Biggest Loser Contest - Workshop #1
by Scott Fisher MS, RD

When it comes to losing weight, there are literally hundreds of options to help you get started.  These include diet programs, self-help books, and even magic potions and pills that supposedly melt the pounds away.  With so much to choose from you might think that the chances of successfully losing weight would be high.  In reality, studies show that losing weight initially may not be so difficult, but less than 15% of individuals who lose weight actually succeed in keeping it off in the long-term. 

Here are some tips to consider from individuals who have been successful at shedding pounds and keeping them off:

1. Think “lifestyle change”: Avoid making changes to your eating and exercise behaviors that you can't maintain.  Ask yourself if these new behaviors are something you could realistically maintain for the rest of your life.


2. Make gradual changes:  Slow and steady wins the race.  Gradual improvements to your diet will be better tolerated and more likely to last.  Start conservatively with exercise progressively increasing the frequency and duration of your workouts so you don't become burnt-out or injured.


3. Keep a food journal:  Studies show that you will automatically improve the quality of your diet by writing down what you eat.  Keeping a journal will also help you to identify eating patterns that could use improvement.


4. Eat regularly:  Cutting back drastically on meals and calories might initially result in weight loss but could eventually lead to metabolic adaptations that make it harder to lose weight.  Avoid skipping meals and eat regularly throughout the day to keep your energy level and metabolism high.


5. Balance your calorie intake with your physical activity level:  Most people are most active from the time they wake up until the evening when the pace of the day slows.  Skipping breakfast and eating a large dinner only serves to provide you calories when you might need them least.  Those unused calories may wind up stored as fat.  A good rule of thumb is that breakfast and lunch should generally be as big if not bigger than dinner.


6. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!:  Whether or not an individual exercises regularly is the best predictor of successful weight loss.  Your goal should be to build up to at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.  Your focus should be on cardiovascular exercises like walking, jogging, cycling, rowing, etc. but you'll see even better results by complimenting your cardio with 2-3 days of strength training.