What a Majority of Adults Who Have Successfully Maintained Their Weight Loss Do
Replies
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I'm a long term maintainer (almost 4 yrs) and I agree and do all those points apart from the last one! I workout while watching TV so way more than 10 hrs a week of viewing...
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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 DISAGREE WITH MOST OF THIS.....which was why I regained my weight several times over the years...
Seriously, great post, and oh, so true!
I am sure others could maintain doing whatever, but most would do well following closely these very principles.3 -
I've been maintaining for nearly five years (after losing 60 lbs and going from 240 plus to 180s). I don't eat breakfast though I do the rest of the things mentioned in the study (actually I just joined the weight loss registry myself).
I don't like breakfast that much, just never hungry in the AM. I have tea or coffee black. That's it. Also, my wife has allergies to eggs so we don't eat eggs and I'm also moving more in the direction of HFLC. Without eggs, what else is there to eat for breakfast being HFLC. We do a green juice a few times a week (no fruit except a bit of pineapple core) but that's it as far as breakfast goes.
Actually fasting in the AM before a steady state cardio session helps you be more efficient at burning fat. I'm still a work in progress on giving up all carbs but I've pretty much given up mostly all processed sugar.2 -
I've maintained a healthy weight my entire adult life (I'm 60) and would say yes to all of the points.3
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Really, the weight registry should compare it with the overall stats for the country.
Cause I'm pretty sure around 78% of everyone eats breakfast, healthy weight or not.4 -
I've maintained for pretty much 2 years so far....
Yes changed eating habits
Yes more physical activity
Yes exercise at least 1hr a day
Yes breakfast...but I prefer to eat breakfast always did
No I don't weigh myself a whole lot....can tell by the fit of my clothing
No watch a lot of TV....I am up early for my workout so my evenings are relaxing watching TV.1 -
Does 4 out of this 6 things = WIN.. Almost 2 years in maintaining.
I still watch a crap load of TV, I do not eat breakfast. If I could sleep longer than 5 hours a night I might take off a few extra hours of TV..0 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »I've been maintaining for nearly five years (after losing 60 lbs and going from 240 plus to 180s). I don't eat breakfast though I do the rest of the things mentioned in the study (actually I just joined the weight loss registry myself).
I don't like breakfast that much, just never hungry in the AM. I have tea or coffee black. That's it. Also, my wife has allergies to eggs so we don't eat eggs and I'm also moving more in the direction of HFLC. Without eggs, what else is there to eat for breakfast being HFLC. We do a green juice a few times a week (no fruit except a bit of pineapple core) but that's it as far as breakfast goes.
Actually fasting in the AM before a steady state cardio session helps you be more efficient at burning fat. I'm still a work in progress on giving up all carbs but I've pretty much given up mostly all processed sugar.
The fasted cardio is a myth. Calories in and calories out impacts weight, timing does not.
If you like working out before eating/fits your schedule better that's great, but it's not causing you to lose more fat.0 -
I won't consider myself successful at weight loss until I've maintained for at least 5 years.
I'm also waiting until year 5 (2018). Even then I plan not to have the "I've arrived!" mentality because I don't want to get comfortable. I have to keep at it everyday!I've noticed a lot of people don't eat breakfast. Why is that/How does that work? If I completely skip breakfast, I get really hungry/sleepy before lunchtime. I'm up with the sun (4:30) and generally have something light with my morning coffee (a hard boiled egg, 6-oz of yogurt) and then something else about midmorning (fruit, tortilla chips with salsa, nuts). On the weekends I'll eat an egg sandwich later in the morning.
I just wonder how people can go without any breakfast and not be hungry well before noon/lunchtime.
Unless I had an intense workout or ate dinner much earlier than usual the night before I'm just not hungry in the morning. Water and a little herbal tea hold me over just fine. Eating bigger meals in the late morning - evening and has worked very well for me.
I followed "you must eat within a half hour and you must eat small meals throughout the day" for a long time. That made me gain or maintain my weight when I wanted to lose many times because I was overeating from forcing myself to eat early. Also I was still hungry from eating smaller meals most of the time.
Once I started tracking in my food journal and paying attention to my hunger cues it all came together effortlessly.
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gotta agree with the no breakfast folks. I usually have a cup of coffee and maybe a protein bar in the morning which allows me to eat a bigger lunch and dinner. Won't work for all but for me it has really made the difference.1
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98% have modified their eating habits.
yes
94% have increased their level of physical activity, especially walking.
yes
90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
yes ... 5 days a week, 2 rest days
78% eat a healthy breakfast every day.
yes
75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
yes ... daily
62% watch less than 10 hours of television per week.
no ... but usually about 15 or 16 total
As for breakfast, I never liked to eat it, but find it works best for me if I do. I usually hard boil eggs for the week and then have one and a banana before I head out to the gym or whatever I am doing. The protein stays with me and is good for my muscles. I eat the same breakfast daily, exercise or not. It's just the fastest and easiest to make and get down. But then, I am one of those who eats the same thing every day for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and mix it up at dinner. I have always eaten this way, even when overweight, and it works for me. We each have to find our individual way of doing this, I think.
I agree with other statements that 5 years really means success. I am at 2 and although everything now seems second nature to me - how I eat, how I work out - I know that I am only a potato chip away from regain. And I never tell myself I'm "done" because that's a slippery slope. It's never "done" ... it is continuous and that's just fine.2 -
I've noticed a lot of people don't eat breakfast. Why is that/How does that work? If I completely skip breakfast, I get really hungry/sleepy before lunchtime. I'm up with the sun (4:30) and generally have something light with my morning coffee (a hard boiled egg, 6-oz of yogurt) and then something else about midmorning (fruit, tortilla chips with salsa, nuts). On the weekends I'll eat an egg sandwich later in the morning.
I just wonder how people can go without any breakfast and not be hungry well before noon/lunchtime.
I used to snack until 10pm or something and didn't need breakfast most days. Just coffee with a bit of cream and one sugar and I was good.
Now that my last meal is usually before 6pm... and that dinner is rarely more than 500 calories... I'm starving by 8.30am. Plus I started having blood sugar issues so skipping meals is a disaster for me now. But it seems normal to me that people who eat a bigger dinner might not be as hungry in the morning.0 -
What is HFLC? I am unfamiliar with most of the abbreviations on these message boards.0
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Packerjohn wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »I've been maintaining for nearly five years (after losing 60 lbs and going from 240 plus to 180s). I don't eat breakfast though I do the rest of the things mentioned in the study (actually I just joined the weight loss registry myself).
I don't like breakfast that much, just never hungry in the AM. I have tea or coffee black. That's it. Also, my wife has allergies to eggs so we don't eat eggs and I'm also moving more in the direction of HFLC. Without eggs, what else is there to eat for breakfast being HFLC. We do a green juice a few times a week (no fruit except a bit of pineapple core) but that's it as far as breakfast goes.
Actually fasting in the AM before a steady state cardio session helps you be more efficient at burning fat. I'm still a work in progress on giving up all carbs but I've pretty much given up mostly all processed sugar.
The fasted cardio is a myth. Calories in and calories out impacts weight, timing does not.
If you like working out before eating/fits your schedule better that's great, but it's not causing you to lose more fat.
@Packerjohn
Agree fasted cardio for weight loss / fat loss is a myth but that's not the same as saying fasted cardio doesn't make you more efficient at burning fat.
Using a higher proportion of fat to glycogen for sub-maximal exercise is very useful for endurance cardio and training fasted may help that adaptation.
The downside of fasted cardio can be reduced exercise performance so it's a bit six of one and half a dozen of the other.1 -
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0
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One of the things I noticed in this post is that a couple of folks who have been in this community when I started four years ago are still in this community. I bet that's part of why they've maintained. As have I.4
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RunRutheeRun wrote: »
I thought it was High Fat Low Carbohydrates? I absolutely could be wrong, though!2 -
I went from 317# to 138# and wanted to stay around 145-155. I got complacent and stopped tracking and working out. Gaining some back felt good but then I didn't know how to stop. It crept up to 165 and I panicked and started tracking again. Now it's crept up to 170 and I'm looking for help.
Thank you for this post. It really helps to see other's experiences in writing. It sounds like my room for improvement is- increasing exercise from 4 to 6 days a week - and adding more strength.
- And being more careful to not just track my calories - but be more careful about staying within limit.
- Don't know if I can drop coffee (and almond milk) - will see if that can be worked in.
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beachgal0626 wrote: »RunRutheeRun wrote: »
I thought it was High Fat Low Carbohydrates? I absolutely could be wrong, though!
High Fat Low Carb makes more sense to me. 0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »I've been maintaining for nearly five years (after losing 60 lbs and going from 240 plus to 180s). I don't eat breakfast though I do the rest of the things mentioned in the study (actually I just joined the weight loss registry myself).
I don't like breakfast that much, just never hungry in the AM. I have tea or coffee black. That's it. Also, my wife has allergies to eggs so we don't eat eggs and I'm also moving more in the direction of HFLC. Without eggs, what else is there to eat for breakfast being HFLC. We do a green juice a few times a week (no fruit except a bit of pineapple core) but that's it as far as breakfast goes.
Actually fasting in the AM before a steady state cardio session helps you be more efficient at burning fat. I'm still a work in progress on giving up all carbs but I've pretty much given up mostly all processed sugar.
The fasted cardio is a myth. Calories in and calories out impacts weight, timing does not.
If you like working out before eating/fits your schedule better that's great, but it's not causing you to lose more fat.
@Packerjohn
Agree fasted cardio for weight loss / fat loss is a myth but that's not the same as saying fasted cardio doesn't make you more efficient at burning fat.
Using a higher proportion of fat to glycogen for sub-maximal exercise is very useful for endurance cardio and training fasted may help that adaptation.
The downside of fasted cardio can be reduced exercise performance so it's a bit six of one and half a dozen of the other.
@sijomial
Sure you can find all sorts of studies out there regarding fasted cardio. Seems most are pretty inconclusive, Fact is, even if it shows some benefit, this is an example of majoring in the minors for the vast majority of people
Just do the cardio and eat an appropriate amount of calories sometime during the day for your weight and nutrient goals will provide the biggest impact.0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »I've been maintaining for nearly five years (after losing 60 lbs and going from 240 plus to 180s). I don't eat breakfast though I do the rest of the things mentioned in the study (actually I just joined the weight loss registry myself).
I don't like breakfast that much, just never hungry in the AM. I have tea or coffee black. That's it. Also, my wife has allergies to eggs so we don't eat eggs and I'm also moving more in the direction of HFLC. Without eggs, what else is there to eat for breakfast being HFLC. We do a green juice a few times a week (no fruit except a bit of pineapple core) but that's it as far as breakfast goes.
Actually fasting in the AM before a steady state cardio session helps you be more efficient at burning fat. I'm still a work in progress on giving up all carbs but I've pretty much given up mostly all processed sugar.
The fasted cardio is a myth. Calories in and calories out impacts weight, timing does not.
If you like working out before eating/fits your schedule better that's great, but it's not causing you to lose more fat.
@Packerjohn
Agree fasted cardio for weight loss / fat loss is a myth but that's not the same as saying fasted cardio doesn't make you more efficient at burning fat.
Using a higher proportion of fat to glycogen for sub-maximal exercise is very useful for endurance cardio and training fasted may help that adaptation.
The downside of fasted cardio can be reduced exercise performance so it's a bit six of one and half a dozen of the other.
@sijomial
Sure you can find all sorts of studies out there regarding fasted cardio. Seems most are pretty inconclusive, Fact is, even if it shows some benefit, this is an example of majoring in the minors for the vast majority of people
Just do the cardio and eat an appropriate amount of calories sometime during the day for your weight and nutrient goals will provide the biggest impact.
@Packerjohn
I'm not the majority of people - I cycle long distances.
Weight wasn't the point of my post at all, exercise performance was what I was talking about.1 -
One of the things I noticed in this post is that a couple of folks who have been in this community when I started four years ago are still in this community. I bet that's part of why they've maintained. As have I.
I have only been here since January of 2016, and yet I can't imagine getting to a point of not checking in daily - because I know (from prior and current experience) maintenance requires me to be accountable and vigilant. I can't talk about this stuff with people IRL. This community is very important to me - both as a support and a source of information, motivation, etc. I hope I'm still here in four years too!4 -
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
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes (most of the time)0
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