People who have lost a significant amount of weight and keep it off for years are constantly vigilant about what they consume, rarely overeat for emotional reasons and do about an hour a day of exercise, a new study shows.
“They are doing the behaviors that we know work, and they are doing them every day. They don’t give up,” says Suzanne Phelan, assistant professor of kinesiology at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. She presented her findings here at the recent meeting of the Obesity Society, an organization of weight-loss researchers and professionals.
The most common mistake I see is people think they will lose weight by ambling along on a treadmill. I’ve watched people do this an hour at a time, every day, month in, month out and they can’t believe they never lose an ounce. All they’re really doing is training their bodies to store fat for long walks.
You need resistance training to build calorie-hungry fast-twitch muscle fiber. This means sweating hard and finishing tired.
Well, I’m sure that’s true Byzantine and I’ll remember it.
In fact without exercising at all I dropped 15 lbs. in a few weeks. All it took was a minor health scare, and radical change of diet. Instead of fatty and high-carb foods the dominant ones in my diet are now fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains, natural sweeteners rather than sugar, more fish, and less meat (only 1-2 times a week, usually). After 4-5 months I am far healthier, much brighter mentally and have sustained energy levels. I am optimistic where previously I was pessimistic to depressed. A couple times a week I get to share this good news because people notice that I look better and act happier.
I think taking more weight off will require an exercise program, but with these results to date it is easy to start in on a discipline like that. All of which is to say that no one needs to pay professors or professionals to tell them how to lose weight – I learned what I’m using off the internet, adding to what I already had learned from trying out some alternative cookbooks like the Moosewood.
And God help the poor folks eating their southern diet high in corn, pork and the dreaded chicken-fried steak. My mother, who came from those parts, always says that if the South didn’t eat so much corn and pork, the whole country would be different with their improved attitude.
It’s largely common sense – doesn’t anybody use their head any more?
Byzantine, I agree. And TACit, yes, diet will do a lot, but resistance exercise will seal the deal. I started a weight-lifting program at a gym with a female trainer five years ago. I left the trainer after a couple of years and now I do it on my own. If you check the bookstores or online you can find books with exercises designed for your sex and age; you can buy free weights and do this at home. I’ve lost about 25 pounds and two dress sizes and look and feel fifteen years younger.
OK, thanks for that tip, Katherine. 15 years off my age is considerably more exciting to think of than 15 lbs. off my weight!