Heard a statistic that basically nobody can truly lose weight, is it BS?
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i would stop being friends with that person....2
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To me it all boils down to whether or not you will do what it takes to keep it off. Most people I know who have lost it all and gained it back hit their goal and then simply went back to what made them gain in the first place. If you comprehend what made you lose it/gain it in the first place its being dedicated to the process to keep it off. Its a choice, not a cant situation.0
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disasterman wrote: »My favorite thought from the link PeachyCarol posted: "... if a meta-analysis of randomized trials of weight management fails to show long term success with weight management does it mean the people in the included trials failed to maintain their interventions, or does it mean that the interventions were too crappy to be sustainable in the first place?". And I agree with the writer in strongly suspecting the latter. I think for those who make the effort to truly change their lifestyle and become informed about fitness and nutrition enough to be adept at estimating portion sizes, monitoring calories and macros, and avoiding fads and quick fixes the success factor will be much higher.
Exactly. Which is to the point of why I hate the statistics on this. If you lump crappy interventions in with solid efforts and people making a solid effort look at the skewed data as predictive of their chance of success? It's just not right.
We really need to consider just what made up the 95% of people who regained their weight, how they lost it in the first place, and not take the statistic at face value as predictive of anything.
All that ultimately matters is what result YOU get. Learn what you can from the people who've had long-term success with the National Weight Control Registry and emulate them. Look at the statistics from the other side.
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It's all already been said in posts above. I've done the rapid loss and pack back on too. My current weight loss stint though has been suuuuuuper slow (I'm into my 8th month now and have only lost 5-6 kilos), but I'm not doing starve myself dieting and am doing all the right exercises. Even though I've not lost tonnes of kilos I've packed on some muscle and the odd weeks where I have blowouts don't result in massive weight gains. Still got a few kilos to go.
So yeah - if you go about your weight loss in a good way - healthy foods, realistic deficit and good exercise, it should work.
However - if you get to your goal weight and go "yeay! I can now go back to sitting on my *kitten* and eating a whole cake with 2L coke to wash it down and a bag of chips on the side" - there is no way in hell you will stay where you want to be. I tend to do that - about 3 weeks ago I made the 62 kilo mark - got so excited and happy that I rewarded myself with food. (yeah I know - bad me - and it's not like I even needed to due to hunger - it's just habits...) Guess what? back to 63 kilos and have to lose it again! Habits are a pain in the *kitten* to change.
It's a lifestyle change. Not a diet.2 -
disasterman wrote: »JustMissTracy wrote: »I've read that the success rate of weight loss is less than stopping smoking (something like 7%). I haven't had a smoke in 10 years, so I think I can keep my 163# off.
IMO, it's about making a commitment to a WoE (way of eating) you can do the rest of your life. For me, that's weighing and measuring my food and being moderately active.
This. Exactly! (10 years smoke free here too!)
14 years smoke free. Looks like people on MFP could be the statistical outliers!
25 years smoke free!
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PeachyCarol wrote: »I like the idea of the disease model of obesity because it addresses the idea that it's a chronic issue that needs ongoing management. The formerly obese will always need to manage their disease through some sort of watchfulness.
As usual, @PeachyCarol has a wise comment. I think most people who lose weight and then regain it do so because they think of weight loss as a temporary change to their lifestyle, and they don't make the long-term changes, along with reflexive monitoring of behavior, that would allow them to keep it off. That was certainly my case: I lost a lot of weight in my 20s, then regained it in my 30s when my lifestyle changed (less walking, more money, more stressful job, more driving places) but my eating habits didn't.
I have accepted the fact that I will need to monitor my food intake and make sure it's commensurate with my calorie expenditure. It's not that hard, actually. It might not even involve calorie counting, though I'm continuing that for the present. The chapter "Perfect Weight Forever" in John Walker, The Hacker's Diet, explains how daily weigh-ins and some simple math provide an early warning system against significant weight regain.1 -
disasterman wrote: »JustMissTracy wrote: »I've read that the success rate of weight loss is less than stopping smoking (something like 7%). I haven't had a smoke in 10 years, so I think I can keep my 163# off.
IMO, it's about making a commitment to a WoE (way of eating) you can do the rest of your life. For me, that's weighing and measuring my food and being moderately active.
This. Exactly! (10 years smoke free here too!)
14 years smoke free. Looks like people on MFP could be the statistical outliers!
28 years smoke free. Does never smoking count?
With these statistics, what do hey count as attempting to lose weight.
To me things like 21 day fix, 30 day fix or what ever short term fix aren't attempting to lose weight if that's all your doing.
I'm sure some people count eating an apple a day for a week as a weightloss attempt.
Do we all have a coworker or friend who eats, 500 cals too much but drinks green tea or some other weightloss fad that doesn't work.
There seems to be weight loss attempts and then actual weightloss attempts where your looking long term, committing yourself, educating yourself.
I would like to see statistics on weightloss where they only include the more serious or committed people.2 -
What you heard doesn't matter. Get rid of that noise. Aim to create new data with your own success and change the statistics. ETA: hopefully your own success will get your friend to follow you.0
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So let's say that's an accurate number. 3% of people who lose weight don't gain it back. So what? Be one of the 3%.
ETA: oops.2 -
So what's the worst that could happen? You eat healthier and are more active for a while, even if its for a short time? Each day you make a change still counts for something. Think of it this way 100% of people who don't diet will continue to maintain their weight or gain vs. people who diet have a 5% chance of making a change. That's still better odds. Also, there is nothing that says you can't accept your body at all stages of your weight loss. It's not like a total win/lose situation.
I think a better question should be, do you really want to make a change, or do you just want a quick fix? I used to gain 5-10lbs a year once I became an adult from stress and bad habits. I lost enough weight to go from obese to healthy, and I've regained some. However I've at least cut down the majority of my bad habits, and it'll be a good long while before I regain "all of it", if I ever do. Sure I might not be perfect, but I've learned a lot from the process. Why not just give it a try, and instead of having expectations, just listen to your body and try to learn about yourself along the way.1 -
I think it reinforces that "diets" don't work long term. The only way to be successful long term is to fundamentally change your lifestyle permanently.1
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The numbers are about right.
But never forget, if you fail or not is entirely up to you. There may be circumstances that make it harder for you but there will never be a moment in which it is impossible to succeed. Maintaining weight loss is all about sticking with it, making it second nature instead of something you can procrastrinate on.2 -
I like to tell myself that the statistics only refer to people who have already attempted weight loss in the past. They do nothing to predict the future for those only starting today. People using MFP could be the beginning of a new trend and I really genuinely believe that could be true.
The first time I lost weight 10 years ago (and put it back on again plus more) I was utterly surrounded by people ignorant about health.....people who felt that a mildly overweight version of me was "too thin" and that orange juice sweetened with buckets of sugar was ultra healthy. People who thought that you could eat mountains of food without putting on weight just so long as none of that food contained fat. People who would hand me an 800 calorie energy bar and insist that it would help me lose weight. People, obese people, who genuinely believed they needed to consume MORE energy in their breakfast cereal to feel better. People who thought diets where you literally eat nothing could lead to sustainable long term weight loss. People who thought "The Biggest Loser" looked like a fantastic way to lose weight long term. People who just accepted weight gain as something that had to happen when you get older......
...Yes these people still exist, but they diminish by the day. I hear CICO in these forums like an obsessive mantra. It can be annoying at times and a little relentless but at least it's based on science! Not a single person uttered the phrase CICO to me 10 years ago.....The tide is turning.
The second time I lost weight 5 years ago I actually had a couple of people further along than me to seek advice from. My doctor had constructive suggestions as to how I could continue to lose weight and even 5 years ago the discussions I had with friends and work colleagues about my weight loss suddenly contained more fact than fiction (though not entirely free of fiction)....people are now far more willing to believe new science than old wives tales. Things are getting better.
I don't think success rate is going to stay at 3% for too much longer.
This response is beautiful, I want to believe this too and I fervently hope you're right
If keeping the weight off and truly changing your lifestyle is your goal then you just need to put tools into practice to achieve your goal. Weigh once a week or month and log it into something like Libra that will show you your trend so you can stay on top of any pounds that creep up on you, that way you can see where you are going wrong and correct the problem before it gets bad, even if you need to log on here again for a few weeks to figure out the problem it's still better than ignoring it. There are so many tools available to us in this day and age that it really is possible to keep it off if you are personally motivated to do so. Always remember that you are more than a number or a statistic, you are an individual and can make your own life whatever you want it to be with enough hard work! I wish you the best of luck! 0 -
In my mind, I think it depends on the criteria for success. Many people have multiple failed attempts to lose weight, and if all of those "failures" are counted against "successes" - or gaining back 25 of 50lbs is considered a "fail" then yeah. Also are we trying to get over a threshold? Yeah obese ppl like me might not see a normal bmi, but we can get to overweight and that helps! It's also so important to be safe & sustainable, not get into disordered thinking or working with fad diets. I also think the more we learn about the science & the facts of weight loss, and do/eat things we enjoy the easier it will be to make a real change. 0
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I've done every single diet and tried everything and always gained back the weight and more.... So I use to be part of that statistic. Now I actually UNDERSTAND there is no magic cure it's all CICO and I will be logging everything the rest of my life.
I also feel like this is something overweight people will say to make themselves feel better about being/staying overweight.0 -
I don't know the statistics so I can't say true or false - but I think it's more likely that your friend is discouraging you from starting the process because he/she hasn't managed to lose weight successfully and maintain it. In other words, I think your friend is slightly bitter and is trying to bring you down with him/her.
It's very common to see people who have entered into a weight loss programme, lose a huge amount of weight and then gradually revert back to their old ways and gain that weight back. We rarely hear of the success stories and I think that's an awful shame - because they are out there. The sad thing is, a lot of weight loss programmes aren't lifestyle changes and are in fact extremely unsustainable. I think a huge majority of people lose weight on these 'quick fix' schemes and then are surprised when it all comes back on once the programme has finished. We are rarely educated about the process and the simple calories in calories out equation. People simply don't know HOW to lose weight and keep it off because there are too many fads that promise the world and don't deliver.
Personally, MFP has been the only tool to keep me on track AND with a healthy mindset. The community here have actually taught me what is happening to my body and why, the factual losing weight process and HOW to keep this up for life. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever why you can't be successful in losing and maintaining. I think your friends needs to take a seat!
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There are a lot of people that gain weight back. Those are the people that actually do 'diets', espically fad diets. A 'diet' only works while you're on it. You're depending on someone else telling you what to eat and do, so when you hit your goal and stop, you fall back into old habits. To lose weight and keep it off, what you need to do is retrain your brain and body to what normal portions of food actually are and how to balance everything. That's much slower, but sustainable. However, since it's slower, it's not something people can make money off of, which is why it's never promoted on tv or magazines or anything like that.0
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Don't care what the statistics say. It's up to me not to gain the weight back. So far I've succeeded for over a year, so hopefully the trend will continue.3
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I think this boils down to the people who are "just" dieting temorarilly and those who make a livelong lasting lifestyle change.
If you are really 10000% serious about changing your Lifestyle you succeed.. guaranteed.
The problem is.. we often just think we are really serious about this when deep down we arent..
How many here including myself have thought "Now it has clicked. Now i have made the Mental Change needed" .. and whoops.. a few weeks or months later back to the same bad habbits..
You will just feel it when it REALLY has clicked.1 -
Zoltansbeard wrote: »I think this boils down to the people who are "just" dieting temorarilly and those who make a livelong lasting lifestyle change.
If you are really 10000% serious about changing your Lifestyle you succeed.. guaranteed.
The problem is.. we often just think we are really serious about this when deep down we arent..
How many here including myself have thought "Now it has clicked. Now i have made the Mental Change needed" .. and whoops.. a few weeks or months later back to the same bad habbits..
You will just feel it when it REALLY has clicked.
10000%? What if I'm only 100% serious?3 -
Wow, old thread.
But yeah, statistically speaking most people fail at long term weight loss management. Doesn't mean that everyone fails though. MFP has a large group of successful maintainers that hang out on the forums and provide a valuable resource.
edit: grammar0 -
Necro thread. Don't care.
It's not that people "can't" lose weight and keep it off. They just don't. Whether they realize it or not, whatever the reason (maybe they really don't understand how calories work? They changed their mind on moderating foods they love?) it's a choice they make not to succeed.
Pretty lame, huh?0 -
Here's a statistic. 100% of people who maintain OR gain it back actually LOST it in the first place. That puts you in a better place than those that never even bother to try.1
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It's actually about 10%. 90% fail for one main reason...............whatever "diet" program they undertook was sustainable to do once they reached goal. Especially those that are restrictive diets (cut carbs, no processed foods, etc.)Trestjerner wrote: »An overweight and very negative friend told me today that, I shouldn't bother trying to lose weight because only 3% manage to keep the weight of and the rest will gain it all back and then some. That statistic sounded...less then credible to me, but she couldn't give me any evidence for it except to point me towards a fat acceptance blog.
My question; Is the statistic as BS as it sounds like? Where does it come from and how can I debunk it for her?
Most of these people who fail seem to think they need a crazy diet plan to lose when in truth, it just comes down to CICO.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Trestjerner wrote: »An overweight and very negative friend told me today that, I shouldn't bother trying to lose weight because only 3% manage to keep the weight of and the rest will gain it all back and then some. That statistic sounded...less then credible to me, but she couldn't give me any evidence for it except to point me towards a fat acceptance blog.
My question; Is the statistic as BS as it sounds like? Where does it come from and how can I debunk it for her?
Send this link to your friend, nobody is that good with photoshop
PHOTO ONLY SUCCESS STORIES!0 -
She got it from a fat acceptance blog? Seems a bit biased and not only that, what a terrible thing to remind people of. Everyone should be happy with their self-image, but shaming people for trying to be healthier is just hypocritical coming from someone who reads a fat acceptance blog.1
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The numbers that I have heard are over 80% of the people that lose weight, gain it all (some gain even more back) within 5 years.
Whatever it is, we can all strive to be in the minority and change those statistics!
Try to focus on the plusses of losing weight and becoming healthier! We can all do this!1 -
It's easy to explain. Most dieters go for fast temporary weight loss devoid of successful habit building. Some people who were able to successfully build habits backtrack because "life happens", but the numbers are much more promising in this group. The success rate is pretty high among long timers on this website because it tends to self-select those who are interested in building successful maintenance strategies, just like many weight loss studies tend to self-select binge dieters who are just looking for the next new thing in hopes of finally reaching the end of the weight loss rainbow. People who have successfully lost and maintained are often not the target candidate for such studies, so statistics are skewed. Your friend can pick her own battles, but you're in good company.4
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Old thread, but I'll throw in my nickel.
Weight management is like having a job. Stop going to work, stop getting paid. Some of us monitor our weight like we do our finances. I have to keep track of my intake somehow to control my weight. I have to kept track of my expenses to control my retirement portfolio.2 -
It easier to avoid something if you convince yourself you won't be successful from the get-go. I won't get that job. That man/woman would never go out with me. I'll never lose weight. It sounds like your friend is a self-defeating prophecy waiting to happen.
Instead of spending energy trying to debunk her, spend it on keeping yourself on track. Maybe your success will convince her it is possible.
Lost 115+ pounds and kept it off for almost three years. Using MFP.3
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