7 Tips To Lose Weight, Keep It Off Successfully

Based on a study of more than 6,000 people who joined the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), the NWCR has announced 7 tips to lose weight and keep it off successfully. The findings appear in the March/April issue of the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal.

Millions of overweight people can benefit from tips

It’s no secret that overweight and obesity are an epidemic in the United States and elsewhere around the world. According to the latest projections from the World Health Organization, about 1.5 billion adults were overweight in 2008, and of these, more than 500 million were obese (body mass index of 30 or greater).

The NWCR has identified 7 methods that have helped individuals successfully lose weight and keep it off, according to the Registry’s co-founder James O. Hill, PhD. “One of the most important predictors of continued weight maintenance is sustained high levels of physical activity,” he noted in the announcement from the American College of Sports Medicine.

Nearly 89 percent of the more than 6,000 people in NWCR combined diet and exercise to achieve their weight loss success. The following tips were found to be the foundation of the participants’ success:

• Be physically active. Fifty-four percent of NWCR members burn more than 2,000 calories per week, which equals about 200 minutes (3 hours, 20 minutes) of moderately intense exercise. Walking is the most popular activity among NWCR participants. The American College of Sports Medicine also offers some physical activity strategies.
• Limit television time. About 63 percent of the participants watch television less than 10 hours per week
• Reduce calories and fat. The average NWCR participant eats 1,380 calories per day, and fat intake is less than 30 percent of daily calories.
• Avoid splurging. A consistent diet helps keep weight down.
• Enjoy breakfast. Seventy-eight percent of the participants eat breakfast every day. Breakfast can help people avoid overeating later in the day.
• Practice restraint. Individuals in the NWCR program rarely overeat.
• Track your progress. Most NWCR members weigh themselves at least once a day and keep track of their food intake.

By 2015, WHO predicts 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. Children do not escape the epidemic: nearly 43 million children younger than 5 years were overweight in 2010. Clearly the need for effective weight loss methods are needed.

These 7 tips on how to lose weight and maintain the loss may prove helpful for other overweight individuals who are struggling with a weight problem. The Registry participants have maintained a weight loss of at least 30 pounds for more than one year, a success rate that exceeds the efforts of most people caught in the weight-loss/dieting cycle.

SOURCES:
American College of Sports Medicine
World Health Organization

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