Research
Adherence
Psychological factors including internal motivation, self-efficacy, effective coping strategies, and an internal locus of control are positively associated with weight loss maintenance.
Cultivate internal motivation and self-efficacy. Take responsibility for your lifestyle changes rather than relying on external pressure. Develop coping strategies for stress that do not involve eating.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Weight maintenance is further associated with an internal motivation to lose weight, social support, better coping strategies and ability to handle life stress, self-efficacy, autonomy, assuming responsibility in life, and overall more psychological strength and stability.
Why this rating
Based on a review of various studies, some with mixed results.
Source
Who succeeds in maintaining weight loss? A conceptual review of factors associated with weight loss maintenance and weight regain
Kristina Elfhag et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2005
DOI 10.1111/j.1467-789x.2005.00170.x
narrative_reviewCited 1,357×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Successful long-term weight loss maintenance is associated with higher initial weight loss, reaching a self-determined goal weight, maintaining a physically active lifestyle, and adhering to a regular meal rhythm including breakfast.Moderate
- Risk factors for weight regain include a history of weight cycling, disinhibited eating, binge eating, high hunger, eating in response to negative emotions, and passive coping strategies.Moderate
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →