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The whole ‘long term weight loss is impossible’ thing

shw112

As someone who is currently maintaining a 50 pound weight loss, I find myself getting anxious when I hear those statistics about the success of long term weight loss. Almost all of them seem to say that 90%+ of people who lose weight gain it back within 5 years. Are these statistics true? Is my body going to do everything it can to get me back where I was? I am getting very stressed thinking about this 😕

Replies

puffbrat

Those statistics, even if accurate, aren't about your body fighting you to get fat. The point is that most people who lose weight don't actually make long-term sustainable changes to their lifestyles. So after losing weight they go right back to living and eating the same way they did before losing the weight and subsequently regain.

RunsWithBees

I see it as a challenge to prove them wrong!

I’m on my way to celebrating year 6 of maintenance in October. There’s no reason you can’t beat the odds since you have complete control of your actions. Have fun proving them wrong!

kimny72

puffbrat wrote: »

Those statistics, even if accurate, aren't about your body fighting you to get fat. The point is that most people who lose weight don't actually make long-term sustainable changes to their lifestyles. So after losing weight they go right back to living and eating the same way they did before losing the weight and subsequently regain.

This!

deputy_randolph

I've kept the weight off for 25 years (with the exception of 2 pregnancies).

Sustainable lifestyle changes is key.

kgeyser

It's not all lifestyle choices that contribute to that statistic. Think of all the things that can happen in a person's life over the course of 5 years. Illness, financial difficulties, life changes like children and jobs, relocation, death of family members, associated mental health issues with life changes, etc. Even if you know what to do and how to do it, a lot of things can get in the way of sustaining those changes. When diet and exercise have to take a back seat to something else, regaining can happen.

It's all about just trying to do your best as best you can. A plan for managing weight can change several times over the course of someone's life, and that's ok.

sijomial

It's not that the people who fail have bodies that fight them, it's that they don't fight hard enough to keep the body they want.

"Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom (from obesity)."
- To horribly misquote someone!

MikePTY

Long term weight loss is difficult, but not because of your body fighting it. But rather because it's hard for people to commit to anything for a long period of time. Most people seem to think that once they lose the weight, the work is done, and they can just got back to doing whatever they feel like. That is not the case. Maintenence is in a lot of ways at least as much work as weight loss.

A lot of us here are on our 2nd, 3rd, or many more rounds of this. But that doesn't mean that it is impossible, or it should discourage you. Rather it should keep you vigilant to the path ahead.

For me, I am on my second real bout of this. I dropped from around 190 to 165 in my early 20s, but took my eye off the ball and got up to 235in my early 30s. I am now back down to 205 and on my way down. I know more now than I did then and am ready for the longer term commitment. So I'm not letting my previous failure hold me back. This time, when (not if) I get to my goals, it will be different.

avlucia

Keep in mind those statistics include the countless people who are tricked by the get thin quick lies and fad diets the media drowns us in. There is significantly less information readily available for heathy sustainable weight loss/heathy living than there is lies being sold by big companies. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but they make money off of fat people being fat.

shw112

You guys are so right haha, I’m just gonna have to use these statistics (if they are even accurate) to motivate myself to be in the 10% 😂 and I am sceptical about how valid these studies are anyway. I’m just going to take it one day at a time and try not to stress myself out about long term weight gain

aimeemarie150

I'm coming up on 5 years of keeping off my 100+ lb loss. It's definitely possible.

88olds

Down 100+lbs, 12 years. You’re wise to be concerned. The potential for regaining is significant. If you draw a red line, back it up with action.

I’d bet that 90% figure is accurate. Don’t be one of them.

Terytha

As far as I can tell, that stat is specifically for people who go on fad diets. They cut bread and cheese, or go keto and cut carbs, or do Jenny Craig or whatever, lose a ton of weight, then start eating all that stuff they cut again.

If you just eat what you like but within your calories, there's no reason for you to regain.

lorrpb

Yes in general those stats are true, and it keeps weight loss fads in business. But MFP is the place where successful maintainers gather!

Losingweightforgood2019

Terytha wrote: »

As far as I can tell, that stat is specifically for people who go on fad diets. They cut bread and cheese, or go keto and cut carbs, or do Jenny Craig or whatever, lose a ton of weight, then start eating all that stuff they cut again.

If you just eat what you like but within your calories, there's no reason for you to regain.

I am actually 297 days keto and besides the weight loss (down from 22 size pants to snug size 6), I've also had some ailments disappear. So for ME this isn't a "fad" but a lifestyle change. Because IF I return to the way I was eating BEFORE, not only WILL the weight return but also the ailments CERTAIN high carbs caused me.

Just my experience and I am very satisfied with this choice 😊

psychod787

I'll let you know in 10 years! Lol😁

Terytha

losingweightforgood2012 wrote: »

I am actually 297 days keto and besides the weight loss (down from 22 size pants to snug size 6), I've also had some ailments disappear. So for ME this isn't a "fad" but a lifestyle change. Because IF I return to the way I was eating BEFORE, not only WILL the weight return but also the ailments CERTAIN high carbs caused me.

Just my experience and I am very satisfied with this choice 😊

Right, but there are people (like my dear best friend) who hop on diets like keto after seeing a book or magazine article, expect an easy button solution to extreme weight loss over a couple months and not dedication forever, and they give up exhausted after a while. For them, keto is a fad diet.

I think some self awareness is important. I know myself well enough to know I could never do keto. All power to those who can.

RelCanonical

shw112 wrote: »

You guys are so right haha, I’m just gonna have to use these statistics (if they are even accurate) to motivate myself to be in the 10% 😂 and I am sceptical about how valid these studies are anyway. I’m just going to take it one day at a time and try not to stress myself out about long term weight gain

I think this is an excellent stats and science lesson. A lot of the studies have some inherent bias during selection (i.e. the people that sign up may be more inclined to struggle), and often small sample sizes. The first study about weight loss that's often referenced had a super high failure rate because they were studying people at a weight loss clinic. So, basically people that are already struggling.

Also, some of the numbers thrown around refer to attempts, rather than people. So, it's not that 90% of people fail, it's that 90% of attempts fail. It's kind of like how you hear the divorce rate is 50%, but 50% of the people in the US aren't divorced because if one person gets divorced twice, that drives up the stat. Many people who fail at maintaining weight loss have failed many times (even me!) and that drives the stat up.

So, take those stats with a grain of salt. They can be useful in that it shows that weight loss can be difficult, but at the same time, just because a lot of people fail, doesn't mean that you have to be a unicorn to succeed.

cmriverside

I lost 70+ pounds 12 years ago. I still keep tabs on my food, exercise and weight.

I watch my nutrition and pay attention! It took me a couple times of regaining some of that weight lost before I made it stick.

I DO NOT want to have to lose that last 10 pounds a third time. Nope.

jennifer_417

Most of the time regain happens because people don't plan for the endgame of weight loss. They diet to lose the weight, then go right back to whatever they were doing before and don't do the work to keep it off.

GaleHawkins

shw112 wrote: »

As someone who is currently maintaining a 50 pound weight loss, I find myself getting anxious when I hear those statistics about the success of long term weight loss. Almost all of them seem to say that 90%+ of people who lose weight gain it back within 5 years. Are these statistics true? Is my body going to do everything it can to get me back where I was? I am getting very stressed thinking about this 😕

Stress alone is a cause of weight gain for some of us. In 2014 after deciding never try to lose weight again after 40 years of failure I did change my Way Of Eating and over the next year was down my 50 pounds. I still have the same WOE and have maintained that loss for the last 4 years. In my case when my WOE resolved cravings and binging the weight loss was automatic.

Best of continued success. Listen to your body instead of strangers.

psychod787

GaleHawkins wrote: »

shw112 wrote: »

As someone who is currently maintaining a 50 pound weight loss, I find myself getting anxious when I hear those statistics about the success of long term weight loss. Almost all of them seem to say that 90%+ of people who lose weight gain it back within 5 years. Are these statistics true? Is my body going to do everything it can to get me back where I was? I am getting very stressed thinking about this 😕

Stress alone is a cause of weight gain for some of us. In 2014 after deciding never try to lose weight again after 40 years of failure I did change my Way Of Eating and over the next year was down my 50 pounds. I still have the same WOE and have maintained that loss for the last 4 years. In my case when my WOE resolved cravings and binging the weight loss was automatic.

Best of continued success. Listen to your body instead of strangers.

I have read about your WOE, I wonder if it has less to do with carbs vs reward value of foods chosen. If it works for you awesome. I will never make fun of something that works for an N=1.

elisa123gal

love all the success stories here.. but there are many more stories of "I'm back again"... the other night I was at my favorite restaurant, and the female bartender who lost all her weight a few years ago...is as big as ever. it was depressing. I am maintaining.. and have read the dire studies about sure regaining.

All I can say.. is that as I continue to maintain I find I am truly really changing how active I am and my food choices. I think if you can stick to it long enough, true change can happen. There are also some great articles with tips on how people keep it off. I choose to study those and be positive.

SoaringOccamy

I'd be interested to know where the statistics come from and how they are obtained/calculated. For example, lots of people do lose and then gain it back quite a few times before they ultimately succeed. Do those people count as having gained back or having kept it off? Do the stats refer to fad dieters and vanity pounds or serious weight loss lifestyle changes?

But I would basically say that a lot of that is really best left unanswered anyway because no individual person is a statistic. We all have to strive to be the 5% (or whatever percentage of people succeed). I have failed before but I'm pushing for success this time. Hope to one day join you there at maintenance and see how I fare.

psychod787

SoaringOccamy wrote: »

I'd be interested to know where the statistics come from and how they are obtained/calculated. For example, lots of people do lose and then gain it back quite a few times before they ultimately succeed. Do those people count as having gained back or having kept it off? Do the stats refer to fad dieters and vanity pounds or serious weight loss lifestyle changes?

But I would basically say that a lot of that is really best left unanswered anyway because no individual person is a statistic. We all have to strive to be the 5% (or whatever percentage of people succeed). I have failed before but I'm pushing for success this time. Hope to one day join you there at maintenance and see how I fare.

If I remember correctly, its data from the 1950's. Reality is that MANY people are successful. What level of sucess, is up to interpretation I think. Many people lose 50 and regain 20. Is that sucess? I think it is.

zeejane4

shw112 wrote: »

As someone who is currently maintaining a 50 pound weight loss, I find myself getting anxious when I hear those statistics about the success of long term weight loss. Almost all of them seem to say that 90%+ of people who lose weight gain it back within 5 years. Are these statistics true? Is my body going to do everything it can to get me back where I was? I am getting very stressed thinking about this 😕

So be a part of the 10% that do succeed

Maintenance has its own challenges, but it's not impossible and there's many of us who've been successfully maintaining for many years.

kgeyser

Terytha wrote: »

As far as I can tell, that stat is specifically for people who go on fad diets. They cut bread and cheese, or go keto and cut carbs, or do Jenny Craig or whatever, lose a ton of weight, then start eating all that stuff they cut again.

If you just eat what you like but within your calories, there's no reason for you to regain.

I'm not sure where you are getting the information that this stat is for "fad diets," I think the regain stats are pretty comparable across the board. A quick peek into the Introduce Yourself and Getting Started forums, and you'll see lots of people who lost weight by counting calories but regained. Even some of the veteran forum users who preach eating what you like within your calories have regained and are back to losing again.

s1im62

I like to think the 10% who don't gain the weight back are mostly made up of those of us who keep on logging our meals and exercise and use tools like MFP to avoid reverting back to the old bad habits that got us overweight in the first place.

I lost more weight than I thought I could by using MFP, and I plan to buck the odds and keep the weight off for life!

hixa30

There is a study of people with diabetes, who lost weight and while some people drop out or gain weight, a lot don't. Unfortunately I can't remember the name, but I'll try and find it. Don't forget the study of people who have lost 30+ pounds for more than a year. Just google NWCR.

hixa30

Okay the diabetes study is called Look AHEAD. It's about 10 years long. If someone is at goal weight for 10 years, they'll probably be at goal weight for another 10 years, or so.