RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—There’s nothing more maddening than regaining the precious pounds you lost during what you thought was a successful weight-loss program. But all is not lost even if you lose and then regain weight. Far from it. A University of Missouri study found that most of the health benefits you gained when you lost that weight likely remain intact, as long as you keep getting regular exercise. Other studies have clearly shown that a weight-loss program that includes exercise is more likely to be successful—and permanent—in the first place. So it's clear that exercise is your friend whether you're shedding pounds or on a diet rebound.
THE DETAILS: Missouri researchers placed 67 overweight or obese people on reduced-calorie-plus-exercise regimens for four to six months until they lost an average of 10 percent of their body weight. At which point the researchers added healthy foods to the subjects’ diets until the extra calories caused everyone to regain 50 percent of the weight they had lost (cruel, yes, but all in the name of science). Half of the group continued to exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike during the “regain” phase, while the other half did no exercise. This second phase also lasted four to six months.
Researchers took blood tests and vital signs at three separate points during the study: before weight loss, after weight loss, and after weight regain. After weight loss, the subjects experienced significant improvements in several key health parameters: blood pressure, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, triglycerides, blood glucose control (a marker for type 2 diabetes), abdominal fat level, and inflammation markers. The exercising group maintained a healthy majority of these gains (including better blood pressure and blood glucose levels) even after regaining the weight, whereas the non-exercisers saw all their gains diminish significantly.
Read on for tips on keeping those pounds from coming back.
WHAT IT MEANS: The study results clearly point to the power of exercise to improve your health, regardless of your weight. And here's more good news: It doesn’t take a huge amount of exercise to make an impact. The exercisers in the study gradually worked up to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week at 60 percent of maxVO2, which equates to a brisk walk or bike ride, or a very slow jog. Past research shows that lower amounts of exercise will still confer some health benefits, and higher amounts will provide more still.
That said, keeping the pounds off is still important for all sorts of reasons. Also, every time you regain weight it is harder to lose it again, says lead study author Tom Thomas, PhD. If you tend to regain weight after periods of weight loss, or are concerned about doing so, try this advice from Barbara Berkeley, MD, author of Refuse to Regain! and weight-control expert for Women's Health.
• Scan and plan. Every morning, review your day's eating plan, and the likely challenges, so you'll be prepared for temptation.
• See yourself thin. Keep a picture of yourself on your refrigerator door at both your original and current weight, as a reminder of why you should stick with healthy food.
• Follow a plate pattern. At every meal, no more than one quarter of your plate should be filled with lean meat or protein foods like poultry, fish, eggs, or low-fat dairy. The rest should be plant foods, fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors.
• Take a break from eating. It's important to have parts of the day when you immerse yourself in non-eating activities, so your body can work on breaking down its stored fat and calories.
See womenshealthmag.com for more tips from Dr. Berkeley.