Weight-Loss (Dis)Honesty Survey Results Revealed

The truth about bingeing and indulging:

Fifty-five percent of you say you'd feel comfortable telling others about your food indulgences. Which means, you guessed it, 45 percent of you might not be as quick to share information like, say, the fact that you would polish off a whole bag of potato chips in one sitting (27 percent of you have), or that you would eat a whole large pizza or a tub of ice cream (18 percent of you admit to this one).

Taxing as it feels to own up to these things, it can make avoiding them easier and more painless in the future. "When you lie about your indulgences, you're supporting the misconception that it's wrong to have 'treats,'" says Lynn. "Ironically, that can increase your cravings by making those 'bad' foods seem even more like forbidden fruit."

The truth of the matter is that one meal isn't going to make or break your weight, especially if you steer toward healthy practices overall. While Lynn does not endorse downing tubs of ice cream and whole pizza pies, she notes that people often see success with what's called the 80/20 rule -- when you make healthy choices 80 percent of the time and work some small, portion-controlled amounts of your favorite less-healthy choices in for the rest. If you actively put these foods in your diet in a reasonable way, you'll save yourself those late-night breakdowns.

What people will and won't tell about dieting:

If your clothes started to feel snug, 41 percent of you say you'd definitely go on a diet -- but keep it secret. Not a bad idea, according to our experts. "While social support is important in dieting, it needs to come in the right context," says New York dietician Stephanie Middleberg, M.S., R.D. "Losing weight through a program can be good, but from my experience, people don't want to tell their non-dieting nearest and dearest because they intuitively know that they'll feel put under a microscope and that will increase their fear of failure. From that perspective, the secrecy is definitely okay."

Even better, she adds, is to reframe the situation completely and take out the word "diet," something an impressive 41 percent of you say you'd do. Middleberg points out that by dropping the "d-word" and simply thinking about re-orienting your lifestyle toward health, you'll still be doing the same things -- reducing junk food; eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins; and exercising more -- but you'll take away the pressure, both external and internal.

On the survey, there were also some other creative thoughts worth noting: Six percent of you said you would worry about the extra pounds later, eight percent would tell the world you're going on a diet then maybe follow through and four percent would find a diet buddy or group to get you going (something that, studies show, can be extremely motivating for certain people). Social support is good if you aren't shy about personal information and tend to perform well when you're accountable to a group. Even if you're a person who does well in those situations, given the stressful and emotional nature of weight-loss, it's important to look for workout buddies who you think will be supportive and build you up as you push each other forward.

How often weight is actually on people's minds:

Thirty-three percent of you say you count calories all the time, and an additional 31 say you do it, but only when you're losing weight. The appeal here is a sense of control, but one that our experts say can sometimes be misplaced. "I wouldn't recommend counting calories in your head for a few reasons," says Lynn. "First of all, it's tough to keep a tally that extends beyond meal-by-meal. Second, we also overlook those 'hidden' calories in things like sauces, toppings, and salad dressings, for example."

More important than the numbers is to strive for healthy choices, practice portion control and stay active. If you feel you need to monitor your intake more strongly, opt for a food diary or online weight-loss program (eight percent of you are already doing it). A 2008 Kaiser Permanente study found that among dieters, those who kept a food diary lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. "A food diary or log of some kind is a real act of commitment," says Middleberg. "You keep your intake in check because it's just not fun to list out your vices and have to look at them." Or, "Better still," recommends Middleburg, "show it to a group or dietician."

What to believe about workout feats:

Twenty-six percent of you say you've lied about or exaggerated the degree of a previous fitness feat. The reasoning's pretty obvious is this situation: "People lie to feel important or to save face," says Lamothe. "If they think -- however misguidedly -- they'll look bad by not lying, that's when they'll bump up a result or story." The down sides, of course, are manifold. Once you've lied about something, it's tough to do that activity together with the people you lied to, for example. Further, you're putting additional pressure on yourself to perform at a level you just haven't reached yet, making the task that much more onerous. If you tend to fall into this trap frequently, try boosting your resume with, say, a breadth of feats you have achieved rather than focusing on one that you haven't quite gotten to yet.

Are Americans ready to go public with their weight?

Still, even after all you're not willing to divulge, 35 percent of you say you'd "weigh in" in front of a group of people or online. Of the 17 percent who've actually tried it, you were split about 50/50 as to whether you'd try it again. This makes total sense, our experts say. The approach's effectiveness is completely dependent on how you react to social support, something you'll have a sense of given past experiences. "Revealing and knowing others' weight numbers is an interesting topic," says Middleberg. "I've actually had clients compare themselves and their numbers to those contestants on 'The Biggest Loser,' sort of playing along. For some, it's motivating, but I always tell my clients that 150 pounds on one person looks completely different on someone else. If it's something you'd like to do, make sure you're focusing on accountability and not comparison."

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