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How to be successful at weight loss
by Amy Magnuson, MS, RD
What makes a successful loser? Successful at losing weight, that is.
According to the National Weight Control Registry (www.nwcr.ws),
there are four points that all successful losers follow:
| Eat Breakfast | Eating breakfast breaks the fast of the night. Those of us that begin each day with a well-balanced meal are fueling our bodies by providing nourishment to the muscles. Eating regularly (including breakfast) also helps to maintain blood glucose levels, and decreases the chance of late afternoon cravings and binges. Skipping meals frequently leads to a decrease in metabolism and makes it difficult to consume all essential nutrients on a regular basis. |
| Exercise regularly | In order to lose weight, our calorie intake must be lower than our caloric expenditure. This can be accomplished by decreasing the amount of calories that we consume, but the other essential piece of the puzzle is to expend calories on a regular basis through physical activity (most successful losers choose walking as their favorite form of exercise). The other key to unlocking the door of success is to make exercise consistent. A beginning exerciser should base their first goal on consistency before trying to improve their duration or intensity. For example, a realistic initial goal might be to walk at least 10-15 minutes at a comfortable pace every morning. |
| Monitor your Progress | Most successful losers chart their progress on a regular basis. Be sure that you are monitoring what and how much you are eating, such as keeping a food journal. Most people are making healthy choices most of the time, but once they start to record their intake, they realize how much they are eating. And as we all know, any extra calories that our body doesn’t use, even if they’re fat free, will still contribute to body fat. |
| Gradual weight loss | Successful losers make reasonable, realistic lifestyle changes. Because fad diets tend to be depriving and restrictive, we are less likely to maintain these changes long enough to keep the weight off. Many people with intentions to begin a fad diet and “do it for a while, to give me a jump start” are prolonging their success. Why not begin a healthy lifestyle program NOW and continue to see results one month, two months, 6 months and even years from now? We are tempted to opt for the enticing plan that offers fast results, but those that gradually make the changes will continue to reap benefits years from now. |
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