Losing weight is usually not that easy, even if you decide to eat less, change your diet or simply exercise more. Let's be honest: it's always a combination of all of these strategies, combined with a good dose of self-discipline, a supportive circle of friends and family and all sorts of clever tips and tricks,that you can use to motivate yourself.After all, there's a reason why many dieters simply give up, and about 80 percent of people who have successfully lost weight usually gain it back. Losing weight is hard.
However, if you are determined to get rid of extra pounds, there is one in the specialist magazineObesitypublished study some interesting data that you can potentially use to make your path to your dream figure a little easier. It shows the importance of tracking your progress and weight loss goals with all the digital tools at your fingertips.
For the study, researchers at Stanford University analyzed the results of nearly 40 weight loss studies in overweight or obese people conducted over a 10-year period, observing nearly 70 different types of digital self-monitoring. At the end of the study, more than 70% of dieters who used digital self-tracking technology successfully lost weight. The most commonly used technology to support weight loss efforts was websites (66%), followed by apps (33%), wearables (11%), electronic scales (12%) and text messaging (12%).
“More frequent self-monitoring via digital tools is associated with greater weight loss,” the study concludes, “regardless of which areas were monitored or which digital modalities were used.” The study also notes that “engagement rates were higher with digital than with paper-based self-monitoring.”
However, there is a caveat. The sales success associated with digital self-monitoring has been most successful in the short term. Those who tracked and recorded their progress in a period of less than a year had an 84% success rate. Those who pursued for more than a year only had 47% success. “Longer duration weakened this relationship,” the study explains, “suggesting that self-monitoring is less effective for weight loss over time, either because commitment decreases or because the rate of weight loss becomes low despite existing commitment.”
Reference:Obesity (23. Februar 2021): Self-Monitoring via Digital Health in Weight Loss Interventions: A Systematic Review Among Adults with Overweight or Obesity; Michele L. Patel, Lindsay N. Wakayama, Gary G. Bennett
