How To Lose Weight Quickly And Keep It Off

To calm the storms of emotional overeating, try a temporary regimen of St. John's wort or kava kava. Sometimes these herbs are combined in a single product. There's not much information on whether they are compatible with other natural weight-loss supplements, so it is prudent to take these herbs alone while you attempt to destress your life. Once you have a period of calm eating under your belt, discontinue them and switch to another natural weight-loss supplement.

Nearly 95 percent of those who go on diets and lose weight regain that weight, plus interest, within five years. So the real key is keeping weight off. No one supplement will help you do that, although pyruvate taken in maintenance doses is believed to help somewhat.

Success or failure at keeping weight off ultimately depends on multiple factors. Among them are fat intake, diet, and exercise patterns. In an intriguing study, a group of dietitians explored just what makes people take off weight and keep it off. They surveyed people who had participated in a worksite weight-control program at a Midwestern university campus between 1987 and 1990. This particular program was behaviorally oriented and lasted six months each time it was offered. The dieters met once a week for an hour for the first 6 to 8 weeks, and then twice a month for the rest of the 6 months. Fourteen men and fifteen women participated in the study.

Information from the dieters was taken 6 months and 42 months after completing the program. The dieters completed questionnaires on their diet; weight loss and regain patterns; exercise habits; and social support from spouse, children, friends, and coworkers. Measurements such as weight and height were taken as well.

Some interesting findings emerged from both follow-ups: Twenty of the dieters had regained weight. Of significance was that these regainers had a chronic history of yo-yo dieting (going on and off diets, bouncing up and down in weight). The regainers ate more of their calories at dinner than the maintainers did. And the nine dieters who had maintained their weight tended to eat less total fat. They also exercised more and for longer periods of time.

In another fascinating study of maintainers, formerly obese men and women who had kept their weight off for more than five years said that a "trigger" event had prompted them to shed pounds permanently. Trigger events included medical problems such as low back pain, constant fatigue, or varicose veins; emotional trauma in which a wife lost her husband because she was too fat; and appearance issues in which someone became disgusted after seeing his or her body in a photograph.

On average, the maintainers had cut their fat intake to under 30 percent of their diet, ate five meals daily, and exercised regularly. Most lost between 66 and 100 pounds, and were able to maintain an average loss of 30 pounds. This was a very large study, with 629 women and 155 men participating.

Both studies provide important clues on how to keep pounds off. Here are some tips.

Keep your fat intake low about 15 to 20 percent of total daily calories.

Eat your heaviest meals earlier in the day. There's a better chance they'll be burned off by exercise and other activities. Big evening meals tend to be metabolized when you're sleeping a time when calories can turn into fat more easily.

Eat frequently throughout the day. Eating at least five meals daily has a stimulating effect on your metabolism just what you need to keep your body's fat-burning wheels in motion.

Exercise regularly, choosing an activity you enjoy.

If you're a yo-yo dieter, get your mind off dieting for a while. Instead, put your energy into becoming more active.

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