Weight Loss Challenge Timeline: Week-by-Week What to Expect

<p>One of the biggest reasons people quit a weight loss challenge early is surprise. The scale drops fast in week one, then barely moves in week three, and they assume something has gone wrong. It has not. Every phase of a weight loss challenge follows a predictable biological and psychological arc — and knowing what to expect at each stage dramatically improves your ability to stay the course.</p>

<p>This guide walks through the research-backed timeline of a typical four-to-eight week weight loss competition: what is happening in your body, what is happening in your head, and what you should be doing at each stage to maximize your final result.</p>

<h2>Before the Challenge Begins: The Setup Phase</h2>

<p>The week before a challenge officially starts is not wasted time — it is one of the highest-leverage periods of the entire competition. Research on goal-setting and behavior change, including work reviewed by the NIH and published in journals such as <em>Health Psychology</em>, consistently shows that implementation intentions — specific plans for when, where, and how you will execute healthy behaviors — significantly outperform vague goal-setting.</p>

<p>During the setup phase, your priorities are:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>Establish your baseline.</strong> Weigh yourself at the same time each day for two to three days before the official start to get a stable starting number. Morning weigh-ins after using the bathroom and before eating are the most consistent. Understanding <a href="/blog/how-often-to-weigh-yourself-weight-loss">how often to weigh yourself during a challenge</a> starts with getting a reliable baseline.</li>

<li><strong>Clear the kitchen.</strong> Remove highly processed, calorie-dense foods from easy access. Research on decision fatigue shows that removing temptation from the environment is substantially more effective than relying on willpower to resist it.</li>

<li><strong>Plan your first week of meals.</strong> Studies on dietary adherence consistently find that people who plan meals in advance consume fewer calories and make better nutritional choices than those who decide in the moment. Knowing <a href="/blog/what-to-eat-during-weight-loss-challenge">what to eat during a weight loss challenge</a> before you are hungry is the difference between strategy and reaction.</li>

<li><strong>Announce your participation.</strong> Public commitment is one of the most powerful behavior change tools in behavioral science. Tell your social circle — even just by posting to a group chat — that you are competing. Research on commitment devices confirms that public declarations substantially improve follow-through.</li>

</ul>

<h2>Week 1: The Fast Start (and Why It Is Misleading)</h2>

<p>Week one almost always produces the largest single-week number on the scale. Participants commonly see drops that feel remarkable — and that feel like they cannot possibly be sustained. They cannot, and they are not supposed to be. Understanding the physiology of week one prevents both unrealistic expectations and early discouragement.</p>

<h3>What Is Happening Physiologically</h3>

<p>The majority of week-one weight loss is not fat loss — it is water weight. Here is why: the primary storage form of carbohydrates in the body is glycogen, which is stored in muscle and liver tissue alongside roughly three to four grams of water for every gram of glycogen. When you reduce caloric intake and increase activity, your body draws on glycogen stores first. As glycogen depletes, the accompanying water is released and excreted. Research on this mechanism, reviewed by Mayo Clinic and published in sports science literature, suggests this water release can account for several pounds of scale movement in the first seven days — completely independent of actual fat tissue change.</p>

<p>Simultaneously, reducing sodium intake (common when people shift away from processed foods at the start of a challenge) causes additional water retention to release, amplifying early scale movement.</p>

<p>True fat loss requires a sustained caloric deficit. Research reviewed by the CDC suggests that a deficit of approximately 3,500 calories corresponds to roughly one pound of fat. At a healthy deficit of 500–750 calories per day, one to one-and-a-half pounds of actual fat loss per week is a realistic, evidence-supported target.</p>

<thead>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">Weight Loss Type</th>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">When It Occurs</th>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">What Drives It</th>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">Is It Permanent?</th>

</tr>

</thead>

<tbody>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Water weight</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Weeks 1–2</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Glycogen depletion, sodium reduction</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">No — returns if diet reverts</td>

</tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Ongoing (weeks 1–8+)</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Sustained caloric deficit</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Yes — with maintained habits</td>

</tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Lean mass (muscle)</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Accelerated if deficit too large</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Excessive restriction, inadequate protein</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Partially recoverable</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Inflammation / bloat</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Weeks 1–2</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Diet quality improvement, reduced processed foods</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Yes — with maintained diet quality</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

<h3>What Is Happening Psychologically</h3>

<p>Week one is typically the highest-motivation period of any challenge. The novelty of the competition, the public commitment you have made, and the visible early results on the scale all combine to create a powerful motivational surge. Research on motivation in health behavior contexts calls this the "fresh start effect" — the psychological boost that comes from beginning a new period or endeavor.</p>

<p>Use this motivational surplus strategically. Establish the habits now — daily weigh-ins, meal tracking, exercise routines — that will carry you through the harder weeks ahead when motivation naturally dips. Learning <a href="/blog/how-to-track-weight-loss-challenge">how to track your weight loss challenge</a> from day one builds the data habit that gives you visibility throughout the competition.</p>

<p><strong>Week 1 target:</strong> Build systems, not just results. A large week-one number is a good start but means nothing if habits are not in place.</p>

<h2>Week 2: Consolidation and the First Reality Check</h2>

<p>Week two typically shows a slower rate of scale movement than week one — sometimes significantly slower. This is physiologically normal and almost universal, but it is frequently the first moment when challenge participants feel confused or discouraged.</p>

<h3>The Physiology of the Week 2 Slowdown</h3>

<p>By week two, the easy water weight from glycogen depletion has largely been shed. The scale is now reflecting primarily actual fat tissue change, which moves more slowly. If you lost four pounds in week one (mostly water) and one pound in week two (mostly fat), your week-two result is actually the more meaningful number — but the psychological contrast can feel discouraging.</p>

<p>Additionally, the body begins making minor metabolic adaptations to a reduced caloric environment. Research from the NIH and published in <em>Obesity Reviews</em> has documented that even small caloric deficits trigger some degree of adaptive thermogenesis — the body slightly reducing its total daily energy expenditure in response to reduced intake. This adaptation is modest in the early weeks but becomes more significant over longer periods.</p>

<p>The practical response is to stay consistent. Research on dietary adherence suggests that participants who maintain their week-one behaviors through week two — even without dramatic scale results — are significantly more likely to achieve strong final outcomes than those who modify their approach based on week-two numbers alone.</p>

<h3>Staying Engaged Socially</h3>

<p>Week two is when the social dimension of a competition becomes particularly valuable. Checking the leaderboard, seeing that other participants are also experiencing their first week-two slowdown, and staying connected to the group accountability structure are all mechanisms that help bridge the motivational gap.</p>

<p>If you are organizing a <a href="/blog/group-weight-loss-challenge">group weight loss challenge</a>, week two is a good time for a mid-week check-in message to the group — a reminder that the first plateau is normal and expected. Groups that communicate about the challenge experience, rather than only reporting weigh-in numbers, show better cohesion and lower dropout rates.</p>

<h2>Week 3: The Plateau Zone</h2>

<p>Week three is statistically the most likely dropout point in a weight loss challenge. Research on adherence in diet and exercise programs, reviewed by the American College of Sports Medicine and published in behavioral medicine literature, consistently finds that three to four weeks into a new health behavior program is when initial motivation fades and the real test of habit begins.</p>

<h3>Why the Plateau Happens</h3>

<p>Several converging factors create the week-three wall:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>Metabolic adaptation deepens.</strong> The body has had three weeks to down-regulate energy expenditure slightly. Spontaneous physical activity (fidgeting, incidental movement) also tends to decrease as the body conserves energy, compounding the effect.</li>

<li><strong>The novelty has worn off.</strong> The psychological fresh-start effect from week one has faded. Meals that felt exciting and disciplined in week one may feel repetitive and restrictive by week three.</li>

<li><strong>Social momentum can dip.</strong> Early group enthusiasm in a competition often peaks in weeks one and two. By week three, the leaderboard has a predictable shape and the competitive tension can feel less urgent for participants in the middle of the pack.</li>

<li><strong>Life intervenes.</strong> Three weeks is long enough for work stress, social obligations, travel, or illness to begin competing with challenge routines.</li>

</ul>

<h3>Evidence-Based Strategies for the Plateau Zone</h3>

<p>Research on exercise variation and dietary structure suggests several approaches that can help break through a plateau:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>Vary your exercise stimulus.</strong> If you have been doing the same workout for three weeks, your body has adapted. Adding interval training, changing the modality (from walking to cycling, for example), or increasing duration can re-stimulate metabolic response.</li>

<li><strong>Audit for calorie creep.</strong> Research on self-reported food intake consistently finds that people underestimate consumption over time. A two-day food diary during week three often reveals portions that have gradually expanded from week one.</li>

<li><strong>Reconnect with your competition.</strong> Checking the leaderboard more actively, congratulating competitors who are performing well, or sending an encouraging message to your group can re-activate the social comparison and accountability mechanisms that drove week-one motivation.</li>

<li><strong>Remember the math.</strong> A plateau of one to two weeks does not erase progress — it delays it. Research on long-term weight loss outcomes consistently shows that people who persist through plateaus achieve comparable final results to those who never plateau at all.</li>

</ul>

<p>Understanding <a href="/blog/how-to-stay-motivated-during-weight-loss-competition">how to stay motivated during a weight loss competition</a> is most critical precisely in week three. The participants who have strategies for this moment are the ones who finish strong.</p>

<h2>Week 4: The Turning Point</h2>

<p>For many participants, week four is a genuine turning point. The habits established in weeks one and two have had time to solidify. Research on habit formation — including influential work by Phillippa Lally at University College London published in the <em>European Journal of Social Psychology</em> — suggests that new behaviors begin to feel more automatic after approximately four weeks of consistent repetition, though the full automaticity timeline varies considerably by individual and behavior complexity.</p>

<thead>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">Primary Challenge</th>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">Key Focus</th>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">Typical Scale Movement</th>

</tr>

</thead>

<tbody>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Establishing routines</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Build systems and habits</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Largest (mostly water)</td>

</tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Managing expectations</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Consistency over results</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Slower; mostly fat</td>

</tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Plateau and motivation dip</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Vary stimulus, audit intake</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Often minimal</td>

</tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Habit solidification</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Let automation kick in</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Resumes moderate pace</td>

</tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Weeks 5–6</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Sustained execution</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Fine-tune and optimize</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Steady and consistent</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Final week</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Peak performance</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Strategic final push</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Maximized with smart tactics</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

<p>Week four participants often report that the behaviors that felt effortful in week one — packing lunches, declining office snacks, choosing water over caloric drinks — are starting to feel natural. This is the habit-formation payoff that the early investment was buying.</p>

<p>From a competition strategy standpoint, week four is also the moment to assess your position on the leaderboard and consider whether a tactical adjustment is warranted. If you are in striking distance of the top, maintaining or slightly increasing your deficit can be worthwhile. If you are comfortably ahead, focusing on sustainable habits rather than maximizing short-term results is the wiser long-game approach. Reviewing <a href="/blog/how-to-win-a-weight-loss-competition">how to win a weight loss competition</a> strategically becomes most relevant as you enter the second half of the challenge.</p>

<h2>Weeks 5–6: The Steady Middle (for Longer Challenges)</h2>

<p>Participants in six-to-eight week challenges often find weeks five and six the most psychologically stable period of the competition. The dramatic early swings are over, the plateau has (hopefully) been navigated, and the habits are running on something closer to autopilot. The challenge now is preventing the complacency that comes with feeling like the hard work is done.</p>

<h3>Fine-Tuning Your Approach</h3>

<p>Research on dietary and exercise optimization suggests this is the ideal window for small, evidence-based refinements:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>Protein intake.</strong> Studies published in <em>The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</em> and reviewed by Mayo Clinic suggest that higher protein intake during caloric restriction helps preserve lean muscle mass, which supports metabolic rate. Auditing protein consumption and increasing it if below target is a high-value adjustment in the middle weeks.</li>

<li><strong>Sleep quality.</strong> Research from the University of Chicago and other institutions has established a strong link between sleep deprivation and both increased appetite hormones (ghrelin) and decreased satiety hormones (leptin). If sleep has been inconsistent, prioritizing it in weeks five and six can meaningfully improve results through better hormonal regulation.</li>

<li><strong>NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis).</strong> Research suggests that total daily movement — steps, standing, incidental activity — can account for a substantial portion of total daily caloric expenditure. Simply tracking steps and aiming to increase them incrementally is a low-effort, research-supported way to extend your daily deficit without formal exercise.</li>

</ul>

<p>For teams in a <a href="/blog/team-weight-loss-challenge">team weight loss challenge</a>, weeks five and six are when team accountability becomes especially valuable. Checking in on teammates, sharing meal ideas, and celebrating mini-milestones maintains the social energy that can otherwise drift during the middle weeks.</p>

<h2>The Final Week: Strategy and the Finish Line</h2>

<p>The final week of a weight loss challenge carries its own distinct psychology and physiology. For participants competing seriously, there is a well-documented tendency to increase effort in the final stretch — a phenomenon consistent with research on goal proximity and effort mobilization.</p>

<h3>What Actually Moves the Scale in the Final Week</h3>

<p>Understanding what legitimately affects final weigh-in numbers — and what does not — is critical:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>Water manipulation is real but temporary.</strong> Reducing sodium intake significantly in the final three to four days causes the body to release retained water, which can meaningfully affect the scale at weigh-in. This is a legitimate tactic — reducing processed food and restaurant meals naturally reduces sodium intake — but the effect reverses within days after the competition ends.</li>

<li><strong>Timing of the weigh-in matters.</strong> Morning weigh-ins consistently produce lower numbers than evening weigh-ins due to overnight fasting, water loss through respiration, and the absence of food weight. Understanding <a href="/blog/do-you-weigh-more-at-night">why you weigh more at night</a> and scheduling your final weigh-in accordingly is standard practice in competitive contexts.</li>

<li><strong>Exercise strategy shifts.</strong> Very intense exercise the day before a weigh-in can cause short-term muscle inflammation and water retention. Many experienced competitors shift to lighter activity (walking, stretching) in the final 24 hours to avoid this effect.</li>

<li><strong>Carbohydrate reduction.</strong> Reducing starchy carbohydrate intake in the final few days reduces glycogen stores and the water that accompanies them — a short-term scale effect that does not represent fat loss but can meaningfully affect the final number.</li>

</ul>

<h3>The Psychological Final Push</h3>

<p>Research on goal proximity and motivation shows that people increase effort significantly as a deadline approaches. The final week of a challenge activates this mechanism reliably — but it also activates stress, which can impair sleep and decision-making. Managing the final week with a clear plan, rather than reactive intensity, produces better outcomes than simply trying harder.</p>

<p>Reviewing your competition's <a href="/blog/weight-loss-challenge-rules">weight loss challenge rules</a> and weigh-in protocols before the final week ensures you are not caught off guard by procedural details when it matters most.</p>

<h2>After the Challenge: The Critical Transition</h2>

<p>The week immediately following a weight loss challenge is one of the most consequential periods for long-term outcomes. Research on weight regain after structured interventions consistently finds that the first two weeks post-challenge are when the most significant rebound occurs — and that the actions taken during this window strongly predict whether challenge results persist.</p>

<p>Key evidence-based strategies for the post-challenge transition:</p>

<ul>

<li><strong>Do not abandon all structure immediately.</strong> The abrupt removal of competitive pressure, scheduled weigh-ins, and social accountability can trigger rapid behavioral regression. Continue weekly weigh-ins and meal tracking for at least two to four weeks after the challenge ends.</li>

<li><strong>Expect some scale rebound.</strong> As glycogen stores refill and sodium returns to pre-challenge levels, two to four pounds of water weight commonly reappears in the first week post-challenge. This is physiologically normal and does not represent fat regain — but it requires psychological preparation.</li>

<li><strong>Plan the next challenge.</strong> Research on behavior change maintenance consistently identifies ongoing accountability structures as the strongest predictor of sustained results. Signing up for a follow-up challenge, joining an <a href="/blog/online-weight-loss-challenge">online weight loss challenge</a>, or forming an ongoing accountability group prevents the motivation vacuum that commonly leads to full weight regain.</li>

<li><strong>Acknowledge what worked.</strong> Research on self-efficacy — the belief in your own capacity to succeed — shows that consciously recognizing your own competence in completing a challenge builds the psychological foundation for future health behavior. Take stock of what habits you successfully built, not just how much weight you lost.</li>

</ul>

<h2>Challenge Duration and What the Research Says</h2>

<p>Not all challenge lengths are equivalent. Research on behavior change programs and weight loss interventions — reviewed by the American Heart Association and published in clinical journals — suggests meaningful differences in outcomes by duration:</p>

<thead>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">Duration</th>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">Habit Formation</th>

<th style="padding:0.75rem; font-weight:700;">Long-Term Maintenance</th>

</tr>

</thead>

<tbody>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">2–3 weeks</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Kickstart, short events</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Limited; habits not fully set</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Lower; insufficient time for behavior change</td>

</tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">4 weeks</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Beginners, office challenges</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Good; habits beginning to form</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Moderate with follow-up</td>

</tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">6–8 weeks</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Most participants</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Strong; habits well established</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Best; sufficient time for deep behavior change</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">12+ weeks</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Medical programs, committed groups</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Strongest</td>

<td style="padding:0.75rem;">Highest, but dropout risk increases</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

<p>For most social and workplace contexts, the four-to-six week format hits the optimal balance between engagement, habit formation, and dropout prevention. Research consistently supports this range as the "sweet spot" for structured weight loss competition design. Understanding <a href="/blog/how-long-should-weight-loss-challenge-last">how long a weight loss challenge should last</a> before you launch one allows you to design for the outcomes you actually want.</p>

<h2>Special Timeline Considerations by Challenge Type</h2>

<h3>Office Challenges</h3>

<p>Workplace weight loss challenges have a distinctive rhythm shaped by the five-day work week. Research on workplace wellness programs suggests that Monday-through-Friday structure — with less-controlled eating on weekends — is one of the most common adherence challenges in office settings. Planning for weekend eating specifically, rather than leaving it to willpower, is an evidence-based strategy for <a href="/blog/office-weight-loss-challenge">office weight loss challenges</a>.</p>

<h3>Team Challenges</h3>

<p>Team formats add a layer of social dynamics to the standard individual timeline. Research on team cohesion in group health interventions suggests that team performance typically follows a different arc: teams that communicate actively in weeks one and two tend to maintain stronger collective momentum through the week-three plateau than teams that operate in parallel but silently. Building communication into the team challenge structure from the start — not just at weigh-in time — is a design decision that pays dividends in the middle weeks.</p>

<h3>Challenges With Financial Stakes</h3>

<p>When money is on the line, the timeline psychology shifts. Research on financial incentives in health behavior published in <em>JAMA Internal Medicine</em> and reviewed by NIH suggests that financial stakes maintain motivation more consistently through the middle weeks — the plateau zone — than non-financial competitions. The loss aversion effect does not diminish the way novelty-driven motivation does. If your challenge includes a meaningful <a href="/blog/what-is-a-good-weight-loss-challenge-prize">prize structure</a>, expect the week-three plateau to be somewhat less severe in terms of engagement, even if the physiology is identical.</p>

<h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2>

<h3>Why did I lose more weight in week 1 than any other week?</h3>

<p>Week-one weight loss is primarily water weight, not fat. When you reduce carbohydrate intake and increase physical activity, your body depletes glycogen stores in muscle and liver tissue. Each gram of glycogen is stored with approximately three to four grams of water, so as glycogen burns off, significant water weight is released quickly. This is a real and valid head start in a percentage-based competition — but it does not represent the same physiological change as fat loss, which is slower and more consistent after week one.</p>

<h3>What is a normal weight loss per week after the initial drop?</h3>

<p>After the initial water weight flush, research reviewed by the CDC and Mayo Clinic supports one to two pounds per week as the range associated with sustainable fat loss for most adults. This corresponds to a daily caloric deficit of roughly 500 to 1,000 calories. More aggressive deficits can produce faster scale movement but increase the risk of lean mass loss, metabolic adaptation, and nutritional deficiency, all of which undermine long-term outcomes.</p>

<h3>I hit a plateau in week 3. Is the challenge not working?</h3>

<p>A week-three plateau is the most common experience in any structured weight loss program — it is not a sign of failure, it is a sign that you are following the normal physiological and psychological arc of behavior change. Research consistently shows that participants who persist through a one-to-two week plateau resume progress comparable to those who never plateau at all. The response is to stay consistent, audit for subtle calorie increases, vary your exercise stimulus, and lean on the social accountability of your challenge group.</p>

<h3>How much total weight can I expect to lose in a 4-week challenge?</h3>

<p>Research-supported expectations for a four-week challenge with consistent effort: four to ten pounds total is a realistic range for most participants, with the wide variance reflecting differences in starting weight, deficit size, exercise volume, and initial water weight. Higher starting weights typically produce higher absolute pound totals because both water weight and fat mass are greater. In percentage terms — which is how most competitions are scored — one to four percent of body weight over four weeks is a commonly achieved range. Your <a href="/blog/what-weight-loss-percentage-is-realistic">realistic weight loss percentage target</a> depends on your individual starting point and approach.</p>

<h3>Should I change my approach partway through the challenge?</h3>

<p>Minor refinements — increasing protein, improving sleep, varying exercise — are well-supported by research and often beneficial in the middle weeks. Dramatic overhauls in response to a single slow week are generally counterproductive and disruptive to the habit formation that drives long-term results. The research-supported principle is: make small, evidence-based adjustments consistently rather than large reactive changes based on short-term scale fluctuations.</p>

<h3>What is the most important week of a weight loss challenge?</h3>

<p>Research on habit formation and behavior change maintenance suggests that week three — the plateau and potential dropout point — is the most consequential week of a typical challenge. Participants who persist through week three with their core habits intact are significantly more likely to achieve strong final results and maintain those results after the challenge ends. Week one produces the biggest numbers, but week three determines who actually finishes.</p>

<h2>Sources and Further Reading</h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Losing Weight: What Is Healthy?</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047892" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mayo Clinic — Weight Loss: 6 Strategies for Success</a></li>

<li>Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. <em>European Journal of Social Psychology</em>, 40(6), 998–1009.</li>

<li>Rosenbaum, M., & Leibel, R. L. (2010). Adaptive thermogenesis in humans. <em>International Journal of Obesity</em>, 34(Suppl 1), S47–S55.</li>

<li>Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. <em>American Psychologist</em>, 54(7), 493–503.</li>

<li>Spiegel, K., Tasali, E., Penev, P., & Van Cauter, E. (2004). Brief communication: Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite. <em>Annals of Internal Medicine</em>, 141(11), 846–850.</li>

<li>Leidy, H. J., et al. (2015). The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. <em>The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</em>, 101(6), 1320S–1329S.</li>

</ul>

Weight Loss Challenge Timeline: Week-by-Week What to Expect

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