As it turns out, you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. You just have to pay attention to the amount you eat. (Sound familiar?) A major study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine reinforces the SparkPeople philosophy. For two years, 811 overweight people were placed on four diets--low carb, high carb, low protein and high protein--and all lost weight. What they ate didn't matter. Portion control and tracking calories helped them, just as that has helped millions of SparkPeople members. By the end of those two years, study participants lost an average of nine pounds and two inches off their waists. According to the study: "At 6 months, participants assigned to each diet had lost an average of 6 kg (13.2 pounds), which represented 7% of their initial weight; they began to regain weight after 12 months." The study was conducted in Baton Rouge, La., at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and in Boston at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and it ended in December 2007. Most participants ate between 1,400 and 2,000 calories a day, depending on the diet they followed and their activity level. Each diet was designed to create a deficit of 750 calories per day. The diets were high in fiber and low in calories and saturated fat. Participants also were required to exercise 90 minutes a week. This major study supports what we (and you, as SparkPeople members) already knew: "Diets" that restrict certain foods don't work! The key to losing weight and keeping it off is moderation, coupled with portion control and tracking calories. This month, SparkPeople surveyed 5,499 members and found similar results. We compared members who have met their weight loss goals (or have lost 100 pounds or more) with members who said they've hit a plateau. The secret to success, they said, was tracking food. Those who had reached their goal weight or those who had lost lots of weight were much more likely to track their food. Of those who met their goals, 46% track their food every day, another 17.9% track most days, and about 5% track several times per week. Our members who have lost 100 pounds or more tracked even more frequently. About 55.5% tracked food daily, 22.6% tracked most days, and about 5% tracked food several times per week. In contrast, of those who reported "being stuck" and not meeting their goals, only 17% tracked their food daily, 25% tracked most days, and 12% kept track several times a week. Action Sparked: If you've ever doubted that using SparkPeople's personalized Nutrition Tracker would help you lose weight, think again! At SparkPeople, we've always encouraged daily food tracking (and fitness tracking) for people who want to lose weight, and this new study supports what we've been encouraging for years. No food combining, no low-carbing, no giving up your favorite foods, no special foods or food restrictions--just eat what you want and still lose weight. SparkPeople can help you do exactly that. We allow you to set the rules; we just provide the tools to help support you. This study isn't news to the millions of people who have lost weight by practicing moderation and tracking portions on SparkPeople.com. Each month, more than two million people utilize SparkPeople's free tools, Community, and resources to get healthier. And every day, our members track more than one million foods on their free Nutrition Trackers, making SparkPeople.com's food tracker the most popular in the world! It works away from home, too: SparkPeople's Nutrition Trackers is available on web-enabled cell phones. Do you know someone who would be interested in SparkPeople's free food diary and tools? Then Spread the Spark! Email this article by clicking the "Share" button below or post it on your Facebook page. Need more proof? Read these Success Stories, written by members who used portion control and the Nutrition Tracker to lose weight and keep it off! I Thought I'd Always Be Fat I Never Expected to Inspire Others After Losing Half Her Weight, Lessie Shares Her Story What do you think about these findings? Will you share them with others? |
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