FC who are NWCR members: myself, MrsJim, Mel, Boiaby, almostheaven, and more who I can't think of at the moment.
