What a Majority of Adults Who Have Successfully Maintained Their Weight Loss Do

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cee134
cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
According to the National Weight Control Registry, of adults who have successfully maintained their weight loss:
  • 98% have modified their eating habits.
  • 94% have increased their level of physical activity, especially walking.
  • 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
  • 78% eat a healthy breakfast every day.
  • 75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
  • 62% watch less than 10 hours of television per week.

More facts and figures here: http://nwcr.ws/research/default.htm
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Replies

  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
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    Interesting. My personal habits regarding the bullets: yes, yes, yes, no, no, and usually yes.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    98% have modified their eating habits.
    Yes. Haven't excluded anything and probably eat more now but more mindful of my needs as opposed to my wants.

    94% have increased their level of physical activity, especially walking.
    Yes but mostly cycling not walking.

    90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
    More than that.

    78% eat a healthy breakfast every day.
    Nope - I regularly skip breakfast (but what the hell is an unhealthy breakfast?).

    75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
    Yes - daily.

    62% watch less than 10 hours of television per week.
    No idea of the number but seemingly a lot less than my colleagues... "have you seen x, y, z?" - nope, nope, nope.


  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    98% have modified their eating habits. Yes, and when the going gets tough and I want all the carbs due to stress/etc, I really try to keep making the wiser choice and stay on track
    94% have increased their level of physical activity, especially walking. Yes, I try to keep moving and watch my fitbit
    90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day. No cardio, but I weight train and watch my activity level. I know that if I've been lazy one day, I can't keep doing that and try to be more active the following day
    78% eat a healthy breakfast every day. Either no breakfast or a protein bar
    75% weigh themselves at least once a week. I don't do this.
    62% watch less than 10 hours of television per week. I don't watch tv but I do spend a lot of time staring at the computer screen

  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I don't eat breakfast (healthy or not) everyday and I watch way more than 10 hrs of TV a week. LOL!!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    The research suggests breakfast isn't important, even if most maintainers do it. The reason I do it is that if I skip meals I eat too much later. And I get HUNGRY!
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    98% have modified their eating habits.
    I shaved my calories to lose, I eat the same now as I did before losing.
    (It was just a 30lbs gain due to lack of activity rather than eating a lot)

    94% have increased their level of physical activity, especially walking.
    Definitely move more, but not particularly walking.

    90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
    On average 1 hr x 5 a week.

    78% eat a healthy breakfast every day.
    Breakfast? Shudder- Coffee and protein bar at best.

    75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
    Nope, I keep forgetting.

    62% watch less than 10 hours of television per week.
    Hmm turn it on when I get up, off when I go to bed. A lot of white noise.

    Cheers, h.
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
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    I guess I failed since I started bulking when I reached my goal.. and I don't even watch TV!
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I'll preface this by saying that I am no longer interested in maintaining, and have switched into lean bulk mode.

    98% have modified their eating habits.
    Yes, but only in the sense that I am more mindful of quantities.

    94% have increased their level of physical activity, especially walking.
    Yeah, though my walking generally includes a weighted vest these days.

    90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
    If I don't do at least two hours, it was a wasted day. Though, when I was losing and maintaining, I was completely sedentary, other than walking to and from my truck for work.

    78% eat a healthy breakfast every day.
    Define "healthy". My breakfast today was a pound (precooked weight obviously) of 73/27 ground beef, two ounces of mayo, and a quarter pound of Kim chi.

    75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
    Daily, but that's more because I am a data junky, and especially right now, I want to see what the increase in cals, paired with the massive jack in activity are accomplishing.

    62% watch less than 10 hours of television per week.
    I don't own a TV, unless my 40" PC monitor counts.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I don't watch a lot of tv, but do have a lot of computer/internet time BUT, i walk while i read. I'm walking right now as I'm typing this :lol:

    I think the study should have put computer time in the same bracket as tv time. I bet that 62% number would have jumped significantly..

    Edited for typos: My walking and typing at the same time skills SUCK!!
  • klbrowser
    klbrowser Posts: 61 Member
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    cee134 wrote: »
    According to the National Weight Control Registry, of adults who have successfully maintained their weight loss:
    • 98% have modified their eating habits.
    • 94% have increased their level of physical activity, especially walking.
    • 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
    • 78% eat a healthy breakfast every day.
    • 75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
    • 62% watch less than 10 hours of television per week.

    1. Yes, I refined my eating habits. I intend to log and weigh my food indefinitely. This is not only wise for me when losing, but also when maintaining, because I am a former diabetic and I want to ensure my portion sizes don't get too big and adversely affect my glucose levels.
    2. I increased my activity only modestly, but that is mostly because of permanent chronic illness that gives me a rather low tolerance for exercise.
    3. I do average about an hour per day of activity, but it is of the low- or non-impact variety. Best I can manage.
    4. I drink a healthy meal replacement for breakfast every day.
    5. I weigh myself every Thursday morning after I get out of bed.
    6. I watch more than 10 hours of television per week, mainly because I am disabled and confined to the house most of the time. I watch a movie nearly every single day.
  • WilliamBlakeLover
    WilliamBlakeLover Posts: 2 Member
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    I still have a ton of weight to lose, but I wonder what some of you who have kept weight off think of this as a plan? (I have lost tons of weight in the past, like most people, and had decided I was too old, too fat, too tired, too happy to care anymore, but found when I couldn't tie my shoes comfortably and my husband said I was walking like an old woman, that this isn't true). I have this theory that normal people enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, a glass of beer at the craft brewery and an occasional ice cream cone. I am trying to lose weight slowly so as not to monkey with my metabolism, and so far, so good.

    Have any of you "budgeted" calories? By this I mean, log every day, keep your normal intake a couple of hundred calories below your maintenance needs and then have a dessert or a really rich meal once a week? Does that wreak havoc or does it work?

    The idea being that a birthday cake was for one's birthday, not Little Debbies every night with wrappers strewn everywhere and a sugar hangover the next day, lol.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    cee134 wrote: »
    According to the National Weight Control Registry, of adults who have successfully maintained their weight loss:
    • 98% have modified their eating habits.
    • 94% have increased their level of physical activity, especially walking.
    • 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
    • 78% eat a healthy breakfast every day.
    • 75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
    • 62% watch less than 10 hours of television per week.

    More facts and figures here: http://nwcr.ws/research/default.htm

    I've been maintaining for over three years and I don't log...but I do every single one of those things.

    I've been maintaining for 14 years. I also don't generally log. But yes, I do those things as well. I've never quantified my TV viewing, but the rest, yes. I'd say modifying my eating habits and moving more were the keys for me.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    WilliamBlakeLover wrote: »
    I still have a ton of weight to lose, but I wonder what some of you who have kept weight off think of this as a plan? (I have lost tons of weight in the past, like most people, and had decided I was too old, too fat, too tired, too happy to care anymore, but found when I couldn't tie my shoes comfortably and my husband said I was walking like an old woman, that this isn't true). I have this theory that normal people enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, a glass of beer at the craft brewery and an occasional ice cream cone. I am trying to lose weight slowly so as not to monkey with my metabolism, and so far, so good.

    Have any of you "budgeted" calories? By this I mean, log every day, keep your normal intake a couple of hundred calories below your maintenance needs and then have a dessert or a really rich meal once a week? Does that wreak havoc or does it work?

    The idea being that a birthday cake was for one's birthday, not Little Debbies every night with wrappers strewn everywhere and a sugar hangover the next day, lol.

    I don't generally log, but I always went with the approach that I'll eat very mindfully most of the time, knowing that life happens, and I'll have a richer meal, or more wine than is typical for me. I never considered it a "cheat", just making my approach a lifestyle. My lifestyle includes dinner out with my family. Personally, it's never dessert, just something like: a shared nachos appetizer, or something yummy like that.
  • klbrowser
    klbrowser Posts: 61 Member
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    WilliamBlakeLover wrote: »
    I still have a ton of weight to lose, but I wonder what some of you who have kept weight off think of this as a plan? (I have lost tons of weight in the past, like most people, and had decided I was too old, too fat, too tired, too happy to care anymore, but found when I couldn't tie my shoes comfortably and my husband said I was walking like an old woman, that this isn't true). I have this theory that normal people enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, a glass of beer at the craft brewery and an occasional ice cream cone. I am trying to lose weight slowly so as not to monkey with my metabolism, and so far, so good.

    Have any of you "budgeted" calories? By this I mean, log every day, keep your normal intake a couple of hundred calories below your maintenance needs and then have a dessert or a really rich meal once a week? Does that wreak havoc or does it work?

    The idea being that a birthday cake was for one's birthday, not Little Debbies every night with wrappers strewn everywhere and a sugar hangover the next day, lol.

    Depends on the person. If you are otherwise healthy, "budgeting" probably works fine. But if you have a medical condition that adversely affects metabolism, such as diabetes, it might be wiser to keep your calories roughly the same each day to avoid fluctuation in glucose levels, energy levels, etc. What I have done instead of a cheat day is incorporate one goodie into my normal maintenance calories. My treat of choice is a square of extra dark chocolate, and I let myself have one EVERY day with lunch. It is just enough to satisfy my craving without qualifying as a cheat, and it isn't enough to screw up my blood sugar. Also, if you have a history of serious binge eating (I do), you might want to avoid cheat day if you suspect it may trigger a longer binge. But ultimately, it is up to you of course.

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