Healthy Tips– Topic:’Slow but Steady’ Wins the Weight Loss Race

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‘Slow but Steady’ Wins the Weight Loss Race

A new study found that people whose weight fluctuates early in a weight loss program have worse long-term results.

If losing weight feels more like being a yo-yo than a ball rolling down a gentle hill, then you might want to rethink your approach.

A new study found that people whose weight fluctuated in the first few months of a weight loss program lost less weight over the long run, compared to people with more consistent week-by-week progress.

The Drexel University researchers suggested that this may help identify people early on who need extra support in meeting their weight loss goals.

The dangers of regaining weight that’s been lost is nothing new to health professionals.

“If you’re yo-yoing, that is a clear signal or red flag that it’s about something more than the food you eat and the exercise you’re engaging in, that there are probably ingrained patterns of behavior that we need to look at changing in order for it to stick long term,” said Eliza Kingsford, a licensed psychotherapist and author of “Brain-Powered Weight Loss,” who wasn’t involved in the study.

Yo-yo dieting leads to less success

In the studyTrusted Source, published August 28 in the journal Obesity, researchers followed 183 people participating in a year-long behavioral weight loss program.

Researchers found that people whose weight fluctuated more during the first 6 or 12 months lost less weight after one and two years.

For example, people who lost four pounds in one week, regained two the next, and then lost one the next and so on, did more poorly than people who lost one pound each week for the first six months.

While weight variability over the first six months predicted long-term success, researchers found that the 12-month variability was less affected by other factors.

All volunteers were given goals to focus on during the program, such as monitoring their habits, progress, and calorie intake, while also increasing their physical activity.

The first six months of the program focused on weight loss, with weekly small group sessions. The final six months shifted toward maintaining the weight, with less frequent sessions.

People who reported higher binge eating, emotional eating, and preoccupation with food at the beginning of the study showed higher weight variability and lost less weight after one or two years.

This suggests that weight variability is a better predictor of long-term success than a person’s relationship with food.

The researchers pointed out that the study doesn’t show that weight variability causes poorer weight loss outcomes. But it may help target people who aren’t benefitting from a particular weight loss program — before they’ve spent a year trying to lose weight.

Other research has also found that early success in a weight loss program predicts long-term results. But these studies looked at the percent change in weight lossTrusted Source rather than how much a person’s weight jumps around week by week.

Although losing ten pounds in the first week can be a big boost of motivation for many people, it may not matter in the long run if your weight yo-yos the rest of the time.

A dramatic example of this comes from a 2016 Obesity studyTrusted Source, in which researchers followed 14 people who participated in the “Biggest Loser” competition.

Over the course of the 30-week show, people lost on average 129 pounds each. But six years later, all but one had regained most of their weight — on average, 90 pounds each.

Developing sustainable weight loss

Kingsford told Healthline that while doing things like severely restricting your calories or ditching carbs may give you dramatic upfront weight loss results, they don’t make sense if you want lifelong success.

“Research supports — and will continue to support — the types of behavior changes that are sustainable long term,” said Kingsford. “Of course, these don’t lead to results that are nearly as sexy as losing 10 pounds in a week.”

Sexy or not, sustainable is good if you want to keep the weight off.

One way to approach weight loss sustainably, said Kingsford, is by setting goals that you can actually achieve.

For example, if your approach to weight loss involves running, and you’re currently running one mile, three times a week, the next step needs to be doable. That might mean running 2 miles on one or two of those days, not jumping straight to 10 miles, six times a week.

This approach also provides positive reinforcement for your goal-setting “muscles.”

“The more you set and achieve goals,” said Kingsford, “the more you will be able to set and achieve goals.”

Looking at your food triggers is another sustainable weight loss solution.

Do you eat when you’re bored, stressed, or happy? Do you go out every Friday night with your coworkers out of habit? Do you automatically reach for a bag of pretzels when you sit down to watch your favorite television show?

“Take a look at your current patterns of behavior around food and figure out what those triggers are, be it positive or negative triggers,” said Kingsford. “Then systematically look at changing those patterns of behavior based on the knowledge of the triggers.”

This approach to weight loss isn’t for everyone, though, especially with so many ads popping up online for “sexy” weight loss options.

But many people burn out from always trying the latest diet or the next cool workout.

“People eventually come to me saying: I’m tired of dieting, I’m tired of yo-yoing, I’m tired of being unsuccessful,” said Kingsford. “They get to the point of knowing this is about something more than just food and exercise.”

The Different Stages of Losing Weight: Fat Loss vs. Weight Loss

While weight loss can include reduced weight from stored carbs, protein, water, and fat, fat loss includes only weight loss from fat. Fat loss typically occurs at a slower rate.

If you’re like most people, you may be eager to know when you can expect to see results after embarking on your weight loss journey.

At the same time, you may also want to know whether the weight you’re losing is coming from fat rather than muscle or water.

This article reviews the stages of weight loss, the difference between weight loss and fat loss, and tips for preventing weight regain.

Stages of weight loss

Weight loss generally occurs in two stages — an early, rapid weight loss stage followed by a slower, longer period of weight loss .

Stage 1 — Rapid weight loss

The first stage of weight loss is when you tend to lose the most weight and begin to notice changes in your appearance and how your clothes fit. It usually happens within the first 4–6 weeks.

Most of the weight loss in this stage comes from carb stores, protein, and water — and to a lesser extent, body fat.

Weight loss tends to occur more rapidly in people who follow a low carb or keto diet than those who follow a low fat diet, as they deplete their body’s carb stores faster, along with water.

However, in the long term, the research remains mixed as to whether a low carb or keto diet offers an advantage for overall weight loss over a low fat diet

Factors other than diet, including your age, sex, starting weight, and physical activity level, can also influence your rate of weight loss.

For example, men are more likely to lose weight quicker than women, and older adults may lose weight quicker than their younger counterparts, although some of this weight loss may be muscle

At the same time, you’re likely to lose weight quicker if you have a higher starting weight and exercise more frequently.

Stage 2 — Slow weight loss

Weight loss in the second stage occurs at a much slower rate, but it primarily comes from body fat, generally after 6 weeks and beyond .

At times, you may experience a weight loss plateau during which you experience little to no weight loss.

Weight loss plateaus can occur due to metabolic adaptations that decrease your metabolism and the number of calories you burn while exercising .

However, weight loss plateaus more commonly occur because many diets are overly restrictive and hard to follow, causing people to deviate from them .

As such, it’s important to follow a dietary pattern that fits your lifestyle and preferences so that you can stick with it long term.

In either case, you’ll likely need to make adjustments to your diet and lifestyle over time to reach your goal.

SUMMARY

Weight loss occurs in two phases — a rapid weight loss phase followed by a slower weight loss phase. The rapid weight loss phase is when you’ll notice the most significant physical changes.

Fat loss vs. weight loss

While weight loss and fat loss are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings.

Weight loss refers to decreased overall body weight from stored carbs, protein, water, and fat.

Conversely, fat loss refers to weight loss from fat.

Fat loss is a healthier goal than weight loss, as weight loss may include water and muscle losses .

Maintaining muscle is important for supporting healthy blood sugar levels, controlling inflammation, and maintaining your mobility as you age .

While a standard scale can’t differentiate between weight loss and fat loss, you can increase the likelihood of weight loss in the form of fat by eating plenty of protein and creating a calorie deficit by engaging in more physical activity and reducing your overall calorie intake

SUMMARY

All fat loss is weight loss, but not all weight loss is fat loss. Fat loss is a healthier goal, as it prioritizes fat loss rather than muscle or water losses.

Weight loss maintenance strategies

The evidence to support dieting for sustainable weight loss is far from convincing.

One older review of 29 studies found that participants who lost weight through dieting regained more than half of the weight they lost within 2 years, and by 5 years, they had regained more than 80% of the weight they lost

However, these statistics shouldn’t prevent you from focusing on your diet and losing weight to improve your health or self-image.

Besides, diets are only effective if they allow you to develop sustainable healthy behaviors.

Engage in self-monitoring behaviors like tracking your diet and exercise. Tracking your calorie intake and exercise increases self-awareness of your behaviors and how those behaviors affect your weight loss goals.
Find an activity you enjoy. Exercise comes in different forms, such as biking, walking, swimming, taking the stairs, or playing outdoors with your kids. Find an activity you enjoy and do it often.
Have healthy foods like fruits and vegetables available at home. If you have more healthy foods like fruits and vegetables at your home instead of highly processed snacks like chips and soda, the decision to eat healthily is already made for you.
Prioritize sleep and reduce stress factors you have control over. A lack of sleep and many of life’s stressors can sabotage your weight loss goals. Establish healthy sleep habits and try to learn ways to ease your worry about things you can’t control.
Fill your plate with whole foods. Choose whole and minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. These foods can help keep you feeling full and provide your body the necessary nutrients to support weight loss and your health.

SUMMARY

Developing and maintaining healthy dietary and lifestyle habits are the keys to preventing weight regain.

The bottom line

You tend to lose the most weight and notice the most significant physical changes during the first stage of weight loss.

During the second stage of weight loss, you lose weight at a slower pace, but the weight you lose comes primarily from fat rather than stored carbs, protein, and water.

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