Mixed
Successful long-term weight loss maintenance does not require a single uniform strategy; individuals can maintain weight loss with either high physical activity or low physical activity, provided they employ compensatory dietary and behavioral strategies appropriate to their activity level.
You do not need to become a marathon runner to keep weight off. If you are a 'low exerciser,' focus on dietary strategies like portion control and food choices. If you are a 'high exerciser,' you may need to combine significant activity with stricter dietary adherence (e.g., lower fat, higher restraint). Find the strategy mix that works for your lifestyle and biology; there is no single correct way to maintain weight loss.
These findings suggest that there is not a 'one size fits all strategy' for successful weight loss maintenance and that weight loss maintenance may require the use of more strategies by some individuals than others.
Why this rating
Large sample size (n=3591) and longitudinal follow-up (3 years), though reliant on self-reported data.
Source
Dietary Habits and Weight Maintenance Success in High Versus Low Exercisers in the National Weight Control Registry
Victoria A. Catenacci et al. · Journal of Physical Activity and Health · 2014
DOI 10.1123/jpah.2012-0250
More from this paper
- Higher levels of physical activity at baseline are associated with greater use of specific dietary weight loss maintenance strategies, including lower fat intake, higher cognitive restraint, and more frequent use of behavioral tools like weighing oneself and keeping written food records.Good
- Detrimental changes in physical activity (decrease) and energy intake (increase) over time are predictive of greater weight regain, whereas improvements in both are associated with the least weight regain.Good
Related findings · Mixed
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