Understanding Why it's So Difficult to Maintain Weight

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foodiscomplicated
foodiscomplicated Posts: 85 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
This episode from the HBO documentary series, (The Weight Of A Nation) gives the skinny on the situation many of us struggle with.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A
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  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    Interesting. Did not have time to watch the whole thing. Bumping to finish later. Thanks for posting.
  • KisaraKaiba
    KisaraKaiba Posts: 59 Member
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    Bumping so I can watch when I get home. Thanks for posting!
  • IanBee93
    IanBee93 Posts: 237
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    That's why it's a lifestyle change. Not just something you do for 6 months and then when you're thin, you stay thin and do what you want. It really sucks that the body reacts in a negative way after weight loss, because it thinks we're dying/starving. When really we're just trying to make it healthy, by getting rid of fat :\
  • retiree2006
    retiree2006 Posts: 951 Member
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    Interesting and a bit of a "downer" to realize, if all this is true, it's no wonder maintenace becomes a constant battle. But it's also better to be aware and have this information to help in maintenance. Thanks for posting.
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
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    Bump to watch later!
  • FatHuMan1
    FatHuMan1 Posts: 1,028 Member
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    Very informative. Thanks!
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
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    Just watched it-yikes lol. So, what does that mean for us trying to maintain? Right now things are going good over here, but it's only been a few months :tongue: Should we be lowering our calories like the woman in the study was told to do, to compensate for what may be happening in our bodies? Would eating just a few less calories every day (in her case 300 a day), mean our chances of success would go from just 5% to ??? So if my 'maintenance' calories are say 1,900 would 1,600 calories instead make all the difference between maintaining successfully and being part of the 95% failure rate? Lots to think about...
  • mpf1
    mpf1 Posts: 1,437 Member
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    bump
  • EdwardNortonFan43
    EdwardNortonFan43 Posts: 150 Member
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    bump
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
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    Just watched it-yikes lol. So, what does that mean for us trying to maintain? Right now things are going good over here, but it's only been a few months :tongue: Should we be lowering our calories like the woman in the study was told to do, to compensate for what may be happening in our bodies? Would eating just a few less calories every day (in her case 300 a day), mean our chances of success would go from just 5% to ??? So if my 'maintenance' calories are say 1,900 would 1,600 calories instead make all the difference between maintaining successfully and being part of the 95% failure rate? Lots to think about...

    I think everyone needs to tweak the numbers to figure out their own maintenance, whether they have lost a lot of weight or not, but it's worth noting that if you have lost a lot of weight the TDEE calculators are not as accurate. For me what hit home was the idea that it will be a constant struggle and that we really can't "trust our body" as many people advise.
  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
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    I'm 22 months post weight loss. It's nice to hear that the struggles we face are typical physiological changes due to weigh loss. I do admit that maintenance is harder than I hoped it would be. I was hoping to eventually let my guard down, but I have had to stay vigilant to keep the weight off. If I "free ranged" I'd probably gain 30lbs back in a matter of months. It does however, seem to be getting slightly easier lately. I'll likely continue to step on the scale every morning and have a weekly "diet day" just to keep the pounds from creeping back up. Good Luck Guys..
  • fangmouse
    fangmouse Posts: 119
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    Bump!
  • jmadams111
    jmadams111 Posts: 145 Member
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    bump
  • maryrx59
    maryrx59 Posts: 55 Member
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    bump for later :wink:
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    The important information begins at the 5:30 mark: "Individuals losing weight are not metabolically the same as they were before they lost weight...."

    Regarding TDEE calculators, you have to also realize those estimates reflect the intake of people who are eating the maximum amount of calories to maintain a certain natural weight - ie: their TDEE was not altered by previous diet interventions.

    The doctor covers this important distinction in the aforementioned segment about the noted difference in TDEE by two hypothetical women who weigh the same, though one achieved that weight through weight loss whereas the other has always been that weight.
  • lismcm
    lismcm Posts: 5 Member
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    Saving for later....thanks for posting :)
  • rlinaresv
    rlinaresv Posts: 108
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    Saving for later. I'm about to star maintenance
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,350 Member
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    Bump! Thanks!
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    As I suspected, you will likely have to accept eating less than you think you should be able to if you want to maintain weight loss, permanently.
  • kathiehughes
    kathiehughes Posts: 198 Member
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    bump

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