4 Proven Habits of People Who Lose Weight and Maintain It

March 13, 2022

by Cathe Friedrich

Would you like to know the secrets of people who lose significant amounts of weight and keep it off? Research shows over 80% of people who lose a significant amount of body weight gain it all back and more. What makes the other 20% so successful? The National Weight Control Registry has answers. The result of their research offers insights into how it’s possible to lose weight and not regain it.

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) was established in 1994 to study and understand the main factors that cause people to maintain a significant weight loss. The registry followed around 10,000 members with questionnaires about eating and exercise habits. Answers to the questionnaires help the registry identify key habits of successful weight loss maintainers. It tracks the habits of people who successfully lose and maintain a lower body weight and they’ve identified four habits that successful losers have in common. Surprisingly, there are no “secrets,” just common-sense habits. Let’s look at each one.

90% Exercise an Hour a Day

The habit that 9 out of 10 successful weight loss maintainers engage in is exercise. The NWCR reveals that physical activity is important for long-term weight maintenance, and there are many reasons why Exercise can boost your metabolism; improve body composition; improve blood sugar control; enhance mood; help you sleep better. All are important for health and weight control.

In the registry, those who successfully maintained their weight loss exercised around an hour a day, an amount that might sound like a lot. But an hour of exercise doesn’t necessarily mean jumping on a treadmill and taking a long and boring walk.

An hour might sound like a lot if you have a busy schedule but breaking it down into small chunks can make it more manageable. For example, you could go for a 30-minute run in the morning and then do 30 minutes of strength training at lunchtime. Strength training is important. According to one study, it’s the most beneficial form of exercise for weight maintenance.

The key is to weave exercise time into your day, so you can enjoy the long-term benefits of being a healthy body weight. If you do higher intensity exercise, it’s likely that you don’t need a full hour of exercise to enjoy the benefits of weight loss maintenance. Consistency is the most important.

78% Eat Breakfast Daily

The National Weight Control Registry found 78 percent of people who successfully lose and maintain their weight loss eat breakfast every day. That’s more than three times the rate for those who have never lost weight or regained it back. Studies looking at whether eating breakfast makes it easier to lose weight are mixed but the result from the registry suggest that it works for weight loss maintenance.

To confuse the matter, some research shows that not eating breakfast and fasting in the morning helps with weight loss by forcing the body to break down fat stores in the absence of more readily available fuel after a long night of not eating.

So, why might eating breakfast help with weight loss maintenance? It could be that eating breakfast reduces calorie consumption later in the day. How well this works could depend on the composition of your breakfast. Eating a high-protein breakfast, like an omelet, will raise your blood sugar and insulin level less than a bagel and that’s favorable for weight loss and weight control. The National Weight Control Registry didn’t specifically look at the composition of what people ate for breakfast but that’s important for your health.

75% Weigh Themselves Weekly

Should you weigh and how often? The Weight Control Registry finds that weighing at least weekly helps with weight loss maintenance too. Although you should not be obsessed with the number on the scale, regular weighing allows you to address small increases in body weight before they become larger. It’s easier to take off 2 pounds than it is 5 pounds that slipped up on you because you stopped weighing.

Here are some tips for successful weight monitoring:

Weigh yourself every day, at the same time daily or weekly, using the same scale.
Record your measurements weekly in a diary or on a chart.
Calculate and record your weekly change from the previous week.
Add comments about what you’re eating and your physical activity level each day.

62% Look at Less Than 10 Hours of Television Weekly

Reducing television time was another habit of successful weight-loss maintainers, according to researchers. The study revealed that participants who watched more than six hours of TV per week were more likely to regain the weight they had lost. Dinner with family also helped the participants maintain a healthy weight after weight loss.

The worst way to eat a meal is parked in front of the television set since you’re distracted while you eat and can’t enjoy the textures, taste, and aroma of your food. Eating mindfully, with a focus on the experience of eating, engages the mind so you’re naturally satisfied with less. Another reason watching television is harmful to bodyweight is because you’re inactive while you’re doing it. Plus, many people snack while their eyes are glued to the screen. Don’t be one of them!

The Bottom Line

The weight loss maintenance habits identified by the National Weight Control Registry are simple in concept but aren’t always easy to implement if you have a busy schedule. But getting an hour a day of exercise is doable if you break it up and do your first exercise session as soon as you wake up before other things occupy your time. As hard as it is to maintain a lower body weight, members of the National Weight Control Registry show you that it can be done and how to do it.

References:

“NWCR Facts – National Weight Control Registry.” .nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm.

“Eating breakfast won’t help you lose weight, but skipping ….” 19 Apr. 2019, .health.harvard.edu/blog/eating-breakfast-wont-help-you-lose-weight-but-skipping-might-not-either-2019041916457.

“New Clues to Prevent Weight Regain – University of New Mexico.” https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/WeightRegain.html.