Have you recently lost some weight and not sure what to do next to maintain it?
Maintaining stable weight loss can be a challenge, but a new study published by The University of Copenhagen reveals that weight loss gets easier to sustain and maintain (after the initial weight loss) after one year.
The findings came from a study where 20 healthy obese participants went on an 8 week low-calorie diet and managed to reach 13% weight loss overall.
After the initial 8 weeks, they were put on a year long maintenance programme.
The study concluded that this is because when an overweight person maintains the initial weight loss for a specific time frame of a year, their body will adapt and accept the new weight rather than fight against it – which is common when one embarks on a diet lower in calories.
“The main finding in the study revealed that after one year of successful weight loss maintenance, the researchers were able to demonstrate that postprandial levels of two appetite inhibiting hormones (GLP-1 and PYY) increased (= appetite inhibition) from before-weight loss level – in contrast to the hunger hormone ghrelin, which increased immediately after weight loss but returned to normal levels (= low hunger) after one year.”
In other words, after a year of maintaining weight loss, the hormone levels will have adjusted to a new set point and therefore facilitating a steady dietary balance long-term.
