secrets to lose weight. 10 Secrets of the diet for

secrets to lose weight. 10 Secrets of the diet for

To maintain weight loss, you have to accept that this is your new lifestyle of healthy eating and physical activity, says Pamela Peeke, MD, author of Fight Fat After 40 and Body for Life for Women . Some of the benefits you can focus on at this point could include lowering medications, lower blood pressure, sleep better and feel energized.

Do not think about your weight loss efforts as diet, but rather switch to a new computer on which it is adopting small changes in lifestyle, realistic, suggests Elisa Zied, MS, RD, author of feeding your family fair.

"If you can not continue the behavior after losing weight, do not bother - because if it is not sustainable, it is a recipe for weight regain," says Zied, herself a successful loser.

Secrets of weight loss long term

So how do successful losers - all those people who have been on reality shows and magazine articles - beat the odds to avoid recovery?

For more than a decade, researchers James Hill, PhD, and Rena Wing, PhD, set out to answer that question. They initiated the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), which tracks the habits of more than 6,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for over a year. (The average participant has lost about 70 pounds and has kept it off for six years.)

Hill and Wing learned that these successful losers tended to share several habits:

1_ follow a relatively low fat, calorie controlled diet. "Portion control [and] the consumption of foods with high water content, such as soups and vegetables, can make it easier to control the calories," says the spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD . If also limit the variety of foods you eat, you can simplify your diet and make it easier not to overeat. Zied cautions choose your calories wisely, do not miss out on foods you do not love.

2_ If it's Monday, Saturday or holiday, dieters successfully follow a consistent pattern of eating in the day. This establishes a routine, and although there is room for waste, food series this plan is the cornerstone of its success. Because everyone needs a special treat from time to time, Dix suggests planning your splurges beforehand.

Successful

3_ maintainers weight loss often eat every 3 to 4 hours, or 4 to 5 times daily. Hunger is the Achilles heel of any dieter, and eating frequently helps control blood sugar and control your appetite. "And do not forget to drink plenty of water or sugarless drinks, because thirst is sometimes confused with hunger and fluids can help take the edge off your appetite," Dix said.

4_ begin the day with breakfast. This is essential to get your motor running step and help you get better results in the boardroom or at the gym. Breakfast does not have to be anything fancy, either. "Enjoy a bowl of high-fiber, whole-grain cereal with fat dairy and fruit for a great meal that will last for hours," Zied suggests.

5_ They exercise for 60 minutes each day. Most successful losers are walking distance from 11.000 to 12.000, or equivalent to 5.5-6 miles a day. For those in midlife who now find that it is more difficult to lose weight and keep it off, Peeke suggests increasing intensity during your walks. "Stop looking at the past when it was working," he says. "In order to achieve and maintain weight loss, you have to add intensity to mobilize fat." So add some hills, do some speed intervals, or as necessary to increase heart a little more often.

6_ successful Losers stand on the scale regularly, either daily, every other day, or every week. "Everyone has their own formula of how many pounds you need to enable tightening their belts," says Zied. She personally 2-3 pounds left to play. When the scale goes beyond that number, activity intensifies and slows your calories.

7_ members log limit television viewing to about 10 hours a week - about a third of the typical American custom. This gives them more time to exercise, and certainly reduce mindless eating in front of the tube.

Also, Taub-Dix and Zied add these habits to the list:

8_ not beat yourself up about your weight or lapses, but engage in positive self-talk. "Being negative or guilt is counterproductive," says Dix. "Talk to yourself in a positive way, as a psychotherapist, not as the wicked witch."

9_ Note, Dix says weight loss or maintenance plan that has worked for your friend or coworker might not be the best method for you: "It is not about diet, but about what works best for you, because there is no right or wrong way. "

10_ Lose weight slowly. This approach is more realistic and gives you the opportunity to resolve dieters gradually into your new lifestyle and weight. "When you do it slowly, you can stop focusing on the numbers on the scale and work on changing your eating habits, improve their lifestyle and [adaptation] to the new way of life," says Zied.