According to a recent study, individuals whose weight fluctuates early in a weight loss program have worse long-term outcomes. Changing your weight-loss method may be a sound advice if losing weight has become more of a mundane task rather than a rewarding journey toward a healthier lifestyle. And this bears the following questions: what is the best weight loss challenge that can have positive results in the long run and how much weight can you lose in a month in order to have a steady and lasting weight loss progress?

Best Weight Loss for Obese Individuals

A recent study has stated that individuals whose weight fluctuated in the first few months of a weight loss program lost less weight in the long term than those who made a more regular week-by-week improvement.

Researchers from Drexel University added that this could help determine individuals who need additional support in achieving their weight loss objectives early on.

Health practitioners are well aware of the consequences of regaining weight that has been lost.

Eliza Kingsford, a licensed psychotherapist and author of “Brain-Powered Weight Loss,” who wasn’t involved in the study, stated that “if you’re yo-yoing, that is a clear signal or red flag that it’s about something more than the food you eat and the exercise you’re engaging in, that there are probably ingrained patterns of behavior that we need to look at changing in order for it to stick long term.”

Yo-yo Dieting: Weight Loss Before and After Success Rate

Yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling, refers to a dieting method where you lose weight and regain it again and then diet again, which resembles the up and down motion of a yo-yo. The yo-yo effect or situation is common in individuals enrolled in weight loss programs who struggle to maintain or achieve their target weight. This vicious cycle is one of the reasons why yo-yo dieting can cause negative impacts on the body as well as the person’s mental health. In connection, the best weight loss program is one that reduces the chances of the yo-yo effect in the long term.

Researchers followed 183 individuals who took part in a year-long behavioral weight loss program in the study, which was published on August 28 in the journal Obesity.

Researchers added that individuals whose weight fluctuated more during the first 6 or 12 months lost less weight after one and two years. For instance, individuals who lost four pounds in one week regained two the following, lost one the succeeding week, and so forth thrived worse than those who lost one pound each week during the first six months.

As the first six months of weight variability predicted long-term success, researchers reported that the 12-month variability was less influenced by other factors. Throughout the program, all volunteers were given goals to focus on, such as tracking their routines, progress, and calorie intake, as well as boosting their physical activity.

Weight loss was the focus of the first six months of the program, which included weekly small group sessions. The focus has shifted in the last six months to weight maintenance, with fewer sessions.

Individuals who reported increased levels of unhealthy eating, emotional eating, and food obsession at the start of the study had more weight variability and lost less weight after one or two years. Weight variability, rather than a person's relationship with food, appears to be a better indicator of long-term success.

Best Weight Loss Challenge

According to the researchers, the study does not clearly show that weight variability leads to poorer weight loss outcomes. It may, however, aid in identifying individuals who are not truly benefiting from a specific weight loss program — before spending a year attempting to lose weight.

Several studies have shown that early success in a weight loss program indicates long-term results. However, these studies focused on the percent change in weight loss rather than how much a person's weight fluctuates week after week.

Even though losing ten pounds for the first week could be a huge motivation boost for many individuals, it may not be worth it in the long run if your weight yo-yos the rest of the time.

A clear example of this situation is when researchers from a 2016 Obesity study followed 14 individuals who participated in the “Biggest Loser” competition. The participants in the competition lost an average of 129 pounds over the course of the 30-week show. However, six years later, all but one of them had gained back the majority of their weight, averaging 90 pounds each.

Weight loss is not an easy challenge as common eating patterns cannot be changed easily. That is why it is important to enroll in healthy weight loss programs for sustainable and positive long-term results.