The Win the Fat War Cookbook. This item is unavailable.The Win the Fat War Cookbook

A collection of 175 low-fat family-style recipes includes blueberry pecan pancakes, orange almond chicken, and much, much more, accompanied by practical advice from some of the nation's leading weight-loss experts. 25,000 first printing.

@CTG:Wisdom from the Winners

@ICRTF:You've heard the heartbreaking statistics: "Ninety-five percent of

people who lose weight will gain it back." It's enough to make you exchange

your scale for a frequent buyer's card at the plus-size store.

@RTF:Don't believe it. Plenty of people lose weight and keep it off. And

you can, too. That's worth repeating.

@RTF:Plenty of people lose weight and keep it off. And you can, too. <$>

@RTF:But what about that 95 percent failure rate? That's a widely quoted

statistic that comes from a study of only 100 people at a nutrition clinic

at New York Hospital in the 1950s. It does not represent the real world of

today, where lots of people lose weight and keep it off on their own. Our

evidence: Thousands of weight-loss winners are coming out and speaking up.

The innovative National Weight Control Registry at the University of

Pittsburgh School of Medicine has identified the largest group of weight-

loss winners ever recorded, and they have lots of good advice to share. We

also interviewed dozens of successful dieters. They're people just like

you. Some lost weight on their own. Some joined weight-loss programs. Some

had to lose weight for health reasons. Others wanted to make a better

impression at their high school reunions. And a few had simply had enough

of being overweight.

@A:Break the Rules

@RTF:The patterns of success that we saw in our interviews were the same as

those at the National Weight Control Registry. And they weren't what you

might expect. The registry has tracked more than 2,000 people who have lost

at least 30 £ds and kept it off for at least 1 year. Amazingly, the

average loss for those in the registry is about 65 £ds, and they have

maintained it for more than 6 years. What these people told us flies in the

face of conventional weight-loss wisdom. Consider these myth-busting

truths.

@RTF:It's never too late. <$>Being heavy as a child doesn't sentence you

to a life as an overweight adult. At the registry, 46 percent of the

participants said that they were overweight as children at age 11 or

younger. Twenty-five percent first became heavy between ages 12 and 18.

Only 28 percent became overweight as adults. That means most of these

weight-loss winners overcame a lifetime of being overweight.

@RTF:Forget your "ideal" weight. <$>Ideal weight is just that: an ideal.

The fact is that most people who consider themselves successful at

maintaining a weight loss drop only about half the £ds that they'd hoped

to drop. Weight-loss researcher Thomas Wadden, Ph.D., proves the point. He

and his colleagues asked 60 overweight women (their average weight was

about 218 £ds) to write down three different numbers: their ideal "goal"

weight, weight loss that they considered "acceptable," and weight loss that

they saw as "disappointing." Most set their ideal weights about 72 £ds

less than their current weights (an average ideal of 146 £ds). The

average "acceptable" weight loss was about 55 £ds (which would put them

at an average of 163 £ds). A loss of only 38 £ds was considered

"disappointing" (an average weight of 180).

@RTF:After 6 months of dieting, exercising, and behavior modification, plus

6 months of maintenance, the average weight loss sustained by these women

was only 36 £ds. Two £ds less<$> than their "disappointing" weight

loss. The good news? All were absolutely thrilled with their new weight.

Even though they hadn't reached the loss that they initially called

"disappointing," they felt better physically and emotionally than they had

ever expected.

@RTF:A weight loss of only 10 percent of your current weight is enough to

bring down high blood pressure, lower cholesterol and triglycerides

(substances that can put you at risk for heart disease), and improve your

overall medical health. And that translates into feeling better instantly.

So reach for a reasonable goal weight, not an ideal. That's exactly what

Susan Cursi did. Susan is 5 feet 5 inches tall and now weighs 130 £ds.

She lost 50 £ds and has kept it off for 5 years. But she had to get real

first. "I realized that I may never be as skinny as I was in high school.

But when I lost just 25 to 30 £ds, I felt so much better."

@RTF:Keep trying. <$>Contrary to rumors, yo-yo dieting (or continually

losing weight and gaining it back) does not lower your chances of ever

losing weight permanently. The research that started that rumor was done on

rats, not humans. Even so, it caused some weight-loss "experts" to think

that it might be healthier to stay heavy than to continue trying to lose

weight. Nothing could be further from the truth. A national task force was

organized to do a comprehensive survey of 43 human studies on the subject

(known among doctors as "weight cycling"). Guess what they concluded?

Repeat dieting does not increase body fat, make future weight-loss attempts

more difficult, or permanently lower metabolic rate (the rate at which your

body burns calories).

@RTF:Proof positive: Nearly all the weight-loss winners (91 percent) in the

National Weight Control Registry are veteran dieters. And these folks lost

an average of 60 £ds and kept it off for 10 years. The people we

interviewed had similar dieting patterns. So what triggered the lasting

success? Among other things, they all said that this time, they were going

to make long-term behavior changes. They more closely watched what they

ate, and they exercised more.

@RTF:Adrienne Jacobson dieted for years. She tried everything: weight-loss

pills, liquid diet products, even starvation. Finally, she found a

registered dietitian who designed an eating plan based on her

lifestyle<\m>a diet that she could stick with for the long haul. She met

with her dietitian once a week for positive reinforcement and fine tuning.

She has maintained a loss of 36 £ds for 3 ;1/2 years.

@RTF:Mark Ballard dropped an amazing 125 £ds<\m>but not the first time

he tried. "My first weight-loss attempt was a fast that I did in high

school. From there, I moved on: Weight Watchers, the Cambridge System, Slim

Fast, Nutri/System, Cabbage Soup." Mark eventually found that a sensible

low-fat eating plan and exercise worked for him. If you've tried before, it

couldn't hurt to try again. This time could be different.

@RTF:Ignore your family's weight history. <$>Genetics tell you only that

you have a tendency to be overweight. Your genes do not predict your

ability to lose weight. "I saw pictures of my grandmothers, great-

grandmothers, and great-great-grandmothers, and they were all overweight

and short like I am. My mother was only about 5 feet tall, and she was also

overweight," says Jean Ross. Despite her family's weight history, Jean

dropped 35 £ds and went from a size 22 to a size 12. How about the

weight-loss winners at the registry? Forty-six percent reported having at

least one parent who was overweight.

@RTF:Trust your instincts. <$>People told us that one of the keys to

permanent weight loss was getting triggered by something deep inside,

coming to a turning point, an incident or time in their lives that made

them say, "This is it. This time will be different." For Richard Daly, it

was his overall health. "I looked down at the floor beside my easy chair

and counted eight cola cans that I'd emptied in less than an hour. The next

thing I knew, I was in the hospital, diagnosed with diabetes and learning

how to give myself insulin to bring down my sky-high blood sugar." Right

then, Richard knew that he had to make a change for good.

@RTF:More than three-fourths (77 percent) of the men and women in the

registry said that there was a trigger or a turning point that also got

them motivated. Thirty-two percent said that their triggers were either

medical conditions (like back pain, breathing trouble, or fatigue) or

emotional events such as divorce. "I had asthma, poor circulation, chronic

constipation, and heartburn," says Lynne Watson. But poor health wasn't

enough. Lynne went on and off diets for years until her powerful emotions

finally moved her. "I sat alone on Christmas Day 1985 and realized that I

had two choices: end my life or take control of it. I decided to grab

control; I didn't want to die." For Lynne, the trigger had to come from

deep within. Once she found her motivation, she lost 105 £ds.

@RTF:Be honest with yourself. <$>Not everyone has to be hit with an

earth-shattering event. For more than 11 percent of the people at the

registry, the trigger was simply seeing themselves in a mirror or a

photograph. That's all it took for Senator Matt Salmon of Arizona. "I was

rummaging through some snapshots of my formerly athletic self. I realized

that I now look like a walrus. I couldn't believe I'd let myself get so

bloated. I was ashamed and embarrassed." Matt started a basic eating and

exercise strategy and lost 70 £ds.

@RTF:Luanne Barrett had a similar experience. "I looked at a photo. My

heart sank. My weight had crept to more than 170 £ds. It was time to do

something about my weight<\m>and my lifestyle." Luanne took control and

lost 27 £ds.

@A:How Much Should You Weigh?

@RTF:Most people want to know what the "right" weight is. The honest answer

is that there is no ideal weight that applies to each person. Everybody is

a little different. But there are ways to tell whether your body shape and

weight are putting you at risk and what weight range is considered healthy

for you.

@RTF:Do the math. <$>Two simple formulas will tell you whether your

weight is healthy or unhealthy: Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist

circumference. As your BMI goes up, so does your risk of high blood

pressure and increased blood cholesterol levels. Likewise, the more weight

you have around your middle, the greater your chances of developing

diseases like adult-onset diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of

cancer. See page 8 to check your BMI and see where you stand.

@RTF:Measure your middle. <$>It's important to check your waist

circumference, even if you're not overweight on the BMI chart. A large

waist measurement means that you're shaped more like an apple than a pear

and could have increased risk for disease, such as diabetes and heart

disease. Waist circumference is particularly useful for older people whose

weight has shifted with age. Their risk for major diseases goes up, not

because of weight gain but simply because their weight has collected around

their middles. Older men are often aware of their changing shapes because

men's pants are sized by waist measurement. But women's clothing is not.

Women are often less aware of increased waist size as they age.

@RTF:To check your waist circumference, place a tape measure just above

your belly button at your natural waistline. Pull the tape snug but not

tight. Jot down your waist size in inches. A circumference of more than 40

inches for a man and 35 inches for a woman means that your health could be

at risk. Losing some weight now will make a difference.

@RTF:Find your healthy weight range. <$>Your best weight is not a

particular number on a scale. In fact, pegging one number as your goal

always keeps you 1 £d away from failure. Instead, think of your target

weight as a range. This strategy gives you leeway for your body's natural

monthly and seasonal weight fluctuations. To find yours, see "Find Your

Target Weight Range" on page 10.

@A:Follow Your Own Plan

@RTF:Knowing that weight loss is different for everybody, we designed this

book to be flexible. You can personalize your own weight-loss strategy. If

you like the psychological approach, see "What's Your Weight-Loss

Personality?" on page 12. Knowing your general response to life might help

you figure out the weight-loss strategy that suits you best. Or, if you

just want some healthier recipes in your diet, scan through the recipes

until you find a few that you like. (For tips on making your own recipes

more healthy, see What Works in the Kitchen on page 31.) If you want to

exercise more, see "Burn, Baby, Burn" on page 27. Or, if structured meal

plans are for you, pick a calorie level (see how on page 17), then follow

the simple 2-week slimming plan on page 316.

@RTF:Play the numbers. <$>The most surefire method of losing weight is

to take in fewer calories than you use. That's what this book is based on.

If you are overweight, you are simply taking in more calories than you

need. The solution is to take in fewer calories (by altering your diet

gradually) or use up more (by slowly getting more active).

@RTF:Lose weight gradually. <$>Here's the science behind the principle

of calorie balance. One £d of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. For

every 3,500 calories you cut, your weight will drop 1 £d.

@RTF:But cut too many calories too quickly, and you may not lose any weight

at all. It's too sharp a change for your body. Studies show that on fewer

than 800 to 1,000 calories a day (by eating less, exercising strenuously,

or a combination of the two), your body will turn down its thermostat to

conserve every calorie it gets. Your body goes into survival mode and

doesn't know if you're a prisoner of war suffering from starvation or a

prisoner of your own head. That's why rapid weight-loss diets don't work.

@RTF:Barbara Miltenberger knows this principle firsthand. "As soon as I saw

the weight coming off, I thought, 'If it's working at this rate, I'll try

eating less so that I'll lose more,'" she admits. "Then I stalled and put

on even more weight because I was undereating. And my metabolism slowed

down. I'd start losing again when I'd eat a little bit more." In the end,

Barbara lost more than 40 £ds the safe, reliable way: slowly.

@RTF:Drop 1 or 2 £ds a week. <$>Safe, effective weight loss is

considered to be 1 to 2 £ds a week. That's not as slow as you might

think. In just 2 months, you could be 20 £ds slimmer.

@RTF:To lose a £d a week, you need to reduce your calories by 500 each

day (500 x 7 = 3,500 calories = 1 £d). To lose 2 £ds a week, reduce

your calories by 1,000 a day (1,000 x 7 = 7,000 calories = 2 £ds).

Reducing calories means eating fewer of them and burning off more.

@RTF:See how many calories you eat now. <$>Before changing the way you

eat, it helps to know how many calories you eat to maintain your current

weight. There are a few ways to do this. Some folks keep a food journal and

average out the number of calories they eat using a fat-and-calorie-count

book (these are available in most bookstores). "It took a few extra minutes

a day, but keeping a food journal helped me become aware of how much I was

eating," says Alan Mathis, who lost 130 £ds.

@RTF:A journal will yield a wealth of information about your eating habits.

If you're not very aware of your diet, give it a try. Keep a small notebook

in your pocket or purse for just 3 days, including at least 1 weekend day.

Jot down what you eat, when you eat, how much, and how you felt when you

ate. Write down every last bit of food and drink. Then review it to see the

average number of calories that you eat in a day. You'll also discover your

snacking patterns and the emotions that prompt you to eat.

@RTF:This method may be too time-consuming for many people. If you are

generally aware of what and how much you eat, see "How Many Calories Do You

Eat Now?" on page 18 to figure out the average number of calories that you

eat to maintain your current weight.

@RTF:Make a reasonable calorie budget. <$>Once you know how many

calories you eat each day to maintain your current weight, it's easy to

plan a diet to lose weight. You can cut 150 calories simply by choosing a

glass of diet soda instead of a can of cola (most colas have about 150

calories).

@A:Get Balance

@RTF:After you pick a daily calorie level, you could eat a day's worth of