clients get out of bed in the morning , their blood glucose is on the low side of normal . Their bodies need energy for the day ’ s activities . Since it has been many hours since their last meal , they need to break the fast , literally . The macronutrients they eat at breakfast will be used for their important jobs - carbohydrate will be used to replenish their blood glucose from their overnight fast to provide immediate fuel for their cells and to store muscle glycogen for later use ; protein will be used to maintain the structural integrity of their cells and tissues and to transport nutrients in their blood ; and fat will be used to provide energy , absorb fat-soluble vitamins , and maintain their bodies ’ temperature . Because your clients are in a metabolically needy state when they get out of bed , all those calories from carbohydrates , protein , and fat that they eat at breakfast will be used to fulfill their bodies ’ metabolic demands . Skipping breakfast only serves to deny their bodies the fuel they need .
Habit
06
Exercise ( a lot ) every day
Successful weight losers exercise a lot every day , burning a lot more calories than the general population . 39 Table 3 shows the number of calories the NWCR members burn per week during physical activity , 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 week kg lost 2,832 ( 40 ) 31 2,829 ( 41 ) 30 2,832 ( 42 ) 56 ( 43 , 44 )
1,306 ( women ) 1,306 ( men )
63 ( women )
78 ( men ) 2,542 ( 45 ) 32 2,621 ( 46 ) 32 2,521 ( 47 ) 33 Average 2,722 36 Women 2,545 28.5
Men 3,293 35
Table 3 : Caloric expenditure of successful weight losers
Successful weight losers burn about 2,700 calories per week . 72 % burn more than 2,000 calories per week and 35 % burn more than
48 , 49
3,000 calories per week .
A consistent , high level of exercise is one of the most important predictors of whether or not someone will be able to keep the weight off . 50 A major finding of the NWCR is that a large part of regaining weight after losing it is due to the inability
51 , 52
to maintain exercise habits for the long term .
While it may be easy or convenient to think that the reason why some people exercise and others don ’ t is because the ones who do have
Successful weight losers control calories in several ways , including limiting how often they eat out at restaurants , rarely eating fast food , and limiting how many calories they drink
THE QUICK READ
• The National Weight Control Registry ( NWCR ) in the US is the world ’ s largest database of information about individuals that successfully maintain long-term weight loss
• Each year the registry ’ s 10,000 participants complete questionnaires about their current weight , diet and exercise habits , and behavioural strategies for weight loss maintenance
• Living with intention is a habit that eliminates the random approach to weight loss maintenance in favour of a methodical one that leads to results
• Self-control , incorporating delayed gratification , is another key habit
• Successful weight losers consume fewer daily calories than the general population
• Those who maintain long-term weight loss are more highly likely to eat breakfast daily , and to consume lowfat , high-carbohydrate diets
• They are also more likely to exercise a lot every day , burning significantly more calories than the general population .
the time and resources , like access to a gym or personal trainer , or because they simply like to exercise , the NWCR has shown that what makes a successful weight loser exercise has little to do with these factors . Whether or not someone exercises comes down to his or her commitment and the creation of and persistence in the habit ( see habit 1 . Live with intention ).
This feature has been adapted from Lose It Forever : The 6 Habits of Successful Weight Losers from the National Weight Control Registry by Jason Karp , PhD .
REFERENCES
Dr Jason Karp , PhD A competitive runner since sixth grade , Jason pursues his passion every day as a run coach , exercise physiologist , bestselling author of 10 books and 400 + articles , speaker , and educator . He is the 2011 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year and two-time recipient of the President ’ s Council on Sports , Fitness & Nutrition Community Leadership award . His REVO₂LUTION RUNNING™ certification has been obtained by fitness professionals and coaches in 25 countries . His latest book , Lose It Forever : The 6 Habits of Successful Weight Losers from the National Weight Control Registry is available on Amazon .
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