Habit
02
Control yourself
Being a successful weight loser requires a lot of self-control , delaying gratification now ( e . g ., dessert ) for the more desirable reward later ( e . g ., a slimmer waistline , better health , enhanced self-esteem , and happiness ).
Compared to typical unsuccessful dieters , successful weight losers are better able to resist temptation , control themselves , and push back against the environment . They restrict certain foods , 5 weigh themselves regularly , 6 , 7 and use digital health technology . 8
One of the key factors of self-control is disinhibition , which literally means not being inhibited . Some inhibition is good , because it prevents people from giving into temptation and eating whatever and how much they want . High levels of disinhibition are bad , because it leads to risky behaviour . Disinhibited eating is a failure to maintain control over eating . The opposite of disinhibited eating is dietary restraint . Several NWCR studies have found that increased disinhibition leads to regaining lost weight . 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 Other studies have found strong relationships between a lack of self-control -
14 , 15 , 16 impulsivity - and obesity .
Habit
03
Control calories
Successful weight losers consume fewer daily calories than the general population . Table 1 shows the number of calories the NWCR members consume per day , from the several studies that have reported it , along with the amount of weight they lost at the time they entered the NWCR .
Calories per day kg lost
1,381 ( 17 , 18 ) 30 1,297 ( women ) 28.5 ( women ) 1,725 ( men ) 35 ( men ) 1,306 ( women ) ( 19 ) 28.5 ( women ) 1,685 ( men ) 35 ( men ) 1,390 ( 20 ) 31 1,462 ( 21 ) 56 1,400 ( 22 ) 28 1,399 ( 23 ) 33 Average 1,406 36 Women 1,302 28.5
Men 1,705 35
Table 1 : Caloric intake of successful weight losers
Successful weight losers consume a lowcalorie diet of about 1,400 calories per day , with women consuming about 1,300 and men consuming about 1,700 calories per day . By comparison , the US adult population consumes an average of 2,120 calories per day ( women
consume about 1,820 calories per day and men consume about
24 , 25
2,480 calories per day ).
Successful weight losers control calories in several ways , including limiting how often they eat out at restaurants , 26 rarely eating fast food , 27 and limiting how many calories they drink . 28 They are also more likely than normal-weight individuals to have plans to be extremely strict in maintaining their caloric intake , even during times of the year when it ’ s easy to consume calories , like during holidays . 29
Habit
04
Eat a low-fat , high-carbohydrate diet
Successful weight losers eat a low-fat , high-carb diet . Table 2 shows the percentage of carbohydrate , fat , and protein the NWCR members consume , from the several studies that have reported it .
NWCR members consume an average of 25 % of their calories from fat , 55 % from carbohydrate , and 20 % from protein , with no difference in the macronutrient percentages between women and men .
In the early 2000s , when low-carb diets were becoming all the rage , the fat content of the NWCR members ’ diet increased and the carbohydrate content of their diet decreased compared to earlier years . The percentage of NWCR members consuming a lowcarbohydrate diet ( less than 90 grams , which is less than 25 % of daily calories ) increased from 5.9 % in 1995 to 7.6 % in 2001 to 17.1 % in 2003 , although it still remains low for successful weight losers , despite the media ’ s attention on low-carbohydrate diets . Even with the increasing percentage of NWCR members consuming a lowcarbohydrate diet , the fat content of the diet still remains far below the national average . Hardly any of the successful weight losers in the NWCR consume a very low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet . The word ‘ ketogenic ’ doesn ’ t even feature in any of the NWCR ’ s published studies .
Habit
05
% Fat % Carbohydrate % Protein
24 ( women ) ( 30 ) 24 ( men )
56 56
20 20
24 ( 31 ) 56 19 23 ( 32 ) 58 19 26 ( 33 ) 55 19 24 ( 34 ) 56 19 29 ( 35 ) 49 22
Average 25 55 20
Table 2 : Macronutrient consumption of successful weight losers
Eat breakfast
Seventy-eight percent of NWCR members eat breakfast every day , while only 4 % never eat breakfast . 36 These successful weight losers lost an average of 32.4kg and maintained the NWCR-required minimum weight loss of 13.5kg for an average of six years . Eating breakfast every day is also common among other successful weight losers : the NWCR ’ s sister registry in Portugal ( Portuguese Weight Control Registry ) has found that daily breakfast is one of their members ’ most common strategies . 37
Skipping breakfast is associated with consuming more total daily calories . 38 Skipping breakfast makes people hungry and therefore more likely to eat more later in the day to compensate . Breakfast skippers also tend to weigh more than breakfast eaters , and obese individuals are more likely to skip breakfast .
Eating breakfast is important for several reasons . When your
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