Thought what all of these people did to have "successful" results (at bottom of article) was interesting...

-Shelly

Secrets of Successful Weight Loss

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD



May 10, 2002 -- The secret of losing weight and keeping it off isn't really a secret at all -- no fad diet, no special fat-burning pill, no celebrity-endorsed weight-loss organization. The largest survey ever on long-term weight loss shows that most successful weight-loss veterans did it all on their own, without using expensive commercial diet programs, dietary supplements, special foods or meal substitutes, or drugs.


The survey, conducted and published by Consumer Reports, questioned more than 32,000 dieters and found 83% of those who had kept the extra pounds off from more than a year did it without any gimmicks. In fact, just 14% of those who kept the weight off for more than five years ever signed up with Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, or other commercial diet programs, and even fewer used meal replacements such as Slim Fast.


Researchers say their findings debunk the conviction that you need help from a diet guru or special meal plan to lose weight. And the biggest contributor to dieting success may not be what you eat anyway, but burning those calories with a regular exercise routine.


Eight out of 10 of the successful dieters who tried exercising three or more times a week ranked it as their No. 1 dieting strategy. Although walking was the most popular form of exercise for long-term success, nearly 30% added weight lifting to their routine to increase calorie-burning muscle mass.


But not everyone who tries to lose weight is successful at it. Only about a quarter of the dieters shed at least 10% of their starting weight and kept it off for at least a year, a standard definition of weight-loss success.


Researchers say there is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for everyone, but the survey did reveal some general tips and strategies that served the weigh-loss achievers well.


Control your blood sugar. Refined carbohydrates create a surge in insulin that makes blood sugar levels plummet and leaves you feeling hungry. Substitute whole grains and high-fiber foods for white bread, potatoes, and pasta.
Pack on the protein. Eating enough lean protein can make you feel full and slows the absorption of food.
Fool yourself with volume. Adding water-filled vegetables and fruits can trick you into feeling full because you can eat more than with calorie-dense foods.
Don't deny fat. Eating fat-free cookies, pretzels, and other treats that contain refined carbohydrates can lead to bingeing. Instead, allow yourself up to 30% of your daily calories to come from fat, particularly mono- and poly-unsaturated vegetable oils, nuts, and fish oil.
Stay with it. More than half the dieting success stories in the survey said they applied these strategies to their diets every day.