Many diets are too restrictive with requirements that are difficult to keep up with. Regular exercise plays an important role in weight maintenance. It may help you burn off some extra calories and increase your metabolism, which are two factors needed to achieve energy balance 3 , 4.
When you are in energy balance, it means you burn the same number of calories that you consume. As a result, your weight is more likely to stay the same. Several studies have found that people who do at least minutes of moderate physical activity a week 30 minutes a day after losing weight are more likely to maintain their weight 5 , 6 , 7.
In some instances, even higher levels of physical activity may be necessary for successful weight maintenance. One review concluded that one hour of exercise a day is optimal for those attempting to maintain weight loss 1. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day may promote weight maintenance by helping balance your calories in and calories burned. Breakfast eaters tend to have healthier habits overall, such as exercising more and consuming more fiber and micronutrients 9 , 10 , Furthermore, eating breakfast is one of the most common behaviors reported by individuals who are successful at maintaining weight loss 1.
However, while people who eat breakfast seem to be very successful at maintaining weight loss, the evidence is mixed. Studies do not show that skipping breakfast automatically leads to weight gain or worse eating habits 13 , 14 , In fact, skipping breakfast may even help some people achieve their weight loss and weight maintenance goals If you feel that eating breakfast helps you stick to your goals, then you definitely should eat it.
Those who eat breakfast tend to have healthier habits overall, which may help them maintain their weight. However, skipping breakfast does not automatically lead to weight gain. Eating a lot of protein may help you maintain your weight, since protein can help reduce appetite and promote fullness 16 , 17 , Protein increases levels of certain hormones in the body that induce satiety and are important for weight regulation. Protein has also been shown to reduce levels of hormones that increase hunger 19 , Furthermore, protein requires a significant amount of energy for your body to break down.
Therefore, eating it regularly may increase the number of calories you burn during the day 18 , This is grams of protein on a 2, calorie diet 21 , 22 , 23 , Protein may benefit weight maintenance by promoting fullness, increasing metabolism and reducing your total calorie intake.
Monitoring your weight by stepping on the scale on a regular basis may be a helpful tool for weight maintenance. This is because it can make you aware of your progress and encourage weight control behaviors Those who weigh themselves may also eat fewer calories throughout the day, which is helpful for maintaining weight loss 26 , In one study, people who weighed themselves six days a week, on average, consumed fewer calories per day than those who monitored their weight less frequently How often you weigh yourself is a personal choice.
Some find it helpful to weigh in daily, while others are more successful checking their weight once or twice a week. Weight maintenance may be easier to accomplish if you pay attention to the types and amounts of carbs that you eat. Eating too many refined carbs, such as white bread, white pasta and fruit juices, can be detrimental to your weight maintenance goals.
These foods have been stripped of their natural fiber, which is necessary to promote fullness. Diets that are low in fiber are associated with weight gain and obesity 27 , 28 , Identifying situations, such as negative moods and interpersonal difficulties, and using alternative methods of coping with such situations rather than eating can prevent returning to old habits. Weight cycling is losing and regaining weight multiple times.
Some studies suggest that weight cycling, also called "yo-yo dieting," may result in some health risks. These include high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, and high cholesterol. However, these studies are not true for everybody. The best strategy is to avoid weight cycling and to maintain healthy weight through a commitment to increased physical activity and healthy eating.
One myth about weight cycling is that a person who loses and regains weight will have more difficulty losing weight again and maintaining it compared to a person who has not gone through a weight-loss cycle. Most studies show that weight cycling does not affect the rate at which the body burns fuel. Also, a previous weight cycle does not influence the ability to lose weight again. In addition, weight cycling does not increase the amount of fat tissue or increase fat distribution around the stomach.
Some people find it hard to achieve weight loss through diet and exercise. Weight loss surgery can help, but not everyone is eligible for traditional procedures.
IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Share this —. Follow better. By Julie Compton. But if you make the decision, like I did, that losing weight IS the right choice for your body and your life, we do have some info to look at about what has worked for people and what hasn't.
Got it? With all that being said, here are some key findings that I thought were really interesting, and resonated with me and my own experience. Ninety-four percent of people who lost weight and kept it off increased their level of physical activity. OK, fine, no big shock there. But you know what I found encouraging when I looked a little closer at the data? The most frequently reported form of exercise is walking. Think you can only drop weight by giving yourself rhabdo with the cool kids at a high intensity workout class with a lot of grunting?
A fancy sports watch and a training program? Chafing your nipples off in attempt to check that marathon off your bucket list hint: Band-Aids?
Look, more power to you if you enjoy that stuff. Do you crave the structure of a program with a coach and support? Prefer flying solo with an app and meal planning in the peace and relative quiet of your kitchen? Forty-five percent of registry participants worked independently on their weight loss and 55 percent worked through a program. More recently, psychological research has shown that having group support from clinic-based groups to losing weight with friends can help weight-loss efforts.
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