Maintaining Weight Loss: 8 Habits “Losers” Have in Common

If losing weight is one of the most challenging things a person can do, then maintaining weight loss is a feat of its own. A study of 500 people who lost at least 10 percent of their maximum weight found that only 20 percent successfully maintained it for at least a year.

So what can we learn from those who actually maintain their weight loss? To track this, researchers created the National Weight Control Registry in 1994, where members who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year can enroll and periodically participate in surveys. On average, members have maintained their weight loss for 5.7 years — and 13 percent of them have actually kept the weight off for over a decade. For more weight-loss advice, here are unconventional weight-loss tips that actually work.

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

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