Successful Weight Maintenance
By Missy Scheelk, Graduate Assistant UK Health and Wellness
Weight loss and weight maintenance can be difficult through the holiday season. According to the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), successful members lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year. The average registry member has lost 66 pounds and kept the weight off for 5.5 years. How did they do it? Here are several strategies that can help you be successful in maintaining your weight.
1. To keep your weight in check over the holiday season, try to make changes both intake and expenditure. Eighty nine percent of NWCR participants reported diet and exercise to achieve successful weight loss. Few of the successful weight loss maintainers used diet alone to lose and maintain weight.
2. If you have gained weight over holiday seasons in the past, try keeping a food diary of your intake and exercise. Additionally, weigh-in at the scale periodically to keep your weight in check.
3. Goal setting can be a great way to challenge yourself and achieve success. Determine a long-term goal you would like to achieve by the end of the holiday season. Next, develop short-term goals to provide simple steps to reach your long-term goal. Make your goals S.M.A.R.T.: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
4. Make time to exercise. Most participants of the NWCR made efforts to increase both lifestyle activity and regular planned exercise. In addition to parking farther away and taking the stairs, schedule regular exercise throughout the holiday season and stick to your goals.
5. Eat breakfast! Seventy eight percent of NWCR members eat breakfast everyday to help keep the weight off. Enjoy fall flavors such as pumpkin spice, apple, cinnamon, maple, nutmeg, and cranberry and incorporate them into your favorite fall breakfasts.
6. Let people who are close to you know your weight maintenance goals. Surrounding yourself with supportive people can boost your motivation and keep you dedicated to change.
7. Partake in other UK Health and Wellness Programs. UK Health & Wellness provides a variety of programs and events for everybody to reach healthy lifestyle goals.
References:
Wing, R. R., & Hill, J. O. (2001). Successful weight loss maintenance. Annual Review of Nutrition, 21(1), 323.
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NEW! Meditation for Health - Specialty Class
Join us for "Meditation for Health," presented by Dr. Joaquin Fenollar, Tuesdays, Oct. 30 to Dec. 4, from 5:15-6:15 p.m., Seaton Center TBD. Cost: $30. This "hands-on" course covers meditation as it is used for health and healing, improving concentration and conscious awareness, reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Register now.
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Addressing Stress
By Andrea Deweese, MS, CTTS, UK Health & Wellness
Exercise, healthy eating, and getting plenty of restful sleep were the focus last week in our newest wellness incentive challenge, In Tune. This week participants are experimenting with relaxation techniques such as meditation, centering, deep breathing, and progressive relaxation to help them better cope with everyday stressors.
While many of us would like to be able to eliminate everyday stressors like work deadlines, traffic gridlock, and busy schedules, the reality is that these aren't going to go away anytime soon. The key is to change our typical response to the stressors so that we don't allow it to cause unrest in our everyday life or long term health problems.
Many UK employees have signed on to take the In Tune: Take Charge of Your Stress Challenge. Employees are taking stock of the stressors that trigger an increase in heart rate, sweaty palms, upset stomachs, nervousness, and quicker breathing rate. All of these combined are referred to as the stress response. Frequently mentioned stressors include:
- Regular distractions like phone calls and e-mails
- Heavy traffic and long commutes
- Tight work deadlines
- Balancing work and home
- Job insecurity
- Financial challenges
- Keeping up with technology
During the next few weeks, participants will continue to try new stress management strategies to determine which create the best harmony in their life. Do you want to get In Tune? For more information, or to sign up, click here. You can learn how to take charge of stress in your life by transitioning stress management strategies into everyday stress management habits. |
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