There are many factors that influence a person’s ability to lose weight successfully. One important — yet often overlooked — factor is how consistently someone plans their meals and exercise routines.
Many people plan meals at the beginning of their weight loss journey. But does continuing to plan meals regularly increase the likelihood of long-term success?
Why Meal Planning Matters in Behavioural Weight Loss
Behavioural weight loss programs are widely considered one of the most effective treatments for obesity. These programs aim to change eating habits and physical activity through structured behavioural strategies.
A key strategy within these programs is planning — planning meals, planning exercise, and planning weight-loss-supportive behaviours. Planning helps individuals follow through with healthier eating patterns and maintain consistent physical activity.
Despite its importance, very few studies have examined planning on its own, especially the impact of frequent meal planning. Understanding this link can help shape more effective weight loss programs and empower individuals with strategies that improve success.
How Researchers Studied Meal Planning Frequency
The study analysed data from the MyWay to Health Program — a 40-week, worksite-based behavioural weight loss program offered to employees of a regional healthcare system.
Participants included hospital employees or their adult family members. Out of 139 people who enrolled, 113 completed the program.
- Inclusion criteria: BMI of 25 or higher
- Must be an employee or direct relative
- Medical clearance to participate
No additional exclusion criteria were applied.
Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and weeks 10, 20, 30, and 40, reporting their meal and exercise planning frequency. They were also weighed weekly.
Researchers used growth curve models to examine how meal and exercise planning were linked to BMI changes over time.
What the Study Revealed
The best-fitting model showed that both meal and exercise planning increased throughout the 40-week program.
However, the impacts of these behaviours differed:
- Higher average meal planning frequency was associated with greater weight loss.
- Higher average exercise planning frequency did not predict greater weight loss.
- Within individuals, increased exercise planning was associated with a higher-than-expected BMI, while meal planning did not show this association.
What This Means for Weight Loss Success
Researchers concluded that frequent meal planning supports better weight loss outcomes. Therefore, they recommend ongoing meal planning as a key goal in behavioural weight loss programs.
Exercise planning alone did not predict weight loss. Two possible explanations were suggested:
- Exercise planning might increase temporarily after weight plateaus or setbacks.
- More frequent exercise planning may lead people to eat more calories, unintentionally causing weight gain.
More research is needed to understand the connection between exercise planning and BMI changes, and to confirm these findings across larger populations.
