Background: Effective weight loss maintenance interventions are a key factor to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and time-restricted eating (TRE) is a novel strategy which has proven successful in obtaining a weight loss in a few studies. This study examined if people with overweight or obesity at high risk of T2D were able to maintain TRE in real-life settings.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the randomized controlled RESET study, an RCT investigating effects of TRE on body weight and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subgroup of 20 participants allocated to 12 weeks of TRE (i.e., consuming all foods and beverages within a 10-h window). The intervention was followed by a 12-week follow-up period with no intervention. All participants were interviewed at the end of intervention and again at 12-week follow-up. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.

Result: Participants had a positive attitude towards TRE, and seven wished to maintain it stringently during the follow-up period. Half of the participants wished to maintain an individually adjusted TRE concept by e.g., drinking coffee outside the interval or exceeding it at social events. Some participants found it easy to maintain TRE stringently, while two struggled to do so. A few participants were able to maintain their individually adjusted TRE concept, while seven found it too intrusive. Particularly the degree of daily life structure, meal pattern organization and social support determined maintenance success. The three remaining participants chose not to maintain TRE in the follow-up period and experienced a relief when going back to usual rhythms.

Conclusion: Elements from the TRE concept were highly valued by most participants, but it often required individual adjustments in order to undertake TRE on a longer-term basis. A tailored fit to daily life activities is therefore crucial to maintain TRE which underlines the complexity of long-term maintenance.