At any given time, over 50% of all American adults are trying to lose weight. Yet, even after putting in all the effort it takes to shed those surplus pounds, very few will manage to keep them off.
In one study involving 100 overweight individuals, only 2% of those who lost a significant amount of weight actually kept the weight off in the two years that followed. This evidence supports what we all already know, of course – that maintaining a healthy weight can be hard – but these facts suggest that only about 1 in 5 of us will actually be successful in achieving our weight loss goals over the long term.
So how can we maximize our chances of being that elusive 1 in 5 that gets healthy and stays that way? Researchers set about investigating the biggest reasons that certain people maintain their weight loss, while others get caught in a vicious cycle of weight loss and weight gain. We’ve broken down their findings below – the biggest secrets to losing weight once and for all, and keeping it off!
Weigh yourself daily (or at least once a week)
Although weighing yourself very regularly is often deemed obsessive, research has found that it’s actually a key habit to maintain if you want to lose weight and keep it off. Studies have shown that 44% of those who were successful in reaching their goal and maintaining their new, healthy weight made sure they kept track of their weight daily, while a further 31% weighed themselves at least once a week.
Tracking your weight closely is thought to give you a better understanding of how what you eat affects your body. When you’re doing well, weighing yourself can give you an added boost of motivation, and if you start to veer off track, you’re more aware of it and have the opportunity to start making healthier choices again – preventing you regaining all of the weight you worked so hard to lose.
Think of your new, healthy habits as permanent, not temporary
The second key habit is to always keep track of your portion sizes. Those who were the most successful at maintaining a healthy weight made healthy habits a permanent part of their lifestyle and didn’t restrict them to ‘dieting’ periods of their life. Returning to old, unhealthy habits – eating larger portions, skipping exercise and making unhealthy food choices will be the quickest way to return to your previous weight.
Build walking and strength training into everyday life
Researchers found that the most popular physical activity of those who lost weight and kept it off was, surprisingly – walking. Those who were the most successful combined regular walks with strength training to really boost their weight loss.
Studies have shown that simply building in around 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine could help you burn about 150 calories a day. Conversely, researchers found that those who made excuses not to build in regular exercise, (‘I’m too tired, I don’t have time, I’ll do it tomorrow…’ etc) reduced their chances of being successful in weight maintenance by 48-76%.
Now you know the 3 biggest secrets to staying at a healthy weight permanently, all you need is a QardioBase. QardioBase is a smart scale and body analyzer that helps make weight management an integral part of everyday life – providing you with accurate measurements of your weight, BMI, body fat, muscle mass, water and bone composition and seamlessly syncing your data to your iOS or Android device. You can even share your data with your friends and family, providing all the support and motivation you need to lose weight and keep it off.
