Energy Reduced Diet May Be Better Than Calorie-Controlled

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The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition posted a study that found those who consumed an energy-reduced diet kept the lost weight off for two years, in stark contrast, as those who consumed a calorie-controlled diet regained the weight. But, the key to sustained and effective weight loss does not lie solely in physical activity or dietary change alone. Instead, developing the skills for self-improvement is essential and will help you reach your goals faster.

By personalizing an individual's menu plan and focusing on nutritionally sound foods as well as gaining mastery over certain lifestyle behaviors, permanent weight loss success is attainable. Research indicates that technology-aided self-monitoring of dietary changes is not only useful in tracking weight loss progress but may be crucial for achieving your long-term weight management goals. Plus, online support can help with personal accountability.

Why New Habits Produce Better Outcomes

Changes in lifestyle habits will form one at a time. But, as you develop self-monitoring skills and hold yourself accountable to recording your daily activities, it will help you reach your goals. Listed below are four benefits of tracking your food, weight and daily exercise:

1) Understand What You Are Eating – Self-monitoring is a necessary step that allows you to see what you are eating and how balanced your menu plan is overall. This can lead to better food choices in the future when eating in or eating out.

2) Helps Prevent Overindulgence – For starters, avoid skipping meals, stay well hydrated, and be mindful of how much you are eating will make it easier to notice hunger cues to prevent overindulgence.

3) Tracks Your Fitness Progress – Studies show that consistently using a fitness tracker, such as pedometer or other wearable device, encourages people to increase their daily activity. Tracking fitness progress helps to keep you motivated.

4) Allows You to Plan Ahead – Tracking what and when you eat allows you to plan ahead; and the better you get at planning ahead the more empowered you feel as you take control of your daily menus.

Applying Technology for More Effective Weight Control

Before the advent of newer technologies like smartphone apps and wearable devices people often complained about the host of barriers that self-monitoring required, such as paper diaries, referencing calorie charts, and the overall time commitment. Recording your weight on e-scales have been demonstrated to be extremely accurate and better match the results taken on calibrated clinical scales and does not require the data to be recorded in a paper log. Collectively, this encourages good self-weighing frequency. The latest technologies can help you reduce the barriers to self-monitoring your weight, dietary intake and daily amounts of physical activity to utilize the information recorded for self-regulation of your weight loss journey.

If you’ve been searching online for a menu plan and exercise routine that works for you, contact the MRC weight loss center nearest you for a personalized strategy that matches your specific needs.