Thought what all of these people did to have "successful" results (at bottom of article) was interesting...

-Shelly

Secrets of Successful Weight Loss

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD



May 10, 2002 -- The secret of losing weight and keeping it off isn't really a secret at all -- no fad diet, no special fat-burning pill, no celebrity-endorsed weight-loss organization. The largest survey ever on long-term weight loss shows that most successful weight-loss veterans did it all on their own, without using expensive commercial diet programs, dietary supplements, special foods or meal substitutes, or drugs.


The survey, conducted and published by Consumer Reports, questioned more than 32,000 dieters and found 83% of those who had kept the extra pounds off from more than a year did it without any gimmicks. In fact, just 14% of those who kept the weight off for more than five years ever signed up with Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, or other commercial diet programs, and even fewer used meal replacements such as Slim Fast.


Researchers say their findings debunk the conviction that you need help from a diet guru or special meal plan to lose weight. And the biggest contributor to dieting success may not be what you eat anyway, but burning those calories with a regular exercise routine.


Eight out of 10 of the successful dieters who tried exercising three or more times a week ranked it as their No. 1 dieting strategy. Although walking was the most popular form of exercise for long-term success, nearly 30% added weight lifting to their routine to increase calorie-burning muscle mass.


But not everyone who tries to lose weight is successful at it. Only about a quarter of the dieters shed at least 10% of their starting weight and kept it off for at least a year, a standard definition of weight-loss success.


Researchers say there is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for everyone, but the survey did reveal some general tips and strategies that served the weigh-loss achievers well.


Control your blood sugar. Refined carbohydrates create a surge in insulin that makes blood sugar levels plummet and leaves you feeling hungry. Substitute whole grains and high-fiber foods for white bread, potatoes, and pasta.
Pack on the protein. Eating enough lean protein can make you feel full and slows the absorption of food.
Fool yourself with volume. Adding water-filled vegetables and fruits can trick you into feeling full because you can eat more than with calorie-dense foods.
Don't deny fat. Eating fat-free cookies, pretzels, and other treats that contain refined carbohydrates can lead to bingeing. Instead, allow yourself up to 30% of your daily calories to come from fat, particularly mono- and poly-unsaturated vegetable oils, nuts, and fish oil.
Stay with it. More than half the dieting success stories in the survey said they applied these strategies to their diets every day.

that IS interesting! I wonder if the data came from the national weight loss registry or what....

sounds like they're promoting a Zone-type eating plan (but with more calories, one assumes)

This article in WebMD by Jennifer Warner is of NO value to the obese. The people who were successful in this study could have lost weight simply by cutting their intake of simple sugars. People who are obese and suffering from insulin resistance, low-thyroid, metabolism problems and a history of yo-yo dieting will find themselves packing on addional pounds on the program suggested in this article. Remember, 40% of the people eat lots of simple sugars with little excercise and yet stay thin.

The Atkins' style low-carbohydrate diet is the only way to provide highly nutritional value and lose weight at the same time. Adding carbohydrates give the body additional fuel which prevents weight loss and provides no other nutritional benefit. The ZONE diet at 40% carbohydrates is ineffective unless the intake of calories are cut to 900 or starvation status. One can lose weight at 900 calories but only in a very unhealth manner. This rate of cut causes severe deficiencies in protein and essential healthy natural fats.

Only way according to whom? Please be careful with the way you phrase things, as you could greatly offend a large number of people on this site who have great success with CAD/Protein Power/BFL/Schwarzbein etc. And no nutritional benefits??? Come on! Are you telling me that veggies are bad for you? That the phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fiber provided by said vegetables are harmful?

REMEMBER, we all have different metabolic needs and even all of us here have molded the lowcarb lifestyle to fit those needs. What may work for some (like the Zone) won't work for others (like you), but that doesn't mean you have to put that WOE down.

I, for one, follow Atkins. I don't lose any other way. BUT, that doesn't mean I am going to chastise someone else for not doing things my way. If the Zone/CAD/PP works for them, go for it! For I do not practice intolerence.

-Shelly

Hi Shelly,

Your post is funny.

First, you bash my opinions.

Then, you agree with my conclusion. Hahahah...



And finish your intolerant attack with the statement:



ROFLOL (rolling on the floor laughing out loud)

A good debate and a challenge to one's thinking is one of the best features of this site. Read my post more closely. I said, "Atkins' style low-carbohydrate diet." I did not say Atkins only. I consider all of the diets mentioned on this site as a low-carbohydrate style, except ZONE.

Non-starchy vegetables are considered a low-carbohydrate food by all the low-carb diet books, and I was not suggesting that they not be included in one's diet. However, one can not eat 200 grams of carbs from non-starchy vegetables on a 2000 calorie diet as proposed by Dr. Sears in the ZONE without getting high-density carbohydrate food which are highly restricted by all the other low-carb authors.

Personally, I am very intolerant of the myths, distortions and lies that are blasted to the masses by the major media. Jennifer Warner's article on WebMD is a great example of a major distortion.

Kent

AND you will notice I wasn't agreeing with the article, just thought it was interesting that the "successful" dieters follow what we know to be true (except for the water-packed veggie thing)!

That being:

Control your blood sugar.
Pack on the protein.
Don't deny fat.
Stick with it!
(personally I think exercise should be in there as well).

Yes, by all means. This section is intended to follow obesity-related research, news, opinions and general media views. The good, the bad and the ugly, and to discuss them, applaud them, debunk them, etc.

Wa'il