• MAIN
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT
  • Body Burn® 28 Day Quick Start
  • CONTACT
  • Privacy Policy

Fit Tip Daily

Lose Weight One Tip At A Time

  • TIP OF THE DAY
  • CELEB DIETS
  • EAT IT
  • WATCH IT
  • BUY IT
  • TOSS IT
  • SUPPLEMENTS
  • EXERCISES
You are here: Home / Today's Tip / The Real Reason Your Diet Isn’t Working ~ The Weekend

The Real Reason Your Diet Isn’t Working ~ The Weekend

September 11, 2010 by Adria Ali 1 Comment

If you aren’t sure why you just can’t seem to drop weight then maybe here is your answer!.  These researchers have found that weekends are the answer to many of the worlds “dieting problems.”

They found that study subjects on strict diet and exercise programs tend to lose weight more slowly than expected because they eat more on weekends than during the week. The investigators report their findings in the advance online publication of the journal Obesity.

“We thought weekends would present a problem for some people attempting to lose weight, but the consistency of our finding before and during the interventions was surprising,” says first author Susan B. Racette, Ph.D., assistant professor of physical therapy and of medicine. “Subjects in the diet group lost weight during the week, but over the weekend, they stopped losing weight because they were eating more.”

Study participants were divided into three groups: the first lowered their daily calorie intake by 20 percent, a second increased daily physical activity by 20 percent, and a third, control group did not change diet or activity levels. All three groups were monitored for one year. They kept food diaries, tracked exercise with accelerometers and were weighed regularly. Racette says people in the study didn’t always realize they were eating significantly more food on weekends.

“It was surprising how consistent the findings were,” she says. “We also were surprised by the dramatic way in which weekends continued to slow weight loss throughout the course of the study.”

Before the interventions began, the researchers established “baselines” for each study participant’s exercise and eating habits. This pre-intervention data determined that participants consumed the most calories on Saturdays. An average of 36 percent of their total calories came from fat on Saturdays, but less than 35 percent came from fat during the rest of the week. The typical weekend weight gain before the diet and exercise interventions began would have led to an average increase of 9 pounds a year.

“People on diets often don’t lose as much weight as we would expect, and this finding helps to explain why,” she says.

“Planning ahead can’t be emphasized enough,” Racette says. She recommends packing healthy food if you’re running errands, eating a little something so you aren’t starving when you arrive at a party, even packing a light lunch before going to the kids’ ballgames so that you have a choice other than junk food at a concession stand.

“In addition, she says, “paying closer attention to portion sizes can enable a person to enjoy the weekend without sabotaging weight-control efforts (source).”

If you want to be successful in your weight loss endeavors then make sure that you keep track of your weekends and be consistent with your goals.

Adria Ali

(CES, PES, CPT, BS)

SHARE:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Related

Filed Under: Today's Tip Tagged With: are weekends stopping you from losing weight, diets, fat loss, fat loss over the weekend, weekend ruins diet, weekends and diets, weight loss, weight loss over the weekend, why diets don't work, why you can't lose weight, why your diet isn't workng

About Adria Ali

I am the author of this web page and I have been a personal trainer for over 13 years. I currently hold a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology (exercise science), as well as all of the certifications from National Academy of Sports Medicine. I also have a background in sports training as well as internships in physical therapy and Occupational Therapy. I got into personal training to help people like my mom who struggled with her weight her whole life.


DISCLAIMER: The purpose of FitTipDaily.com is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

To Verify You\'re Human, Please Solve The Problem: * Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

SEARCH FIT TIP DAILY


Daily Fitness Tips on iPhone





Join the Body Burn 28 Day Challenge

SOCIALIZE WITH FIT TIP DAILY

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

AS SEEN ON

SUBSCRIBE TO FIT TIP DAILY


The Latest

  • 10 Benefits of Shilajit and How it Could Improve Your Life
  • Holiday Giveaway from Everyday Essence
  • Privacy Policy
  • Get Better Fitness Results – Strengthening Neural Pathways
  • Fit Talk – Experts Weigh In – Why Deodorant Is Bad For Your Health

LIKE FIT TIP DAILY

FOLLOW FIT TIP DAILY

Tweets by @FitTipDaily

PEOPLE ♥ FIT TIP DAILY

Rebecca Cardon from Bravo's hit reality show Workout loves Fit Tip Daily!

SHOP FIT TIP DAILY

SHOP FIT TIP DAILY

ABOUT FIT TIP DAILY

Fit Tip Daily is brought to you by Adria Ali. She is a personal trainer with a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology (exercise science) plus she holds three certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Adria has dedicated her life to changing peoples perception of fitness inside and outside of the gym with great fitness tips daily!

AS SEEN ON

GET SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

TAGGED

ab exercises biggest loser butt exercises celebrity diets celebrity fitness celebrity weight loss Decoration diet exercise Exercises exercise tips fat loss Fit fitceleb fitness fitness tip fitness tips fit tip gluten free recipes health Healthy healthy recipes jillian michaels leg exercises lose weight losing weight low carb recipes low fat recipes Metabolism paleo recipes Pinterest trainer trainer tip trainer tips Weight weight gain weight loss weight loss recipes weight loss tips weight training working out workout workout routine workout routines workouts
Weight Loss Disclaimer

* The purpose of this website is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

©2017 Fit Tip Daily | Lose Weight—One Tip at a Time!

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.