You diet, you go to the gym, you do everything right and you lose weight. But after a few months or years, you regain it – sometimes more than you lost. sounds familiar? Well, scientists have finally found a way to keep the weight off!Experts have now found a way to lose weight. You just have to walk. And no, you don’t need to walk 10,000 steps. Scientists have identified the sweet spot, and it might work. The study’s findings are being presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey, and are also slated for publication in the Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Walk 8,500 steps to keep weight off

People aiming to lose weight should aim to take 8,500 steps. Researchers found that walking 8,500 steps a day could help people keep off weight after dieting.Weight management programs often tell the same story – that you need to increase the number of steps you take every day. However, there is little evidence that it actually helps with weight loss while dieting.Furthermore, it is unclear whether adding more steps helps people maintain their new weight and, if it does, how many steps they should complete.“The most important and greatest challenge when treating obesity is to prevent weight regain. About 80% of overweight or obese people who initially lose weight regain some or all of the weight within three to five years,” Marwan El Ghouch, a professor in the department of biomedical, metabolic and neuroscience at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy, said in a release.“Identifying a strategy that would solve this problem and help people maintain their new weight would be of great clinical value,” said Professor El Ghouch.

Why do 8,500 steps really work?

Professor El Ghouch and his team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research to better understand the relationship between walking and weight management.They reviewed eighteen randomized controlled trials and closely analyzed fourteen of them, involving 3,758 individuals (average age 53 years) with overweight/obesity (average BMI 31 kg/m ) from countries including the UK, US, Australia, and Japan.The study also compared people involved in lifestyle programs – who followed dietary advice and increased their daily steps – with people who were just dieting or taking no treatment. These programs included a weight loss phase followed by a weight maintenance phase. The researchers also tracked daily steps at the beginning, after the weight loss phase (about eight months), and after the maintenance phase (about ten months).At the beginning of the study, both groups walked about 7,200 steps a day. The control group did not increase their activity levels and did not lose weight at any time.On the other hand, those in the lifestyle program increased their daily steps to about 8,450 during the weight loss phase. During this period his weight lost on average about 4 kg. He continued to maintain the step count and by the end of the weight maintenance phase, was walking 8,241 steps per day. These participants managed to keep off most of the weight and lost an average of about 3 kg.

what you should Know

Researchers found a clear link between increasing the number of steps and preventing weight regain. Most importantly, people who increased their step count during the weight loss phase and maintained this increase during the weight maintenance phase lost their weight again.However, an increase in daily steps during the weight loss phase was not associated with greater weight loss. Researchers believe that other factors, such as reducing calorie intake, play a larger role.Professor El Ghouch emphasized that lifestyle modifications can help in meaningful long-term weight loss.“Participants should always be encouraged to increase their step count to approximately 8,500 during the weight loss phase and maintain this level of physical activity during the maintenance phase to prevent weight regain. Increasing the number of steps to 8,500 each day is a simple and cost-effective strategy to prevent weight regain,” he said.