Have you ever wondered what it REALLY takes to not only lose a significant amount of weight but to also succeed with the challenge of keeping it off? Researchers with the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) have been working to answer these questions since 1994 with data from successful “losers”.

The registry has collected data on more than 4,000 participants. To qualify for inclusion in the Registry, an individual must be 18 years of age or older and have maintained a weight loss of 30 pounds or more for at least a year. The average NWCR participant has actually lost closer to 66 pounds and kept the weight off for 5.5 years.

About 80 percent of the NWCR respondents are women. So I’ve found the trends to be quite revealing and relevant for this website.

Although the participants chose to follow a variety of diets there have been certain defining trends. These individuals did not eliminate entire food groups from their diet. Ninety-two percent chose instead to limit their intake of certain foods. For example, some chose to eat less than once a week at fast food restaurants.

The majority of the participants chose to eat healthy low calorie and low fat diets, eat breakfast every day, and engage in a high level of physical activity. They did not choose fat-free or carbohydrate-free food plans.

The latest available research results that I can find suggest the participants have an average of about 1400 calories per day. Twenty-four percent of daily calories come from fat, 19 percent of calories from protein, and 56 percent of calories from carbohydrates. The participants reported cutting back on sugars and sweets and eating more fruits and vegetables. In addition, they eat five meals a day on average.

Ninety-four percent of the participants increased their physical activity. Walking is the most common choice.

Seventy-five percent of the participants weigh themselves once a week. Many felt that weighing themselves once a day could be discouraging. Weight can vary from day to day because of a number of factors such as fluid intake, sodium intake, and time of the month for women.

Everyday weighing may not work well for many people but some kind of weight loss tracking can be motivating. The challenge is finding an accurate scale. Body weight scales/bathroom scales for the home are rarely as accurate as those found in medical clinics and offices. Scales that measure body fat are even less accurate. I’ll share some information with you on choosing a body weight scale at another time.

[Update: December 2008. I’ve now completed two articles on body fat monitors and weight scales: Body Fat Scales and Body Fat Monitor and Weight Scale Reviews ]

About one third of NWCR participants described their experience with maintaining weight loss as hard. But another 1/3 reported this challenge to be moderately easy and 1/3 as easy! I find this to be very interesting and not what I have encountered. I’m wondering if there is a significant difference between men and women and between younger women versus older women?

There is another statistic that may be more revealing than what I just shared. Forty-two percent claim that maintaining weight loss is less difficult then losing weight in the first place. That suggests that possibly 58 percent feel the opposite? (Unfortunately, no information is available to answer this question that I can find.) Take heart. You CAN succeed in losing and maintaining weight loss but most people have not found it to be easy overall.

The most significant motivating factor is having a strong internal reason for wanting to lose weight. By internal I mean the motivation must come from within. The stronger the reason, or why, the better your chances for success! Read my previous post on succeeding with weight loss (You do have what it takes for weight loss) to learn more.

In the coming weeks I will be sharing tips on how to choose the best diet plan for you. And I will review some of the most popular HEALTHY diet plans. For the registry participants, 45% lost weight on their own. A little more than half, 55%, had the help of a weight loss program. (If you would like to learn more about choosing a weight loss program you may want to read my articles on this topic. Choosing the best weight loss program for you and Which Weight Loss Program is Best?)

Have a great week, watch those calories, and most importantly, stay healthy!

(In this season of giving and thinking of others do take care of yourself. Make better choices than me.

I enjoyed my week with my mother in Florida and visiting with many of the people in the Senior Living Residence where she stays. But I did not keep up with my usual exercise. That along with sleeping on my mother’s couch and lugging my laptop carry-on bag through the airports proved to be too much for my back.

I’m beginning to feel better but it will take a few more days to heal. So I apologize for not posting as often!)

Happy Holidays!

Lori

O.K. I have to confess. I may be a Nutritionist and I like healthy food but cooking is not my favorite thing to do. Healthy gourmet food is fun to make and eat when I have the time but I am as busy as the next person. So I like meals that are quick and easy as well as nutritious and tasty! Today I have a 1200 calorie diet menu that calls for eating soup from a can for lunch and popping a Lean Cuisine frozen entree into the microwave oven for supper. How’s that for simple? This menu can be easily adapted for anyone on a 1500 calorie diet. Look for my ideas after the menu.

I recommend my special homemade Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes for breakfast but you could choose to substitute commercially prepared pancakes if you don’t have time to make your own. (Cook up a batch of these pancakes on the weekend and then you will have a breakfast treat for several days!)

Sample Menu for 1200 Calories

Breakfast

2 Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

1 Tbsp. Light Butter with Canola (by Land O’Lakes) - 50 calories

2 Tbsp. pancake syrup

4 oz. orange juice

Snack

1/8 cup Whole Almonds, unsalted

Lunch

1 cup Organic Lentil Soup (no salt added soup by Health Valley) This soup is healthy but a little too bland for me. So I spice it up with some Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle mix and a little freshly squeezed lemon juice. That way I get more flavor without the sodium.

1 cubic inch of Low Fat Reduced Cholesterol Mozzarella Cheese - (Lifetime - 55 calories)

1 Clementine

1 8 oz. cup of Skim milk

Snack

1 Pear

Supper

1 dish Macaroni & Cheese by Lean Cuisine - 290 calories

1/2 cup Snap Green Beans

Small Salad with 1 cup mixed salad greens and 1/4 cup or so of chopped fresh tomato tossed with 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil Vinaigrette

2 Cookies Grace’s Sunflower Seed Petite Cookies - 43 calories

water, unsweetened tea or coffee, or diet soda

(Always remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day.)

Total Calories = 1202

Total Fiber = 26.9

Fat = 32%

Carbs = 53%

Protein = 15%

Calcium = 1111 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 mg a day)

Iron = 10.1 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg)

1500 Calorie Diet Menu

Modify the 1200 Calorie Diet Menu to fit your needs. If you are between the ages of 19 and 50 or over 50 and still menstruating you may want to have a second cup of the soup for lunch. That will add 100 calories and a bit more iron. If you are getting enough iron from a supplement then you have more options for the additional 300 calories. If you are over 50 and needing a little more calcium you may want to add another serving from the milk group such as an additional glass of milk or a yogurt.

You could supplement the two snacks, morning and afternoon, with additional snack choices. See one of my previous posts on low calorie snacks to go for lots of ideas or you might want to eat another pancake or two for breakfast or have a higher calorie treat sometime during the day. The choice is yours.

Need more 1200 or 1500 calorie diet menus for ideas? (You will need to scroll to the bottom of each page for links)

1200 Calorie Diet Plan

1500 Calorie Diet Plan

Questions? Be sure to ask. Comments? Feel free to share. Have a great week, watch those calories, and most importantly, stay healthy!