A successful weight-loss program

Dr. David Grossman, a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, lists five factors in a successful weight-loss program in an article in the Dallas Morning News, June 26, 2012.

This doctor’s approach sounds sensible to us:

* Make realistic weight-loss goals. Losing just 5 percent of your initial weight can significantly improve your health.

*Analyze what blocks you from reaching your goals. Too much time sitting at your desk? Eating when you feel stressed?

* Find ways to include physical activity into your daily routine.

*Practice self-monitoring. Keep a food diary, or use a pedometer to track your activity.

*Get help. If you’re obese, the task force suggests that you schedule 12 to 26 face-to-face meetings with a doctor over a year, with most of these visits during the first few months.

The task force suggestions don’t offer a startling new way to lose weight—or an easy way, but they are reminders of a sensible approach that works.

I have a couple of pounds I would like to lose, and I’m going to do more self-monitoring. I’m going to find my notebook that’s buried in a stack of papers on my kitchen desk and keep track of what I’m eating.

–Joy