Weight loss maintenance strategies The evidence to support dieting for sustainable weight loss is far from convincing.
One older review of 29 studies found that participants who lost weight through dieting regained more than half of the weight they lost within 2 years, and by 5 years, they had regained more than 80% of the weight they lost (15Trusted Source).
However, these statistics shouldn’t prevent you from focusing on your diet and losing weight to improve your health or self-image.
Besides, diets are only effective if they allow you to develop sustainable healthy behaviors.
Here are some dietary and lifestyle tips that may help prevent weight regain (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source):
Engage in self-monitoring behaviors like tracking your diet and exercise. Tracking your calorie intake and exercise increases self-awareness of your behaviors and how those behaviors affect your weight loss goals. Find an activity you enjoy. Exercise comes in different forms, such as biking, walking, swimming, taking the stairs, or playing outdoors with your kids. Find an activity you enjoy and do it often. Have healthy foods like fruits and vegetables available at home. If you have more healthy foods like fruits and vegetables at your home instead of highly processed snacks like chips and soda, the decision to eat healthily is already made for you. Prioritize sleep and reduce stress factors you have control over. A lack of sleep and many of life’s stressors can sabotage your weight loss goals. Establish healthy sleep habits and try to learn ways to ease your worry about things you can’t control. Fill your plate with whole foods. Choose whole and minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. These foods can help keep you feeling full and provide your body the necessary nutrients to support weight loss and your health. SUMMARY Developing and maintaining healthy dietary and lifestyle habits are the keys to preventing weight regain.
