Yes. Regain is so common that it's closer to the rule than the exception. Research suggests more than half of lost weight comes back within two years, and as many as 80 percent of people regain most of it within five. But it isn't a personal failure, and it isn't inevitable. People who keep weight off tend to share a handful of very learnable habits.
Why it's so common
After a weight loss, your body burns fewer calories, your hunger signals get louder, and most diets end without any plan for what comes next. Put those together, and regain becomes the default outcome, not a sign that something is wrong with you.
What people who keep it off have in common
The National Weight Control Registry has tracked thousands of people who lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for years. A few habits show up again and again:
- They weigh themselves regularly, most of them at least once a week.
- They stay active, most of them for about an hour a day.
- They eat breakfast and keep their eating fairly consistent from day to day.
- They catch small regains early instead of waiting.
Regain is common. Staying is a skill.
If you've regained before, you already know how to lose weight. What most people were never taught is how to stay there. That's a separate skill, and it can be learned.
Start with The Real Cost of Regain and Off the Merry-Go-Round, two free lessons in the program.
New here? Start the free Weigh to Stay program →