To find out the secret to permanent weight loss, researchers studied more than 3,000 individuals who had lost at least 30 lb and kept it off for more than a year. Here are their best success strategies. Trim the meat. High-protein diets may be popular, but they re not producing lasting results. Walk, pedal, lift.
Most maintainers exercise the equivalent of walking an hour a day.
And many more people who ve kept off the pounds lift weights compared with the average population. Watch your weight. Most important, they make their weight a priority, says Dr. Hill. Over time, these strategies become second nature, so maintenance gets easier, even pleasurable.