What can top schools teach you about dropping pounds? A lot! Here, the science and methods behind four cutting-edge academic weight loss programs.
By Milton Stokes, R.D., Prevention
More on this in Health & Fitness
Proven Weight Loss SecretsNo-Fail Weight LossJumpstart Your DietOn the very campuses where students order in late-night pizza, specialized weight loss centers on the front lines of diet, exercise, and behavioral research help thousands of people drop pounds safely and effectively every year. Here, we review the philosophy behind four of the leading university-based weight loss programs, feature participants who have successfully lost weight and kept it off, and highlight key tips that you can use to reach your weight loss goal.
Duke University: Diet & Fitness Center, Durham, N.C.
Weight loss philosophy: Abandon the strict diet mindset
Chronic dieters tend to have a "been there, done that" mentality. So the first task for participants who enter the Duke Diet & Fitness Center program is to leave that thinking behind. For the next four weeks, dieters live near campus and meet with specialists to gain new understanding about how to lose weight and keep it off for good. The key—and where Duke's program differs from so many popular diets: small, sustainable changes. To help participants incorporate these new lessons into their daily routines, registered dietitians give demos on healthful cooking techniques, lead grocery store tours, and walk participants through restaurant outings. Individuals also attend "mindful eating" classes, where behavior experts shed light on concepts such as hunger and satiety. Exercise specialists tailor gym-based, outdoor, or at-home activities to fit each person's lifestyle.
In a 2005 study, 80 percent of Duke's Diet & Fitness Center graduates reported improved quality of life, including better stamina, self-confidence, and mobility. The center's research finds that participants lose, on average, up to 5 percent of their body weight during their first month; a year later, they've lost on average 10 percent of their original body weight.
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Lessons learned:
Move more. In addition to traditional workouts, sneak in activity: Stand up while chatting on the phone; talk to co-workers face-to-face instead of e-mailing; stretch during TV commercials.
Monitor your meals. Before you sit down, make a conscious decision about how much you're going to have instead of eating until you're full. (The brain takes 20 minutes to register a full stomach.)
Fill up on fiber. Swap your old standbys with their whole grain equivalents—the fiber slows digestion, which keeps you fuller longer. Breads, pasta, and waffles all come in multigrain or whole wheat versions.
Real-life results:
Susan Ray, 48
Virginia Beach, Va.
Pounds lost: 85
Height: 5 feet 4 1/2 inches
Weight now: 140 pounds
"I was in a bad marriage and depressed, so I turned to food for support. I tried to diet with extreme measures, like severely cutting calories, but even if I lost some weight, I couldn't keep it off. Then I landed in the hospital with what I thought was a heart attack, and I was terrified—and upset that my weight could have been the cause. It was just an anxiety attack, but it was a wake-up call. I started making changes; one was signing up at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center.
"There I found the root cause behind my habits. I was burying my emotions in food. Once I realized that, I regained control and started taking baby steps toward weight loss. The nutritionists offered creative ways to include more produce in my diet. Grating vegetables into everything is one of my favorite tricks. Food can be enjoyable and healthful if you use it to nourish your body instead of to bury your emotions. I will never yo-yo diet again."
University of Alabama: EatRight Program, Birmingham, Ala.
Weight-loss philosophy: Liberate yourself from food
In the EatRight Optifast program, participants with 50 pounds or more to lose put regular food on hold for 12 weeks and drink Optifast shakes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The physicians who developed EatRight chose to incorporate shakes into their plan because they believe that such an extreme change frees chronic dieters from unhealthy patterns, so they can consider how they've been eating—and why. Participants are required to get medical clearance before starting and have blood checked every other week. (Supervision is imperative because meal-replacement diets can cause rapid weight loss and put stress on the body.) After this 12-week kick start, many participants are ready to renew their relationships with food. For 6 weeks, they transition back to food, and then move on to the EatRight Lifestyle program, a 12-week eating plan that favors filling, low-calorie, high-volume choices such as fruits, vegetables, and nonfat yogurt.
In the journal Obesity (2006), UAB reported data on graduates who were followed for a little over two years. What they found: More than 75 percent of the participants maintained their weight loss, which was an average of 4 to 5 percent of their starting body weight.
Lessons learned:
Break out of your patterns. While we can't recommend subsisting on shakes without a doctor's supervision, there are other ways to liberate yourself from poor eating habits. Try replacing the meal you're most likely to overeat with a healthful, preportioned frozen dinner.
Think sneakers, not snacks. If you always take an afternoon cookie break, try going for a walk instead. You may learn that what you really crave is a break from your workday.
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