We are in a constant look for role models - those who have been successful at doing things that we are still struggling. In our struggle to lose weight and keep it off, we are lucky to have 5000 of such role models. These people are enrolled in the US National Weight Control Registry, the largest study of individuals successful at long term maintenance of weight loss.

Turns out they are not so different from us!! They won at diet battle not because they are lucky or special in any way. They also struggled and worked hard. A majority (75%) weighed themselves regularly at least once a week. And 50% reported they still count calories, dietary fat grams, or both, to keep it off¹ .

What does this tell us? It means that continuous self-monitoring and constant vigilance is an important ongoing strategy for succeeding in losing weight and keeping it off.

It just like in a battle: you need to stay alert because the enemy might attack at any time. Likewise, in a “diet battle”, we don’t know when the “enemy” is going to attack. By staying constantly alert, we’d be able to “defend” ourselves better or even “strike” back.

• “Defend from the attack” means being continually conscious of the quantity and type of food that we consume as well as the level of activity necessary to stay at reduced weights.
• “Strike back” means frequent weight and/or shape monitoring and responding quickly to counteract any detected weight gain by reducing their food intake and making an effort to increase their activity level.

To do so, you need to believe that the benefits of successful weight maintenance outweigh the substantial effort involved. To help, I’ll give you one good reason: I’m sure you want to stay healthy for yourself or your loved ones. Experts agree that losing and maintaining 5%-10% weight loss can produce significant health improvement in symptoms of weight-related conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, even if you remain overweight. In the other hand, losing and regaining weight (termed as Yo-Yo dieting) is associated with increased risk for heart disease and decreased immunity.

Think of losing weight and maintaining it as inseparable pair. You can’t choose one without the other. You have worked so hard in losing it, so don’t “ruin” it now. Stay alert and vigilant and be successful weight maintainers like those 5000 role models. Sure you can do it!

This is the last article in the 5 Proven Ways to Keep It Off Series. If you missed the others, check them here:

1. Warning: if you think of it as one night stand, you’ll fail.
2. Top weight loss secret.
3. Double your chance for keeping it off.
4. Little known reasons why people fail to keep it off.
5. You must stay alert in a diet battle.

1. Klem ML. et al. A Descriptive Study of Individuals Successful at Long-Term Maintenance of Substantial Weight Loss. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1997;66: 239-246. [↩]