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Are your scales groaning after the holiday? By
Robyn Touchard
The numbers seem to be stacked against you. Are there really people who've lost weight and kept it off? How come they did it and you can't? We've all heard the alarming numbers: the majority of conventional weight-loss diets offered today do not work, and within 12 months 95 percent of dieters regain the weight they initially lost. The truth is, there really are people who've successfully maintained a weight loss, probably more than you think. One successful woman, Heather Wickizer from Hyde Park, says she doesn't snack on carrots all day and she eats more than a can of tuna for lunch. (For the record, she doesn't eat hamburgers and french fries from McDonald's either.) Wickizer is losing weight successfully and sharing the program with her friends and family. She exercises daily and eats well-balanced meals. It's a good idea to consult a personal trainer before starting any exercise program, she says. Wickizer also consulted a dietician and uses the USDA Food Guide Pyramid to help her plan meals. "When I first started dieting, I wasn't loosing weight and I didn't understand why," says Wickizer. "But then that's when I realized there was much more to losing weight than just dieting." Mentally noting all the pressures and influences on your eating habits is an enormous awakening. "It wasn't until I realized that I was eating when I was stressed, that I was able to monitor the situation and take a look at what was really going on," she says. She didn't realize it at the time, but Wickizer was starting a psychology of change -- a systems approach that would be more effective than dieting alone. Anne M. Fletcher, author of Eating Thin for Life: Food Secrets & Recipes From People Who Have Lost Weight & Kept It Off, says that changing lifestyle and habits are what is helping people lose weight. This psychology of change has proven to be effective when combined with exercise and healthy eating. Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D., an associate professor of health-care management at George Mason University School of Nursing in McLean, Va., and colleagues have tested what they call "continuous self-improvement" with 400 people who were successful in changing their daily habits. Instead of using just dieting to lose weight, they used their brains as well. The people involved in the study used a systems approach to valuate their stresses, change their habits, monitor successes, and create healthy support networks. The results were published in the Joint Commission on Quality Improvement Journal in February, 2000. Another study done on weight loss as a lifestyle change was the Trevose Behavior Modification Program, the results of which were published in the International Journal of Obesity. The Trevose program focuses on lifestyle changes and not quick-fix weight loss. It was conducted by researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and the University of Pennsylvania, who studied 329 people who applied to the program. The Trevose program is gaining national attention from scientists interested in finding a model that works for the United States, where obesity continues to rise. A step at a time The first step in a systems approach to losing weight is to identify outside factors and pressures that influence your eating. It can be as simple as family or work stress. You will realize you need more than will power to lose weight. "Using willpower for self-improvement is like applying brute force," Alemi says, "Using a systems approach is applying intelligence." The second step is identifying the problem behind weight gain and seeing from where the problem extends. "It also helps to frame the problem positively," said Alemi. "For example, you might look at weight gain as an opportunity to get fit." How well you deal with these hidden problems behind weight gain will have a great impact on your outcome to diet and exercise. These problems can extend to lack of motivation, or excuses. "A lot of people say they don't have enough time or energy to exercise before work, or after tending kids all day long," said Carrie Kropf, a certified personal trainer at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club. "The truth is that you really have to want to do it! "It's not something that anyone forces you to do," said Kropf, "It's all in their head and how they look at it." The benefits of exercise are great, and are also essential to losing weight. The third step is coming up with logical solutions that will impact your outcome. For example using stress-management techniques, or scheduling time for yourself from family needs, can lead you in the direction you want to go. "I found that I wasn't taking enough time for myself from my family. I never felt like I had enough time to exercise," said Wickizer. "I decided to go every day before my husband went to work. But, I found that I was so tired, I couldn't concentrate, and I couldn't be regular. I then dedicated myself to go in the afternoons, and get a babysitter. "Once you understand your habits, you can set goals to change them," said Dr. William Riley, Director of Research at PICS, Inc. (Personal Improvement Computer Systems), which specializes in developing products that address major health issues. "For example, you may find you often snack on fatty, high calorie foods while watching television," Riley said. "Change this habit by having fresh fruit, unsalted popcorn, or unsalted pretzels handy as you watch TV. Or, you may find that you skip breakfast and then eat a very large lunch. Perhaps you picked up the habit because you don't have enough time in the mornings to eat breakfast at home. Instead of eating too much at lunch, take a low fat muffin, bagel, or cereal with you and eat breakfast at work." The fourth step is to monitor your progress and see what will work for you. If you set side time for yourself each day to exercise, experiment with the times you might have available. You might find that one would work better for you than the other. Don't give up hope just because your first attempt didn't work. Most people take a few tries to get into a routine. The fifth step is realizing that you will run into some walls. There will be days you'll have fresh baked cookies at a friend's house, or a holiday dessert dropped off by the neighbors. Or you may have days where you can't exercise because of family or work situations. People who lose weight and keep it off eat a low-fat diet with an occasional splurge. "The most important thing to remember is portion control," said Kropf, "It's okay to eat a cookie once in a while, just don't eat the whole plate!" She also says that people lose their motivation when they go off their eating, or exercising plan. "Don't forget everything you learned, or give up," Kropf said. "Just start new the next day and learn. A lot of people give up when they make a mistake." Realize that you are going to splurge. Just don't give up, and don't get down on yourself for ruining your diet for the day. Also, stressful situations can be dangerous. "Overwhelming evidence from many areas shows that situations trigger relapses," Alemi says. "You need to find out which situations make you return to old habits." Using the systems approach can help you not only use will power alone to avoid returning to old habits. "I used to eat when I felt down, or was stressed," Wickizer says. "I don't even think of that as an option now. I will go for a walk, or go shopping." Finally, enlist your family into your own support group. When you make changes in you life, you need the support of loved ones. "When you make systemwide changes, your actions affect many people," Alemi says. "If you plan to lose weight by changing your food-shopping and cooking habits, then everyone at home will be affected. You're better off to engage them from the start." You will want to involve, educate and inform your loved ones about your goals. "The whole group needs to agree to rely on the data," said Alemi. When you see results coming from your changes, share them with everyone. They can help you share in your success when you reach your goals. "I've really changed my life, just by learning the facts, and being smart about losing weight," Wickizer says. "It's amazing how it changes everything in your life, not just your physical appearance." For more informtion, see: http://onhealth.webmd.com/fitness/in-depth/item/item,36255_1_1.asp http://www.discoverfitness.com/Maintaining_a_program.html http://www.state.de.us/dhss/irm/dph/strestip.htm
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