Sometimes we get so bombarded w/ messages saying that losing weight is
difficult (it is) and keeping it off can be worse (true) that we lose
sight of the fact that it can be done.

A recent article in the Washington Post (you can probably find the same
study in other articles) describes an update from the National Weight
Loss Registry.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/25/
AR2005072501203.html>

While, as most of us here know, the NWLR has a bit of a bias against low
carb dieters, there are lessons to be taken from this.

The most important is that, yes, people can lose significant percentages
of their starting body weight and maintain the loss. Even better, the
longer you maintain the loss, the more likely you are to continue to
maintain it. One of the most important factors seems to be incorporating
daily physical activity.

Interestingly, half of the successful maintainers weighed every day while
30% did so once a week. My own experience bears this out. When I thought
I'd gotten to the point that I could maintain w/out having to keep
weighing, I gained 5 lbs. It came off pretty easily, but it was a reminder
that we need to keep one eye on objective measurements.

Eating breakfast is also key. While most of us would disagree w/ their
recommendations of what to have for breakfast, there is solid evidence
that having something that keeps you going through the morning is helpful.
Or, at least 80% of the participants found it to be so.

Perhaps the most important thing is being able to make a recovery if you
do start to slip back. It's easy to find that as we start to relax our
vigilence our weight starts nudging back up. But, it's also easy, once we
notice that, to say, "right, starting *now* I'm back on track".

Martha, who will have been lowcarbing 3 years come August.