Markie Crossman, 43, below, of Sierra Vista, Ariz., was spurred to lose 74 pounds after seeing how she looked in a photograph, above. David McKibbin, 59, of Mitchell, Neb., used a series of small steps to lose 62 pounds. Above, he is show before the weight loss. Below, he is shown after. br>

EDITOR'S NOTE: Today the Review-Journal begins running the Lean Plate Club column by Sally Squires, an award-winning medical and health writer and columnist for The Washington Post. The Lean Plate Club is dedicated to helping consumers instill healthy eating and exercise habits.

When it comes to making New Year's resolutions, losing weight tops the list.

Shedding pounds "is the number one New Year's resolution and has been for at least the last 10 to 15 years," notes University of Scranton psychologist John Norcross, who specializes in the study of habit change.

But if this year is like others, nearly half of those vowing to lose weight will have given up their efforts by Feb. 1.

So what separates those who succeed in keeping their New Year's resolution to lose weight from those who don't?

Findings from the National Weight Control Registry -- a group of more than 3,000 people who have shed at least 30 pounds and kept the weight off for at least a year -- reveal several common healthy habits. Registry members mostly eat a low-fat diet. They rarely skip breakfast, a meal that helps set the nutritional tone for the day. They monitor their weight, so that if pounds start creeping back on they can take action to lose the weight right away.

Registry members also stay active. They get at least an hour a day of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking.

Research is one thing. Personal experience is another. So to get a better idea of how successful losers put their healthy habits into practice, I asked Lean Plate Club members and participants in the registry to share their experiences. (For inspiration, you can find more brief profiles of successful losers as well as their before-and-after pictures at www.leanplateclub.com. If you're a successful loser and would like to share your tips, please contact me at leanplate club@washpost.com.)

Here's what successful losers said made the difference for them:

Reality strikes. For Markie Crossman, 43, it was a photograph that showed how heavy she had become. "It was horrible," says Crossman, who has since lost 74 pounds. "It really changed things for me, I realized that this is how I looked. This is how people see me. I was in denial about my weight. I couldn't believe it (the photo) was me."

Family health problems provided additional motivation. Her grandmother died suddenly of a heart attack. Her younger brother was diagnosed with a serious kidney ailment. "I decided to fight for my health," says Crossman, who lives in Sierra Vista, Ariz., and is the mother of four adult children.

Fad diets don't work. Each year, Cynthia Gordon of Alexandria, Va., says she "lost and regained the same 40 pounds doing all kinds of crazy diets." But shortly after her only child, Kara, died suddenly of a blood clot in October 2001 at age 21, Gordon, 55, reassessed her life. "I didn't want to fall apart," she says. "I knew my daughter wouldn't want that. I decided to do what I could to live as victoriously as I could in her honor."

So during the week, Gordon started adding pineapple and strawberries to the food she ate. She switched to whole-grain bread and other healthy fare, including broiled lean meat, chicken without the skin, brown rice and plenty of vegetables. On the weekend, she allows herself to splurge a little on macaroni and cheese or even cake. Any leftovers are frozen on Sunday night so that Gordon won't be tempted to eat them during the week. The result: She has lost 60 pounds and maintained her weight for more than two years.

Small steps add up to big rewards. David McKibbin, 59, of Mitchell, Neb., first gave up soft drinks "cold turkey," as this former history professor puts it. Next, he cut out all candy and sweets. Since he usually bought a snack when he put gasoline in his car, he switched to a debit card that enables him to pay at the pump. Then he took up bicycling while spending the summer helping a friend renovate his home in Denver. In about six months, he lost 32 pounds without officially dieting. With other habit changes, he has since lost and maintained an additional 30 pounds. "I now weigh what I weighed in high school," he says.

Find the healthy foods you enjoy. Gordon switched from sweet iced tea to tea sweetened with Splenda and saved 400 calories a day. She also soothes her sweet tooth with diet Jell-O and Cool Whip Lite. Crossman snacks almost daily on popcorn and has discovered a fondness for Bosc pears.

Make it easy and enjoyable. "I'm not into struggling," notes Gordon, who has gone from a plus size 24 to a 16. So when she found excuses not to walk outdoors, she put a treadmill in her bedroom and set a time -- 10:30 a.m. -- daily to walk on it. "Having this right here makes a big difference for me," says Gordon, who listens to gospel music as she walks.

Chat online with Sally Squires on Tuesdays from 10 to 11 a.m. at www.leanplateclub.com where you also can subscribe to the free, weekly Lean Plate Club e-mail newsletter. E-mail Squires at leanplateclub@washpost.com.