For weight loss that really counts, count calories

Enough with the dieting advice. Here is what actually worked for 99 percent of 5,000 people who lost weight and kept off at least 30 pounds of it.

Count calories.


Researchers identified these “big losers” using newspaper and magazine ads, according to a new study published in the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. The average weight loss in the group was 72 pounds.
The successful dieters had various methods for counting and controlling their intake of calorie and fat grams, such as restricting their intake of certain foods and eating smaller portions.

More than 90 percent of the participants exercised regularly, mostly walking or doing something else to sweat out the equivalent of a one-hour brisk walk.

And forget about skipping breakfast. Bad plan if you want to succeed. Nearly 80 percent of the losers ate breakfast daily, usually cereal and fruit.

Frequent visits to the scale helped too — 75 percent weighed in at least weekly.