National Weight Control Registry
I’ve mentioned the National Weight Control Registry before–a collection of individuals who have lost 30 pounds or more and maintained the loss for a year or more. Various researchers have studied these people’s experiences and written about their weight-maintenance success. Here you can read some of their findings.
Well, now I am eligible to join them, having gone from 162 pounds in mid-September 2003 to 132 pounds in April 2005. (Yes, you read that right–it took me more than a year and a half to lose it.)
By the time I get the questionnaire and respond, I will have maintained for a year. Woo-hoo!
I’m now 128 pounds and shooting for 125 next month, when I’m planning to wear a very foxy dress while singing torch songs at my brother’s wedding reception. That’s another story.
I’ve just submitted an info-request form at the NWCR website, and presumably a more detailed questionnaire will be mailed to me. I’ll keep you posted.
Getting back to the slow pace of my weight loss: The morality tale is, don’t be stupid like me and refuse to count calories. Don’t be stupid like me and say to yourself, "Sheesh, I don’t know why I can’t get off this plateau. I’m eating healthy; I’m working out. What gives?"
Newsflash: that’s a sign that you’re eating (albeit healthily) exactly enough calories to maintain your weight. Want to lose fat? 1) Exercise. 2) Count calories and write down the food value of absolutely everything that enters your mouth. 3) Eat fewer calories than you need to maintain, but don’t starve yourself. It works!
March 17th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Hey Mary! Good to hear from you. Congratulations on qualifying to be listed with the National Weight Control Registry. That’s awesome! Come to think of it, I qualify as well. Although I really would like to break through my plateau and get rid of a bit more before I submit to it.
Speaking of plateaus, I really wish the whole “calories in vs. calories out” thing worked 100% of the time. At one point, I thought that it did. I’ve come to realize, however, that it doesn’t apply to every situation. I’ve obsessed and obsessed over the numbers to the point of not counting anything at the moment — for the sake of my own sanity.
Who knows? Maybe I could make it work if I were willing to drop my intake down to 1200 or 1300 calories. Unfortunately, I simply refuse to do that. To me, that *IS* starving. Not to mention that it would really screw up my metabolism. I’d rather stay this weight for a while and be able to consume my regular 1600-1800 calories per day and maintain my 2 hours of exercise per day without making myself sick.
Would you happen to have any other suggestions? I’m open for them, believe me.
March 18th, 2006 at 12:00 am
You’re absolutely right about starvation. I can’t do that, and of course, I’d end up losing muscle mass if I did. If I’m exercising regularly and trying to cut fat, my low-cal day is about 1,800 calories, and my maintenance day is about 2,100 or 2,200.
The only suggestion I have is one you probably already know about–not to reduce calories every day but to do the zig-zag. Three days (or four or two) at calorie-reduction level, one day at maintenance, then repeat the cycle.
For me the ziz-zag cuts fat quickly but causes no reduction in metabolism. I can’t see dropping calories more than 20 percent below maintenance. More than that is unhealthy, I think, and reduces muscle mass.
Also, if I’m trying to cut fat, I won’t go for longer than eight to 10 weeks without taking a break and spending a month or more in maintenance. It gives me a psychological break.
You already know all the tricks I know–eating every three hours or so, having protein for every meal and snack, etc.
Have you read Tom Venuto’s book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle? There’s a link to the book on my blog, in the left frame.
It’s a truly excellent e-book–the one I recommend to everybody and the one I return to when I need inspiration. I’ve read scads of fitness/exercise/nutrition books, and Tom does a great job of pulling together a lot of solid information.
Mary
March 24th, 2006 at 6:33 am
Hey,
I got my packet in the mail from the NWCR last week. I haven’t maintained my loss yet– wait that came out wrong… I just lost– 54 pounds from July2005 to now… but it hasn’t been over a year and I am still aiming to go down 25-30 pounds more (I am at 174).
I am using the packet as more motivation. I look so much better I sometimes coast instead of keeping on track.
174 is still obese.
sigh.
K
March 24th, 2006 at 8:40 am
K–
Congratulations on your fat loss! That’s excellent, and as a fellow loser, I know it’s not easy. Please give yourself some rewards for losing the weight.
I know you want to drop some more, but you deserve recognition for your success right now!
You go, girl!
P.S. I think coasting now and then is actually a great idea. Probably easier for both body and psyche if we lose some weight, maintain for a while, then begin the fat-loss process again.
June 19th, 2006 at 11:37 am
Mary, Congratulations on your weight loss and especially on your weight loss maintenance achievement!! I am an advanced practice RN and a sociology doctoral student at Kent State University. I’m currently working on my dissertation and investigating weight loss, weight loss maintenance, and the development of unique meanings. My survey is available at http://newmedia.kent.edu/weightloss and I am writing to ask you if you will please participate in my study by completing a survey. Survey completion takes about 20 minutes, and I would be very grateful for your time and responses. My study participants must be at least 18 years old and either in the process of non-surgically losing weight or maintaining a weight loss (any amount and any length of time). I am currently recruiting participants, am very excited about this study, and believe the findings will be used to help individuals negotiate the process of bringing about intentional self-change. Thanks for your time and again, congratulations on your achievements! best regards, Chris Heifner Graor