How do you keep weight off after losing it?

Maintenance is harder than loss and is a different task, which is why it fails so often. What distinguishes people who maintain: continued regular physical activity, which matters more for maintenance than for loss; consistent self-monitoring of weight or waist, catching regain early rather than at ten kilos; eating patterns that are sustainable rather than restrictive; and adequate protein and resistance training, which preserve the muscle mass that keeps expenditure up. Also relevant and rarely mentioned: metabolic adaptation means maintenance requires slightly less food than before, which is biology rather than a failure of discipline.