To lose weight, you have to think differently

WASHINGTON — The time to make New Year’s resolutions is here again and many will include weight loss as one of them.

The best way to go about that, experts say, is to change your thinking.

“Seeing weight loss as a temporary diet is just setting people up for failure,” says Kay Loughrey, a nutrition expert. “Once they go back to their old ways the weight just comes back on.”

In fact, Loughrey says about 95 percent of people typically regain all of the weight they have lost within a year of losing it.

One way to combat the post-weight loss weight gain is by practicing meditation before you eat.

“As the mind begins to calm, it’s a lot easier to manage stressful eating, so you can sit and actually savor your food instead of eating mindlessly.”

So next time you feel tempted to grab a bag of chips to munch while watching TV, close your eyes and breathe slowly to calm your mind.

Loughrey also recommends taking time to practice tai-chi or yoga to manage your weight in the long term.

WTOP’s Darci Marchese contributed to this report.

Follow Darci Marchese and WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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