Listen to Maintainers, Not to Losers: 5 secrets to keeping the weight off for good

Posted by Eric Twitty on November 1, 2008

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By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com

I have very little interest these days in all the media-hyped stories of dramatic, rapid losses of body weight. “Big losers” don’t impress me, for numerous reasons. For example, weight is not fat. “Weight” could be composed of mostly lean tissue, or it could be mostly water weight. In fact, I would go a step further and point out that rapid loss of bodyweight correlates very highly with a greater chance of relapse, weight re-gain and long term failure.

So what does impress me? What gets my attention?

I pay attention to what the “long term maintainers” have to say - those are the people who have maintained an ideal weight for over a year… preferably even 2-5 years or more.

The difference between losers and maintainers

As I was researching the subject of long term weight maintenance recently, I was surprised at the huge amount of research that’s already been done in this area.

One paper that caught my interest was published by Judy Kruger and colleagues in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, titled,

“Dietary and physical activity behaviors among adults successful at weight loss maintenance.”

This was not an experimental study, but a compilation of data from the “Styles Survey” which was representative of the U.S. population and asked respondants questions about strategies to aid with maintaining an ideal weight.

In this particular survey, only one-third (30.96%) of the respondents said they were successful at keeping their weight off. The researchers wanted to know the difference between the small group that was successful and the majority that were not.

Both groups reduced the amount of food they consumed, they ate smaller portions, more fruits and vegetables, fewer fatty foods and fewer sweetened beverages.

Not really any surprises there, but what we want to know most is not what losers and maintainers have in common, but what the maintainers did that the losers didn’t.

Some major differences emerged between losers and maintainers:

First, a significantly higher proportion of successful maintainers reported exercising 30 minutes or more daily, and they also reported adding other physical activity to their daily schedules (recreation, sports, physical work, etc). In addition, more of the successful maintainers included weight training in their exercise regimens than did the losers.

Reducing sedentary activities (TV watching, etc) was also a significant difference between those who successfully maintained and those who did not.

The next big difference that separated the successful maintainers from the unsuccessful was in their “self-monitoring behaviors” including:

* tracking calories
* tracking body weight
* planning meals
* tracking fat
* measuring the amount of food on their plate

Unfortunately, these types of self-monitoring behaviors, especially weighing and measuring food and counting calories, are among the most avoided and even criticized weight control techniques. Some weight loss “experts” even claim that it’s detrimental to count calories, weigh yourself or measure and weigh your food.

However, these self monitoring behaviors are being identified more and more frequently in the research as part of “the difference that makes the difference.” I agree, and they have always played a major role in my own Burn The Fat program.

A final difference was that people who reported self-perceived “barriers” to their success were 48-76% less likely to be a successful maintainer.

For example, they said they had no time to exercise, they were too tired to exercise or it was too hard to maintain an exercise routine. I interpret this as: the unsuccessful losers were excuse makers!

THE TOP 5 STRATEGIES TO BE A SUCCESSFUL MAINTAINER

So let’s recap and turn these research findings into some practical action steps you can apply today.

1. Increase your total daily activity level, including formal exercise as well as sports, physical work or recreational activity. Exercise improves weight loss, but more importantly, it is critical for weight maintenance.

2. Decrease sedentary recreational activities by cutting back on TV watching, computer games and web surfing. Take up physical recreation such as sports, boating, biking, walking, hiking, gardening, physical hobbies and playing with your kids, if you have them.

3. Include weight training as part of your formal exercise program, throughout the fat loss phase and even more seriously during maintenance.

4. Track and monitor everything! Count calories and nutrients, measure your portion sizes, weigh your food, plan your menus in writing and monitor your body weight and body fat percentage.

5. Avoid excuses and maintain positive beliefs and attitudes towards your environment and what you perceive as “barriers.” For example, say, “I can always make time for what is most important to me” instead of, “I don’t have time to exercise.”

If you’re currently on a fat loss journey, and you want to know how good your odds are for being a successful maintainer, it’s pretty easy to predict using these 5 strategies. If you’re not using all 5 of them yet, then when would be a good time to start today?

There are limitations to survey results such as these, including the fact that they are cross sectional, and therefore cannot prove causality. However, I believe these findings are important and significant.

Not only do they confirm previous similar studies and agree with the findings of other groups of successful maintainers (such as the National Weight Control Registry), I found that these results match precisely what I’ve seen among my most successful “Burn The Fat” clients.

THIS is the type of advice I’d suggest you listen to the most: Advice about how to lose body FAT, not body WEIGHT, and how to maintain an ideal bodyweight and body composition over the long haul, not how to lose weight as fast as possible.

Your friend and coach,

Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
www.BurnTheFat.com

P.S. There was one more “difference that made the difference,” in this study, and this one may surprise you (although it didn’t surprise me). Successful maintainers were LESS likely to take over the counter diet products (pills, etc).

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com

Healthy Recipe Series: Salmon Quesadillas

Posted by Eric Twitty on October 17, 2008

Here is a healthy recipe for one of my favorite foods.

3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup kale, stems removed, shredded into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar or colby cheese
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
4 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
6 oz. wild salmon filet

Heat 1 tsp. of the olive oil in a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the kale in the skillet and cook until just wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with the sea salt. Remove the kale from the skillet and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the shredded cheeses. Set aside.  In a separate skillet, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the 6 oz. salmon filet seasoned with your favorite seasoning. When done, cut into flakes.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the bottom of the skillet. Top half of the tortilla with 1/4 cup of the kale, one-quarter of the flaked salmon and 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese mixture. Fold the other half of the tortilla over thefilling and cook for one minute, pressing down lightly with the back of a spatula. Using tongs, gently flip the quesadilla over and cook another minute or two, until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining three tortillas and fillings.

Cut each quesadilla into three triangles. Serve immediately with guacamole, tomato salsa and non-fat sour cream, if desired. Makes 4 salmon quesadillas.

The Only Diet Plan You Will Ever Need

Posted by Eric Twitty on October 8, 2008

There are so many diet plans out there, it is obvious why people are lost when it comes to dieting.

Everyone is looking for that magic diet that will melt off the pounds in record time.

These diet plans usually lead to frustration and failure and it doesn’t have to be that way.

Effective dieting takes a lot of discipline and hard work.

So what makes up an effective diet?

An effective diet should accomplish these three things:

1. Boost metabolism- increase fat burning even while you are inactive
2. Create a slight caloric deficit- you take in slightly less calories than you burn
3. Keep insulin levels low- insulin is the hormone that controls blood sugar levels

Boosting Metabolism

To put it simply, your metabolism is the amount of calories your body burns to operate on a dialy basis. Boosting your metabolic rate can have a dramatic effect on your daily calorie expenditure. So how do we boost our metabolism?

1. Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day
2. Eat lean, protein rich meats with every meal

Breaking up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller meals ensures that your body has the fuel it needs to function optimally. Each meal should include a good lean protein source and green vegetables such as broccoli or spinach. Protein requires more calories to digest than fat or carbohydrates. You can include a piece of fruit with your early meals but you should avoid it in your later meals.

Create a Caloric Deficit

Creating a caloric deficit basically means eating less calories than you burn. There are formulas out there that you can use to estimate your daily calorie expenditure but I think for most people just wanting to lose weight they aren’t necessary. If you stick to the foods that I recommend you should steadily burn fat and trim inches off your waist.

Keeping Insulin Levels Low

There are many health advantages to keeping your insulin levels low. Chronically elevated insulin levels can lead to diabetes and excess fat storage. Vegetables will do little to raise insulin concentration in the blood. You should get most of your carbs from green vegetables and fruits. One or two spikes in insulin levels throughout the day is fine but you want to avoid high insulin levels for an extended period. You accomplish that by avoiding foods that are very starchy.

So What Foods Should You Buy

Your food choices at the grocery store are very important. You want to avoid purchasing unhealthy foods. Don’t even go down the potato chip aisle at the store. Remember, if it’s not in your house, you won’t be tempted to eat it. Here is a list of what you should be buying at the store:

• Plenty of lean meats (chicken, sirloin, lean ground beef, lean ground turkey, lean turkey breast)

• Fish (salmon, tilapia, etc.)

• Fresh or frozen green veggies (broccoli, spinach, asparagus, celery, etc.) do not buy the cans

• fresh fruit (grapes, bananas, blueberries)

• regular oatmeal

• extra virgin olive oil

• coconut oil (for cooking)

This list offers lots of choices to create variety. Variety is essential if you want to stick to the diet.

Putting it All Together

So what would a typical day on this diet look like? It should look something like this:

Meal 1

5 oz. chicken breast
1 cup of oatmeal mixed with blueberries

Meal 2

5-6 oz. of lean ground beef or turkey
1 cup steamed veggies
1 banana

Meal 3

5 oz. chicken breast
1 cup steamed veggies

Meal 4

5-6 oz. salmon or tilapia
1 cup steamed veggies

Meal 5

5 oz. chicken breast
1 cup steamed veggies

This is just an example. You can eat whatever meats you like as long as they are lean. I would avoid eating a lot of fish. You should only include fish in three or four meals a week. Just remember that you want to avoid a lot of carbs later in the day.

Helpful Tips

1. Drink mostly water- its ok to have a zero calorie beverage every once in awhile such as diet coke but I would limit them to no more than one a day
2. Take a good multivitamin- this will ensure that you are getting all your vitamins and minerals
3. Take 10 grams of fish oil daily- there are numerous benefits to taking fish oil, its benefits are well published all over the web
4. Pre-cook your meals- this saves a lot of time, I usually cook everything on Sunday and pack them into ready-to-go meals in the refrigerator for later use
5. Experiment with different seasonings- use different seasonings while cooking to create more variety
6. Exercise- any daily exercise can go a long way in increasing your metabolism and burning extra calories

Get Out There and Get it Done

This truly is the only diet plan you will ever need. You shouldn’t even consider this a diet. This is a way of life. These are solid eating habits that will give you the body you want and help you keep it.