The key to being a successful loser — of weight, that is — is no secret: Eat less and move more, and the pounds will drop off.

That's the easy part.

The real challenge is keeping it off. Medical experts tell us that repeatedly. And so do many of you — every week in the "Success Story" feature that has been running in Food & Drink since July 2004.

While no two people take the exact same path to reach their weight-loss goal, nearly all of those who stick with it for the long haul have at least one thing in common: Rather than falling for the latest fad diet, they have chosen to make a complete lifestyle change with exercise as a daily habit, like brushing their teeth.

We decided to check back with some of the subjects of our first "Success Stories" to find out how they were doing more than three years later. Nine of them responded, happy to report that they had indeed managed to stay on track without a major backslide since reaching their goal.

"It has finally become second nature to just eat healthy and exercise," says Sissy Lusk, who has maintained an astounding 215-pound weight loss for six years.

Along with their tips for long-term weight maintenance, we asked them for recipes for the dishes they most frequently turn to at home that keep them from falling into bad habits.