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I’ve written quite a bit (some would say excessively) about making lifestyle changes to lose weight, almost to the point where the phrase ‘healthy lifestyle,’ may have to be stricken from my vocabulary just from overuse.

I talk about because I think there’s a big difference between people who focus on health and allow the weight loss to come naturally and people who focus on losing weight, which often involves restrictive dieting and frustrating episodes involving scales and swearing.

That’s one reason I found so interesting. While there are any number of studies promoting different methods of losing weight (low carb diets, low fat diets, etc.), what we find is that most people lose weight. The problem? Most people gain it back, as well.

This study focused on how people responded to a healthy lifestyle program, as opposed to a weight loss program. 144 overweight and obese adults followed a 6-month clinic-based weight management program which focused on healthy lifestyle behaviors. The results? After 3 months, participants lost weight and body fat and saw decreases in total cholesterol as well as BMI. They still maintained these changes after 6 months.

This study is based on a small population of people, but emphasizes the idea that focusing on weight loss seems to work for the short term. Focusing on being healthy works best for long-term weight loss.

What do you think? Have you had more success by focusing on being healthy instead of losing weight? Is it easier to make healthy changes when you’re not focused on the scale? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.

_{Rieve, D.; Greene, G.; Ruggiero, L.; et al. . Preventive Medicine. Vol 36, Issue 1, Jan 2003, Pages 45-54.}

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