Most people inherently know that keeping a healthy weight boils down to three things: eating healthy, eating less, and being active.
But in fact, doing that can be quite tough.
Recent research has shown that most people who diet will regain 50% of the lost weight in the first year after losing it. Much of the rest will regain it in the following three years.
Researchers suggest the weight regain is due to unhealthy lifestyle habits.
For example, people make more than 200 food decisions a day, and most of these appear to be automatic or habitual
This means people unconsciously eat without reflection, deliberation or any sense of awareness of what or how much food we select and consume.
A new study from Bond University has found the key to staying a healthy weight is to reinforce healthy habits.
The finding shows that weight-loss interventions founded on habit-change, (forming new habits or breaking old habits) could help people lose weight and keep it off.
The researchers recruited 75 volunteers from the community (aged 18-75) with excess weight or obesity and randomized them into three groups.
One program promoted breaking old habits, one promoted forming new habits, and one group was a control (no intervention).
The habit-breaking group was sent a text message with a different task to perform every day.
These tasks were focused on breaking usual routines and included things such as “drive a different way to work today”, “listen to a new genre of music” or “write a short story”.
The habit-forming group was asked to follow a program that focused on forming habits centered on healthy lifestyle changes.
The group was encouraged to incorporate ten healthy tips into their daily routine, so they became second-nature.
Unlike usual weight-loss programs, these interventions did not prescribe specific diet plans or exercise regimes, they simply aimed to change small daily habits.
After 12 weeks, the habit-forming and habit-breaking participants had lost an average of 3.1kg. More importantly, after 12 months of no intervention and no contact, they had lost another 2.1kg on average.
Some 67% of participants reduced their total body weight by over 5%, decreasing their overall risk for developing type two diabetes and heart disease.
As well as losing weight, most participants also increased their fruit and vegetable intake and improved their mental health.
The findings show that habit-based interventions have the potential to change how we think about weight management and, importantly, how we behave.
The researchers also suggest 10 healthy habits people who want to lose weight should form:
Keep to a meal routine: eat at roughly the same times each day. People who succeed at long-term weight loss tend to have a regular meal rhythm (avoidance of snacking and nibbling).
A consistent diet regimen across the week and year also predicts subsequent long-term weight loss maintenance
Go for healthy fats: choose to eat healthy fats from nuts, avocado and oily fish instead of fast food. Trans-fats are linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Walk off the weight: aim for 10,000 steps a day. Take the stairs and get off one tram stop earlier to ensure you’re getting your heart rate up every day.
Pack healthy snacks when you go out: swap crisps and biscuits for fresh fruit.
Always look at the labels: check the fat, sugar and salt content on food labels.
Caution with your portions: use smaller plates, and drink a glass of water and wait five minutes then check in with your hunger before going back for seconds
Break up sitting time: decreasing sedentary time and increasing activity is linked to substantial health benefits.
Time spent sedentary is related to excess weight and obesity, independent of physical activity level.
Think about your drinks: choose water and limit fruit juice to one small glass per day.
Focus on your food: slow down and eat while sitting at the table, not on the go. Internal cues regulating food intake (hunger/fullness signals) may not be as effective while distracted.
Always aim for five serves of vegetables a day, whether fresh, frozen or tinned: fruit and vegetables have high nutritional quality and low energy density.
Eating the recommended amount produces health benefits, including a reduction in the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease.
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