How to lose weight – and keep it off

Losing weight isn’t easy. It can be hard (really hard).

There's no easy answer to weight loss, but there are many practical strategies that may make the journey a little smoother if you’re committed to your goal.

A key part of The Body Coach plan is to lose weight in an enjoyable and sustainable way. Because if it feels like a chore, it’s almost impossible to stick with.

To bring you an expert-packed guide, we spoke to professors and researchers specialising in weight loss, nutrition, obesity, and health psychology. We asked them one simple question: __What’s your top tip for losing weight… and keeping it off for good? __

Here’s what they had to say.

1. Don’t get fixated by numbers on the scales

“Be kind to yourself,” says Louisa Ells, Professor of Obesity and Co-director of the Obesity Institute, at Leeds Beckett University. “Sustainable weight loss is about making changes to improve our overall health and wellbeing.”

Kindness is important, she reminds us. Living with excess weight is not a lifestyle choice, as the reasons why we gain weight can be extremely complex and driven by how our individual genes, body, and brain interact with the environment we live in. “So, instead, focus on making positive changes that are achievable and important for you.”

2. Keep your body moving in a way that you enjoy

This was an important point that many experts touched on. It could be dancing, walking the dog, gardening, or doing a workout, says Louisa – just move in any way that you enjoy.

Remember, being active can help sustain weight loss and is great for both our physical and mental health, she says.

3. Manage your environment

To lose weight and keep it off, we need to protect ourselves against a world designed to encourage us to eat more than we need, says Jane Ogden, Professor in Health Psychology at the University of Surrey and author of How to Eat Well at Every Age.

"There are lots of ways you may be able to help do this,” she says. “Plan what you are going to eat (meals not snacks), where (at a table and not on the go) and when (at a meal time); by not bringing food into the house that you don’t want to eat; avoiding the sugary and fast food aisles in the supermarkets; buying ingredients not ready meals and keeping food simple so you can cook from scratch without feeling you need to be a TV chef.”

This is something Katy Tapper, Professor of Psychology, at City St George’s, University of London, agrees with. “My top tip would be to change your food environment,” she says. “Make it easy to reach for a satsuma or handful of grapes and banish the biscuits, chocolate and crisps or whatever else it is you’re trying to cut back on.

“If you can’t avoid having these foods in the house, put them somewhere out of sight and difficult to access. We have what’s called an ‘attentional bias’ for calorie dense foods which means they tend to capture our attention (especially when we’re hungry!). Once we’ve noticed them, other processes kick in that mean we automatically imagine eating them which can in turn increase our desire for them. Removing tempting foods (or drinks!) from your environment helps interrupt this cycle.”

4. Be aware of what’s in your head

Professor Ogden says we often eat to manage our emotions as a treat or comfort, to socialise with others (family meals, birthdays out) and to make statements about who we are ("I eat loads, I’m fussy, I’m a great host").

“Work out when and why you are eating,” she says. “Try listening to music, dancing around the kitchen, chatting to friends or having a walk or a bath when you need a pick-me-up.” She suggests eating mindfully to help reduce emotional eating, if that is the case with you.

5. Make small changes, not big ones

If you really want weight loss to happen but also to last, you need to make small changes that actually fit into your life and can be sustained into the future, says Professor Ogden.

“If you don’t like cooking, don’t pretend that this is going to be your next passion, but keep it simple and just add vegetables to every meal and reduce snacking in between,” she advises. If you like walking but hate the gym, walk more and build it into your daily life and if you prefer a warm gym to a cold run then do this.

“Find what works for you, do it more, keep a record of doing it, tell others about it, reward yourself as you go along, remind yourself how far you have come and be kind to yourself if you slip up along the way. That way, you are much more likely to create longer term changes which will help you not only lose weight but keep it off.”

6. Eat tasty food you actually enjoy

“Eating should be an enjoyable pleasure whatever our weight,” says Dr Amanda Avery, Associate Professor in Nutrition & Dietetics. So when thinking about any weight loss strategy, to make it easier to maintain weight loss, it’s important to still include foods that you’ll enjoy.

“Take time to reflect on how you could make a healthier diet enjoyable,” she says. "We live in a fast world where our eating habits have changed considerably, and we appreciate good food less. Try to have a few less ‘fast’ foods in your diet, spend time cooking, (does not need to take ages or be expensive), and sit down and enjoy.”

One tip Dr Avery has is to increase the amount of fibre in our diets – the “unsung hero” she says that really helps us have a healthy gut microbiome. Foods like wholegrains, pulses/legumes, seeds, nuts, vegetables and fruit. These foods help us feel fuller for longer and also provide other invaluable micronutrients to help us maintain good all-round health, she says.

The Body Coach app by Joe Wicks gives you a sustainable weight loss plan that’s easy to follow and enjoyable to maintain. There are personalised, simple home workout plans, and recipes tailored to you. For simple, quick workouts and delicious, healthy food, download The Body Coach app in January 2026 and save £20 on an annual subscription.

This article was written by The Body Coach content team.