The 17 Best Ways to Maintain Weight Loss

Unfortunately, many people who lose weight end up gaining it back.

In fact, only about 20% of dieters who start off overweight end up successfully losing weight and keeping it off in the long term (1).

However, don't let this discourage you. There are a number of scientifically proven ways you can keep the weight off, ranging from exercising to controlling stress (1).

These 17 strategies might be just what you need to tip the statistics in your favor and maintain your hard-won weight loss.

Why People Regain Weight

There are a few common reasons why people gain back the weight they lose. They are mostly related to unrealistic expectations and feelings of deprivation.

Restrictive diets: Extreme calorie restriction may slow your metabolism and shift your appetite-regulating hormones, which are both factors that contribute to weight regain (2).
Wrong mindset: When you think of a diet as a quick fix, rather than a long-term solution to better your health, you will be more likely to give up and gain back the weight you lost.
Lack of sustainable habits: Many diets are based on willpower rather than habits you can incorporate into your daily life. They focus on rules rather than lifestyle changes, which may discourage you and prevent weight maintenance.

1. Exercise Often

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 200 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).

It's important to note that exercise is the most helpful for weight maintenance when it's combined with other lifestyle changes, including sticking to a healthy diet (8).

2. Try Eating Breakfast Every Day

Eating breakfast may assist you with your weight maintenance goals.

Breakfast eaters tend to have healthier habits overall, such as exercising more and consuming more fiber and micronutrients (9, 10, 11).

Furthermore, eating breakfast is one of the most common behaviors reported by individuals who are successful at maintaining weight loss (1).

One study found that 78% of 2,959 people who maintained a 30-pound (14 kg) weight loss for at least one year reported eating breakfast every day (12).

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, 11).

In fact, skipping breakfast may even help some people achieve their weight loss and weight maintenance goals (15).

This may be one of the things that come down to the individual.

If you feel that eating breakfast helps you stick to your goals, then you definitely should eat it. But if you don't like eating breakfast or are not hungry in the morning, there is no harm in skipping it.

3. Eat Lots of Protein

Eating a lot of protein may help you maintain your weight, since protein can help reduce appetite and promote fullness (16, 17, 18).

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, 20).

Protein's effect on your hormones and fullness may automatically reduce the number of calories you consume per day, which is an important factor in weight maintenance (20).

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, 20).

Based on several studies, it appears that protein's effects on metabolism and appetite are most prominent when about 30% of calories are consumed from protein. This is 150 grams of protein on a 2,000 calorie diet (21, 22, 23, 24).

Read more on https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/maintain-weight-loss#section4