5 Secrets of People Who Lose Weight
February 22, 2018
Losing weight isn’t just about balancing “calories in” with “calories out.” Most dietitians will tell you that lifestyle changes are key to success. In fact, researchers have spent decades studying people who lose weight to understand which lifestyle strategies have the most impact. These five “secrets” are strategies commonly used by people who find weight-loss success.
For instance, if they go to a dinner party and overdo it on the appetizers, they try to pinpoint the cause. If they overate because they arrived at the party feeling famished, they think of a way to prevent that from happening again, like making sure to eat a snack beforehand.
Even if they can’t completely prevent a setback, they know it’s not a reason to quit. They accept it, move on, and try not to dwell on the discouragement.
Restaurant meals are usually larger and heavier than a comparable home-cooked meal, which makes it harder to control the number of calories you consume. One study found that a typical entrée has 1,200 calories, based on non-chain restaurants in San Francisco, Boston, and Little Rock, AK. Depending on your calorie needs, a single entrée could represent a huge percentage of your daily target, which means eating out regularly could impact your weight loss efforts.
In the context of eating, that means remembering what you ate and understanding why you made that choice. It also means being aware of how outside factors affect your eating habits, like changes in your relationships or work life.
Here’s an example of how you’d acknowledge a pattern in your eating habits: “This week I'm snacking on sweets because I'm stressed at work and haven’t had time to step away for lunch.”
Once you’re aware of your eating patterns, you can identify when things start to veer off track and correct your course if needed. A powerful way to build awareness is to use a food journal.
Whatever your barriers are, it’s important to identify them so you can proactively look for a solution. Researchers call this the “tool box” approach. Essentially, tools are tangible items that help you overcome barriers. In the examples above, a tool could be an eating plan, portion-controlled containers, a strength-training routine, or cooking classes.
You can think of tools as training wheels—you rely on them a lot in the beginning, then gradually transition to your own plan as your new habits become second nature. Ultimately, tools help you learn how to manage your own weight and lifestyle.
1. They eat consistently throughout the week.
People who eat consistently throughout the week are more likely to maintain their weight loss than people who diet on weekdays and “splurge” on the weekends and holidays. This is a finding by the National Weight Control Registry, which studies people who have lost more than 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year.It makes sense that this strategy would set you up for success. People who lose weight make good eating habits part of their everyday life, rather than treating weekdays as “on the wagon” and weekends as “off the wagon.” By eating consistently, you also learn to balance your food choices with each other and have treats in moderation.2. They turn their setbacks into learning opportunities.
Like any journey, the process of losing weight will have bumps in the road. Instead of viewing their setbacks as a loss, the people who stay on track find ways to learn from them.¹²For instance, if they go to a dinner party and overdo it on the appetizers, they try to pinpoint the cause. If they overate because they arrived at the party feeling famished, they think of a way to prevent that from happening again, like making sure to eat a snack beforehand.
Even if they can’t completely prevent a setback, they know it’s not a reason to quit. They accept it, move on, and try not to dwell on the discouragement.
3. They limit how often they eat out.
People who are most successful at maintaining their weight loss dine out less than three times a week, according to the National Weight Control Registry.Restaurant meals are usually larger and heavier than a comparable home-cooked meal, which makes it harder to control the number of calories you consume. One study found that a typical entrée has 1,200 calories, based on non-chain restaurants in San Francisco, Boston, and Little Rock, AK. Depending on your calorie needs, a single entrée could represent a huge percentage of your daily target, which means eating out regularly could impact your weight loss efforts.
4. They become aware of patterns in their eating habits.
One of the biggest predictors of weight-loss success is your ability to self-monitor, or how well you observe and keep track of your own behaviors.In the context of eating, that means remembering what you ate and understanding why you made that choice. It also means being aware of how outside factors affect your eating habits, like changes in your relationships or work life.
Here’s an example of how you’d acknowledge a pattern in your eating habits: “This week I'm snacking on sweets because I'm stressed at work and haven’t had time to step away for lunch.”
Once you’re aware of your eating patterns, you can identify when things start to veer off track and correct your course if needed. A powerful way to build awareness is to use a food journal.
5. They identify their barriers and find ways to overcome them.
When you set out to lose weight, you may face one of these common barriers: not knowing what to eat, how to watch your portion sizes, or what exercise to do. Or you may face another challenge entirely, like not feeling confident about your cooking skills.Whatever your barriers are, it’s important to identify them so you can proactively look for a solution. Researchers call this the “tool box” approach. Essentially, tools are tangible items that help you overcome barriers. In the examples above, a tool could be an eating plan, portion-controlled containers, a strength-training routine, or cooking classes.
You can think of tools as training wheels—you rely on them a lot in the beginning, then gradually transition to your own plan as your new habits become second nature. Ultimately, tools help you learn how to manage your own weight and lifestyle.
