The N.W.C.R.

or the  National Weight Control Registry , is the largest on going study of subjects who have lost weight and kept it off. To date they have kept records, preferences, activities and eating habits of over 6,000 people. To get into the program you must have lost 30 pounds or more and kept it off for at least 1 year.

They take the data from these individuals, postulate questions, and try to answer them based on what the averages are for these successful people. According to the April edition of Runner's World magazine, there are 5 things that the majority of these people have in common;

1)     They eat Carbs. In fact carbs amounted to at least 50% of their diet, 30% was fat and 20% protein. If you consume more than 34 grams of fiber with these carbs, you can lose an additional 10 pounds over the course of a year as the body burns more to process the fiber.

2)    They keep a food journal. While many dieters like myself usually stop taking notes on food and calories consumed after two weeks, the majority of these successful losers kept a journal going for years.

3)     They eat Breakfast. Around 80 percent of the subjects ate a balanced meal in the morning, like a cereal with fiber.

4)     They weigh themselves regularly. But never more than once a week, and always on the same day.

5)    They stay active. Not sure why this one is last, it should be first actually. The average person in the registry burned 2,800 calories a week in activity. If you do the math it amounts to about 400 extra a day.

I did a little reading of some of their findings and found out that the average woman in the registry eats around 1,300 calories, the average man around 1,600. They were also able to determine that there really was no difference between what kind of weight loss program you were on, as compared to those who were doing it themselves, as long as the 5 things above were getting done.

I suppose nothing surprising here really. It is good to see the hard facts and numbers of a long term study, as opposed to all the mumbo jumbo that is out there. Know where your at, move more, eat filling foods, eat in the morning, write it down. Common sense stuff that many of us lose track of in the melee to lose weight and the reckless, or feckless, way in which we pursue it.

Comments

[Josie]

You what I don't get? Eating around 1300 calories a day and still being able to burn 400 per day. Isn't that pretty difficult to sustain over a long period of time? Not sure anyone has the answer...though it does make me think that maybe that's why they're losing the weight and I'm not!!!

[FB]

Hi Josie,

Yes, it does seem a bit extreme, or at the very least obvious as to why they lost the weight and kept it off, with a calorie total like that. I think the main thing though is that they all stuck with the five things above for a long time as a way of life, as opposed to just a temporary diet.

[Denise]

I really hope that it doesn't take eating such a small amount and burning such a huge amount (an hour of really intense walking = 400 calories for me) of calories EVERY day (heck, I'm lucky to do 30 minutes every other day) to get to a healthy weight and keep it off. Then again, perhaps that's why I keep regaining?

[Hilly]

The main part of this that makes me smile is the carb thing; this whole craze with not eating carbs makes me unhappy but who am I to judge? I do, however, have a "support carbs" magnet on my fridge ;)

[Margaret]

I admit to good genetics, an antsy temperament, and a love for running. However, as you already know, I also love carbs, Hef and all kinds of high calorie stuff.

[Krista]

It is so good to be reminded of these tried-and-true principals! Thanks for summarizing them!

[Dana]

Good to know...thanks for posting this!!

[Kelly]

Sheesh, even ediets had me eating 1500-1600 calories a day to lose weight. I think the calorie counts may be a bit low, but the basic lessons from the study are absolutely true. I am pretty dismal with writing down my food every day. It just seems like there's always 5 more minutes of TV to watch.

Kelly,

I agree, the calorie totals seem low to me, the bare minimum for nutrition. Remember though the amount of calories is not what they all had in common, mostly the 5 things above, so maybe it does not matter as much?