Losing weight can improve several important aspects of health, from blood sugar regulation to cardiovascular function. However, maintaining these benefits over time can be challenging, particularly when some of the lost weight returns.

A new study published in the journal Obesity examined what happens to women's metabolic health during the year following weight loss.

Researchers discovered that some improvements gradually weakened, while others remained measurable, especially among participants who incorporated strength training into their routines.

The findings offer valuable insights into the relationship between weight management, physical activity and long-term disease prevention.

How Researchers Studied Weight Loss

The investigation involved 221 healthy, previously inactive premenopausal women with a body mass index between 27 and 30.

Participants followed a supervised weight-loss programme and were assigned to three groups: dietary changes alone, diet combined with aerobic exercise, or diet combined with resistance training.

The programme used a medically supervised, very-low-calorie diet to achieve a BMI below 25. Participants in the exercise groups completed structured workouts during weight loss, with continued activity encouraged during the following year.

Researchers assessed their estimated ten-year risk of developing type 2 diabetes and experiencing major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes.

What Happened To Their Weight?

At the beginning of the study, participants had an average BMI of 28.3. Following the weight-loss programme, this figure decreased to 23.9, placing the average participant within the conventional healthy BMI range.

However, maintaining that result proved difficult. One year later, the average BMI had increased to 25.8, indicating that participants had regained some of their lost weight.

This change allowed researchers to investigate whether the initial improvements in metabolic health persisted despite partial weight regain.

Heart Health Benefits Gradually Faded

Weight loss was initially associated with a significant reduction in predicted cardiovascular risk across all three groups. During the following year, however, these improvements weakened as participants regained weight.

By the end of the follow-up period, the researchers found no statistically significant overall reduction in predicted cardiovascular risk compared with the beginning of the study.

The findings suggest that maintaining improvements in cardiovascular health may require continued attention to weight management and other lifestyle factors.

Importantly, the study measured predicted risk using established calculations rather than recording actual heart attacks or strokes.

Strength Training Showed Promise

The results were more encouraging for type 2 diabetes risk.

All three groups experienced significant improvements immediately after losing weight. However, only the participants assigned to resistance training maintained a statistically significant reduction compared with their original risk levels one year later.

Resistance exercises, including weightlifting and movements using resistance bands, can help preserve muscle mass and support glucose metabolism.

Nevertheless, the researchers did not find statistically significant differences between the groups in how their diabetes risk changed. This means the findings cannot establish that strength training was definitively superior to the other approaches.

According to Abdelrahman Elshakankiry, a researcher in nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and lead author of the study, the findings suggest that resistance training may help preserve improvements in diabetes risk after weight loss, even when some weight is regained. However, further research is needed to determine how these benefits compare with other forms of exercise.

Why Continuing Exercise Matters

Another important finding concerned physical activity after the initial weight-loss programme. Women who maintained greater exercise participation during the follow-up period generally experienced a smaller rebound in their predicted diabetes risk.

This association suggests that regular movement may help preserve some metabolic improvements even when weight fluctuates. However, exercise participation became less consistent after the supervised programme ended, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining structured routines independently.

What The Findings Mean For Women

The study provides evidence that the health benefits associated with weight loss can change over time. It also highlights the potential value of continued physical activity, particularly resistance training, for supporting metabolic health.

However, the research involved a specific group of relatively healthy premenopausal women, and fewer participants provided complete follow-up data. Its conclusions may therefore differ for older adults, men or people with existing metabolic conditions.

The very-low-calorie diet used in the study also required medical supervision and should not be attempted independently.

Ultimately, the findings reinforce the importance of sustainable lifestyle habits. Regular exercise, balanced nutrition and appropriate medical guidance can support long-term health, even when body weight changes along the way.