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Nearly 75% of Americans are overweight or obese<\/a>, despite a $225 billion dollar weight loss and management industry<\/a> focused on tools, programs, and products for shedding pounds and keeping them off. But if there are so many solutions available, why aren\u2019t more people successful at their weight loss efforts?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re largely taught\u2014in society, in the weight loss field, in diet books\u2014is if you just find the right diet, the right guru, the right pill, then it\u2019ll solve all your problems,\u201d says Dr. Scott Kahan, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C. \u201cYou lose the weight, and you\u2019ll live happily ever after. And that\u2019s pretty much never, ever the case.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Lydia Alexander, obesity medicine specialist and president-elect of the Obesity Medicine Association says that when experts approach weight loss and weight management, they don\u2019t use a single-strategy method, but instead approach it with a comprehensive care model based on four pillars: nutritional therapy<\/a>, physical activity, behavioral modification<\/a>, and medical interventions<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gets us away from the fixed mindset that there\u2019s one way to do this,\u201d says Alexander. \u201cIt requires understanding it as not a cosmetic issue, but as a medical condition that\u2019s treatable.\u201d<\/p>\n Here are a few tried-and-true tenets that Kahan and Alexander say can help move you toward a healthier weight.<\/p>\n Self-monitoring is a proven strategy for both weight loss<\/a> and weight maintenance<\/a>. You might think keeping records means \u201ccounting calories,\u201d but any kind of check-in can work to help you build a new habit.<\/p>\n You can keep a record of your weight over time to get an idea of how things are trending, your steps to see how sedentary you are in a day, or the types of foods you\u2019re eating to get an overall picture of your nutrition, such as how many vegetables you eat in a day, says Kahan.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerally tracking behaviors is very helpful for people, because it helps keep focus on a change you\u2019re intending to make and be mindful toward working at it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Reducing your weight and keeping it off is primarily a process that involves small, consistent changes over time. Even if your goal is to lose 100 pounds, you have to start with just a few.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is something that doesn\u2019t have to be\u2014and realistically can\u2019t be\u2014automatically solved,\u201d says Kahan. \u2018It\u2019s something that happens, sometimes slowly and sometimes a little quicker, but modest steps and modest goals can both lead to meaningful weight loss and weight loss that is reasonably sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, even a small amount of weight loss can lead to significant health improvements, such as improving or preventing diabetes, better mobility and physical functioning, and healthier cholesterol levels. Remembering the big picture instead of focusing solely on the number on the scale and how quickly it\u2019s falling can bolster your spirits as you stay the course.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most of weight management messaging is about losing weight, but maintaining weight takes the same amount of intentionality\u2014or even more, says Alexander.<\/p>\n \u201cA popular misconception is that once you\u2019ve lost the weight, you\u2019re done, and so you can move on,\u201d she says. \u201cA better strategy is to change the mental mindset of your timeline by thinking, \u2018OK, I\u2019ve lost the weight, and that was the first piece. The second piece now is keeping my weight at that spot.\u2019 That requires the same type of active involvement as the first piece did. It\u2019s a marathon, not a sprint.\u201d<\/p>\n Kahan says one of the most consistent predictors of long-term progress with weight management is having support and interaction. \u201cThat could be meeting with a specialist like myself, it could be meeting with a dietitian, it could be meeting with a trainer, or it could be meeting in an ongoing group session,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Even just choosing a close friend to check in with can increase your chances of success. Studies show people who keep themselves accountable with a partner as they work toward a weight loss goal may lose 50%\u201360% more weight than those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n Nutritional therapy isn\u2019t a simplistic \u201ceat less\u201d paradigm, it\u2019s a shift toward understanding the quality of what you\u2019re eating. For example, whole, fresh food decreases inflammation in your body and can reverse some of the internal malfunction that causes weight gain, says Alexander. That\u2019s why your body feels very differently when you eat empty, processed calories than when you fill up with same amount of calories from whole foods rich in vitamins and nutrients.<\/p>\n \u201cYour body will fight against you more when it\u2019s not getting the nutrition it needs,\u201d says Alexander. \u201cSo, you keep on wanting to eat more food as opposed to feeling satiated.\u201d<\/p>\n Physical activity isn\u2019t just for burning calories, it has much deeper benefits specifically tied to weight loss. Walking, one of the simplest forms of exercise, decreases your resistance to insulin, and makes you less hungry. Strength training increases your muscle mass, which aids metabolism, sustaining your calorie balance.<\/p>\n\nTrack your progress<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Keep a realistic perspective<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Have two separate goals: Lose weight. Maintain it<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Build a support system<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Make calories count<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Move your body regularly (anything goes!)<\/strong><\/h2>\n