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
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On 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.
Fill up on soup. Minestrone, chicken noodle, and split pea soups are EatRight foods—a lot of volume for just a few calories. Sip a cup before your meal so you feel fuller on fewer calories.
Real-life results:
Karen Matthews, 54
Montgomery, Ala.
Pounds lost: 100
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Weight now: 172 pounds
"I didn't have a problem with my weight until I hit 40. In a short period of time, I lost both parents and my brother. Angry and sad, I turned to food to cope, and my weight escalated. I tried a few diets, but nothing worked. Eventually I tore the meniscus in my right knee and needed surgery. The pain in my joints, plus the realization that the person in the mirror was not the real me, prompted me to join the EatRight Optifast program.
"The shakes forced me to think about why I ate when I wasn't hungry. Truth is, I was drowning my sorrows in what I called "happiness pie"—I'd overdose on sweets when I felt sad. I began to understand why I used food to mask the pain, and I learned strategies to manage my feelings. I used to vacuum when I was upset, but I find it's even better to take a walk. I lost 100 pounds and shaved 100 points off my cholesterol in 9 months. A clean house is nice, but being thin is better!"
University of Colorado: Colorado Weigh, Denver
Weight-loss strategies: Calorie control, physical activity, and positive self-talk
Experts at Colorado Weigh use bioelectrical impedance, a high-tech way to measure the number of calories their participants need every day. Each woman gets an individual eating plan based in part on that number. At weekly group meetings with dietitians, participants learn skills to keep portions in check. The leaders also encourage participants to wear pedometers and track how many steps they walk daily (in addition to other exercise). This motivates dieters to incorporate more activity, even if it's small changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Leaders also teach participants to replace self-defeating thoughts ("I totally blew it by having that ice cream") with positive ones ("I ate five different veggies today!").
A recent study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health found that after the first 16 weeks, participants lost about 6 percent of their body weight. In the next 12 weeks, weight loss jumped to about 11 percent.
Lessons learned:
Patrol your portions. Learn how to eyeball the right serving sizes. For example, half a baseball is equivalent to a serving of pasta, a checkbook is 3 ounces of fish, and a CD is an ideal waffle.
Find out your true calorie needs. One diet does not fit all. Visit prevention.com/caloriecounter for an estimate of how many calories you should be eating each day, tailored to your weight, height, and activity level.
Buddy up! Partner with a friend or co-worker who's also trying to lose weight to exchange motivation—and treat yourself with the same kindness and empathy you offer that person. Face-to-face contact isn't a requirement. Visit prevention.com/weightlossforum to connect with others online.
Be a pedometer pro. This small gadget sits on your waistband and clocks how many steps you take. Aim for 10,000 daily.
Real-life results:
Lupe Reyther, 34
Denver
Pounds lost: 42
Height: 5 feet 4 inches
Weight now: 140 pounds
"I used to eat lots of fast food and think little of it even though I was overweight. Reality hit when my 7-year-old daughter wanted me to take her on a hike. It killed me to say no, but I could hardly climb a staircase, let alone a mountain. I was too young to be so unhealthy—something had to change.
"When Colorado Weigh started a program at my office, I teamed up with several colleagues, and we all tackled weight loss together. I quickly began losing 1 to 2 pounds each week. I started preportioning snack foods because I tend to overeat them; I could put away a whole bag of Goldfish crackers in a sitting.
"I wore a pedometer and scheduled breaks in my day to walk. When it was impossible to go outside, I'd use exercise bands while I helped my daughter with her homework. When it got tough, I remembered that being healthy enough to see her grow up is worth every bit of effort!"
University of Vermont: Vtrim, Burlington, Vt.
Weight-loss philosophy: No weight loss goals necessary
A diet program that requires you to give up the drive to lose weight seems contradictory. But according to the researchers who created Vtrim, it's better to make health your goal; then—one at a time—adjust the habits that stand in your way. Their holistic approach focuses on wellness. For example, "I'm going to exercise four days a week" replaces the desire to be a size 6. Pounds come off as a side effect. All Vtrim participants write in a food journal to keep track of every morsel of food they eat, from morning coffee to supermarket samples to bites off their children's plates. At the end of each week, the participants meet with nutrition specialists to look for patterns in their diets and identify simple ways to cut calories.
According to studies published in the journals Obesity and Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Vtrim participants can expect to lose about 20 pounds after 6 months. A year later, they'll have kept off two-thirds of the weight they lost.
Lessons learned:
Identify your weak spot. Does a spoonful of ice cream always turn into a pint? Allow yourself one serving—go out for a small cone, or buy a portion-controlled treat at the grocery store. The next time you're faced with a pint, it should be easier to moderate how much you're eating.
Set nonweight goals. Aim to exercise every other day, take the stairs, or eat 5 cups of produce daily.
Review your diet each week. Keeping track of your diet can help you lose twice as much weight, found a recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Jot down everything you eat for a week, look for simple ways to shave calories (like switching from full-fat to low-fat yogurt), and incorporate those changes the next week. For calorie cutting ideas, visit prevention.com/100calories.
Real-life results:
Nancy Rabinowitz, 56
Burlington, Vt.
Pounds lost: 42
Height: 5 feet 8 1/2 inches
Weight now: 145 pounds
"I was at a healthy weight for most of my life. Then, when I turned 46, I got married. I was so happy—but that contentment turned into complacency as I started eating more, exercising less, and generally not taking care of myself. Fifty-four pounds later, running errands was a challenge. My asthma got worse, and I had no energy. Then reality hit: a pair of size 16 jeans that no longer fit.
"Everything changed when I started Vtrim. A goal of mine was to give up added sugar for 4 months, which meant no sweets—my trigger foods. Eventually, I incorporated them into my diet again and had far less of an urge to overeat.
"Journaling helped keep me honest. If I wanted a steak, fine; I just had to write it down and not overdo other foods. It also allowed me to view my diet as a whole and see that I didn't blow it if I ate a piece of pie! My favorite part is that the journals serve as a record of how far I've come."
