The Best Research-Proven Habits for Weight Loss + Body Recomposition

0:05 Welcome back to the body recomposition revolution. This is Robin. I feel like this has happened to every woman I know, myself included. Have you lost weight before? Have you lost the same 10 lbs over and over and over again? You lose it, you gain it back, you lose it, you gain back a little bit more, you lose it again, and you gain it back again. Today we are going to dive into the research. The research that uncovers why we can't keep that weight off, why your diets fail, and what science says to do about it.

0:37 Because this might be shocking to some of you. There is no magic pill. There is no fad diet. There is no easy way into having long term success with weight loss, which is what spurred me to kind of dive into the research surrounding sustainable weight loss because as you know, I specialize in body recomposition for women above the age of 35. So I specialize in helping women drop fat and gain muscle. And I do that through research based training and nutrition protocols that are hormone enhanced. So they are very sensitive and in tune with your ever changing hormones.

1:16 Who cares? Today we're not talking about hormones. Today we're not talking about hormones. We are talking about research. And today we are talking about the research that shows there is no magic pill. That long term weight loss, which means you're not gaining back that 10 lbs over and over and over again. That long term success comes from sustainable lifestyle habits. And this information was so interesting to me because prior to the last three years, I would say I was definitely a yo-yo, I wouldn't say Dieter, but yo-yo weight gainer like so I would gain 30 lbs and then I would take it off and then maybe I'd gain 40 lbs.

1:54 I'd have a couple babies and I always felt comfortable gaining that weight because I had a training background and I knew how to get it off. But then when I turned 35 and everything shift and I understood that it involved so much more than a calorie deficit and that it was all about my hormones and adopting real sustainable lifestyle and habit changes, that is when I was able to keep my weight loss for the last few years, three years to be exact, I used to be at my very, very tip top, almost £200 the day I gave birth to my first son.

2:27 I have stayed at 1:35 between 1:28 and 1:35 for the last three years. And that when I really think about it, it's because I changed my life. I changed my lifestyle. I integrated habits. I have so many. And when I went through the research from the National Weight Control Registry, it rings true. The reasons they cite as being what successful weight loss maintainers do are the exact things I implemented into my own life over the last few years that enabled me to continue having this body that I feel comfortable in.

3:02 So let's get into it. First, I want to talk about the National Weight Control Registry, So the NWCR. The NWCR is a large ongoing study of over 10,000 people who achieved significant weight loss. So at least 30 lbs. These 10,000 people have lost at least 30 lbs and they've kept it off for at least one year now. Of all these 10,000 people, these successful losers have lost an average of 66 lbs and maintained that late weight loss for about 5 1/2 years. Some of the people in the registry have kept the weight off for decades.

3:42 One of them is cited to have kept it off for as long as 66 years. So what is the secret? Why are these people able to keep the weight off? Why am I now able to keep the weight off? Why are you not able to keep the weight off and how can you? Now The NWCR has compiled this research and so many different entities have taken the research from the NWCR and published incredible papers. If you ever want to go down a rabbit hole of research and information, just look up the NWCR findings. You will find so many interesting studies surrounding people who have successfully kept weight off.

4:20 I thought it was. It was so eye opening to me because I am always talking about hormones. I am always talking about my pillars and body composition, but in actuality, it is an umbrella of just lifestyle, lifestyle that you have to become OK with, that you have to embrace long term that has you have to change your identity. In a nutshell, you really have to just change your identity to someone who gets up earlier, to someone who does all the things I'm about to uncover. Just view yourself as that person that you need to be and fake it until you make it.

4:51 I want to start with some powerful truths for women, but this applies to men as well. So most people regain weight that they lose after dieting, and the research suggests that 80% of people who lose weight regain it within a year. Was that you? Probably because it's 80% of the population. Women over 30 are especially prone to rebound weight due to hormonal shifts and muscle loss post diet. I talk about this nonstop. You cannot crash diet, you cannot starve yourself because then you lose your muscle, which tanks your metabolism, which makes you even bigger, softer, slower.

5:29 Everything bad Now I have compiled a list of the key habits of long term weight loss maintainers. So these are the things that people who lose a lot of weight and keep that weight off do. These are their key habits. They all have in common habit number one, regular physical activity. About 90% of NWCR members exercise an hour per day. Each of those people, they exercise an hour a day. The most common exercise is brisk walking. Consistent movement is a cornerstone of their routine. It burns calories, supports metabolism, and helps make weight control a daily habit.

6:17 If the statement all of these long term weight loss participants exercise an hour a day, don't get overwhelmed by that because that also means, hey, go outside for 30 minutes in the morning and walk and then again go on your treadmill for 30 minutes at night. That 60 minutes can be whatever. Get an hour walk once a day. If lifting weights is too intimidating in the beginning, just walk for an hour. Habit number 2 is a healthy, low calorie diet. The majority of successful maintainers continue to consume a reduced calorie, lower fat diet to sustain their results.

6:56 So instead of any magic diet, they focus on portion control and nutritious foods. This lifestyle approach beats any short term fad because it's sustainable long haul. I love that. I love for my clients to track their food consistently for at least a few months so that you are aware of what you are eating. You need to know exactly what you're eating because if you don't, you are unaware of how many calories you're consuming. And if you go above what your total daily energy expenditure is, you're going to gain weight.

7:30 So having that low calorie diet be a constant in your life. And again, this is not about body recomposition. We're just talking about weight and maintenance right now. Healthy habits that support weight maintenance, not body recomp which is fat loss, muscle gain, low calorie diet habit #3 I love this one. I just did a full episode on this habit, or pillar I should say that is eating breakfast every day. 78% of the long term weight loss veterans reported to eat breakfast every morning. Starting the day with a healthy meal is a common habit that prevents excessive hunger and snacking later.

8:09 It sets a positive structured tone for the day. Boom. I talk about eating breakfast within 30 to 40 minutes or so once you wake up. So my first meal of the day is a light meal. It's within 30 minutes of waking. It's usually around 5:30 AMI make sure it has 15 grams of protein in it. Usually it's a cup of Faye Greek yogurt and some berries or chia seeds or whatever. But that little sustenance that you wake upon eating instead of going about your morning fasted in a state of shock and your hormones get all out of whack by the time you go to bed, where you eat the entire pantry in and of itself.

8:44 That breakfast habit, making it part of your day, every day consistently is life changing. And I can speak to it. It is life changing. My clients hate me for this one, but it is habit #4 and I do enforce it. Frequent self monitoring. 75% of these long term weight loss participants report weighing themselves every day. Every day. Because then you can catch those small weight gains early and they they don't let a minor slip turn into a major regain. They just adjust course quickly and stay on track.

9:16 It's hard for me, it's hard for me when I have when I know that I'm going to be up for whatever reason, bad dieting predominantly. But if I get on the scale every single day and I'm like I've consistently been a couple pounds over where I'm comfortable, I know I have to hone it back in. Whereas if I avoid the scale, I'm going to keep slipping up. I'm going to keep slipping up. Just because I'm covering my eyes and pretending like it doesn't exist does not mean it does not exist in reality. Just like when my clients say, oh, I didn't put that into the app because for some reason it makes them feel better.

9:46 Why? It's in your body. Can't you just put it in the app? It's not like it didn't happen. You know, if I know I've gained a couple pounds and I don't want to get on the scale to face reality, that's a mental problem. The scale is data. We use data to guide our decisions. Then it's unemotional. Separate your emotions from the scale. I like this one. Limited screen time. 62% of successful weight loss participants watch less than 10 hours of TV per week. They spend time sitting and more time. They spend less time sitting and more time staying active or prepping healthy meals.

10:25 By cutting back on mindless screen time screen time. They avoid idle snacking and make room for movement in their day. Yup, every time I sit down and start scrolling on my phone. Oh better go get the popcorn. At night when I have to choose between sitting down and watching Netflix or going for a walk. You know if I'm watching Netflix I'm going to want to snack. It's not a bad, you know, to sit down and watch TV once in a while. I think that we do that probably 2 nights out of the week Max. Otherwise I'm productive or moving or doing something of productivity up until I go to bed.

10:58 Even if it's painting my nails. Something that's keeping my hands busy and screen time is just not doing that. This is the last habit and it's consistency, not perfection. Consistency, not perfect. I love that. Consistency, not perfection. The NWCR research shows maintainers treat weight management as a lifestyle, not a short term diet. When lapses happen, they bounce back instead of giving up. They know they don't have to be perfect, just persistent. They know they don't have to be perfect, just persistent and that consistency is key to their success.

11:36 So if I have a weekend where I, I always use birthday cake as my as my vice because it is. If I have a weekend where I decide, hey, I need a doughnut or I have some birthday cake here, a cupcake or whatever, I just love baked goods. If I do that and I see that reflected on the scale, you know, come Monday, I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I'm not going to fall off the wagon and decide to stay down on the ground eating cupcakes until my inevitable 50 LB weight gain. Nope, I'm just going to say, well, it happened.

12:06 Time to get back on the wagon and keep moving because persistence over perfection. You'll have slip UPS, you'll have life, you'll have things, but you just have to stay consistent. All righty, we are now moving on to interesting findings from the NWCR research. Number one, big losses can last long term. Weight loss is possible and common in the NWCR. Members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for years. Some have maintained weight loss for decades, 1 / 60 years. Proving that sustained fat loss is achievable with the right habits.

12:45 That's 100% spot on. My lifestyle is completely different than it was five years ago. I go to bed earlier. I choose wisely. When I eat out, I just don't get fries. OK, I'm not going to order a cupcake when I go out. I want to. I want the fries. Am I going to? No, my lifestyle is just not that. I go out and I primarily stick to some type of protein, veggies, fruit and I enjoy that. It's now part of my lifestyle. It's who I am. If I eat something crappy, I'm going to feel like crap, but I have more self worth than to eat crap consistently.

13:18 That's I'm not about it. That's not my lifestyle. My lifestyle is moving my lifestyle, cooking and experimenting in the kitchen and doing things that are active and I feel good and it's just it's a lifestyle change. It's a mind shift change and that's how it is sustainable long term. Second, interesting finding fast or slow, they both work. So some people shed pounds very quickly while others it took years. It was slow and steady. One person lost weight over 14 years. Both approaches worked. The key was adopting changes they could stick with for the long term.

13:52 Once they reached their goal, they continued those habits to maintain them. So some of you just want to jump into the lifestyle really quick and lose that weight consistently at a fast pace and others take I get step by step. I find that to be very evident in my clients. Some people are gung ho right off the start and they go for it. They tend to burn out a little bit after the first three months when those newbie gains subside. And then there's others who just kind of go at a slower pace and that's more maintainable for them.

14:23 I tend to be the first group. I like to go at it hard if I'm going to do something and then do it big and I'm doing hard. I am not a slow paced person but do I experience burnout from time to time? Yeah. Either way works. Whatever works for you is just fine. Lastly, no finish line for healthy habits. Weight maintenance isn't an afterthought, it's a continuous effort, and WCR members keep up their healthy eating and exercise habits even after reaching their goal. Rather than reverting to old habits, their new routines become a permanent lifestyle that prevents the pounds from creeping back.

15:04 That is so true. It just has to become who you are, how you live your life. And once you start doing that, you're not going to look back. You're not going to look back and say now I really miss hitting McDonald's up every single morning before I head to school, which is what I used to do. No, I don't. I don't miss that at all or wow, I really miss feeling so uncomfortable and like a stuffed sausage every time I put on anything with a non elastic waistband. No, I don't miss that, not one bit. I don't miss the gut rot.

15:32 I don't miss feeling bad about myself. I don't miss the drinking. I mean I drink here and there but definitely not how I used to think. It's been a couple months. I just, I don't miss it. I like my lifestyle. I like having a consistent gym visit pretty much every day. I like moving my body every day. I like tracking my steps. I like knowing I'm getting enough protein to build muscle and look the way I want to look. It's my lifestyle. If I skip part of it, I feel like part of my day is missing. Bottom line, the thousands of success stories in the NWCR show that keeping weight off is possible with consistent everyday habits.

16:06 Nearly all successful maintainers share these behaviors. Staying active, eating mindfully, monitoring your progress by weighing yourself, and never giving up after slip UPS. It's that progress over perfect perfection mindset. There's nothing flashy or impossible about it, which is good news. By adopting some of these proven strategies, you will set yourself up for a lasting fat loss and a healthier life. And you will. Because I follow each and every one of those strategies and habits I do. I didn't know they were listed somewhere in a research based fountain of fun for me to dive through, but it's true.

16:42 It's true. And if you are a long term weight loss maintainer, I guarantee you follow all of these habits as well. I want to wrap up with a few things that I thought were really important for you if you are embarking on this journey now or if you want to start embarking on a weight loss journey, whatever that is. And that is mindset, failure, community and support. So most people fail before they succeed. The majority of people in that National Weight Control Registry have failed many times before.

17:12 They found lasting success many times. They fell off that wagon again and again and again, but they showed tenacity. They got back on and they continued on and so will you if you want to have success. And the reported breakthrough came when they finally realized quick fixes do not work. Quick fixes do not work. Your crash diet doesn't work. Your GLP 1 is just a tool to get you to a real sustainable lifestyle where you're making good choices. There are lots of quick fixes and tools to help you get where you need to be.

17:43 But to maintain it, that's all about changing you and your mindset and your life. Because resilience is the real secret. Success does not come from finding the perfect plan, it comes from your mind. You have to have that mindset of I'm ready to suck it U and do the work the right way. If you have failed 4-5 times, 1020 times, you can still succeed. But it requires a plan, a strategy, a commitment. And I know that anybody who has struggled with this can resonate with the statement of when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain it takes to change.

18:18 That's when real change happens. That's when real change happens. If you are ready to suck it up, start doing what you need to do. Start researching where you need to research. Start developing a plan of how you're going to move your body, when you're going to move your body. And most importantly, prepare. Prepare your food ahead of time. Be prepared or prepare to fail. And I think this if you're just starting on a weight loss journey or you know a journey where you want to shape your body a certain way, the power of community is so critical.

18:49 It is so important. I have found my community at different places at different times with different people in different spots of my life. But I remember in college, my community was Anytime Fitness. I was really into my figure competition prep and all the girls that were doing the same thing. We had a really tight community. Later on I found that community at the local gym, it was Anytime Fitness and then it was Lifetime Fitness with a bunch of moms who also like to lift heavy things and meticulously count their protein like me.

19:17 Because that that support system makes it easier to stay on track and push through those challenges. Which is why I really am honing in on the community in my app. I want the ladies, which they do. They do such a good job of posting their recipes, posting their non scale victories, their scaled victories, which means their weight loss. They are so amazing and they motivate me. The days that I want to fall off the wagon into a cupcake. I don't because I look at their progress and it sustains me. It keeps me going.

19:45 So in a nutshell, I know this episode was a lot different than my other ones, but I I love research, I love data. And when I found this National Weight Control Registry study thing and all the studies that have come from the data they expose every year, it was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a weight loss rainbow. So losing weight is not the win. Keeping it off without losing yourself, that is the win. That's the revolution. And it starts with building strength, not shrinking, with fueling your body, not depriving it, with surrounding yourself with people who remind you of your goals, even when it's hard.

20:21 Even when it's hard, find that community. You can find it online, you can find it in person, but you just find it. If you're new, you need it. All right. Thanks for tuning in and you'll hear from me next week.