Seven most consistent habits among people who maintained long-term weight loss.

(Paixão et al., 2020)

Maintaining weight loss long-term is one of the biggest challenges in obesity treatment. Majority of the people who lose weight fail to maintain the results long-term.

Success leaves clues. Paixão et al., 2020 investigated the existing weight control registries and their participants to identify psychological and behavioral factors contributing to better long-term success.

This systematic review included 52 studies involving registries from the US, Germany, Portugal, Finland, and Greece.

Most frequently reported habits

Having healthy foods available at home

Regular breakfast intake

Increasing vegetable consumption

Decreasing sugary and fatty foods

Limiting certain foods

Reducing fat in meals

Increased physical activity

Self-monitoring/self-weighing and specific goal setting are noteworthy as well.

Weight maintenance becomes easier over time when behaviors become habits (when requires less conscious effort). 

Reference:

Paixão C, Dias CM, Jorge R, Carraça EV, Yannakoulia M, de Zwaan M, Soini S, Hill JO, Teixeira PJ, Santos I. Successful weight loss maintenance: A systematic review of weight control registries. Obes Rev. 2020 May;21(5):e13003.