8 Habits of Successful Losers

...details here from a giant study of successful weight loss and maintenance:

Breakfast

3. They Control Portions

4. They Make Healthy food Choices

5. They Keep Track

6. They Find Food-Free Ways to Deal With Stress

7. They Surround Themselves With Support

8. They Believe They Can Do

Anything you don't follow on this list?, have anything to add? If you research, there are other things on the list not posted here...

I would like to speak to numbers 6, 7, and 8.

I think a wonderful resource is The Beck Diet Solution and workbook - by Judith Beck, Ph.D. - don't be misled by the title, it is really about addressing the myriad of cognitive and behavioral issues that come into play when one struggles with disordered eating - all the head stuff that we must work on in order to succeed over the long haul.

There are a set of response cards that come with the workbook - and you also make your own. These are the phrases that are on that set of cards - which I have found helpful in my own "brain re-training".

The Beck Solution

Response Cards

1. Do It Anyway - Even if I don't feel like using a diet skill, I have to do it anyway. If I only do what I

feel like doing, I wont be able to lose weight and keep it off.

2. Give Myself Credit - I deserve credit EVERY TIME I exercise. I deserve credit EVERY TIME

I practice a dieting skill. I deserve credit EVERY TIME I stick to my plan.

3. Eat Mindfully - I need to eat slowly and mindfully while sitting down - EVERY SINGLE TIME.

4. It's Okay To Disappoint People - I am entitled to do what I have to do to lose weight, as

long as I am nicely assertive.

5. Say No To Extra food - Get rid of extra food. It'll be wasted in the trash can or in my body. Either

way, it's wasted.

6. Put Dieting First - I have to plan my life around exercise and dieting activities, not vice versa. I

deserve to put myself first.

7. Exercise No Matter What - If I don't feel like exercising, remember: 5 minutes is better

than 0 minutes. Say NO CHOICE. The hardest part is getting started; then it gets easier.

8. Tolerate It! - Hunger and cravings are not emergencies. I can tolerate them. They are mild

compared to ____________________________. I am going to eat in ________ hours anyway.

9. Distraction Techniques - When I want to eat something I shouldn't, Do these things

instead:_____________________________________________________________.

10. If I am Hungry After a Meal - Don't worry! it may take 20 minutes to feel full.

11. No Excuses - Just because I want to eat, doesn't mean I should.

12. Resistance Habit - EVERY TIME I eat something I am not supposed to, I strengthen my giving-in

habit. EVERY TIME I don't give in, I strengthen my resistance habit.

13. Can't Have it Both Ways - I can be Loose with my eating OR I can be thinner - I cant be both.

14. It's Not Okay - It's NOT OKAY to eat this. I'm going to be very sorry if I do.

15. I'll Care Later - I may not care right now, but I will care A LOT when I get on the scale.

16. I'd Rather be Thinner - Being thinner is SO much more important to me than eating this

food.

17. NO CHOICE - NO CHOICE - NO CHOICE.

18. Get Back on Track - If I eat something I shouldn't have I haven't blown it. its not the end

of the world. its just a mistake. Get back on track this minute! Don't keep on eating! that makes no

sense. It is a million times better to stop now than to allow myself to eat more.

19. Celebrate! - I should Celebrate each half-pound loss!

20. Oh, Well - I don't like this, but I'm going to accept it and move on.

21. Advice to a Friend - If my best friend were discouraged, disappointed, or dismayed,

what would I tell him/her?

22. Be Realistic - I shouldn't expect to lose weight every single week.

23. I Don't Comfort Myself with Food - If I am upset, don't eat to seek comfort! it wont solve

the problem, and I'll just feel worse.

24. Enrich my Life Today - I need to work toward developing a rich and rewarding life - right

now.

Chimera, that was super helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to post those.

I love this stuff.....It holds a lot of value for me.....

I really believe that our thoughts contribute to how we feel about something and how we handle our eating. I love the mindful eating but when I become lax on it, I forget to eat mindfully and just put food in my mouth with out enjoying the flavor. This is what I work on....

Chimera that was helpful.

I do everything on the list except track. The scale and fitted no stretch clothes are my accountability.

I wanted to address the"believing". I think that is a process....over time I built up the belief. Now I have the mindset there is no going back. I may have regains but I believe in my ability to manage my weight like a normal person now. Not easy but possible..something you just DO. In the past a gain would make me give up.all or nothing thinking was my enemy. Gain 10, might as well be 100as it felt equally hopeless. I see that unhealthy thought process as being immature and part of the disordered eating cycle.

On the whole giant list, number 24 meant the most to me.

Enrich my Life Today - I need to work toward developing a rich and rewarding life - right

now.

I think I have used food as a distraction, and a form of drug... numbing myself from feeling other uncomfortable feelings... when I fill my minutes with building and living a rewarding life, the eating for anesthesia impulse lessens. I can see this giant list as a way to make clear areas that might bring you down... Most of them do not resonate with me at this time, except the last one, but i can see how picking out a few to work on could be very helpfull on the road to long term success.

12 was interesting for me. I never thought of resisting treats a either building or strengthening a habit. That makes each refusal count for more in my mind. It's not just that I refused a piece of cake, it's that I continue to build my ability to resist it. That's a good way to look at it.

Because of course what my fat brain says is, 'You could be hit by a truck tomorrow, so what good does it do you to turn down a piece of cake today?"

12 was interesting for me. I never thought of resisting treats a either building or strengthening a habit. That makes each refusal count for more in my mind. It's not just that I refused a piece of cake, it's that I continue to build my ability to resist it. That's a good way to look at it.

Because of course what my fat brain says is, 'You could be hit by a truck tomorrow, so what good does it do you to turn down a piece of cake today?"

My fat brain always says...."go ahead and have that treat. What's it gonna hurt? I can burn off those calories." But my problem is...it won't end there. It gets easier every time to say yes. It gets easier to justify. And lets face it....there's a whole lot of justifying going on in our fat brains.

Thanks so much for this topic. I am going to print them out and read them over and over. I am working on living these tactics everyday so they are just a part of my normal life.

Thanks so much for this topic. I am going to print them out and read them over and over. I am working on living these tactics everyday so they are just a part of my normal life.

Thats what I thought too. I have read these stats before, before I had the surgery and reached goal. It seemed so far away then, so abstract. But re-reading them, really means something to me, and I know applying them to my life is how i got to where i am, and how I will maintain. The sleeve is a piece of the picture too, it has made applying many of the "rules" much easier. If you research the study, there are other things on the larger lists.. including not watching more than 10 hours of TV a week...(I def did not follow that one!) But I get why that would be so... how you spent your time before surgery has to change.... there has to be more time given to exercise/moving.... cooking, support activities.... it has to come from somewhere... I notice that I really have a hard time getting everything done that I used to do, along with what I have added to my routine... TV is the logical place to make cuts, so there is time to include the really important activities.

For those of you that have not read the full article, let me post this from the first page....

According to Brown Medical School research that analyzed data from the National Weight Control Registry, a group that was established to follow the habits and behaviors of successful weight loss maintainers, weight loss maintenance may get easier over time. And those who keep the weight off for two to five years greatly increase the likelihood that they will to continue to do so.

Read more: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/8-habits-of-successful-losers/#ixzz2mN3EvMY3

You may all stand up and cheer now!

For those of you that have not read the full article, let me post this from the first page.... According to Brown Medical School research that analyzed data from the National Weight Control Registry, a group that was established to follow the habits and behaviors of successful weight loss maintainers, <strong><span style="color:#800000;"><em>weight loss maintenance may get easier over time. And those who keep the weight off for two to five years greatly increase the likelihood that they will to continue to do so.</em></span></strong><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;">Read more: <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.rd.com/slideshows/8-habits-of-successful-losers/#ixzz2mN3EvMY3'>http://www.rd.com/slideshows/8-habits-of-successful-losers/#ixzz2mN3EvMY3</a></span></span> <span style="margin-left:0px;font-size:18px;background-color:transparent;">You may all stand up and cheer now!</span>

I thought the article was very good. I was head nodding with all the behaviors, and then they got to the last one about a belief--and I must say I hadn't stopped to consider that one.

Belief moves us through the actions toward the results.

I would like to speak to numbers 6, 7, and 8. I think a wonderful resource is The Beck Diet Solution and workbook - by Judith Beck, Ph.D. - don't be misled by the title, it is really about addressing the myriad of cognitive and behavioral issues that come into play when one struggles with disordered eating - all the head stuff that we must work on in order to succeed over the long haul. There are a set of response cards that come with the workbook - and you also make your own. These are the phrases that are on that set of cards - which I have found helpful in my own "brain re-training". The Beck Solution Response Cards 1. Do It Anyway - Even if I don't feel like using a diet skill, I have to do it anyway. If I only do what I feel like doing, I wont be able to lose weight and keep it off. 2. Give Myself Credit - I deserve credit EVERY TIME I exercise. I deserve credit EVERY TIME I practice a dieting skill. I deserve credit EVERY TIME I stick to my plan. 3. Eat Mindfully - I need to eat slowly and mindfully while sitting down - EVERY SINGLE TIME. 4. It's Okay To Disappoint People - I am entitled to do what I have to do to lose weight, as long as I am nicely assertive. 5. Say No To Extra Food - Get rid of extra food. It'll be wasted in the trash can or in my body. Either way, it's wasted. 6. Put Dieting First - I have to plan my life around exercise and dieting activities, not vice versa. I deserve to put myself first. 7. Exercise No Matter What - If I don't feel like exercising, remember: 5 minutes is better than 0 minutes. Say NO CHOICE. The hardest part is getting started; then it gets easier. 8. Tolerate It! - Hunger and cravings are not emergencies. I can tolerate them. They are mild compared to ____________________________. I am going to eat in ________ hours anyway. 9. Distraction Techniques - When I want to eat something I shouldn't, Do these things instead:_____________________________________________________________. 10. If I am Hungry After a Meal - Don't worry! it may take 20 minutes to feel full. 11. No Excuses - Just because I want to eat, doesn't mean I should. 12. Resistance Habit - EVERY TIME I eat something I am not supposed to, I strengthen my giving-in habit. EVERY TIME I don't give in, I strengthen my resistance habit. 13. Can't Have it Both Ways - I can be Loose with my eating OR I can be thinner - I cant be both. 14. It's Not Okay - It's NOT OKAY to eat this. I'm going to be very sorry if I do. 15. I'll Care Later - I may not care right now, but I will care A LOT when I get on the scale. 16. I'd Rather be Thinner - Being thinner is SO much more important to me than eating this food. 17. NO CHOICE - NO CHOICE - NO CHOICE. 18. Get Back on Track - If I eat something I shouldn't have I haven't blown it. its not the end of the world. its just a mistake. Get back on track this minute! Don't keep on eating! that makes no sense. It is a million times better to stop now than to allow myself to eat more. 19. Celebrate! - I should celebrate each half-pound loss! 20. Oh, Well - I don't like this, but I'm going to accept it and move on. 21. Advice to a Friend - If my best friend were discouraged, disappointed, or dismayed, what would I tell him/her? 22. Be Realistic - I shouldn't expect to lose weight every single week. 23. I Don't Comfort Myself with Food - If I am upset, don't eat to seek comfort! it wont solve the problem, and I'll just feel worse. 24. Enrich my Life Today - I need to work toward developing a rich and rewarding life - right now.

I LOVE these!!!! You know, in a lot of threads we are concerned about food being forefront and a constant thought. I agree that it can be "tunnel Vision" but I also agree with #6 that it DOES have to be at the forefront. These are all so excellent t! I'm going to copy this off and get the book!! Thanks!

Oh thank you! I love alla these !!! Great points. All of them

8 Habits of Successful Losers ...details here from a giant study of successful weight loss and maintenance: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/8-habits-of-successful-losers/#ixzz2mCK8diqT How do you fit in here? Quote and comment. 1. They Are Physically Active Every Day 2. They Eat Breakfast 3. They Control Portions 4. They Make Healthy food Choices 5. They Keep Track 6. They Find Food-Free Ways to Deal With Stress 7. They Surround Themselves With Support 8. They Believe They Can Do Anything you don't follow on this list?, have anything to add? If you research, there are other things on the list not posted here...

I've found that the habits of success evolve over time and then re-evolve again! Such as eating breakfast. I always have and believed that it was necessary. Since starting 5:2 lifestyle, I find I'm not eating much breakfast since at least two days a week I'm waiting til later in the day to have anything other than liquid and have found that it has sorta changed my eating schedule overall. It hasn't caused me to eat MORE overall or binge. I'm sure I will revert at some point.

All of the others are truly important and probably the most important NOW is keeping track and making wise food choices. Since portion control (other than sliders) is somewhat "built in" with our sleeves.