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Time for that resolution to lose weight again! But a recent study by the U.S. National Weight Control Registry and Curves reveals the four key lifestyle changes to make in order to lose the kilos and keep them off from those that have done it successfully.
A new research study has revealed that people fail to keep New Year’s resolutions about weight loss because they try to change too much, too fast. Curves, the world’s largest fitness franchise, worked with the U.S. National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) to determine characteristics of individuals who have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for a long period of time. Those studied lost between 15 to 150 kgs and kept it off for at least one year and up to 66 years.
Four key lifestyle changes that made all the difference:
- 78% made breakfast a priority – This is key. Breakfast literally “breaks the fast” from a night of z’s. Your metabolism is the lowest when you are sleeping. If you wake up and hit the road without eating breakfast, your body’s metabolism is still in fasting mode and will burn as few calories as possible. Even if you aren’t a morning person, make a point to eat something within 45 minutes of waking.
- 75% visited the scale at least once a week – A study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania found a weight gain of ten or more pounds ( 4.5 kilos) over the course of five years to be fairly common among women. That’s an average gain of less than a quarter pound per month, which can creep up on you if you aren’t weighing yourself on a regular basis. Awareness is crucial because these small gains can really add up over time. Remember, the scale is merely an indicator of your status.
- 62% watched fewer than 10 hours of TV each week – The fact that they are not parked in front of the tube tells you they are up doing something else, and whatever that something else is, it probably burns more calories than watching TV. Watching TV only burns 72 calories per hour—that’s only 10 more calories than sleeping!
- 90% exercise on a daily basis – Most people today have sedentary jobs, and many get to those sedentary jobs by car. By the end of the day, few find time to exercise. As we all know, exercise is crucial in both weight loss and weight maintenance. Of the four behaviours that lead to successful weight maintenance, exercise is the most common behaviour shared by this group.
The weight loss journey is not easy, but the end result is worth far more than we can measure in terms of how we feel about ourselves and, most importantly, how healthy we are. So this year, try to keep that resolution. Maybe then next year, you won’t have to make the same one!