Eating Patterns May Help Men Maintain a Healthy Weight

We are all looking for a silver bullet to help us lose weight and sustain the loss afterward.  To be bluntly honest, we have not found such a piece of information, and I personally doubt it exists at all.  The problem is that each human being is different and will require a different focus to be successful at weight loss and maintenance.

You may have read my review of multiple research studies that looked at the data from the National Weight Control Registry.  I found another study that looked at a similar group but the data was from Greece.  This study is the MEDWeight Study.  It looked at Greeks who were able to lose 10% of their body weight and maintain it for over a year.  There are multiple publications that have branched off this study by using their data and population.

In April of 2107, one such study was published​[1]​.  The study looked at dietary patterns of 361 subjects who were able to maintain their weight for over a year.  The study is not earth-shattering, but they found:

1. Men that were successful in weight loss maintenance were 4.6 times more likely to follow a healthy dietary pattern featuring mainly unprocessed cereal, fruit, vegetables, olive oil and low-fat dairy.
2. Men that were successful were actively involved in meal preparation and ate more at home.
3. Women who were successful had a higher eating frequency and slower eating rate.

The bottom line: None of these findings are new.  I have presented other studies that show that if you prepare your food at home and eat slower, you will be more successful at weight loss and maintenance.  There are also studies that show that more fruits, vegetables, unprocessed grains, dairy, and olive oil help with weight loss and maintenance.  This research just supports the prior claims but also may indicate patterns that help keep men on target in their dietary habits.  I would recommend that you consider eating more at home, help prepare your own meals, eat slower, and add whole foods to your diet.  More research is needed on this topic.