Keeping weight off
Most people regain much of the weight they lose, partly because appetite stays higher after weight loss. People who keep it off tend to stay very active, keep weighing themselves and keep their eating habits, which means maintenance is an ongoing plan, not the end of the diet.
What the science says
- Regain is the norm after a diet Strong evidence
Anderson et al.'s 2001 meta-analysis of 29 US programs found that after 5 years people kept off on average just over 3 kg, about 3% of their starting weight.
- Appetite stays higher after weight loss Moderate evidence
Sumithran et al. (2011) found that a year after a 13.5 kg weight loss, hormones that drive appetite had not returned to baseline (lower leptin and peptide YY, higher ghrelin) and subjective hunger was still higher.
- Successful maintainers stay active and keep monitoring Moderate evidence
In the National Weight Control Registry (Thomas et al., 2014), most members kept off at least 10% of their weight for 10 years; declines in physical activity, dietary restraint and self-weighing were linked to more regain. These are observational data from a self-selected group.
- A daily-weighing program reduced regain Moderate evidence
In Wing et al.'s 2006 trial in 314 people who had recently lost weight, a program built on daily weighing, delivered face to face, cut the share of people regaining 2.3 kg or more over 18 months from 72% to 46%.
How to apply it
Move to maintenance gradually, keep the habits that got you there, and act early when weight drifts up.
Who should be careful
Repeated cycles of aggressive dieting are not recommended. Anyone with diabetes, high blood pressure or another obesity-related condition, a history of eating disorders, who is pregnant or breastfeeding, or who is considering weight-loss medication should plan weight loss with a physician or registered dietitian; this page gives no drug advice.
Frequently asked questions
Why do most people regain weight?
Partly biology: a year after weight loss, appetite hormones and hunger had still not returned to baseline in Sumithran et al.'s study. Habits also drift back once the diet ends.
What do people who keep weight off do?
In the National Weight Control Registry, they stay very active, keep weighing themselves and keep their eating restraint; declines in these were linked to regain.
Does weighing myself help keep weight off?
Yes in one trial: a program based on daily weighing reduced the share of people who regained 2.3 kg or more from 72% to 46% over 18 months.
Scientific references
More on weight loss
- Calorie deficit Strong evidence
Fat loss requires eating fewer calories than you burn for weeks to months; every diet that works does this, whatever it is called.
- Rate of weight loss Moderate evidence
For people who lift, losing about 0.
- High-protein diet while dieting Strong evidence
Eating more protein during a calorie deficit helps keep lean mass and gives a small extra fat loss compared with a standard-protein diet of the same calories.
- Resistance training while dieting Strong evidence
Lifting weights during a diet makes much more of the weight you lose come from fat instead of muscle, and it keeps or raises strength.
- Cardio for weight loss Moderate evidence
Cardio helps fat loss, but at typical doses it produces only a couple of kilograms on its own; clinically meaningful loss takes high volumes (more than about 250 minutes a week) or a calorie deficit alongside it.
- Diet breaks and refeeds Moderate evidence
Planned periods at maintenance calories in the middle of a diet are at least as effective as dieting continuously and may make the diet easier to tolerate.