If 95% of diets fail, what do the other 5% do differently?

If you looked up weight regain statistics, you’ll be sickened to learn how bad they are but you won’t be surprised.

In a meta-analysis (a study comprising of a lot of smaller studies) of 29 long-term weight loss studies, more than half of the lost weight was regained within two years, and by five years more than 80% of lost weight was regained.

So whether the suggestion that 95% of diets fail is wholly accurate or not, could be up for debate, but it certainly isn’t far off.

However, there is a suggested ‘5%’ of weight loss attempters who do in fact crack the code. 

Maybe you know someone who has successfully lost weight and kept it off.

I certainly have overseen this process unfold when working with clients.

So what’s the secret…?

Or secrets…?

I want to share 5 things with you today that ought to be key focus areas if long-term weight maintenance is your goal and to help you become part of that ‘5%’.

Cognitive restraint

Anybody who’s gotten into shape before or currently is in shape has to show some level of restraining on a day to day basis.

There cannot be a free for all when it comes to the things we eat. 

We live in an ‘obesogenic’ environment where if you aren’t careful, the pounds can very easily start piling on.

That means keeping a bit of a mental diary of how you’re doing with your nutrition, your steps and your exercise. 

Exercising vigorously 4-5x a week and clocking in more than 13k steps a day? You have more leeway.

Find yourself on deliveroo several times a week and at the pub most weekends? You should probably skip the biscuits in the office and the mid-week wines.

Exercise

This one will come across as stating the obvious at first glance, but not for the reasons you might be thinking.

Yes exercise helps burn calories and increases our energy expenditure so by default, supports weight management. 

However the calories we burn from exercise alone is only about 10-15% of the total daily calories we burn… so it’s not a huge amount.

Focusing on calories burned during exercise for weight loss is a risky game because of several reasons…

A. The amount of calories burned displayed to you via your smartwatch or cardio machine is likely inaccurate. 

B. The more calories you burn from exercising, the less you burn via other bodily processes like spontaneous movements, your basal metabolic rate (metabolism) might also reduce. This is a normal compensatory mechanism built in to try to stop you from losing more weight.

C. The more exercise you do, the more economic you become with your calories. i.e. Burning 500 calories doing a 10k run doesn’t automatically mean you will burn 1000 calories running 20k. 

You want to exercise to support weight management because exercise does a very good job at regulating our satiety signalling.

Meaning, it’s likely that somebody who exercises regularly will be better at registering satiation, quicker and more consistently than somebody who doesn’t exercise.

Nutrition strategy

Whether it’s weight watchers, slimming world, the low carb diet or plain old calorie counting. There needs to be a strategy in place for you to default to.

A higher order system that is governing the way you approach your nutrition decisions.

Of course there are some strategies that are better and more sustainable than others and if you asked me what I would consider to be a top notch strategy (one that builds the most sustainable results), it would be one that considers your personal preferences, likes, dislikes, work demands, current level of competence, culture, social demands, is not overly restrictive and a few more things.

Sounds like a no brainer right?

What’s the catch?

The catch is, to curate and implement something like this (and be successful with it) requires patience, diligent planning and also ‘know-how’, which is far from the complete and utter simplicity that is implementing something like the low carb diet - which even most 10 years olds could figure out.

Anything worth having is worth working for right?

Support network

As cliche as it sounds, your environment dictates your performance and your behaviours.

Asking a recovered alcoholic to hang out at pubs everyday is obviously not a smart move and while that may seem intuitive for most, for some people, especially those extremely overweight/obese who have managed to turn things around, the same concept applies.

Now for most of you, it’s likely that it’s a spouse who’s the bad influence, always bringing home junk. 

Which is why it’s not uncommon to see couples gain weight together. 

Conversely, couples who begin health kicks together tend to do better as they can keep each other accountable and there are generally less temptations around.

Time to rethink who your friends are and who you’re married to?

No need…

A simple announcement to loved ones/groups of friends about the journey you’re on should typically be received well. 

Figuring out healthier alternatives together, scaling back on alcohol/eating out and being more proactive with nutrition admin should all help.

Delay instant gratification 

Last but not least, the ability to delay instant gratification is certainly a true test of willpower but can be a reflection of your true colours.

Do you have the self-control to stop yourself in the moment and say ‘is this X piece of food going to help me towards my goals or take me further away from it?’

This lack of mindfulness or rationality is the general premise of how poor nutrition decisions are made.

But life without spontaneity is not exactly the answer either though is it... 

So I guess as cliche as it sounds and it certainly seems to be the recurring theme, balance is the key.

But probably more decisively, practicing balance is the key as it’s not as easy as a drop of the hat.

References

Hall KD, Kahan S. Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity. Med Clin North Am. 2018 Jan;102(1):183-197. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012. PMID: 29156185; PMCID: PMC5764193.