Weight loss: To keep if off you have to wait it out

Sticking to your weight-loss resolution for a full year has proven to be worth the sacrifice, according to new study out of Denmark.

The University of Copenhagen’s Faculty of Health and Sciences found that by making some changes in lifestyle and maintaining a disciplined diet over the course of 52 weeks, participants in the study developed a chemical shift in their body.

READ MORE: Follow this one tip if you’re trying to lose weight, study suggests

Specifically, the hormone that inhibits hunger was found to increase when the body gets used to the routine of a weight-loss maintenance program.

Participants experienced an average weight loss of around 13 per cent of their total body weight after the first eight weeks of the trial.  The first two months involved being on a strict, low-calorie diet to see the initial weight loss with the remainder of the trial designed in maintaining any weight lost. University of Copenhagen associate professor Signe Sorensen Torekov says that after persisting with the weight-loss management routine for 12 months, the results have shown it’s actually easier to maintain any experienced weight loss.

“The body will eventually ‘accept’ this new weight and thus not fight against it, as is otherwise normally the case when you are in a calorie-deficit state,” said Sorensen Torekov.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The body will eventually 'accept' this new weight and thus not fight against it, as is otherwise normally the case when you are in a calorie-deficit state," said Sorensen Torekov.

Participants of the study were able to use meal replacement options up to twice a day during their 52-week trial and met regularly with a clinical dietitian who instructed them on making lifestyle changes to aid their weight-loss voyage.

Recent research from the University of Illinois also suggests that simply drinking more water may help to shed unwanted weight. Dr. Ruopeng An, a kinesiology and community health professor at the university, says taking in more water can help people feel fuller regardless of demographic.

READ MORE: Trying to lose weight? Here’s how many calories you cut with each glass of water

“The impact of plain water intake on diet was similar across race/ethnicity, education and income levels and body weight status,” An said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The impact of plain water intake on diet was similar across race/ethnicity, education and income levels and body weight status," An said.

According to Statistics Canada, more than 14 million Canadians were obese or overweight in 2014.