"The Biggest Loser” may be must-watch TV, but it’s no template for sustained weight loss. Often, contestants in the grueling weight-loss competition pack pounds back on: Take Erik Chopin, Season 3 winner. He went from 407 pounds down to 193 — then bounced back up to 327. But you can lose and keep extra pounds off by sticking to our six-step plan.

1. You snooze, you lose — weight, that is. Getting enough sleep (7-8 hours) every night quiets your “I’m hungry” hormone.

2. If you eat it, write it down. Most people underestimate how many calories they’re eating, so keep a journal of everything you consume. (And try to make it lots of produce, lean protein and none of the five food felons: grains that aren’t 100 percent whole, trans fats, saturated fats, added sugars and sugar syrups.)

3. Slow and steady wins. Aim to lose 1 pound a week. Starve yourself, and your metabolism slows to a crawl and your hunger hormones scream, “Eat more, now!”

4. Eat less, but more often. To keep blood sugar levels steady, eat five times a day — three meals and two snacks.

5. Get (and keep) moving. We say walk 10,000 steps a day. Then you’ll sustain improvements such as lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar and lower lousy LDL cholesterol.

6. Team up with a buddy with similar goals, and enlist your family’s support — almost none of us can do this alone, and you can’t do it if a family member tries to reward your success with one of the five food felons.

Mehmet Oz, M.D., is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D., is chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Visit sharecare.com. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.