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Keeping Off Lost Weight

Posted on: Wednesday, 2 February 2005, 06:00 CST

For more than a decade, the National Weight Control Registry has been tracking people who have lost weight and kept it off.

Americans spend millions each year searching for the magic key to a slimmer and healthier body. Popular diet books, weight-loss programs, weight-loss supplements or drugs-what holds the answer?

In the midst of an ever-growing obesity epidemic, it's obvious that we haven't found a simple solution.

Even though losing weight and keeping it off is a real challenge, there are many people who have done so successfully. Wouldn't it be great to find out the secrets of these successful weight-loss maintainers? Two researchers, Rena Wing, PhD, from Brown University, and James Hill, PhD, from the University of Colorado, did just that.

In 1993, the two founded the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR). Program researchers questioned people who were successful at losing weight and keeping it off. They analyzed how those who were successful actually did it and what characteristics they shared. To qualify for the registry, a person had to lose at least 30 pounds and keep them off for at least 1 year. To date, there are more than 4,000 people in the registry. On average, they have lost more than 65 pounds and kept them off for an average of 5-and-a-half years.

Every year the researchers ask the registrants questions about their weight, eating habits, and physical activity. More than 10 research articles relating to the findings of NWCR have been published to date in various journals. Based on registrants' responses to the questions, Wing, Hill, and their colleagues have summarized several types of behaviors these "successful losers" have in common:

Reduced-Calorie, Low-Fat, Higher-Carbohydrate Diet

According to the NWCR, no one particular type of diet was found to be successful in the majority of registrants. Instead, a variety of weight-loss methods were used, including restricting certain foods, limiting portions, counting calories or grams of fat, and using prepackaged liquid diets and exchange diets.

To maintain their weight, most registrants reported following a reduced-calorie diet that is low in fat and high in carbohydrate (average 24 percent of calories from fat, 56 percent from carbohydrates, and 15 percent from protein). Despite the popularity of low-carb diets, very few registrants (less than 1 percent) followed a low-carb (less than 24 percent carbohydrate) diet to maintain their weight. And those who did kept their weight off for less time than those who followed a higher-carbohydrate diet.

Most people reported eating four to five times per day. They ate out less frequently than most Americans, eating fast food about once a week and going to other types of restaurants two to three times per week.

Breakfast Every Day

A large number of successful weight-loss maintainers reported that they eat breakfast every day, despite the common practice of skipping breakfast among the general public. Along with several other studies, this suggests that eating breakfast may be important in maintaining weight, perhaps by preventing overeating later in the day.

Regular Weight Checks

Keeping track of your weight at least once a week may be important in helping you keep the weight off. Most successful weight maintainers in the NWCR reported that they get on the scale at least once a week; many weigh themselves daily. By making you aware of when you have gained a few pounds, regular weight checks can alert you to cut back on portions for a few days or get back to your daily walks before your weight gain is substantial. It's easier to nip it in the bud when you've gained just a couple of pounds instead of trying to lose 10 or 15.

Regular Physical Activity

Most of the registrants list physical activity as an important component of their weight-maintenance regimen. Most reported that they did some type of moderately intense physical activity for 60 to 90 minutes a day, with walking being the most popular activity. About half of the people combined walking with another type of exercise such as biking, swimming, or aerobics classes. Although the optimal amount of exercise needed to maintain weight loss is not known, the information from these successful weight maintainers indicates that regular physical activity appears to play a major role in their success.

Although maintaining weight loss is challenging, information from the NWCR has shown us that a combination of changing eating habits and increasing physical activity can help people lose weight and keep it off. And there's more good news to report: According to the NWCR researchers, registry members indicate that maintaining weight gets easier with time. Once you have maintained a weight loss for 2 to 5 years, your chances of keeping it off long term greatly increase.

So, take some tips from those who have been successful-you may soon find yourself in the registry giving us your secrets!

THE DIABETES ANGLE

Although most of the registrants in the NWCR reported eating a diet that includes a relatively high intake of carbohydrate, some people with diabetes may find that a more moderate intake of carbohydrates works best to help them regulate their blood glucose levels, their lipid levels, or both. There is no one diet that works best for everyone. Working with your dietitian, who can individualize a meal plan with your specific needs in mind, is your best bet.

The Keys To Success

* eat a reduced-calorie, low-fat, moderately high-carbohydrate diet

* try to eat breakfast every day

* check weight regularly

* exercise regularly

JOIN THE REGISTRY

If you have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least 1 year, you may be eligible to join the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR). Register online at www.nwcr.ws.You can provide useful information to researchers that may benefit others struggling to maintain a healthy weight.

BY JANINE FREEMAN, RD, LD, CDE

Janine Freeman, RD, LD, CDE, is an associate editor of Diabetes Forecast and a nutrition specialist with the University of Georgia Extension in Atlanta.

Copyright American Diabetes Association Feb 2005

Source: Diabetes Forecast

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