By: centraljersey.com
If you resolved to lose weight this year, you are not alone. Countless Americans vow each New Year to shed those extra pounds and lead a healthier lifestyle.
While some may have short-term success, research shows that after five years only 5 percent of people maintain their weight loss, with most gaining it all – or more – back. Unfortunately, being overweight can have significant health consequences from diabetes to heart disease.
Though sustaining weight loss can be a challenge, with some planning and patience, you can drop the pounds and keep them off.
Here are several tips to help you achieve sustainable weight loss, but remember: you didn’t gain the extra weight overnight, and you’re not going to lose it overnight either.
– Skip the fad diets. Most crash diet plans are unrealistic and unsustainable. Although these diets will have you dropping weight quickly, they rarely lead to long-term success.
– Make changes gradually. Rather than make sweeping changes to your diet, implement change gradually. By making gradual shifts, the changes don’t seem so hard and eventually become part of your regular lifestyle.
– Keep a food journal. How do you know where to start if you don’t have a good accounting of what you’re eating and drinking every day? Try writing down everything you eat and drink over three days, and look for areas where you can improve. Maybe you’ll realize that you could eat more fruits and vegetables or that you can vary your choices so you’re not having pasta for every meal.
– Develop realistic goals. Sustainable weight loss takes time; there’s no getting around it. Realistically, you should aim to lose a half to a full pound each week until you achieve your overall goal. This may seem slow, but it will be easier to sustain in the long run.
– Get physical. Find a physical activity you enjoy and do it. Too often people fall off the fitness wagon because they don’t like walking on the treadmill or they can’t stand aerobics class and are just going through the motions. Studies show that people derive greater benefits if they actually enjoy what they’re doing. By doing an exercise you like, you increase your levels of dopamine and endorphins, chemicals in your brain that make you feel happy and satisfied. When you feel good, you are less likely to make unhealthy food choices.
– Get a good night’s sleep. Believe it or not, the amount and quality of sleep you get each night has a significant impact on your weight. When you are sleep deprived, your body makes less of the hormone that makes you feel full and more of the hormone that makes you feel hungry. Getting enough quality sleep at night can help you control your weight during the day.
– Practice mindfulness. Why you eat, where you eat, how much you eat — all of these factor into your weight. By being mindful and paying close attention to your diet practices and food choices, you are less likely to eat just for the sake of eating. When you make a conscious effort to sit down and enjoy the food you’re eating, you often consume less and end up feeling more satisfied.
– Don’t beat yourself up. So, you skipped the gym tonight to go out to dinner with friends. Or you grabbed an extra cookie from the tray of sweets at the office. Nobody is perfect and everyone is going have a bad day every now and then. It doesn’t invalidate your weight loss efforts. Set a daily goal and if you don’t achieve it today, try again tomorrow. Over time, you’ll have more good days than bad and you’ll start seeing — and feeling — the results.
Have questions about sustainable weight loss?
Get answers during my live Web-chat hosted by Princeton HealthCare System on Thursday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. I will take your questions and discuss The Year for Change: Sustainable Weight Loss. To participate, simply go to the UStream Channel at www.ustream.tv/channel/princetonhealth. To pre-register and enter to win a free gift card visit www.princetonhcs.org or call (888) 897-8979.
Basic computer requirements are a PC or Mac with Adobe Flash Player installed and a broadband Internet connection.
In addition, Princeton HealthCare System through its Community Education & Outreach Program will host a discussion titled "Introduction to Experience the Gains of Exercise and Weight Loss" on Monday, Feb. 21 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Princeton Fitness & Wellness Center, Princeton North Shopping Center, 1225 State Road, Princeton. This free panel discussion will serve as the kick-off for a fitness and wellness program that is designed to help and motivate individuals who want to lose a minimum of 50 pounds.
To find a physician affiliated with Princeton HealthCare System, call (888) 742-7496 or visit www.princetonhcs.org.
Anthony Dissen, R.D., is a registered dietitian and a member of the staff at University Medical Center at Princeton.