Behavior change key to new-year diet

Losing weight is one of the most common New Year's resolutions, but changing long-held behaviors is a skill in itself, a medical expert says.

To shed unwanted pounds and keep them off, people have to be ready to face some setbacks and keep on trying, said Dr. Jessica Bartfield, an internal medicine and medical weight-loss specialist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Ill., part of the Loyola University Health System.

"People need a motivation to lose weight, and the new year is an opportunity to start fresh," Bartfield said in a Loyola news release. "Behavior change is the cornerstone of healthy, successful weight loss, and it takes about three months to establish a new behavior," she said.

"When you learn to ride a bike, you expect that you will fall down a couple times and are prepared to try again and get back on; you need to have the same expectation with weight loss and to plan accordingly," she said.

Only 20 percent of Americans who've tried to lose weight will keep the weight off after one year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bartfield offered the following tips to help reverse this trend and help people achieve and maintain their weight-loss goals:

Don't skip breakfast. "Eating within one hour of awakening can boost your metabolism up to 20 percent for the rest of the day."

SEE PHOTOSHow did these 150 LIers drop up to 320 lbs. each?

Have a weekly weight check. "Monitoring your weight on a weekly basis provides a fairly accurate weight trend and, more importantly, an early detection of any weight regain."

Exercise for one hour every day. "Snow shoveling, vacuuming, taking the stairs -- you don't have to run like a hamster on a wheel for 60 minutes."

Limit TV to fewer than 10 hours a week. Use the time away from the television or the computer to exercise.

Keep track of your physical activity. "Park your car farther away, take the stairs, manually change TV channels -- these are all simple ways to get more physical activity, and you need to write them down as they are performed to keep yourself honest."

Keep track of calories. Do not underestimate how many calories you consume at each meal.

Set clear, realistic goals. Avoid setting vague goals. Objectives need to be specific and attainable. People can start by trying to lose 10 percent of their body weight.

Be consistent. "Eat at regular intervals seven days per week. Being 'good' on the weekdays and then splurging on the weekend creates a harmful cycle that discourages weight loss," she said.

Plan for setbacks. "When you learn to drive, or learn a sport or musical instrument, you make mistakes, and you have an experienced instructor -- maybe even several -- to help correct the mistakes and prevent repeats."

When it comes to teenagers who need to lose weight, parents should get involved. Research shows that families -- and even couples -- who change behavior together are the most successful.