8 Secrets of Successful Weight Loss
by Susan Churchill


Once you've lost weight, keeping it off actually gets easier with time, according to a new study that details the eight secrets of successful long-term weight loss. About one in five overweight people who try to lose weight are successful at losing at least 10 percent of their body weight and maintaining the weight loss for at least a year.

By studying these so-called "successful losers," researchers say they've identified eight common sense weight loss strategies critical to long-term weight loss success. In the study, researchers analyzed the weight loss strategies of the more than 4,000 members of the National Weight Loss Registry who lost an average of 73 pounds and kept it off for an average of five years.

A little more than half lost the weight with some help from a commercial weight loss program, doctor, or nutritionist. The other half did it on their own. Nine in 10 of them lost weight through a combination of diet and exercise, and only 10 percent did it through cutting calories alone.

In maintaining their weight loss, researchers say the successful losers shared eight major strategies.

1. Get Active and Stay Active. Men and women who have kept the weight off report a high level of physical activity. The most popular form of exercise is walking, followed by cycling, weight lifting, and aerobics. Women reported burning off an average of 2,545 calories a week in physical activity. Men reported an average of 3,293 calories per week. This is equivalent to about an hour a day of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking.

2. Eat a Diet Low in Calories and Fat. Successful losers report consuming an average of 1800 calories per day with 24 percent of those calories from fat. The participants generally eat out less than 2.5 meals per week on average. They also averaged less than one meal a week in a fast food restaurant. Researchers say most people tend to underestimate their calorie intake. Keeping a journal and being dedicated to portion control are both strategies that were helpful in weight loss.

3. Don't Skip Breakfast. More than three-fourths of the registry members eat breakfast every day, and only 4 percent say they never eat breakfast. A typical breakfast is cereal and fruit. Eating breakfast can increase your metabolism, helping you burn more calories during the day. It also helps avoid overeating later in the day.

4. Hit the Scales. Catch 'Slips' before they turn into bigger problems. Successful losers report weighing themselves regularly (44 percent weigh themselves daily and 31 percent hit the scales once a week). The researchers write that frequently checking your weight allows you to catch small weight gains and hopefully take steps to correct them. Gaining a couple of pounds here and there was common among registry participants. But those who were able to prevent an extra pound or two from adding up were more likely to maintain their weight loss successfully over the long term. Only about one in 10 successfully recovered from a weight gain of more than two to four pounds.

5. Maintain a Consistent Eating Pattern. Most registry members say they eat the same way on weekdays and weekends. About four in ten are stricter about dieting during the week than on the weekends and about half are stricter during non-holiday times than on holidays. The researchers did find that people who were consistent about their diet were more likely to keep the weight off.

6. Drink Water. Sipping water before and during meals helps successful losers eat less and feel full.

7. Graze, don’t gorge. Eating smaller, more frequent meals keeps blood levels from dipping and spiking and overall results in consuming fewer calories throughout the day.

8. Commitment over time. Dedication to the fact that there is no “quick fix”. There are no short cuts to permanent weight loss. Losing weight, like any other goal takes dedication and hard work. But successful losers reported that after 8-12 months they found they were in a rhythm that was not difficult and the results were well worth the work and commitment.

# # #

Susan Churchill, PT, is Director of Therapy at St. Francis.