The St. Elizabeth weight management team focuses on teaching people what it takes not just to lose weight, but also to keep it off.
Local 12’s Liz Bonis wanted to find out what really works when it comes to keeping lost weight off, so she spoke with Karah Stanley, a registered dietitian at St. Elizabeth.
Stanley said the very first thing to do is set a goal. Setting a goal to eat smaller portions of food works, and if you don’t know what a portion is, Stanley suggests finding out.
“If you don’t know what a three ounce portion of chicken is, it’s about the size of a deck of cards,” she said.
Click here to see a portion guide Stanley helped develop.
Change what you do to get there, not just the number on the scale
“The changes are really in the planning,” Stanley said. “There are a number of apps on your phone which you can download for free.”
She said forbidding foods, especially those that are sweet, doesn’t work.
“When you tell me not to eat something, what do you think I want?” Stanley said. Instead of cutting them out altogether, she suggests buying them in smaller amounts.
And, finally, while exercise doesn’t lead to weight loss if you don’t also eat less, it can still have serious benefits.
“[Exercising] eases stress, it helps you sleep better, but it also helps increase your metabolic rate which helps you burn calories throughout the day. That, in the long run, is going to help you lose weight and keep it off,” Stanley said.
She’s right. One study found exercise is one of the biggest predictors of maintaining weight loss. The other is sitting time.
Click here to meet the experts at the St. Elizabeth Weight Management Center.
