results of 20year study reveal weight loss is unattainable
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That's because most people don't diet in sustainable ways. They diet with too big a deficit and too restrictive a diet, they frequently don't exercise (which increases the risk of losing lean mass and slowing the metabolism in the process) and so they set themselves up for having a really hard time maintaining.
Fact is that with the right approach and attitude, maintaining can be a lot easier, and is totally possible.
It's really annoying that the scientists have concluded that health services etc should just give up, rather than have a radical overview about the effectiveness of the specific advice they're giving people for weight loss. How many doctors just stick people on 1200 cals/day diets? ... lots do. How many doctors advise people to lift weights to protect their lean mass while dieting? not many. ....... and most people don't even follow diets prescribed by their doctors, they do this cleanse or that fad.... there's so much misinformation out there it's no surprise that 95% of people fail to maintain long term... that doesn't mean it's impossible for people to lose weight and keep it off... it means the approaches that most people are taking to do that are flawed!!
Seriously if scientists took that approach to any other field of science we'd never develop any technology because they'd just have given up the whole project on the grounds that their current approach wasn't working....
The information is out there to maintain a healthy weight...but...just like losing weight...many people don't follow it.
Though I still have weight to lose I have been planning how to maintain. Maintenance for me will be about 1600 with moderate exercise. Just this morning I ran across the dietary guidelines for 1600 calories...number of servings per food group...size of servings...recommended exercise.
Is it exciting...NO...is it magic...NO...will it make me a "special snowflake"??? Not really...but I am okay with that....I don't need to be. It is just plain sensible eating to maintain my weight and health...along with the recommendation for at least 150 minutes weekly of exercise.
I think...at least at this point...that there are just as many people wanting that "magic pill" to maintain as there are people that want the "magic pill" to lose.0 -
I'm sorry, but you know this isn't General Diet and Weight Loss HELP, right?
Not that I'm going to let it impact me in any way, but what was your purpose when posting this? What are you trying to achieve? First of all, it's one study you haven't even given us to look at. Second, it doesn't sound very accurate, because quite frankly, I know a lot of people who have lost weight and kept it off FOR GOOD.
It's all in whether you want it enough, are willing to put the work in for it, and believe in yourself (oh and don;t make excuses)...
You've given yet another silly excuse to people who don't want to lose weight and be fit enough. Congrats!
If you believe it though, and you wanna lose weight- I'll tell you this. Don't ever let anyone put a bar in front of you and tell you you can't reach it. Don't let anyone make you think it's hopeless or impossible. YOU decide whether it's possible or not. The amount of work you put in decides whether it's probable.
If you eat less food and burn more calories, you're going to lose weight... and If you continue that healthy lifestyle, the fat isn't magically going to jump on you. SO, take this study as a challenge, not discouragement... and prove that you're strong and that you can do it, people!
It's not hard, it's just pure logic...what goes in, comes out;)
I think it's a really important discussion to be having.......... 95% of people who diet fail to keep the weight off long term... that statistic absolutely should make anyone who wants to lose fat sit up and take notice.... it absolutely should be discussed. We need to ask ourselves "what are they doing wrong?"....... we need to make sure we don't make the same mistakes. And the discussion so far IMO has been productive... several people who have been successfully maintaining have put their opinions forward about what enables them to keep maintaining
in the interests of a productive discussion, here's my advice (I've maintained a healthy body fat percentage for 2 years now after being obese):
1. lose weight slowly.
2. look after your lean mass (i.e. do strength training, eat plenty of protein, make sure your deficit isn't too big).
3. find ways to fit all the foods you want to eat into your calorie goal
4. pay attention to getting all the nutrients your body needs.
5. find ways of exercising and being physically active that you enjoy and will not find it hard to stick to.
6. re-evaluate your definition of success... success is not about how many lbs a week you lose or how quickly you reach goal - success is staying at your goal weight forever.
7 understand that whatever you do to get to goal weight you have to keep on doing to maintain it, so make sure that all the changes you make are ones you can stick to forever,
8. weigh your food so you can be sure you're really eating the number of calories you think you are.
9. when you hit maintenance, you are likely to have learned how much food to eat so may not need to track any more... that's fine. just weigh yourself monthly (same day of your cycle each time if you're female) to check that your weight is not slowly creeping up - if it is, just go back to your calories for 0.5lb/week weight loss and eat that many until you're back at goal.
10. keep this up for life
As usual--I agree with you.
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Oh well I'll give up then. Pass the doughnuts ;-)
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its because people go back to their old habits once they drop the weight. they dont know enough about diet and exercise to keep the weight off
I agree. Most people put the weight back on because their "diet" is over. It sounds cliche, but it really has to be about a lifestyle change. Losing weight (and keeping it off) really isn't rocket science. If you aren't willing to put in the work to lose AND maintain, you will not be successful.0 -
Given the percentage of the fitness industry that is composed of cheap, yet over-priced, MLM "dieting" products, and fitness equipment, and the prevalence of blogs, and trainers who promote BS like vegan smoothie cleanses, and fad diets, the results of this study are incredibly unsurprising. 95% of people gain the weight back because they don't know how to eat food in the correct amounts, and/or refuse to maintain a consistent, progressive exercise regimen.0
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Given the percentage of the fitness industry that is composed of cheap, yet over-priced, MLM "dieting" products, and fitness equipment, and the prevalence of blogs, and trainers who promote BS like vegan smoothie cleanses, and fad diets, the results of this study are incredibly unsurprising. 95% of people gain the weight back because they don't know how to eat food in the correct amounts, and/or refuse to maintain a consistent, progressive exercise regimen.
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I'm sorry, but you know this isn't General Diet and Weight Loss HELP, right?
Not that I'm going to let it impact me in any way, but what was your purpose when posting this? What are you trying to achieve? First of all, it's one study you haven't even given us to look at. Second, it doesn't sound very accurate, because quite frankly, I know a lot of people who have lost weight and kept it off FOR GOOD.
It's all in whether you want it enough, are willing to put the work in for it, and believe in yourself (oh and don;t make excuses)...
You've given yet another silly excuse to people who don't want to lose weight and be fit enough. Congrats!
If you believe it though, and you wanna lose weight- I'll tell you this. Don't ever let anyone put a bar in front of you and tell you you can't reach it. Don't let anyone make you think it's hopeless or impossible. YOU decide whether it's possible or not. The amount of work you put in decides whether it's probable.
If you eat less food and burn more calories, you're going to lose weight... and If you continue that healthy lifestyle, the fat isn't magically going to jump on you. SO, take this study as a challenge, not discouragement... and prove that you're strong and that you can do it, people!
It's not hard, it's just pure logic...what goes in, comes out;)
Honestly, I feel like this almost gets posted as an excuse. (OP I'm not saying that's you, I'm just saying...) Like well if this study says it's unattainable, what's the point. Might as well give up now, because that's already what they want to do, but they don't want to blame themselves so they can now blame the study.
I do not think posting something like this is at any way helpful on a diet site. Just my opinion.
IMO...this is the exact place where information such as this needs to be. We have to face the facts...if we want to be successful...there is more to this than just losing the weight.
If one is smart...they will take articles such as this and start the research and planning for after they achieve a healthy weight. Look how many people come to this site looking for a quick fix...look how many people on a daily basis start a thread..."I AM BACK"...needing to lose the weight that they lost the first time that they here.
It is article such as the one in question that started me thinking about maintaining about half way through my weight loss...hoping that by the time I hit goal...I will be informed enough to keep it off.
Sometimes...cold hard facts...have more of an impact on someone than if we sugar coat it.0 -
I'm sorry, but you know this isn't General Diet and Weight Loss HELP, right?
Not that I'm going to let it impact me in any way, but what was your purpose when posting this? What are you trying to achieve? First of all, it's one study you haven't even given us to look at. Second, it doesn't sound very accurate, because quite frankly, I know a lot of people who have lost weight and kept it off FOR GOOD.
It's all in whether you want it enough, are willing to put the work in for it, and believe in yourself (oh and don;t make excuses)...
You've given yet another silly excuse to people who don't want to lose weight and be fit enough. Congrats!
If you believe it though, and you wanna lose weight- I'll tell you this. Don't ever let anyone put a bar in front of you and tell you you can't reach it. Don't let anyone make you think it's hopeless or impossible. YOU decide whether it's possible or not. The amount of work you put in decides whether it's probable.
If you eat less food and burn more calories, you're going to lose weight... and If you continue that healthy lifestyle, the fat isn't magically going to jump on you. SO, take this study as a challenge, not discouragement... and prove that you're strong and that you can do it, people!
It's not hard, it's just pure logic...what goes in, comes out;)
Honestly, I feel like this almost gets posted as an excuse. (OP I'm not saying that's you, I'm just saying...) Like well if this study says it's unattainable, what's the point. Might as well give up now, because that's already what they want to do, but they don't want to blame themselves so they can now blame the study.
I do not think posting something like this is at any way helpful on a diet site. Just my opinion.
IMO...this is the exact place where information such as this needs to be. We have to face the facts...if we want to be successful...there is more to this than just losing the weight.
If one is smart...they will take articles such as this and start the research and planning for after they achieve a healthy weight. Look how many people come to this site looking for a quick fix...look how many people on a daily basis start a thread..."I AM BACK"...needing to lose the weight that they lost the first time that they here.
It is article such as the one in question that started me thinking about maintaining about half way through my weight loss...hoping that by the time I hit goal...I will be informed enough to keep it off.
Sometimes...cold hard facts...have more of an impact on someone than if we sugar coat it.
True. I just didn't think of it that way. I guess I was more looking at the ones always looking for an excuse to quit. I was one of those, but at that time I wasn't ready. So I retract my statement about it not needing to be on here because you are right. :drinker:0 -
My last reply was a little on the dark side so try to think of life in a different way. A healthy adult male can release between 40 million and 1.2 billion sperm cells in a single ejaculation and out of that competition you were the winner and they are some pretty insurmountable odds you were up against just to be born.
The odds of you being born would seem unattainable if you factored in the sperm you were competing against, the odds your parents would meet considering the size of the earth's human population and sheer size of its geography etc.
So to sum it up being in that elusive 5% is not that unattainable considering the odds you overcame already just to be here.0 -
Here's the way I see it. People have the tools to learn about how to lose weight and keep it off. It's up to the individual to make the permanent changes necessary. The biggest obstacles are unwillingness to learn, impatience, and stubbornness.
If you want that 95% number to change, the best way to change it is one person at a time, starting with the self (myself, yourself, whoever-self). Make it your personal goal to be a 5 percenter. If enough people strive for that, it'll turn into 10 percent, then 15, and so on.
I've never lived life with the goal of being a statistical majority. I never will.0 -
Wow...I am officially a statistical anomaly then. Check back with me in 15 years to see if the weight is still off.0
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Here's the way I see it. People have the tools to learn about how to lose weight and keep it off. It's up to the individual to make the permanent changes necessary. The biggest obstacles are unwillingness to learn, impatience, and stubbornness.
If you want that 95% number to change, the best way to change it is one person at a time, starting with the self (myself, yourself, whoever-self). Make it your personal goal to be a 5 percenter. If enough people strive for that, it'll turn into 10 percent, then 15, and so on.
I've never lived life with the goal of being a statistical majority. I never will.
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This is true because they based it on people dieting, not people making a lifestyle change.0
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As have I (for 12+ years). We're the 5%.Yeah, weight loss is unattainable.. People like me who lose weight and keep it off clearly don't exist.
Keeping it off is a challenge. You have to be ready to do almost exactly what you did to lose, and then be ready to tweak it as your metabolism and/or hormones change with age.
HOW i keep it off at 49 is different than HOW I kept it off at 39.
A few months ago there was a thread asking how many regained all their weight and were back. We need a "who's kept it off for 5+ years" thread, where folks can talk about how they've kept it off. Most folks are good at losing it. Folks should be sharing the secrets of keeping it off for years and years (not just months).0 -
We will be the 5%. Or better yet, lets get that percentage up higher!
I also read a study that showed that if a close friend gained weight, you were MUCH more likely to gain weight. I will bet you that the opposite is also true!
So you guys, lets get fit, lose weight, and raise the likely hood of our friends succeeding with their fitness efforts. Weight gain may be contageous, but so is fitness ^_^0 -
My last reply was a little on the dark side so try to think of life in a different way. A healthy adult male can release between 40 million and 1.2 billion sperm cells in a single ejaculation and out of that competition you were the winner and they are some pretty insurmountable odds you were up against just to be born.
The odds of you being born would seem unattainable if you factored in the sperm you were competing against, the odds your parents would meet considering the size of the earth's human population and sheer size of its geography etc.
So to sum it up being in that elusive 5% is not that unattainable considering the odds you overcame already just to be here.
Haha, I love your analogy!0 -
Nope. I don't buy it. Sorry.0
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I should have remembered the link but there is a study that was just recently released stating that obesity is here to stay. a 20 year study proves that dieting at any level is not going to help you lose weight if you are overweight. The study goes on to state that only 5% of dieters are successful in losing weight and keeping it off.
The other 95% may lose the desired amount of weight but in every case they regain that weight and sometimes more over a period of 5-10 years.
Tell that to these people: http://www.nwcr.ws/
Also, know your sources. If you're about to base your personal health philosophy on one study you better know it inside and out.0 -
As another poster already pointed out, the abundant misinformation out there is probably the main cause of this finding. I was misinformed, used a diet product to get to my smallest adult weight ever, then promptly regained all the weight I lost plus more when I quit using the product. If doctors would spread correct information instead of prescribing diet pills and restrictive diets, that would be a start in the right direction.0
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