Understanding Why it's So Difficult to Maintain Weight

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  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 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.

    Even more importantly than TDEE being different is that their experience of food, drive to eat, even sense of smell is different. Interesting stuff.
  • pelleld
    pelleld Posts: 363 Member
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    saving for later
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    I didn't watch the video. I personally think it's easier to maintain than it is to lose. I've been maintaining for over two years now and it's really simple. I've got my good habits in place, it only takes a few minutes a day to track my exercise and calories and I'm good to go. My weight just stays the same, almost like magic except that it's not - it's just MFP and habit. (It might go up or down by 1-2 pounds during a certain time of the month, or if I'm sick, but otherwise, it's pretty much been a constant.) :flowerforyou:

    ETA: Ok, saw the video. It makes sense that metabolism could be permanently altered, but the rules are still the same - you still need to keep the calories you bring in equal to the calories you burn. I don't worry about whether I'm eating the same amount of calories as someone else my size. I just eat to accommodate my own personal needs as they are today. As long as you find the point at which you maintain (whether or not it's 20% less or more food than your buddy) and then continue to track and keep it at that level (making adjustments as needed) maintenance shouldn't be a problem. At least it hasn't been for me.
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
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    I didn't watch the video. I personally think it's easier to maintain than it is to lose. I've been maintaining for over two years now and it's really simple. I've got my good habits in place, it only takes a few minutes a day to track my exercise and calories and I'm good to go. My weight just stays the same, almost like magic except that it's not - it's just MFP and habit. (It might go up or down by 1-2 pounds during a certain time of the month, or if I'm sick, but otherwise, it's pretty much been a constant.) :flowerforyou:

    do you still track calories every day then? That's just mind boggling to me-I got burned out from tracking just during the few months of weight loss and stopped when I started transitioning into maintenance :tongue: I wonder if I'm setting myself up for failure by not tracking them?
  • fultimers
    fultimers Posts: 153 Member
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    I've pretty much made up my mind that I will have to log what I eat into my diary and exercise frequently for the rest of my life--even after I have reached my goal weight.

    I've reached my goal weight a few times in my lifetime and gained all the weight back (and some) each time. I'm convinced I gained it back because I didn't want to keep track any more.
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 1,001 Member
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    This is a good series and well worth a watch for those interested.

    Does anyone know if TDEE readjusts back up in time? For example, if, after I complete my weight loss, my TDEE is 15% lower than expected, will it go back up after months or years at maintenance?
  • smilingalltheway
    smilingalltheway Posts: 216 Member
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    bump
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    I didn't watch the video. I personally think it's easier to maintain than it is to lose. I've been maintaining for over two years now and it's really simple. I've got my good habits in place, it only takes a few minutes a day to track my exercise and calories and I'm good to go. My weight just stays the same, almost like magic except that it's not - it's just MFP and habit. (It might go up or down by 1-2 pounds during a certain time of the month, or if I'm sick, but otherwise, it's pretty much been a constant.) :flowerforyou:

    do you still track calories every day then? That's just mind boggling to me-I got burned out from tracking just during the few months of weight loss and stopped when I started transitioning into maintenance :tongue: I wonder if I'm setting myself up for failure by not tracking them?

    I'm planning to track calories for the rest of my life. I haven't found it difficult to maintain my weight loss, and I'm sure it's because I rely on tracking to determine how much to eat, not on instinct.
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
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    I didn't watch the video. I personally think it's easier to maintain than it is to lose. I've been maintaining for over two years now and it's really simple. I've got my good habits in place, it only takes a few minutes a day to track my exercise and calories and I'm good to go. My weight just stays the same, almost like magic except that it's not - it's just MFP and habit. (It might go up or down by 1-2 pounds during a certain time of the month, or if I'm sick, but otherwise, it's pretty much been a constant.) :flowerforyou:

    do you still track calories every day then? That's just mind boggling to me-I got burned out from tracking just during the few months of weight loss and stopped when I started transitioning into maintenance :tongue: I wonder if I'm setting myself up for failure by not tracking them?

    I'm planning to track calories for the rest of my life. I haven't found it difficult to maintain my weight loss, and I'm sure it's because I rely on tracking to determine how much to eat, not on instinct.

    thanks for the input, you've given me something to think about :)
  • hgycta
    hgycta Posts: 3,013 Member
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    I found this video very interesting; however, they mentioned her diet to lose weight while in the center consisted of 800 liquid calories... Please do correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought anything below 1,200 calories per day was unhealthy, especially for nine months? I wonder if that could have influenced the results at all, if maybe this was also the result of her body sort of going into shock? I would be interested in the results from a group of individuals losing weight on a less restrictive diet for a longer period of time. Thanks for sharing this with us! :)
  • towens00
    towens00 Posts: 1,033 Member
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  • Kotuliak
    Kotuliak Posts: 259 Member
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    Definitely worth watching.

    Like another poster, I too was surprised to hear the subject was on 800 calorie liquid diet for months which seems a bit low. But then, that's what Medifast does, and apparently there are lots of people on the program.

    There is another issue that I have with the experiment. The subjects were kept in a controlled environment and fed liquid diet for months - is it any wonder they had trouble maintaining after they were released?
  • ScruffyMuscle
    ScruffyMuscle Posts: 15 Member
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    it's on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pEkCbqN4uo
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    This is a good series and well worth a watch for those interested.

    Does anyone know if TDEE readjusts back up in time? For example, if, after I complete my weight loss, my TDEE is 15% lower than expected, will it go back up after months or years at maintenance?
    As mentioned in the segment, your TDEE will recover somewhat but, once it is capped, it may be less than someone with comparable stats who maintains naturally at that weight. Generally, the larger the deficit which is maintained, chronically, the greater the decline in energy expenditure when weight recovery is complete.

    One could increase TDEE by increasing lean mass, body weight and activity, though.
    I found this video very interesting; however, they mentioned her diet to lose weight while in the center consisted of 800 liquid calories... Please do correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought anything below 1,200 calories per day was unhealthy, especially for nine months? I wonder if that could have influenced the results at all, if maybe this was also the result of her body sort of going into shock? I would be interested in the results from a group of individuals losing weight on a less restrictive diet for a longer period of time. Thanks for sharing this with us! :)
    Semi-starvation diets are the protocol in such studies due to the prevalence of morbid obesity and the fact that VLCD are commonly prescribed in interventions among this population. Some studies, however, will provide varying calorie allotments among chosen groups to further investigate the effects of calorie restriction at different degrees. With that said, findings consistently demonstrate that larger deficits generally lead to greater adaptations among subjects in terms of difference in energy expenditure and thyroid hormone levels and function.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    I've pretty much made up my mind that I will have to log what I eat into my diary and exercise frequently for the rest of my life--even after I have reached my goal weight.

    I've reached my goal weight a few times in my lifetime and gained all the weight back (and some) each time. I'm convinced I gained it back because I didn't want to keep track any more.

    ^^^THIS^^^

    I fully intend to "diet" after I reach my goal—I'll just have a different calorie total. I'm still going to track everything and weigh myself often. The key to maintenance is course-correcting before a problem becomes a problem.
  • G__Force
    G__Force Posts: 280 Member
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    bumping
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    I didn't watch the video. I personally think it's easier to maintain than it is to lose. I've been maintaining for over two years now and it's really simple. I've got my good habits in place, it only takes a few minutes a day to track my exercise and calories and I'm good to go. My weight just stays the same, almost like magic except that it's not - it's just MFP and habit. (It might go up or down by 1-2 pounds during a certain time of the month, or if I'm sick, but otherwise, it's pretty much been a constant.) :flowerforyou:

    do you still track calories every day then? That's just mind boggling to me-I got burned out from tracking just during the few months of weight loss and stopped when I started transitioning into maintenance :tongue: I wonder if I'm setting myself up for failure by not tracking them?

    Yes! I still track. Every once in a while I take a day or two off - like if it's a holiday or I'm out backpacking in the wilderness. I eat a lot of the same things so it's all there in my frequent foods list. It really only takes me a few clicks and a few minutes a day (like brushing my teeth, taking a shower, washing the dishes) and it's totally worth it. It really works! :happy:
  • irunforcookies
    irunforcookies Posts: 111 Member
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    Fascinating. I'm going to watch the full series now... there goes my weekend! :smile:
  • Zelinna
    Zelinna Posts: 207 Member
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    Bumping for later

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