Anahad O’Connor
The Washington Post
Want to know the best nutrition and lifestyle changes you can make to lose weight and improve your health? A group of leading obesity researchers has identified six key actions that work.
Although many people are now losing weight with the new GLP-1 drugs, long-term success still requires lifestyle changes and healthy eating habits. An analysis of the POUNDS Lost study, the largest and longest running clinical trial on diet and weight loss, found that there was wide variation in the amount of weight lost or gained when participants consumed different amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrate.
The 811 people who took part in the study were split into four groups. One group followed a low-fat, low-protein diet, another a high-fat, high-protein diet, a third a high-fat, low-protein diet, and a fourth a low-fat, high-protein diet. The four groups were assigned to consume different amounts of carbohydrates, ranging from 35 percent to 65 percent of their diet calories from carbohydrates. All four diets were low in calories and saturated fat.
The study was conducted by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
At the end of the two-year study, researchers found that members of each diet group had lost similar weight, an average of about 6.6 to 8 pounds.
But the researchers found that the overweight and obese adults who lost the most weight during the study period shared some commonalities.
1: They ate more protein.
Those who significantly increased their protein intake lost significantly more weight than those who didn’t. By the end of the study, those who ate the high protein had lost an average of 16.5 pounds — three times as much weight as those in the lowest protein group.
The reason? Eating more protein produces heat. Our bodies burn more calories digesting and absorbing protein than fat or carbohydrates. Protein also increases satiety. Increasing your protein intake means you end up eating less, said study co-author George A. Bray, emeritus director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana.

2: I ate more fiber.
Those who increased their fiber intake the most during the first six months of the study lost approximately 23 pounds — nearly double the weight lost by those who included the least amount of fiber in their diets.
Fiber helps food move more slowly from your stomach to your intestines, making you feel fuller, and it stimulates the release of appetite-suppressing hormones such as GLP-1, the hormone that the popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and WeGoBee mimic.

3: I reduced my intake of ultra-processed foods.
During the study, people who ate the fewest ultra-processed foods lost an average of 18.2 pounds, while those who ate the most ultra-processed foods lost about 11.6 pounds. Previous studies have shown that eating ultra-processed foods, such as cookies, sugary breakfast cereals and soft drinks, tends to significantly increase calorie intake.
Ultra-processed foods contain additives that cause you to overeat and have less nutritional value than fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and other whole foods.

4: They embraced diversity.
Researchers found that people who ate a wider range of nutritious foods lost significantly more weight and experienced greater waist and body fat reductions. These participants increased their intake of foods such as whole grains, berries, melon, citrus fruits, low-fat milk, yogurt, and dark green and orange vegetables.
The researchers hypothesised that people who ate a greater variety of healthy foods might experience more enjoyment and feel less deprived, and therefore be more likely to stick to their diet.
5: They walked and exercised more.
Everyone in the study was given a pedometer and encouraged to exercise, and the researchers found that the more steps people took each day, the more weight and body fat they lost.
Those who increased their physical activity the most maintained their weight loss over the two-year study period, while those who decreased their physical activity the least ultimately regained the weight they had lost.

6: My sleep quality has improved.
People who suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders are three times more likely to fail at weight loss, and research has shown that lack of sleep causes changes in the brain and hormones that lead to cravings and overeating of fatty and sugary junk foods.
Results from the POUNDS Lost trial show that these behavioral changes can have powerful health benefits by significantly reducing weight, slimming waistlines and lowering body fat levels.
The researchers were heartened to find that people who are most successful at losing weight and keeping it off share common behaviors. Bray said the relatively simple nutrition and lifestyle changes they identified can be implemented by just about anyone and can be applied to a variety of diets.
“One of the key points from this paper is that any diet can work if you stick to it,” he says. “There are a few big things that make a difference, like eating lots of protein and fibre and avoiding highly processed foods.”