Are you in the 97%?

DvlDwnInGA

I am definitely in the 97 percent. I think the secret for me is going to be going back to the gym and coupling that with changing my eating habits. The last time I lost a lot of weight, I did it just by eating right. I lost a lot, but gained it back easily because I spent no time in the gym. I have to make the gym a part of my life again, when I am doing both it all comes together much easier and actually feels like a lifestyle change.

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jmc0806

sadly yes, I originally was down 145lbs and then I got lazy and stopped logging and I've put back on 40lbs of that. I know I can lose it again though, if I focus and get back to it...

kaseyr1505

I didn't cut foods out of my diet, I reduced the portion. Now, I am aware that 100 calories of broccoli will keep me satisfied longer than 100 calories of pizza, or soda. Before, I don't think i cared what I put in my body because I wanted to eat. Now, I can tell the difference between hunger, emotions and needing to drink some water. I don't like the feeling of being stuffed.

So, I think that the changes I made will put me in the 3%.

bcattoes

As far as I am concerned, studies show diddly squat.

I am in control of my own life and my own decisions and once this weight is off it is up to me to keep it off.

Period.

Did the study suggest someone else would be in control?

ItsCasey

I can't speak for anyone else, but I think it comes down to priorities and the fact that most people are not honest about theirs. I don't fault anyone for putting other things ahead of counting calories and hitting the gym, as long as they own the choices they make. It's none of my business what someone else considers a priority for their own life. The problem is that for 97% of people, the priority is losing weight, not establishing what I would call a better lifestyle. And once the weight is gone, the work stops.

I wasn't interested in just losing weight. I was obese enough that if that were all I cared about, I could've had bariatric surgery and been done with it. I wanted to be a better, happier person. I don't know how, and I don't think I can take credit for it, but, somehow, I knew that I had to learn things the hard way or it would never stick. It took me a year and a half to lose 100 lbs. I've lost 10 to 15 more in the 3 years since. I will never again be that person. I am 100% certain of it. And I think it's because my priority was changing my life, not just losing weight.

sammama5

This is why I'm not going to start weightlifting or running...I hate both and cannot imagine doing it for life. I want to be strong-functionally.
I hope to become a 3% statistic. I already know that taking 9 months off MFP contributed to the 9 lbs. I gained in that time. I wasn't being accountable to myself or anybody else about those little extra treats. For the foreseeable future, I see myself logging and checking in to keep myself accountable.
I'm getting sick of the friends I've added who have posted asking for somebody to keep them accountable. They are on for a week, come back one day the next, and don't respond to messages I send, trying to do exactly what they asked for. Nobody can lose the weight for you. You have to want it bad enough to work at it every day.

What are you doing to be strong functionally? I would agree that you don't have to lift weights...but you do have to functionally train to be functionally strong...you have to perform some form of resistance work to be functionally strong.

For the last 3 months, I have been working on planks, pushups, situps, crunches along with some cardio (Wii fit, bicycling, walking). This past month, I have been doing 30 Day Shred (with 3 lb. weights) in addition to walking (my bike has had some maintenance issues that are now fixed!).

"Normal" jobs that I do that require strength: push mowing our bank (150ft x 10ft); hefting the 30 lb. propane tanks when I have to get them filled for my hubby (the big ones....30 lbs empty); lifting our garage door about once a day (the springs are shot, but can't replace them until we've saved up a little for them), playing with my 5 kids, whether it be wrestling with a 5 year old, throwing the football with my 13 year old, or something between.

I hope to always be able to walk. I hope to always be able to do some pushups. In 30 years, I don't think I'll be doing 30 Day shred, but right now it's something to help boost my metabolism.

Iwishyouwell

I think the 97% are people who probably did not use the best methods to lose the weight and fell back into bad habits.

There is no evidence of this. Lots of people who did a perfectly sensible weight reduction plan that should have lead to successful maintenance regained.

I hope one day we can collectively shed the illusion that only people who did it the so called "wrong" way regained their weight. That is so far from the truth.

It's as much of a myth as the talk that everyone who does it the "wrong" way always regains their weight.

Firehawk734

I'm a 3%'r. No way in hell I'm ever going back. I was a fat kid from age 10 until age 23 when I finally started to try to lose weight. No way in hell I'll ever go back to feeling that way. NO WAY. I will starve myself before that happens.

For me, it is because I want to be in shape, not for any other person or any other thing. That is what drives me, and certainly the fear of going back to that old person, going back to being lazy. No thanks.

lisalsd1

Well...I was a fat kid and have maintained my weight loss for nearly 20 years (and 2 kids later).

I'm not sure what you want to know...but I can tell you that being a fat kid sucks hardcore.

47Jacqueline

I believe I am in the 3%. I actually wasn't obese, but was definitely overweight when I discovered MFP. It took mea year to lose 25 pounds, but it didn't matter, because I knew that I would not be doing this again. The year before I started to return to a normal weight, for my age and height, my mom broke her hip, didn't really heal, decended into dementia and finallly died unhappily at 93, her brother (my uncle) died at 88, my psychiatrist committed suicide and I broke up with a guy I'd been in a long term lousy relationship with. It was time for a change of lifestyle.

I had yo-yo'd every five or so years, never going above about 20 pounds or so. A councelor at Jenny Craig, told me I had a fear of being fat and that's why I kept dieting instead of just letting myself go.

Since my mom died, I have changed the entire way I look at the world and one of the strongest motivations for maintaining my wieght loss as well as a committed exercise routine is that I finally listened to what my therapist had been tellimg me for about 20 years. She kept saying that I was a pretty, intelligent, accomplished woman who didn't have my mom's problems. (too long a story to go into).

So, I know that staying slim is a matter of changing my lifestyle. I don't want to become disabled by broken bones, so I work on my bones, muscles, aerobic capacity, and most recently, my balance (not falling that is).

I got certified as a Zumba instructor at age 67 and am studying for my certification in group fitness instruction. My plan is to teach Zumba Gold to seniors (not just healthy ones) to help others be as healthy as they can be.

Recently, I decided to lose another five pounds to get my body fat level into the athletic range instead of staying at average. I also added yoga lessons to work on my balance. I am fortunate enough to have good physical genes. My family was not overweight. I am working with a Zumba instructor who is 77l

I think the bottom line is to be in the 3% is to be the best person you can be and be grateful for every healthy day you have. And don't sabatage yourself!.

Iwishyouwell

.but I can tell you that being a fat kid sucks hardcore.

Quoted for 1000% truth.

willdob3

...of people who lose weight..only to gain it back again. Over and over. Yoyo up and down..often with an overall net gain over the years. Studies have shown that only 3% of people who lose weight can maintain it for more than 5 years. I have my own ideas about why this is. Also, people who grew up normal sized, got fat in adulthood, then lost weight are more likely to be in the 3% than those who were fat as children. Grim stats...but I think if we can gain an understanding of what the 3% are doing differently...that would be a good start.

From what I can tell, 3% ers don't see weight loss as a goal with an end date. They know they will probably always have to be diligent, and they accept that is the case. They don't lose the weight, celebrate with a pizza, and think it's going to just magically stay off. They accept that their habits have to completely change for life, not just for the "loss" part of the journey. Also, 3% ers don't see healthy lifestyle as "punishment". They see health, energy, fitness and nutritious food as positive and a welcome change..not a chore.

I'm curious to hear from 3% ers, and others on how they feel they are distinguished from the 97% that fails at long term health goals.

Wow... I'm glad to hear this! In the past I was all about reaching some number on the scale. Always ended up in the 97% group.

This time there is no number goal. I plan to work to improve my body & health forever. My goal is to be the best I can be inside & out. I don't believe in maintenance. I love my healthy lifestyle! Eating very healthy, exercising regularly (weight training & cardio), and walking - including power walking - every day. The more I do, the better I feel and the more I want to do. I have no plans to ever stop and go back to the old ways. That would be a horrible punishment. I felt awful.

I am still losing so I may not quite qualify for the 3% yet. But it's going on two years (two this fall) of healthy eating & working out & loving it. I've lost well over 100 lbs. I'm planning to switch to building muscle eventually.

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sunfastrose

I am a 3%-er. Fat kid grew into fat adult; focused for 9 months when I was 26 and went from 172 to a low of 111 using Weight Watchers Online. I am now 40 and maintain between 123-126 (original goal was 120). I can't imagine ever going back to the way I was.

Iwishyouwell

I am a 3%-er. Fat kid grew into fat adult; focused for 9 months when I was 26 and went from 172 to a low of 111 using Weight Watchers Online. I am now 40 and maintain between 123-126 (original goal was 120). I can't imagine ever going back to the way I was.

galprincess

Yes but I gained in pregnancy now im done having babies im more determined than ever to keep it off

chjones21

I am in the 3 percent I guess - maybe if you count being slim but not dieting?? I never dieted, have slways just eaten what I wanted abd stayed the same for twenty years (I am 43). My sisters are all slim - my mother is also the same weight snd height as me in her 70s - we can all fit into each others clothes etc...

I think it comes from my mother being an excellent, yet healthy, cook. I have actually NEVER had a mcdonalds ... not even once partly because I became a vegetarian in my twenties but more so because it just seemed "yuck" horrible, processed bleugh. We slways ate fresh, normal food. So I think I never developed thst taste for sickly sweet ... although I do like hula hoops!!

All my nephews and nieces ( ranging from 21 - 8) are skinny, healthy, sporty kids. So I suppose it just comes from the initial supermarket shop. There is no kfc or mcdonalds in the house - that said, there is no diet anything either. Everything is natural full fat ... proper butter, full fat yoghurt, nothing interfered with. But equally no fizzy drinks. So I think eating "full fat" can - maybe help when growing up to develop a natural appetite. I eat. I get full. I absolutely do not want to eat any more. And that natural process maintains me at 5foot 9 and my weight at 55kgs/125lbs give or take a pound or two - indefinitely or has done for the last three decades and six decades for my mother.

I wanted to up my fitness levels, which I think are very low - rather than diet so much.

I don't know if that makes me the 3% or outside it all together because of not dieting at all

M

bcattoes

I am in the 3 percent I guess - maybe if you count being slim but not dieting?? I never dieted, have slways just eaten what I wanted abd stayed the same for twenty years (I am 43). My sisters are all slim - my mother is also the same weight snd height as me in her 70s - we can all fit into each others clothes etc...

To be in the 3% you have to be overweight then lose weight and keep it off for at least 5 years. It's not about people who have always been slim.

Meerataila

I do wonder how they calculate these things. For the whole 'ten percent or more of your body weight loss makes you a success', does that mean once I hit that percentage, even though I kept losing, the clock started ticking then?

What about this past year, where I've been a little pudgy but stayed within a 15 pound range? But since I intend to go for twenty pounds more, will the clock still not start until I hit my own personal goal weight? And if so, does that mean the 'over %10' crowd will still consider me a success until I'm well into the obese range again?

bcattoes

I have been in both the 97% and 3%. I've lost weight and kept it off for 5 years, but I've also lost weight and gained back, sometimes after 5 years, sometimes less.

I eat pretty much the same all the time, but every time I get lazy and quit exercising regularly, I gain weight. This usually happens whenever there is some major change in my lifestyle. I don't adapt to change very well, I guess. :ohwell:

penny0919

Nope, I'm not in it.

5'7 , slim child and until age 21 was 130-140

Gained 30 lbs between 21-22 (170)

Lost 25 lbs gradually and got married at 145 at age 25.

Got up to 152 before I got pregnant with baby #1 (isn't it sad I can remember these exact weights??)
Pregnancy #1 152-200 lbs
Got down to 160 before Pregnancy #2
Pregnancy #2 160-200
Got down to 160 again before Pregnancy #3
Pregnancy #3 160-200 (notice a pattern??)

Now after baby 3 I am sitting in the mid 180s. My eating got OUT OF CONTROL after her birth due to many, many factors (my emotional eating was completely out of control).

Until I fix my tie between emotions and eating I will probably never permanently lose weight.

justcat206

For most of my adult like I put on what I like to call "insulation" in the winter - I'd gain 10 lbs come fall, then lose it again in the summer. The last year or so I've been holding steady within a 5 lb range - so no drastic yoyoing, but I'm definitely more consistent about eating and working out ALL year now, and not just in summer. (helps that I've started lifting which I can do year round. Used to only walk/run outside then sit on my butt all winter).

sthig1973

I'm late to this thread (and it's my first post). I'm 5 years now keeping my weight down... so I assume this makes me a 3%er. I'm 41 years old and am lighter than I was in the 8th grade. I was not a "fat kid" just a big kid... but after college I got pretty overweight hitting upwards to 270 (I'm now at 183)

These days if I do not remain diligent I will put weight back on quickly. I've swung about 15lbs over the past 5 years. Generally I locate the culprit of the weight swing and eliminate it. The last swing in weight was largely due to salt and wine. So I've eliminated any additional sodium (table salt) to my meals and am rather careful about wine consumption.

I don't see an end date to the current life style I hold. I eat the same thing roughly everyday but allow myself cheat days here and there... and on cheat days, I go big... so the next day I have a "food hangover" and realize how dumb that was.

I also exercise rigorously 6 days a week burning anywhere from 300-500 calories (average). I won't be able to maintain that throughout my life, but I figure while I can, I can.

albayin

definitely. I have managed to lose 10 lbs and now I am back to my start weight after 3 years of trying to lose more...:brokenheart:

lavendy17

I didn't read the thread just OP...

I grew up thin, but once I hit puberty I became quite chubby. Never too heavy, just slightly over weight, and generally flabby. 3 years ago I was at my highest weight and decided to tackle this once and for all.
All I wanted was to get to a healthy BMI and stay there.

The reason I believe I will never go back to my old weight or higher is because I was committed to find breakthroughs in my approach to food. I believe that weight gain and overeating is a symptom and by understanding why we do what we do we can learn how to fix the problems. I am very strong now and am not concerned that I will be in the 97% anymore.

Many fail because they tackle the symptoms and not the causes. They learn to buy low calorie foods but not satisfying foods. They try fad diets and don't consider holistic approaches like fitting your macros. They educate themselves about nutrition but don't analyze what break them (stress, boredom, anxiety, loneliness...). Etc.... etc....

Bottom line- getting to and staying at a healthy weight is a personal journey. It takes a long time and you have to learn about yourself in the process.

elvensnow

I'm part of the 97% sadly.

I lose about 80 lbs in a bit over a year. I maintained for about another year. But I moved across country to be close to family and the new social activities, lack of exercise, and basic bad habits caused me to gain 30 over the course of a year. Nothing like yoyo dieting here. Just bad habits.

And I know I could have maintained even eating as I was if I had just kept with my exercise regimen. But we sold our treadmill before the move (didn't want to transport), and I hate gyms so ... yea I stopped, bad me.

I don't know if I could ever be part of the 3%. Maintaining a goal weight for previously-obese is hard. It requires constant diligence and a commitment that really is more than I might want to handle later on down the line. There's plenty of research out there to show that once-obese people have a lower metabolism than the never-obese at the same weight -- so yes it makes it just that much harder for us to maintain weight than people who have never had weight troubles. Even maintaining that one year I did (wasn't even at goal) still felt like I was "dieting" -- I was still counting calories, exercising daily, etc. It was still a LOT of work just to stay at a weight I wasn't even happy with.

I hope I can lose and maintain it for a while. But then I plan to have kids... so I'm just going to assume that might put a wrench in the works =P

lavendy17

You know what I think is funny?
If you see weight management the same way you see house maintenance you won't regain.
I mean, nobody cleans their house and says- Yay the house is clean, I'm done forever, it will always be clean! No, you clean it, it gets a bit messy you clean again, if you're lazy, next time you need to put in more effort...
Same with weight. You lose it, and then if you don't continue to monitor it, the "junk" piles up and you have to put more effort into "cleaning" it again.
But most people think they can just fix their weight problem by losing it with a diet. But if they don't develop daily habits at keeping in check it won't help them.

lavendy17

Even maintaining that one year I did (wasn't even at goal) still felt like I was "dieting" -- I was still counting calories, exercising daily, etc. It was still a LOT of work just to stay at a weight I wasn't even happy with.

When you get to goal, the work doesn't end. Anyone who wants to be fit for life has to watch what they eat and exercise regularly.

What helps is establishing easy to follow habits and finding workouts that you enjoy. Also solving daily challenges like schedule issues or knowing when you're most hungry during the day and giving more calories to that part of day.

I hope you make it. You just have to find what tactics are the easiest for you to sustain.