Long-term maintenance of weight loss: do people who lose weight through various weight loss methods use different behaviors to maintain their weight?

Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1998 Jun;22(6):572-7

McGuire MT, Wing RR, Klem ML, Seagle HM, Hill JO.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA 15213, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether individuals who lost weight on their own (n
= 447), through organized programs (n = 313) or with liquid formula (n =
133) would differ in the strategies they used to maintain their weight
losses. DESIGN: All subjects were members of the National Weight Control
Registry, had lost > or = 13.6 kg (30 pounds), and kept it off at least one
year (mean weight loss = 30.1+/-14.9 kg and mean duration of maintenance =
5.7+/-6.9 y). RESULTS: Liquid Formula users differed from the other two
groups on many characteristics; they were more likely to be women, older,
heavier, and to have had a medical disorder prior to weight loss. To
maintain their weight loss, the Liquid Formula group reported greater use
of dietary strategies (for example, counting calories, limiting the amount
of calories from fat) and higher dietary restraint. Liquid Formula users
reported that weight maintenance was more difficult than losing weight,
whereas individuals who lost weight on their own reported the reverse. The
On Own group reported expending a higher percentage of calories through
strenuous activities such as running and weight lifting, and reported
weighing themselves more frequently to maintain weight loss. Despite these
behavioral differences, all three groups are maintaining their weight
losses similarly by eating a low calorie diet (5792.3 kJ/d and 25% of daily
calories from fat) and engaging in high levels of physical activity
(11847.3 kJ/week). CONCLUSIONS: Despite using different methods to lose
weight, individuals who lost weight on their own, through an organized
program, or with a liquid formula, use similar behavioral strategies to
maintain their weight loss.