The real "secret" on how to lose weight
ninerbuff
Posts: 49,021 Member
Believe it or not, it's just eating less than you burn.
The advertising of all dieting programs (Advocare, paleo, ketogenic, etc.) want you to believe that without their program, you won't lose, but the truth is all they have you doing is eating less calories than you need.
While there are those that make a preference to continue these diets for life (about 10%), 90% quit them and regain weight. And then after weight regain, they try the SAME diet again to lose because it somehow worked the first time. And that's what the diet industry is betting on. They even chart it.
So take the time to really understand why you're on a program. How much you pay, how long you're going to do it, and whether or not it's something you can continue to do for life because if not, it's likely that you'll be back at the weight you are (and maybe more) a few months after stopping it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
The advertising of all dieting programs (Advocare, paleo, ketogenic, etc.) want you to believe that without their program, you won't lose, but the truth is all they have you doing is eating less calories than you need.
While there are those that make a preference to continue these diets for life (about 10%), 90% quit them and regain weight. And then after weight regain, they try the SAME diet again to lose because it somehow worked the first time. And that's what the diet industry is betting on. They even chart it.
So take the time to really understand why you're on a program. How much you pay, how long you're going to do it, and whether or not it's something you can continue to do for life because if not, it's likely that you'll be back at the weight you are (and maybe more) a few months after stopping it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Replies
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Good post. The success rates for all diets into maintenance are staggeringly depressing. Don't feel like you have to do this or cut out that to be successful long term. You have to figure out what works best for you. For many people, that won't be the diet with the cool name and big promises.0
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Also: If you do some unusual eating routine to lose weight, you give up the opportunity to learn how to adjust your eating in satisfying ways that keep you at a healthy weight in the long run.
I'm almost tempted to call the fad-y diets a lose-lose(-gain) way of losing: Not sustainable, no learning process, gain the weight back again at the end.0 -
This is why eating less than I burn isn't a 'diet' - it's a lifestyle. I've completely overhauled my relationship with food and know that when I go into maintenance, I WILL be able to maintain the weight loss.
CICO. It's simple. It's science.
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I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.0 -
Also: If you do some unusual eating routine to lose weight, you give up the opportunity to learn how to adjust your eating in satisfying ways that keep you at a healthy weight in the long run.
I'm almost tempted to call the fad-y diets a lose-lose(-gain) way of losing: Not sustainable, no learning process, gain the weight back again at the end.
Lots of folks who lose with an approach other than calorie counting lose and maintain. Lots regain. Lots who use (or rely) on calorie counting and (perhaps) the coolest, hippest smart app like this lose and maintain. Lots regain.
Lots of people, regardless of the approach don't take the time to learn how to eat to maintain (and for health).
The "real" secret is creating a deficit and then learning to maintain. There are many ways to approach it and be successful. Losing weight is an effort of some months. Maintenance is the lifetime and the lifestyle.0 -
susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
I have several family members who have done Jenny Craig and all regained their weight almost immediately. It did not teach them to log accurately and make good choices on their own.0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
I have several family members who have done Jenny Craig and all regained their weight almost immediately. It did not teach them to log accurately and make good choices on their own.
I didn't log. I have been maintaining for 14 years.
My sister logged. She regained.
Then she used JC.
Then she regained.
Then she logged again.
Then she regained.
"Logging" isn't the secret to maintenance. Understanding how to appropriately fuel your body is.0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
I have several family members who have done Jenny Craig and all regained their weight almost immediately. It did not teach them to log accurately and make good choices on their own.
I know lots of people who have dieted and regained no matter what their method was. This includes MFP and other calorie counters.0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »This is why eating less than I burn isn't a 'diet' - it's a lifestyle. I've completely overhauled my relationship with food and know that when I go into maintenance, I WILL be able to maintain the weight loss.
CICO. It's simple. It's science.
Of course it's a diet. How could "completely overhauling your relationship with food" not be a diet?
Regardless, your approach is probably the best bet: having a plan, making changes now toward that plan. I'd be willing to bet you WILL succeed.0 -
susan100df wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
I have several family members who have done Jenny Craig and all regained their weight almost immediately. It did not teach them to log accurately and make good choices on their own.
I know lots of people who have dieted and regained no matter what their method was. This includes MFP and other calorie counters.
I know several people who have dieted and maintained for years. I know zero people who lost on Jenny Craig and maintained.
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
I have several family members who have done Jenny Craig and all regained their weight almost immediately. It did not teach them to log accurately and make good choices on their own.
I didn't log. I have been maintaining for 14 years.
My sister logged. She regained.
Then she used JC.
Then she regained.
Then she logged again.
Then she regained.
"Logging" isn't the secret to maintenance. Understanding how to appropriately fuel your body is.
Some people need to log at the beginning to learn how to appropriately fuel their body. Some don't. Some need to log forever. Some don't.0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
I have several family members who have done Jenny Craig and all regained their weight almost immediately. It did not teach them to log accurately and make good choices on their own.
I know lots of people who have dieted and regained no matter what their method was. This includes MFP and other calorie counters.
I know several people who have dieted and maintained for years. I know zero people who lost on Jenny Craig and maintained.
I've never thought jenny craig was a good approach. It teaches folks NOTHING. (Even when it's teaching them)
That said: it's not binary. It's not: use MFP or jenny craig. There are lots of ways to approach it. And logging now isn't the magical key to maintaining then. It can be part of the smart learning process though. Part of it. Logging can teach someone a lot about food.
ETA: Based on your wording I wanted to add that Jenny craig is dieting too. It's just a diet where someone else does all the counting.0 -
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Believe it or not, it's just eating less than you burn.
The advertising of all dieting programs (Advocare, paleo, ketogenic, etc.) want you to believe that without their program, you won't lose, but the truth is all they have you doing is eating less calories than you need.
While there are those that make a preference to continue these diets for life (about 10%), 90% quit them and regain weight. And then after weight regain, they try the SAME diet again to lose because it somehow worked the first time. And that's what the diet industry is betting on. They even chart it.
So take the time to really understand why you're on a program. How much you pay, how long you're going to do it, and whether or not it's something you can continue to do for life because if not, it's likely that you'll be back at the weight you are (and maybe more) a few months after stopping it.
I agree with almost all of this, but not all.
90% of all people who lose weight end up gaining it all back, not just those who use a certain way of eating that is different from how they plan on maintaining.
Someone can do an advertised diet and then maintain in a different way and it doesn't make it a guarantee as listed above that they will have regained the weight in a few months time.
It is all about CICO. It's all about eating less than you burn. However, you can use whatever way is best for you to get there. It might be a raw vegan diet. It might be a keto diet. It might be a diet focused on moderation. It all works. It also all faces the same doom that 90% of those successful will not be successful at maintaining.
The issue IMHO (of someone who has been both successful and not successful at maintaining weight loss) and who is currently in maintenance now...is the lack of planning and continued checking in/tweaking of goals in maintenance. There is a vigilance during the weight loss plan that I believe often is not carried over into maintenance.
But yes, it is eat less than you burn. Totally true. The rest....meh.
That's a great word: vigilance. Many, of not most of us will have to exercise continuous vigilance in order to maintain.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
I have several family members who have done Jenny Craig and all regained their weight almost immediately. It did not teach them to log accurately and make good choices on their own.
I know lots of people who have dieted and regained no matter what their method was. This includes MFP and other calorie counters.
I know several people who have dieted and maintained for years. I know zero people who lost on Jenny Craig and maintained.
I've never thought jenny craig was a good approach. It teaches folks NOTHING. (Even when it's teaching them)
That said: it's not binary. It's not: use MFP or jenny craig. There are lots of ways to approach it. And logging now isn't the magical key to maintaining then. It can be part of the smart learning process though. Part of it. Logging can teach someone a lot about food.
That's sort of what meant. Jenny Craig or any diet can be incorporated into logging. I have never done JC as the food didn't taste good to me, but if you have a lot to lose its a legitimate way of achieving the deficit. If you log JC I bet the odds are a little better at maintenance. As I said previously it can be used to get someone going. Probably would be better if they transition long before maintenance starts. If someone hasn't dieted before and has 100+ lbs to lose, an organized program can be helpful. From what I understand most people fail at maintenance no matter how they lose weight. I have read numbers as high as 90% failure rates.0 -
I do best having a support system in place. Starting out with Weight Watchers back in 2008 was awesome for me. They came to my workplace and there was a group of 35 people attending. I learned to track my food through them.
Jump forward 8 years (in May) and there is still a group of 4 of the originals who meet each week to continue that support. A new member of the group lost 100lbs in the past 13 months and has about 30 to go. She'll maintain because we won't let her do otherwise!
Each of the others have maintained their weight loss to within 5 or so pounds. We're calling it a 'win'.
We no longer think WW is the best way to go - counting points is tedious. Once we discovered MFP we never looked back. Our whole group relies on logging to keep them aware of what they're eating.
I have a couple of pounds to lose after a holiday season of not logging (bad idea!). Once I get those pounds off, I will continue to log because I like to make sure I'm getting enough protein, fiber and other nutrients from what I'm eating. It might not be the "secret" to maintaining but it works very well for me.0 -
... There is a vigilance during the weight loss plan that I believe often is not carried over into maintenance.
When this point is added to the mindset "I've achieved my goal (weight, etc.)" it compounds. Many times those whose only goal was to lose weight, especially for an event or special occasion, the "diet" is over. They've overlooked the lifetime commitments to maintaining their new weight.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Believe it or not, it's just eating less than you burn.
The advertising of all dieting programs (Advocare, paleo, ketogenic, etc.) want you to believe that without their program, you won't lose, but the truth is all they have you doing is eating less calories than you need.
While there are those that make a preference to continue these diets for life (about 10%), 90% quit them and regain weight. And then after weight regain, they try the SAME diet again to lose because it somehow worked the first time. And that's what the diet industry is betting on. They even chart it.
So take the time to really understand why you're on a program. How much you pay, how long you're going to do it, and whether or not it's something you can continue to do for life because if not, it's likely that you'll be back at the weight you are (and maybe more) a few months after stopping it.
I agree with almost all of this, but not all.
90% of all people who lose weight end up gaining it all back, not just those who use a certain way of eating that is different from how they plan on maintaining.
Someone can do an advertised diet and then maintain in a different way and it doesn't make it a guarantee as listed above that they will have regained the weight in a few months time.
It is all about CICO. It's all about eating less than you burn. However, you can use whatever way is best for you to get there. It might be a raw vegan diet. It might be a keto diet. It might be a diet focused on moderation. It all works. It also all faces the same doom that 90% of those successful will not be successful at maintaining.
The issue IMHO (of someone who has been both successful and not successful at maintaining weight loss) and who is currently in maintenance now...is the lack of planning and continued checking in/tweaking of goals in maintenance. There is a vigilance during the weight loss plan that I believe often is not carried over into maintenance.
But yes, it is eat less than you burn. Totally true. The rest....meh.
That's a great word: vigilance. Many, of not most of us will have to exercise continuous vigilance in order to maintain.
Love that word too. The vigilance is more important once the loss is done. While I do think about losing and plan my meals now, I think about maintenance more. Not in terms of "can't wait to get there" but how it's going to go. I don't see a lot of difference. Just a few more calories. Not many more is what I am beating in my head now.0 -
Amen! I love this post, clear cut and to the point.0
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
I have several family members who have done Jenny Craig and all regained their weight almost immediately. It did not teach them to log accurately and make good choices on their own.
I know lots of people who have dieted and regained no matter what their method was. This includes MFP and other calorie counters.
I know several people who have dieted and maintained for years. I know zero people who lost on Jenny Craig and maintained.
I've never thought jenny craig was a good approach. It teaches folks NOTHING. (Even when it's teaching them)
That said: it's not binary. It's not: use MFP or jenny craig. There are lots of ways to approach it. And logging now isn't the magical key to maintaining then. It can be part of the smart learning process though. Part of it. Logging can teach someone a lot about food.
ETA: Based on your wording I wanted to add that Jenny craig is dieting too. It's just a diet where someone else does all the counting.
Nowhere did I say that Jenny Craig is not a diet. I also didn't say that everyone that I know who has dieted has maintained. What I did say: Of the people who I know that have successfully maintained, none of them lost their weight doing Jenny Craig.0 -
True but I'm never hungry when eating Ketogenic versus the others0
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »This is why eating less than I burn isn't a 'diet' - it's a lifestyle. I've completely overhauled my relationship with food and know that when I go into maintenance, I WILL be able to maintain the weight loss.
CICO. It's simple. It's science.
Of course it's a diet. How could "completely overhauling your relationship with food" not be a diet?
No, it's not a diet because, unlike a diet, my lifestyle changes won't end when the weight loss portion is over. 0 -
Absolutely! I have been guilty after past weight loss successes of not following through to make it a life change habit. The day I reached my goal I would go right back to my old eating habits. This is the downfall of the majority who lose weight.
Now I understand I have to basically eat this way for the rest of my life when I've lost my final 43 pounds.0 -
Couldn't agree more. It really is all about taking in less calories than you burn. I can show SOOOO many weeks where that's absolutely true with the info from Fitbit and MFP - Fitbit does a chart showing calories in vs. out, and can show how much I lost that week. It's not about willpower or the all cabbage diet, or the grapefruit diet. It's about discipline and good choices. AND taking in fewer calories than you burn.0
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I was merely replying to your wording where you juxtaposed dieting and jenny craig.blankiefinder wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
I have several family members who have done Jenny Craig and all regained their weight almost immediately. It did not teach them to log accurately and make good choices on their own.
I know lots of people who have dieted and regained no matter what their method was. This includes MFP and other calorie counters.
I know several people who have dieted and maintained for years. I know zero people who lost on Jenny Craig and maintained.
I've never thought jenny craig was a good approach. It teaches folks NOTHING. (Even when it's teaching them)
That said: it's not binary. It's not: use MFP or jenny craig. There are lots of ways to approach it. And logging now isn't the magical key to maintaining then. It can be part of the smart learning process though. Part of it. Logging can teach someone a lot about food.
ETA: Based on your wording I wanted to add that Jenny craig is dieting too. It's just a diet where someone else does all the counting.
Nowhere did I say that Jenny Craig is not a diet. I also didn't say that everyone that I know who has dieted has maintained. What I did say: Of the people who I know that have successfully maintained, none of them lost their weight doing Jenny Craig.
Thanks for clarifying what you meant.I know several people who have dieted and maintained for years. I know zero people who lost on Jenny Craig and maintained.0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »This is why eating less than I burn isn't a 'diet' - it's a lifestyle. I've completely overhauled my relationship with food and know that when I go into maintenance, I WILL be able to maintain the weight loss.
CICO. It's simple. It's science.
Of course it's a diet. How could "completely overhauling your relationship with food" not be a diet?
No, it's not a diet because, unlike a diet, my lifestyle changes won't end when the weight loss portion is over.
A diet is what you eat.
In your case, you've completely overhauled everything, which is your diet, and you've ensured a caloric deficit, which is your diet. And you on a diet.0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »This is why eating less than I burn isn't a 'diet' - it's a lifestyle. I've completely overhauled my relationship with food and know that when I go into maintenance, I WILL be able to maintain the weight loss.
CICO. It's simple. It's science.
Not to be nit - picky, but eating less than you burn is technically not a permanent lifestyle change either. Eventually, you will want to maintain, therefore you will want to eat as many calories as you burn.0 -
I am adjusting my diet to fit the lifestyle that I want. I agree whole heartedly that to lose weight stay just under the calorie burn. I used to hate to drink water but after making myself drink it one day I realized that now I prefer it over all other drinks. Same way I'm approaching food it is just math not a diet because if I say the word diet I get hungry. it is surely in my head in my case. I started eating healthy low calorie foods and again now I prefer them over all others. I actually had to increase my calorie intake because it was too low but I was eating good and plenty of vegetables and broccoli and fruit. I used a method my father used all his life. He told me to simply never eat more than a handful of any one thing, and after breakfast just eat a little every hour or so.... it works and it works fast. I'm never hungry and when I started Jan. 1 I weighed 268 now yesterday I weighed 241. I did start exercising now up to 15min am and again 15 min pm. I feel literally like a new man. I heard someone on tv say this "Nothing tastes as good as I feel." Just sharing my own experience..... peace and love to ya'll.0
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With the exception of Weight Watchers (counting points instead directly just counting calories), the other two are still diet programs that have low long term success rates.susan100df wrote: »I agree that the secret is CICO. Following a program can be useful for some though. If you have a lot to lose like 100+ some of the advertised diets can be helpful as it gives people a plan to follow and may provide support that's important. Especially if they haven't tried to lose weight before.
If someone doesn't know where to begin, Weight Watchers, Low Carb or even Jenny Craig will give them a guide to follow. When they have some success with it (the famous kickstart), they can transition to their own program using CICO as the tool.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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there are not quick weight loss programs that work....I tell myself that everyday! Portion control and exercise are my friend 0
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