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What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?
Replies
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One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
One would say that you should not have gotten to 50+ lbs overweight in the first place. But that's unpopular. *shrug*18 -
One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
I've kept +/- 10% of my high school weight (which was an athletic 200 lbs at 6'2") for over 40 years. I would propose I have a fair knowledge of how to maintain weight.12 -
Packerjohn wrote: »One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
I've kept +/- 10% of my high school weight (which was an athletic 200 lbs at 6'2") for over 40 years. I would propose I have a fair knowledge of how to maintain weight.
but did you lose 50lbs, because otherwise your opinion don't mean *kitten*
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I do think there's something I can learn from people who struggled with the same things I do/did and that others might not have as much insight on, although that doesn't mean I think what they have to say on all elements of weight loss or maintenance are irrelevant. I would not distinguish between losing 30 and 50, but that's me. I was not overweight as a child or teen, and if someone says there's something about that that makes a difference that I do not understand, I would say that's possible.
Because losing substantial weight and maintaining for a substantial period of time is relatively rare (I'd call 30 lb substantial, again), I am always interested in those who have done it, and think they have more insight into it than those who have not gotten fat and those who have not yet maintained for that long.5 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »My unpopular opinion: most people who got fat as children/teens will never maintain a healthy weight, and the best we can hope for is yo yo dieting. The other option is accepting being fat for good. The existence of a few exceptions to this rule doesn't change my opinion. Statistically, it's an obvious fact.
Yup, that's a pretty unpopular opinion. I know a lot of us here who plan on proving you wrong.
I don't "hope" for yo-yo dieting. MFP has taught me how to control my weight properly. I know what to do to prevent the yo-yo cycle from happening.
I didn't have that knowledge in the past. That's the big difference.
But the post didn't say it can't be done. It said "most people...' A lot of people here plan on proving it wrong. But statistics suggest most of that lot will fail, and even if all succeeded it would still be a small majority of the whole.4 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »My unpopular opinion: most people who got fat as children/teens will never maintain a healthy weight, and the best we can hope for is yo yo dieting. The other option is accepting being fat for good. The existence of a few exceptions to this rule doesn't change my opinion. Statistically, it's an obvious fact.
Yup, that's a pretty unpopular opinion. I know a lot of us here who plan on proving you wrong.
I don't "hope" for yo-yo dieting. MFP has taught me how to control my weight properly. I know what to do to prevent the yo-yo cycle from happening.
I didn't have that knowledge in the past. That's the big difference.
But the post didn't say it can't be done. It said "post people...' A lot of people here plan on proving it wrong. But statistics suggest most of that lot will fail, and even if all succeeded it would still be a small majority of the whole.
Exactly.
Hey if it was just me, I'd probably just have decided I'm a personal failure at weight loss after gaining back 100 lb the second time (again, it took years to lose it, years of maintaining, then a few more years of gaining it back.) and I used to sound exactly like every person who believes this will not happen to them.
But it wasn't just me. I can point to at least 20 people who used to do these WL forums with me ~10 years ago who were dedicated, motivated, smart, committed etc. and the same thing happened to all of them.
I have to conclude based on the evidence that maintaining a large WL permanently is something *most* people will not be able to do.2 -
curiouskate wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »My unpopular opinion: most people who got fat as children/teens will never maintain a healthy weight, and the best we can hope for is yo yo dieting. The other option is accepting being fat for good. The existence of a few exceptions to this rule doesn't change my opinion. Statistically, it's an obvious fact.
Yup, that's a pretty unpopular opinion. I know a lot of us here who plan on proving you wrong.
I don't "hope" for yo-yo dieting. MFP has taught me how to control my weight properly. I know what to do to prevent the yo-yo cycle from happening.
I didn't have that knowledge in the past. That's the big difference.
But the post didn't say it can't be done. It said "post people...' A lot of people here plan on proving it wrong. But statistics suggest most of that lot will fail, and even if all succeeded it would still be a small majority of the whole.
Exactly.
Hey if it was just me, I'd probably just have decided I'm a personal failure at weight loss after gaining back 100 lb the second time (again, it took years to lose it, years of maintaining, then a few more years of gaining it back.) and I used to sound exactly like every person who believes this will not happen to them.
But it wasn't just me. I can point to at least 20 people who used to do these WL forums with me ~10 years ago who were dedicated, motivated, smart, committed etc. and the same thing happened to all of them.
I have to conclude based on the evidence that maintaining a large WL permanently is something *most* people will not be able to do.
Most people won't. That is backed up by statistics. But I do agree with others that should not be seen as an excuse not to try and break that cycle. Some do it. The only way to join the minority is to never stop trying.
Personally, I maintained a healthy weight for decades by yo-yo dieting. The difference was that I'd diet when I gain 10-15 lbs instead of 100. And then once I didn't. I let it get out of hand and had to lose more.
But I fully expect yo-yoing is how I will maintain my weight now. In fact, since I originally lost the weight I've gained and lost 10 lbs twice. Maintaining an exact weight seems like a too much work to me.6 -
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »My unpopular opinion: most people who got fat as children/teens will never maintain a healthy weight, and the best we can hope for is yo yo dieting. The other option is accepting being fat for good. The existence of a few exceptions to this rule doesn't change my opinion. Statistically, it's an obvious fact.
Yup, that's a pretty unpopular opinion. I know a lot of us here who plan on proving you wrong.
I don't "hope" for yo-yo dieting. MFP has taught me how to control my weight properly. I know what to do to prevent the yo-yo cycle from happening.
I didn't have that knowledge in the past. That's the big difference.
But the post didn't say it can't be done. It said "post people...' A lot of people here plan on proving it wrong. But statistics suggest most of that lot will fail, and even if all succeeded it would still be a small majority of the whole.
Exactly.
Hey if it was just me, I'd probably just have decided I'm a personal failure at weight loss after gaining back 100 lb the second time (again, it took years to lose it, years of maintaining, then a few more years of gaining it back.) and I used to sound exactly like every person who believes this will not happen to them.
But it wasn't just me. I can point to at least 20 people who used to do these WL forums with me ~10 years ago who were dedicated, motivated, smart, committed etc. and the same thing happened to all of them.
I have to conclude based on the evidence that maintaining a large WL permanently is something *most* people will not be able to do.
Most people won't. That is backed up by statistics. But I do agree with others that should not be seen as an excuse not to try and break that cycle. Some do it. The only way to join the minority is to never stop trying.
Personally, I maintained a healthy weight for decades by yo-yo dieting. The difference was that I'd diet when I gain 10-15 lbs instead of 100. And then once I didn't. I let it get out of hand and had to lose more.
But I fully expect yo-yoing is how I will maintain my weight now. In fact, since I originally lost the weight I've gained and lost 10 lbs twice. Maintaining an exact weight seems like a too much work to me.
Well I'm here (again) aren't I? 1 -
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »My unpopular opinion: most people who got fat as children/teens will never maintain a healthy weight, and the best we can hope for is yo yo dieting. The other option is accepting being fat for good. The existence of a few exceptions to this rule doesn't change my opinion. Statistically, it's an obvious fact.
Yup, that's a pretty unpopular opinion. I know a lot of us here who plan on proving you wrong.
I don't "hope" for yo-yo dieting. MFP has taught me how to control my weight properly. I know what to do to prevent the yo-yo cycle from happening.
I didn't have that knowledge in the past. That's the big difference.
But the post didn't say it can't be done. It said "post people...' A lot of people here plan on proving it wrong. But statistics suggest most of that lot will fail, and even if all succeeded it would still be a small majority of the whole.
Exactly.
Hey if it was just me, I'd probably just have decided I'm a personal failure at weight loss after gaining back 100 lb the second time (again, it took years to lose it, years of maintaining, then a few more years of gaining it back.) and I used to sound exactly like every person who believes this will not happen to them.
But it wasn't just me. I can point to at least 20 people who used to do these WL forums with me ~10 years ago who were dedicated, motivated, smart, committed etc. and the same thing happened to all of them.
I have to conclude based on the evidence that maintaining a large WL permanently is something *most* people will not be able to do.
Most people won't. That is backed up by statistics. But I do agree with others that should not be seen as an excuse not to try and break that cycle. Some do it. The only way to join the minority is to never stop trying.
Yes, this.4 -
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Unpopular opinion:
Studies extrapolated to provide guidance to the general population w.r.t. body composition and fat loss may not be applicable to people who calorie track over the long term.
We are a non-typical sub set.3 -
One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
50 pounds is an odd limit. I've lost 42 pounds and am just about at my two year anniversary for maintaining that loss. While I might not have insight into what it is like to lose larger amounts of weight, I think I could have really good advice for someone who wants to lose around 50 pounds. That's a good segment of the population.3 -
One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
I have never been 50 lbs overweight, so obviously haven't experienced the process of losing 50. But I still think my experience of losing a much smaller amount by a methodical approach through MFP is still something I can use as advice or guidance for other people.2 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »My unpopular opinion: most people who got fat as children/teens will never maintain a healthy weight, and the best we can hope for is yo yo dieting. The other option is accepting being fat for good. The existence of a few exceptions to this rule doesn't change my opinion. Statistically, it's an obvious fact.
Yup, that's a pretty unpopular opinion. I know a lot of us here who plan on proving you wrong.
I don't "hope" for yo-yo dieting. MFP has taught me how to control my weight properly. I know what to do to prevent the yo-yo cycle from happening.
I didn't have that knowledge in the past. That's the big difference.
But the post didn't say it can't be done. It said "post people...' A lot of people here plan on proving it wrong. But statistics suggest most of that lot will fail, and even if all succeeded it would still be a small majority of the whole.
Exactly.
Hey if it was just me, I'd probably just have decided I'm a personal failure at weight loss after gaining back 100 lb the second time (again, it took years to lose it, years of maintaining, then a few more years of gaining it back.) and I used to sound exactly like every person who believes this will not happen to them.
But it wasn't just me. I can point to at least 20 people who used to do these WL forums with me ~10 years ago who were dedicated, motivated, smart, committed etc. and the same thing happened to all of them.
I have to conclude based on the evidence that maintaining a large WL permanently is something *most* people will not be able to do.
Most people won't. That is backed up by statistics. But I do agree with others that should not be seen as an excuse not to try and break that cycle. Some do it. The only way to join the minority is to never stop trying.
Yep. Most people with a diagnosis of cancer, even if the odds of survival longer term are fairly low, will do what is in their power to fight it.2 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Fair enough, but I know myself.
Where your post rubbed me the wrong way was your sure declaration that just about everyone was doomed.
Statistics say that 20% will succeed. I've researched the habits of successful people and made them my own. I've already been through a serious trial and didn't falter.
Time will tell which side of the statistic any of us fall on.
To be fair her original post said most people. A 20% success rate means an 80% fail rate. 80% is most.
I do think being on this site gives us a big advantage with all the knowledge and experience of those who have been successful long-term.5 -
One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
I have never been 50 lbs overweight, so obviously haven't experienced the process of losing 50. But I still think my experience of losing a much smaller amount by a methodical approach through MFP is still something I can use as advice or guidance for other people.
For some yes, but probably not for many who need to lose 50 lbs or more. I have lost 36 lbs and maintained it m/l for 1.5 years. And I've lost 10-15 lbs many times in my life. But I read some posts of those struggling to lose large amounts and I know I can't relate.1 -
One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
I can go along with this, but I would say I don't believe someone is going to maintain until they've kept it off for ~10 years. 2 is just the beginning.0 -
One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
Well, darn. I've never had 50 pounds to lose. But on my sixty-and-a-half-inch frame, 20 pounds on me is far more significant than 20 pounds on someone who is 5'8" or 6' tall. So, do I have something meaningful to contribute or not ?(I lost about 15 pounds and maintained for quite a while before gaining; this last gain which I'm trying to get off was pregnancy weight, still no where near to 50 pounds)2 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »As much as I'd like to argue against your view point, I have to admit you're describing me to a T. Having yo-yoed throughout my entire adult life over a huge span (100lbs either way), and having had great success in losing this time around, I've currently regained almost 30lbs and am struggling mightily to get things going back down, rather than continuing up. To be honest, life is kicking my *kitten* right now, and I'm doing a really crappy job of dealing with it.
I think most people have a hard time with life at times. I mean, maybe some lucky people don't but most of us have periods of change/difficulty/adjustment that change things. One of the big ones for me was being forced to move a lot farther away from my job and having to commute. It has never gotten easier to make the time since I lost those hours. But it wasn't just that, it was a combination of things. This time. The exact circumstances don't matter, I just see that life is going to go on and things are going to keep happening. I'm no longer sure enough of the future to say "I will keep doing these things forever without fail no matter what" because that would be a lie.
But that's what it takes.
I kind of agree with you to some degree in that getting complacent is one of the biggest problems, at least for me. The minute I got complacent in the past was the only time I regain weight in an uncontrolled manner. I have been at this for years, but although I feel like I have developed great sustainable strategies (which actually include purposeful and calculated weight gain sometimes if life gets too challenging to maintain a diet) I don't think I'm safe or that I will always be doing this well. With that said, I'm not easily jaded and don't think I will allow myself to venture into defeatism territory. Understanding that there will be setbacks means keeping an eye for them. I'm terrified of diabetes and that keeps me on my toes no matter what life throws at me, but if there comes a time where I just don't care anymore I'll just re-lose the weight again when I start caring again, no problem. I realise things will not always be perfect, but I don't believe for a second that I'm doomed to always be fat because I got fat as a child and reached morbid obesity.
This. This is what I was trying to say. I'm terrified of my arthritis and losing my mobility.1 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »curiouskate wrote: »My unpopular opinion: most people who got fat as children/teens will never maintain a healthy weight, and the best we can hope for is yo yo dieting. The other option is accepting being fat for good. The existence of a few exceptions to this rule doesn't change my opinion. Statistically, it's an obvious fact.
Yup, that's a pretty unpopular opinion. I know a lot of us here who plan on proving you wrong.
I don't "hope" for yo-yo dieting. MFP has taught me how to control my weight properly. I know what to do to prevent the yo-yo cycle from happening.
I didn't have that knowledge in the past. That's the big difference.
But the post didn't say it can't be done. It said "post people...' A lot of people here plan on proving it wrong. But statistics suggest most of that lot will fail, and even if all succeeded it would still be a small majority of the whole.
Exactly.
Hey if it was just me, I'd probably just have decided I'm a personal failure at weight loss after gaining back 100 lb the second time (again, it took years to lose it, years of maintaining, then a few more years of gaining it back.) and I used to sound exactly like every person who believes this will not happen to them.
But it wasn't just me. I can point to at least 20 people who used to do these WL forums with me ~10 years ago who were dedicated, motivated, smart, committed etc. and the same thing happened to all of them.
I have to conclude based on the evidence that maintaining a large WL permanently is something *most* people will not be able to do.
Most people won't. That is backed up by statistics. But I do agree with others that should not be seen as an excuse not to try and break that cycle. Some do it. The only way to join the minority is to never stop trying.
That's the point I was trying to make, though.
I think we have different ideas of what yo-yo'ing is too. I don't consider small regains of a few pounds anything but maintenance fluctuations.
My late mother in law was one of those "naturally" thin people. When her pants got tight, she started skipping desserts until they weren't tight any more.
I don't consider that yo-yo dieting, or a failure to maintain weight. I think that's normal weight maintenance that people with healthy habits engage in.
I consider chronic yo-yoers those who give up and regain all of their weight, to the point of fitting back into larger size after larger size and just not trying any more.
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I'm another who won't be laying down and saying I'm never going to maintain a healthy weight. I've been overweight since I was 9 and was obese for most of my teens and early adulthood. I've yo-yo'd once in my life and know exactly what caused me to regain my weight. There's too much at stake not to keep the weight off. I've got the grit and determination not to accept being on the wrong side of the statistic. I refuse to be one of the 80%.4
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One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
The National Weight Control Registry uses 30 lb loss as their benchmark for a "substantial loss".
Their conclusions are interesting. http://www.nwcr.ws/- The "average" woman is 45 years of age and currently weighs 145 lbs, while the "average" man is 49 years of age and currently weighs 190 lbs.
- Registry members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years
- Weight losses have ranged from 30 to 300 lbs.
- Duration of successful weight loss has ranged from 1 year to 66 years!
- Some have lost the weight rapidly, while others have lost weight very slowly--over as many as 14 years.
- 45% of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program.
- 98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
- 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
- 78% eat breakfast every day.
- 75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
- 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
- 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
19 -
One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
The National Weight Control Registry uses 30 lb loss as their benchmark for a "substantial loss".
Their conclusions are interesting. http://www.nwcr.ws/- The "average" woman is 45 years of age and currently weighs 145 lbs, while the "average" man is 49 years of age and currently weighs 190 lbs.
- Registry members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years
- Weight losses have ranged from 30 to 300 lbs.
- Duration of successful weight loss has ranged from 1 year to 66 years!
- Some have lost the weight rapidly, while others have lost weight very slowly--over as many as 14 years.
- 45% of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program.
- 98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
- 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
- 78% eat breakfast every day.
- 75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
- 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
- 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
I just finished my first annual survey for this registry
I don't really eat low fat, but I am quite active (run 45-50 MPW) and control my calorie intake actively. That activity level does give me some leeway in my food choices with a TDEE of 3000 Cal, but I still have to make a conscious effort not to overeat.7 -
One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
If someone has lost zero weight, but offers a psychological insight that resonates with me, points to interesting research that seems well conducted, makes a incisive observation based on well-developed professional expertise, or suggests a strategy that seems like it could help me, I'm going to listen thoughtfully to their idea, no salt grains required.
Different learning strategies for different folks, I guess.
Take that with a grain of salt, though: I lost 50+, but have only been maintaining for around 19 months.
13 -
80% chance of regain?
Seventeen years ago, they gave me about a 40% chance of dying of what was then going on for me. Research suggests that maintaining a weight on the light end of the healthy range can materially improve the odds of stretching out that 17-year streak of still being alive.
Heck, all I need is another 20 or 30 years (I'm already 61).
So, 20% chance of maintaining? Sure, I'll take my best shot at threading that finer needle.18 -
One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
If someone has lost zero weight, but offers a psychological insight that resonates with me, points to interesting research that seems well conducted, makes a incisive observation based on well-developed professional expertise, or suggests a strategy that seems like it could help me, I'm going to listen thoughtfully to their idea, no salt grains required.
Different learning strategies for different folks, I guess.
Take that with a grain of salt, though: I lost 50+, but have only been maintaining for around 19 months.
On the flip side, if someone has lost 50+ pounds and maintained it for 2+ years but did it through paleo, low carb, raw veganism...etc, I don't think their strategies would do me good because I would not have a lot in common with them. Telling me to "cut sugar" is of no use to me. You would be surprised that some people actually successfully maintain but believe some weird things like ACV and weird arbitrary rules.11 -
The_Enginerd wrote: »One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
The National Weight Control Registry uses 30 lb loss as their benchmark for a "substantial loss".
Their conclusions are interesting. http://www.nwcr.ws/- The "average" woman is 45 years of age and currently weighs 145 lbs, while the "average" man is 49 years of age and currently weighs 190 lbs.
- Registry members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years
- Weight losses have ranged from 30 to 300 lbs.
- Duration of successful weight loss has ranged from 1 year to 66 years!
- Some have lost the weight rapidly, while others have lost weight very slowly--over as many as 14 years.
- 45% of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program.
- 98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
- 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
- 78% eat breakfast every day.
- 75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
- 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
- 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
I just finished my first annual survey for this registry
I don't really eat low fat, but I am quite active (run 45-50 MPW) and control my calorie intake actively. That activity level does give me some leeway in my food choices with a TDEE of 3000 Cal, but I still have to make a conscious effort not to overeat.
What I love about their statistics is that, for almost everyone (98% and 94%), losing weight was all about eating less and moving more. Everything else is individual preference and personal dietary needs.6 -
The_Enginerd wrote: »One of my unpopular opinions: If you have not lost at least 50+ pounds and MAINTAINED that loss for 2+ years, I take everything you say about weight loss/maintenance with a grain of salt. Unless it's something indisputable like the science of CI/CO.
The National Weight Control Registry uses 30 lb loss as their benchmark for a "substantial loss".
Their conclusions are interesting. http://www.nwcr.ws/- The "average" woman is 45 years of age and currently weighs 145 lbs, while the "average" man is 49 years of age and currently weighs 190 lbs.
- Registry members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years
- Weight losses have ranged from 30 to 300 lbs.
- Duration of successful weight loss has ranged from 1 year to 66 years!
- Some have lost the weight rapidly, while others have lost weight very slowly--over as many as 14 years.
- 45% of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program.
- 98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
- 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
- 78% eat breakfast every day.
- 75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
- 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
- 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
I just finished my first annual survey for this registry
I don't really eat low fat, but I am quite active (run 45-50 MPW) and control my calorie intake actively. That activity level does give me some leeway in my food choices with a TDEE of 3000 Cal, but I still have to make a conscious effort not to overeat.
What I love about their statistics is that, for almost everyone (98% and 94%), losing weight was all about eating less and moving more. Everything else is individual preference and personal dietary needs.
It also shows the significantly better outcomes for those who are active.5
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