I was channel surfing late one night and came across a special on obesity by a Dr. Jim Hall, Director for the Center of Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado. He brought a practice authentic touch to the usual jaded commentary to the topic of weight loss.
Dr. Hall studied the habits of people who not only lost weight, but kept it off over long periods of time and discovered seven behaviors that greatly increased the likelihood of success.
1. Accept that there will be failure, but keep trying. The habits that created the excess weight in the first place took time to develop and so will reshaping new habits. Decide up front that you will persist in the face of adversity.
2. Don’t deny yourself. Totally abstaining from foods that you enjoy makes it unlikely that you will follow through indefinitely. Instead of absolute deprivation, decide on a moderate amount of cheating that satisfies and entertains you but doesn’t significantly compromise your progress.
3. Weigh yourself often. Being aware of the impact of our behavior works both to reward you when you are consistent with your plan and warn you when you are not. The numbers aren’t everything, but they are something—an indication of how conscientious and vigilant you have been.
4. Exercise an hour a day. There is no doubt about the relationship between physical activity and fitness. Not to mention stress reduction. Also the commitment to an exercise program is part of the shift in identity necessary for someone who has been heavy to become and stay thin.
5. Get other bits of physical activity. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking across the lot so you can walk a block or two or riding your bike to the store instead of driving can burn fat and make you stronger and trimmer.
6. Eat a high carbohydrate, low fat diet. Don’t get hung up here on the Zone Diet, Eating Right For Your Type, or Adkins. This particular study found that the most successful people at losing weight and keeping it off ate more carbs and less fat.
7. Eat 5 meals a day. Whether you are on Body for Life or Fit for Life, it seems like our three meals per day tradition is not ideal for people who wish to slim down. More frequent, smaller meals are easier for the body to process and since there is less excess food in the system less is pushed into storage.
Much like the famous Aldemedes Study on people that lived to 100 and beyond which found successful agers eat breakfast, don’t smoke cigarettes, stuff like that, these seven habits are common sense yet if you graded yourself in each of these areas, how would you do?
We as healthy people have a responsibility to look and act the part. That doesn’t mean we all have to be bronze bodybuilders, but we do represent health to our spouse, our children and our community. Anything we can do to show more congruent, more believable, and more attractable improves our chances of living healthier.
Dr. Matt
