Heard a statistic that basically nobody can truly lose weight, is it BS?
Options
Replies
-
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
-
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
-
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!
0 -
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
1 -
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
-
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
-
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
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 393 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 937 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions