Energy balance
Intentional weight loss induces physiological adaptations in energy expenditure and intake that actively oppose weight maintenance, contributing to weight regain.
If you have lost weight, expect your body to fight to regain it through increased hunger and lower energy burn. This is a biological adaptation, not a character flaw. Successful maintenance likely requires strategies that address these specific physiological drivers, such as managing hunger cues and adjusting activity levels, rather than relying on willpower alone.
There is evidence that changes affecting energy intake or expenditure, including metabolic adaptations in the weight-reduced state, work against maintaining WL.
Why this rating
This is a study design paper; it cites prior evidence for the existence of adaptations but does not yet report the specific quantitative findings of the POWERS study.
Source
The Physiology Of the WEight Reduced State (POWERS) study: overview and study design
Steven H. Belle et al. · International Journal of Obesity · 2025
DOI 10.1038/s41366-025-01932-0
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