Afraid you'll put pounds back on after whittling down your waist? Research weighs in on who'll maintain their newly svelte figure—and who'll regain their old one.
One heavy difference: Those who regain weight are more emotionally vulnerable, according to Maureen McGuire, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, who monitored participants who had lost at least 30 pounds and kept them off for a year or more. She found that people who regained tended to "weight cycle," meaning that they lost and gained pounds more frequently than those who maintained their weight loss. They were heavier at the outset, had sustained weight loss for less time, and had lost more weight at one time than those who successfully kept their weight down. Behaviorally, they displayed higher dietary disinhibition—or lack of control over eating habits—as well as depressive symptoms. Maintainers, however, were more emotionally stable, keeping weight off for longer at the study's start and holding fast to new dietary and exercise regimens.
