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Factors Linked with Sustainable Weight Reduction

This post was written by DoctorJay on December 3, 2009
Posted Under: Michelangelo Weight Management Seminar, goal achievement, weight reduction

There are some factors which have been associated with permanent weight loss:

Attendance at a program – those who attend a program like weight watchers are more likely to lower their weight and keep it off.
Weight loss early in the program – this encourages you to continue
Sticking with it – persistence is the key success in anything
Social support – very important – if your family insists on eating fattening unhealthy foods it’s very difficult to lower your weight
Regular physical activity – half an hour walking a day helps a lot.
Behavior modification techniques – this and next three very important
Self-monitoring
Goal setting
Self-monitoring weight and food related behavior
Positive coping skills
Keeping in contact with people who helped with weight loss
“Normal” eating patterns
And the great result is: Health improvements.

In the above list realistic goals are very important in keeping that weight reduction permanent rather than going into the yo-yo diet syndrome.

At the beginning of a study done at the University of Pennsylvania, participants were asked how they would feel about losing the amount of weight that the researchers could predict would be the likely result.

Participants said that they would be disappointed. To be satisfied or “happy” about their weight loss, the participants said that the amount would have to be substantially more. Being dissatisfied with a realistic weight loss is counterproductive.

So what is a realistic goal?
Successful weight loss is typically losing about ten percent of body weight in six months. More rapid or dramatic loss is possible, but it is the exception, not the rule. For sustainable weight loss, changes should be made in a stepwise, realistic, achievable way.

So you can reduce your weight by that ten percent and then keep it at that level for about three month and then reduce another ten percent of your new lower weight again in the next six months.