Video | The National Weight Control Registry | How Members Lost Weight | How Members Maintained Weight Loss | Maintaining is Viewed as Easier than Weight Loss | Summary

Obesity protects obesity. This observation by researcher Timothy Garvey gets to the heart of something known as the set point theory (1).

According to this theory, your body has a genetically determined weight range, or “set point,” that it strives to maintain. When you stray outside of that range, your body triggers hormones that adjust your appetite and metabolism to reign you back in. Those adjustments work in both directions. However, because starvation is more of a threat than obesity, the mechanisms that prevent weight loss are stronger than those that prevent weight gain. In other words, it is harder to lose weight than it is to gain it.

Are we doomed to live the life our genetics predetermined, or is this set point theory just that…a theory?

While there is no denying that hormonal and metabolic factors play a role in weight control, most researchers consider the set point theory to be oversimplified, failing to take into consideration social, nutritional, and environmental factors. 

After all, we all know someone who has lost weight and maintained that weight loss for years. In fact, starting in the 1990s, the National Weight Control Registry made it its mission to identify and investigate the characteristics of individuals who have succeeded at long-term weight loss. 

In this blog post, I’ll review the common characteristics shared by the 10,000 successful maintainers in that registry that ensure the weight they lost stays off.

You CAN MAINTAIN Weight Loss: 10,000 People Did It This Way [Video]

In this video, you’ll learn…

• What the National Weight Control Registry is.
• How its members lost weight.
• How those members maintained their weight loss.

The National Weight Control Registry

Since its start in 1994, the National Weight Control Registry has published research about the strategies used by those who have achieved long-term weight loss. While the number of studies published dropped off in 2016, the analysis still reveals plenty of insights into the eating and exercise habits the individuals use to lose weight and the behavioral strategies they use to maintain their weight.

Characteristics of Members 

Membership requires being over 18 and maintaining a 30-pound weight loss for one year or longer. 

The majority of members are women, and the average woman is 45 years of age, whereas the average man is 49. 

There was quite a bit of diversity in terms of how much weight members lost (30 to 300 lbs.), how long they’ve maintained it (1 to 66 years), and how quickly they shed the pounds. However, on average, registry members lost 66 pounds (30kg) and kept that weight off for more than five years (2).

How Members Lost Weight

While the National Weight Control Registry’s research focused on how members maintain weight loss, it also shared insights into how they lost weight in the first place. 

With Help vs. On Their Own

When it came to losing weight, a little over half of the members did so with the help of a formal plan; the remainder lost weight on their own. But regardless of which path they took, diet and exercise were key, with 98% of Registry participants reporting that they modified their food intake and 94% stating that they increased their exercise (2).

Diet Strategies

In subjects who reported modifying their food intake, the three most widely used methods were to limit their intake of a certain type or class of food (87.6%), to limit quantities of food eaten (44.2%), and to count calories (43.7) (3).

Exercise Strategies

Exercise strategies varied, but walking was the most frequently reported activity, followed by weightlifting, cycling, and aerobics.

Triggers

An interesting aspect of the weight loss data showed that nearly 77% of the registry reported that at least one triggering event or incident preceded their successful weight loss. 

The triggers were separated into categories, with the main ones being medical, meaning there was some health issue that persuaded the individual to lose weight (e.g., varicose veins, sleep apnea, low back pain, fatigue, aching legs); emotional, meaning there was an uncomfortable event that prompted their decision (e.g., negative remarks from others about their weight); and lifestyle, such as an upcoming wedding or anniversary (3).

How Members Maintained Weight Loss

To keep the weight off, the research staff identified four key components. The members continued to exercise and watch their diets. They also self-monitored their weight and followed a consistent eating pattern across weekdays and weekends. Let’s look at some specifics. 

Regular Physical Activity

When it came to exercising for weight loss maintenance, women in the registry reported expending more than 2,500 calories per week in physical activity, and men reported an average of more than 3,000. These levels of activity represent about one hour a day of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking. In fact, the most common activity was walking, followed by weightlifting, cycling, and aerobics (4).

Diet Awareness

To maintain weight loss, members continued to eat a lower-calorie diet. The study did not provide specifics on body size or composition. However, I crunched some numbers based on their data and found that the average woman maintained her weight by consuming roughly 1,800 calories per day, and the average man was likely consuming 2,400 per day (4).

Weight loss maintainers were also more likely to limit fat in their daily diet.

If you follow my blog, you know that I have tried low-fat diets in the past and now eat a high-fat, low-carb diet. I was able to lose weight with both diets, but I never had years of what I would describe as fairly easy maintenance until I increased my fat intake. The fat content of my diet provides a lot of hunger satisfaction, and the low-carb aspect naturally removes quick-digesting carbs, like the 3 Cs (cookies, cakes, and candies), keeping cravings under control.

Why did members of the National Weight Control Registry find success with low-fat diets? In my view, there are two explanations. First, there is more than one way to lose weight. The one that is right for you is the one that fits your life. Second, while there is some great data to be harvested from this registry, findings were published between 1994 and 2016, when low-fat dieting was the prevailing trend. 

To their credit, the registry conducted a study featuring low-carb dieters, showing that it is possible to achieve and maintain long-term weight loss using a low-carb, high-fat diet (5).

Self-Monitoring

Registry members also reported frequent monitoring of their weight. More than 44% reported weighing themselves at least once a day, and 31% reported weighing themselves at least once a week (4).

By frequently checking in on their weight, registry members were able to catch small weight changes and take action before they turned into large regains. 

Dieting Consistency

One characteristic common among successful weight loss maintainers that we don’t often hear about is dieting consistency. The research staff found that most participants reported eating the same on weekends and weekdays (59%). 

In fact, the results indicated that participants who reported a consistent diet across the week were 1.5 times more likely to maintain their weight within 5 pounds over the subsequent year than participants who took some liberties on the weekends and dieted more strictly on weekdays (4).

It Takes Discipline but Gets Easier

I want to end with this thought. When asked to rate the difficulty of their successful weight loss, almost 43% described it as hard, and more than 31% described their achievement as moderately hard.

However, when it came to weight maintenance, members reported it as being less difficult. About one-third of the sample rated weight maintenance as easy, and more than 37% rated it as moderately easy.

On top of that, once those individuals maintained their weight loss for at least two years, their chances of longer-term success greatly increased, reducing their risk of regaining the weight by nearly 50%.

So, the moral of the story is that you have to work to get there, but it gets easier, and the rewards are great. At least 85% of the registrants reported improvements in their general quality of life, level of energy, physical mobility, general mood, self-confidence, and physical health (3).

Summary

From the information gathered by the National Weight Control Registry, we see that losing weight can be done on your own or with the help of a formal program. 

However, there must be some limitations imposed on your diet. It also helps to increase your physical activity level, and while it might not be necessary, having a triggering event helps to get the ball rolling.

As for weight maintenance, dietary limitations and exercise remain important, and you increase your odds of success by frequently monitoring your weight and keeping your weekend eating under control.

References:

(1) Ganipisetti, Venu Madhav, and Pratyusha Bollimunta. “Obesity and set-point theory.” (2023).

(2) “NWCR Facts.” Research Findings, NWCR, www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

(3) Klem, Mary L., et al. “A descriptive study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of substantial weight loss.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 66.2 (1997): 239-246.

(4) Wing, Rena R., and Suzanne Phelan. “Long-term weight loss maintenance.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 82.1 (2005): 222S-225S.

(5) Phelan, Suzanne, et al. “Three‐year weight change in successful weight losers who lost weight on a low‐carbohydrate diet.” Obesity 15.10 (2007): 2470-2477.

About the Author

Becky Gillaspy, DC, is the author of The Intermittent Fasting Guide and Cookbook and Zero Sugar / One Month. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with research honors from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1991.