Predicting Weight Loss Success...What the Research Says

Several of my clients over the years have come to me with a conundrum: They want to lose weight but aren't sure how to do it. After several failed diet attempts, rarely used gym memberships, and home gym equipment that has turned stale from under utilization, they are simply fed up.

And I don't blame them. The fitness industry is an multi-billion dollar industry where there's a product marketed to our every need, our every whim, and as the careless consumers we are, we fall helplessly into their traps because we hear that if we use product "X", we will finally feel or look the way we've always wanted to.

The purpose of today's posting is to not only debunk the myth that the more junk we have the better off we are but also apply this principle as we look at how we can predict and affect long-term weight loss success.

The fitness industry has also poured billions of dollars over the years into research into the science of weight loss(in order to market garbage weight loss products, no doubt). Numerous studies have proven over time that a sound diet and exercise program is the single best predictor of a successful lifelong weight management system. But there are definite trends and characteristics of individuals who have been successful in long-term weight loss. Let's discuss what I've found to be the top four:

1. How many diet plans you've started in the past year. There are a handful of studies in recent years pointing to the fact that the more failed diet attempts in any given year, the least likely the individual will be in losing weight and/or keeping it off. In "Who Will Lose Weight? A Re-Examination of the Predictors of Weight Loss in Women", the researchers studied 140 obese Portuguese women who underwent a four-month lifestyle weight loss program. The report states that half the women who stayed in the program met their weight-loss goal. What was unique about these women is that very few of them reported starting 3-4 or more diets that year, when compared to those women who did not meet their goal. This study has been similarly replicated with similar results.
   
   So what does this mean for you? Before you start a "diet" plan, evaluate whether or not it is right for you so you can reduce the chance of failure. Research supported by both the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine has shown that for making lifestyle changes it takes up to four months of repetition for your body (and brain) to adopt the routine. Therefore, if you make small changes to your diet over time, you will not only affect change but you will see results...without all the effort of a complete overhaul!
   
   
2. Your level of self-efficacy. In the same Portuguese study cited above, researchers found that women who expected to lose a moderate amount of weight were the ones who ultimately achieved the most weight loss during the program. Surprisingly, women who were relatively happy with their weight and women looking to lose a lot of weight didn't lose as much as the group seeking a middle ground.
   
   While the program's duration was only four months, we can apply this same lesson as we seek to find balance in our own weight loss programs. First, you must believe you can achieve your weight loss goal and it must be realistic. If you don't believe it, then you either need to modify the amount of weight you are trying to lose, or you need to work on your self confidence until you do.
   
   
3. A comprehensive diet/exercise plan using SMART goal-setting. Goal-setting and planning your method of "attack" is one of the best services I can provide to my clients. How many times have you started a workout/diet plan with nervous energy only to crash and burn later after not achieving ANY results?!? No more!
   
   SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Your goals should fit into this framework, because it will get you results if you stick to it. It's also a good idea to have another pair of eyes help you evaluate your goals and provide feedback as well, because you may miss something that you hadn't considered. A personal trainer can provide you with specific feedback, but you can also talk to your running partner, a spouse or a friend to help you with this. This person can also help hold you accountable if you fall off the bandwagon as well!
   
   Evidence abounds of how effective this simple SMART goal-setting plan really is. One great example I've read about is a year-long study involving more than 1,000 participants involved in a diabetic prevention program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center. Researchers had subjects fill out questionnaires regarding their weight, exercise, emotional eating, dietary restraint and fat-related eating before engaging in an intensive lifestyle intervention program. Not only did the participants that completed the study lose 5% of their body weight, but the amazing finding is that glucose-intolerant individuals were able to reduce their incidence of diabetes by 55% in a little over three years. Clearly, this program was well-planned and worked for many people.
   
   See also Dr. Rena R. Wing's abstract below for more interesting findings.
   
   
4. Your support group. Finally, generating support from family, friends and health-care professionals can help you along in your journey - especially when you lose your way. Both the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine support findings showing that your success depends upon you surrounding yourself with a network of individuals that will help support you in your weight loss goal. Whether it's your spouse who does most of the cooking willing to switch to low-fat products or a co-worker who has agreed to walk 20 minutes three days a week with you over your lunch hour, finding these people are the "hidden gems" of your weight loss plan. Find them, and find success!

On Friday, we'll talk more about finding an energy(calorie) balance in your life...and what that means. We'll also continue the theme I started earlier in this posting about buying junk and how it "weighs down" your fitness. You don't need it!

Don't be a fool!
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Citations

Pedro J Teixeira, António L Palmeira,Teresa L Branco, Sandra S Martins, Cláudia S Minderico, José T Barata, Analiza M Silva, and Luís B Sardinha. "Who Will Lose Weight? A Re-Examination of Predictors of Weight Loss in Women". The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 1:12. Published online August 2004. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=511005

Linda M. Delahanty, MS, RD. "Psychological and Behavioral Predictors of Weight Outcomes in the Diabetes Prevention Program". National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Abstract accessed 1/14/09. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/predictors/abstracts/delahanty.htm. Presented at "Predictors of Obesity, Weight Gain, Diet and Physical Activity Workshop" in Bethesda, MD August 4-5, 2004.

Rena R. Wing, Phd. "The National Weight Control Registry". National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Abstract accessed 1/14/09. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/predictors/abstracts/wing.htm
Presented at "Predictors of Obesity, Weight Gain, Diet and Physical Activity Workshop" in Bethesda, MD August 4-5, 2004.