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If the stats on long term weight loss are so bad, why bother?

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Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,224 Member
    For any Terry Pratchett fans on here, I think Victor's attitude in Moving Pictures really sums up how I'd think of food, fitness and exercise. Whereas most wizards and students at UU are content with large dinners he views lugging the extra weight around as more of a bother than eating right and exercising.

    That's why I stick with it anyhow. I bother now because I don't want the annoyance and inconvenience of low muscle mass, a higher weight and a bad joints later in life. I'm personally attempting to "beat the odds" as the alternative is more work in the long run than counting out 2000 calories a day and 90 odd mins of exercise.

    <3<3<3 Pratchett. Know exactly what you mean.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    I thought the article was pretty great.
    As a life long yo yo dieter, I always wonder if there is a health benefit (or detriment) to losing weight even if you gain it back. I wish there would be more studies done on that question. My opinion is that it must be beneficial on some level so I keep doing it. Over and over.

    As a fellow yoyoer, I think that's a great question. (My range is 30 lbs, not counting twin-pregnancy weight gain; most of my adult life was spent in a 20-lb range, though I've gone as much as 10 lbs below that range a few times.)
  • soufauxgirl
    soufauxgirl Posts: 392 Member
    DamieBird wrote: »
    I was thinking about my earlier (failed) attempts at losing weight and how what I'm doing now differs from what I did before. I'm more successful now (I'm on my longest ever streak of deliberate loss) than I have been at controlling my weight in the past because now I understand more than I did before.

    I've tried all kinds of restrictive diets in the past and they never worked, because they weren't the right kind of diet for me. I've contributed to that failure statistic many times. Of course, it's too soon to say if I'll reach that successful statistic, but I believe that I will because now I *get it*. I was missing the knowledge about balance and how calories and macros fit into an overall context of a healthy diet. I often told myself, "oh that food is only 200 (or 300 or 350) calories, that's not that bad" without understanding how 200 calories fits into my overall day. I could cite the calorie content by memory for tons of foods, but I never learned how to put that into context.

    I think that a lot of people fail for similar reasons. We all "know" the diet rules, but maybe we don't really understand them. Then, when we inevitably fail, we get frustrated and feel like "it's useless so why bother to try?" up until something makes us want to lose weight again. But, because we never really understand how weight loss works, we re-live that cycle over and over again.

    The basic tenets of CICO seems so easy to me now (of course that's how it works!), but just judging from the forum threads, there are lots and lots of people out there who are still trying to figure it out.

    ^^^ All of that. I was nodding at everything you wrote.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I found this video relevant. Identifying and breaking destructive cycles is hard (whatever it is to the person, be it boredom eating, mindless eating, food associations that rob them of any kind of control...etc), but it pays off.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0DMwdd9qLc&amp;list=WL&amp;index=3
  • DamieBird
    DamieBird Posts: 651 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    DamieBird wrote: »
    I was thinking about my earlier (failed) attempts at losing weight and how what I'm doing now differs from what I did before. I'm more successful now (I'm on my longest ever streak of deliberate loss) than I have been at controlling my weight in the past because now I understand more than I did before.

    I've tried all kinds of restrictive diets in the past and they never worked, because they weren't the right kind of diet for me. I've contributed to that failure statistic many times. Of course, it's too soon to say if I'll reach that successful statistic, but I believe that I will because now I *get it*. I was missing the knowledge about balance and how calories and macros fit into an overall context of a healthy diet. I often told myself, "oh that food is only 200 (or 300 or 350) calories, that's not that bad" without understanding how 200 calories fits into my overall day. I could cite the calorie content by memory for tons of foods, but I never learned how to put that into context.

    I think that a lot of people fail for similar reasons. We all "know" the diet rules, but maybe we don't really understand them. Then, when we inevitably fail, we get frustrated and feel like "it's useless so why bother to try?" up until something makes us want to lose weight again. But, because we never really understand how weight loss works, we re-live that cycle over and over again.

    The basic tenets of CICO seems so easy to me now (of course that's how it works!), but just judging from the forum threads, there are lots and lots of people out there who are still trying to figure it out.

    I don't think people actually know the rules...seriously.

    The actual rules to lose weight anyway.

    I have always contended that one of the primary reasons for the obesity epidemic in our society (not just north american now) is lack of education. Lack of knowing that whole wheat bread is good for you in a healthy way but it still has as many if not more calories than white bread for example (saw this on my 600lb life)

    I think people can lose weight like nobodies business...but they don't know how they are doing it. They believe it's because they aren't eating ice cream or pizza or french fries or hamburgers or fast food or giving up "carbs" or eating high protein and fats or or or or or....that is why the diet industry is such a money maker...people lose sure...but they don't maintain due to lack of education.

    I completely agree - maybe I should've said that we all think we "know" the rules ;). I think you hit it spot on in that the biggest cause of obesity is a lack of education and the fact that most "diets" have a gimmicky component. We learn that we can lose weight by doing Y or Z, but we never learn why Y and Z work, so when it comes time to maintain the loss in context of a full life, that becomes difficult.
  • mandrewes
    mandrewes Posts: 24 Member
    I think some in this thread are underestimating how sneaky the body is!

    No-one should be maintaining weight loss in a time of food plenty if the body was doing its job properly.

    It is clear that after a period of food shortage (or dieting as we call it), bodies are designed to regain those fat reserves. After all another winter of food shortage might well be on its way soon. And we would waste away and die if we didn't build up fat reserves again.

    There are a myriad of factors at play after weight loss. Food gets more attractive through leptin going down through less fat. We use fewer calories if we weigh less. There is an additional well documented effect of energy expenditure going down by more than expected for their weight in people who have dieted. Exercised muscles become more efficient.

    Just 200 cals a day throughg all these factors is 20 pounds in a year!

    The body and brain is in constant communication through hormones on short and medium term food stores - after all surviving means they are adequate. And it is the only thing that matters if we are to stay alive!

    Finding and consuming food brings joy and elation and happiness. Important so that we make the effort to go and find food, grow crops and hunt animals. These feelings are elevated after periods of short or medium term food shortage.

    In short it is a minor miracle anyone maintains any weight loss in an environment of food plenty - they shouldn't really if the body was doing its job!

    But maintenance clearly needs vigilance. Following what seems to have helped those in the national weight control registry that have successfully maintained weight loss. And probably continued corrections for small weight gains. It is said a plane is always slightly off its flight path but a pilot is continually making corrections to get it to its destination!
  • LiveToBloom
    LiveToBloom Posts: 14 Member
    I asked my counsellor, yesterday, what I can do to increase the chances of success on Keto, and she said "Don't go on a diet." She went on to explain that diets don't really work, and ppl end up gaining the weight back. She reminded me of other failed attempts. I was crushed. I just really needed to hear something supportive from her. And then, just this evening I was visiting good friends. I told them I was on keto. My friend says, "Ohh, I know a lot of ppl that were on it. They lost a lot, but gained it all and then some." I don't know y I'm allowing these things to affect me so much. Maybe deep down inside I actually 'know' I'm going to fail...
  • LiveToBloom
    LiveToBloom Posts: 14 Member
    Thanx for the advice
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    mph323 wrote: »
    I asked my counsellor, yesterday, what I can do to increase the chances of success on Keto, and she said "Don't go on a diet." She went on to explain that diets don't really work, and ppl end up gaining the weight back. She reminded me of other failed attempts. I was crushed. I just really needed to hear something supportive from her. And then, just this evening I was visiting good friends. I told them I was on keto. My friend says, "Ohh, I know a lot of ppl that were on it. They lost a lot, but gained it all and then some." I don't know y I'm allowing these things to affect me so much. Maybe deep down inside I actually 'know' I'm going to fail...

    1. Stop talking about your weight loss efforts with other people. Really, you're going to get a lot more negative than positive, and all kinds of stupid advice and discouragement.
    2. If you enjoy the keto way of eating, join one of the lchf groups on mfp and ask away - you'll get good advice and encouragement.
    3. If you are doing keto just because you think it's going to make you lose weight faster than any other way of eating, you might want to rethink that - any way of eating will work if you stay at your calorie limit, and you'll want to eat the foods that most satisfy you.

    Yes, all of this, especially 1.

    The low carb group on MFP is helpful and supportive. You have to ask to join, but that's really no big deal and you'll get support.
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    edited August 2017
    mph323 wrote: »
    I asked my counsellor, yesterday, what I can do to increase the chances of success on Keto, and she said "Don't go on a diet." She went on to explain that diets don't really work, and ppl end up gaining the weight back. She reminded me of other failed attempts. I was crushed. I just really needed to hear something supportive from her. And then, just this evening I was visiting good friends. I told them I was on keto. My friend says, "Ohh, I know a lot of ppl that were on it. They lost a lot, but gained it all and then some." I don't know y I'm allowing these things to affect me so much. Maybe deep down inside I actually 'know' I'm going to fail...

    1. Stop talking about your weight loss efforts with other people. Really, you're going to get a lot more negative than positive, and all kinds of stupid advice and discouragement.
    2. If you enjoy the keto way of eating, join one of the lchf groups on mfp and ask away - you'll get good advice and encouragement.
    3. If you are doing keto just because you think it's going to make you lose weight faster than any other way of eating, you might want to rethink that - any way of eating will work if you stay at your calorie limit, and you'll want to eat the foods that most satisfy you.

    This nails it.

    Pp-back in the day during my weight loss phase I did a little known IF protocol, (ADF), and I intentionally didn't tell people what I was doing or that I was even losing weight because it's no one's business but mine. And while I was going about things in a pretty controversial/unorthodox way-it was working for me and that's all that mattered.

    If keto is working for you and you enjoy it, then keep at it and don't put yourself out there to get criticism. The only thing that matters in this process is YOU.
  • Rick_1953
    Rick_1953 Posts: 596 Member
    The stats are this way because people diet, which is a short term comment. The only way to permanently improve your health is a commitment to a lifestyle change
  • ccruz985
    ccruz985 Posts: 646 Member
    I truly believe that this prevailing culture of 'acceptance' is something people use as an excuse not to change. Accepting that you're unhealthy does not lessen your unhappiness or health risks but a lot of people sure like to act like it does which is why so many more people are unsuccessful in their weight loss and maintenance endeavors.
  • Green_Faerie
    Green_Faerie Posts: 21 Member
    Kullerva wrote: »
    While regain/relose the same five-ten pounds, the original forty I dropped is still off...and I finished losing it almost three years ago. I'm in no danger of ballooning up like a cartoon character, because to lose weight, I changed. I'm a different person than I was, and I no longer worry that the weight is going to magically come back. For one, I'm more vigilant. For another, I'm more active. And I care, generally, more about my health and choices.

    This. I've been struggling with the same 20-30 lbs for what feels like forever..but my highest weight was 6 years ago and about 90lbs more that I currently am (I weighed abput 230-240ish lb).. I always feel like crap when my weight creeps up to where it seems to like to sit (about 160 when my ideal is abput 135ish) because I feel like 'just another failed diet statistic'. I "fail" because I fall off my intentions but I do catch myself, and, in the long run, I'd be concidered an overall success.
    Statistics can be interesting and they're good for studies and examining populations, but one should be careful about taking them too personally.


  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    edited September 2017
    Those of us who, in their middle-aged and older years, who've bothered to undertake proper eating and exercise and then experienced improving health, know why to bother.

    I'll set the scene for you. My oldest daughter is a nurse practitioner, but in her early career was a critical care nurse working in a cardiac ICU. I was an obese 40-something guy. One day, for no reason, my heart started beating super fast. I dillied, I dallied, I delayed, but eventually I drove to the local hospital and presented at the ER with "my heart is beating 200 beats per minute". The ER staff sprang into action, hastily moving me into a big room with lots of equipment.

    As I told this story to my daughter the nurse, she remarked, "The room was big for all the doctors trying to keep you from dieing ".

    As @SezxyStef noted with her deceased step-mother, I've observed with my mother, dead at 59, and my cousin, dead at 42. They weren't killed by their obesity, but their death was hastened by their ignorance and their choices.

    Choose health, and to do that, keep learning.
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