What do "successful losers" (weight that is) have in common?

The National Weight Control Registry gives us more data.  The registry was begun in 1994 by Dr. Rena Wing and Dr. James O. Hill and is the largest prospective investigation of "successful (weight) losers"!  As of the most recent publication, American College ofSports Medicine's Health and Fitness Journal 2011 found at www.acsm-healthfitness.org, the registry now consists of 6000 individuals.  Each has maintained a weight loss of 30 lbs for an average of 5 years.

These "successful losers" have several highly commendable behaviors in common:  including high levels of physical activity, consistent low fat and low calorie diet, and self-monitoring of weight and calorie intake.

Some facts about the program are found at www.nwcr.ws/ and are revealing:

          80% are women

          the average age is 45 years

          members have lost an average of 66 lbs

          they have kept the weight off 5.5 years.

How was the weight loss achieved?  

          45% lost by changing what they ate on their own

          55% used the help of some program.

98% modified food intake in some way, mostly lower calorie and lower fat.

94% increased physical activity!

In the variety of ways that NWCR members kept the weight off there are 4 stand outs:

          78% eat breakfast (they didn't lose weight by skipping breakfast)

          75% weigh at least once a week and some daily

          62% watch less than 10 hours of TV a week

          90% exercise an average of 1 hour per day!

Dr. Hill comments that "these people, almost to a person, tell us it's all worth it, they feel better and life is better than when they were obese or overweight".  

These are the ones that may have tried many times and failed, but didn't give up.  The message is clear.  It is worth it!  I hear the same in my office.  If you need help from encouragement, to an accurate scale to a weight loss program, call me.  I want to see more women who don't get breast cancer.