Thoughts?

I'm one of the people in the National Weight Loss Study. That's where those numbers come from that says that most people regain all the weight they lost. To get into the study you have to have lost at least 30 pounds and have maintained that loss for a year.

For that successful group of folk, 65% regained most of their weight within 4 years. That's depressing. OTOH, before I started losing, I read what the people who did succeed. That's 35% of people - and I wanted to be in it. I followed their advice.

It's what you'd expect. They eat regularly and don't snack. They exercise (at least walk) an hour five days a week. They watch what they eat, don't eat a lot of fast food, log their food or track it some other way. They have changed their eating habits so they maintain 'naturally'. They don't diet.

I did that. I am one of their successful maintainers. I find it easy but not effortless. It is not the focus of my life. It's a habit, like brushing my teeth. I had a sudden weight gain when I got sick in January. I just dropped it without changing my calories by changing my macros (whole30 on doctor recommendation). I can't tell you how much better I felt once I was back in my range.

You can join too! Qualifying for the study was one of my non-scale goals. You get a survey once a year and I really do think about making sure I am still in range when that survey is coming.

elisa123gal wrote: »

Been doing weights since October, I haven't seen any help in my calorie allotment thusfar. I'm a bit shorter and younger than you, and around 142 pounds but the same 1300 to 1400 limit or my weights starts up. It is very frustrating and I find that much of the generic advice on the forums just doesn't apply when maintenance calories are that low. (When one piece of cake for instance is a meal's worth of calories the forum 'wisdom' that you don't have to give foods up to lose (or maintain) weight is laughable. Yes, I do have to give up some foods if I don't want to gain weight!)

This is why i choose not to calorie count..i too - don't believe that people are eating everything they want and just fit it into their calories. Too many people are stuck eating low calories forever when they have a restricted diet for so long. It is like your metabolisms are shot. '
Also.. most who state that they eat whatever they want are very overweight and get large calorie allowances. my husband is one of them. He gets to eat 2100 a day and is losing. i don't have the heart to tell him that as he loses he'll end up being lucky to eat 1600. i don't know if he'll be able to make it that far..but i'm just happy he is losing and going to keep the reality to myself.

I am 50, 5’4 and 145lbs. Tippy top of BMI range but not overweight or very overweight. Have been maintaining since 2010. If I do nothing but sit on my butt I maintain fine around 1600-1700 calories. I eat whatever I want. I just eat less of some things and eat them less frequently but if I want a piece of cheesecake you bet I’m going to work that in. I think people who don’t believe you can eat whatever you want are under the impression that we mean “eat whatever I want, in the amounts I used to eat with the frequency I used to eat it.” That’s simply not the case. There is for sure a trade off and it’s one I’m willing to make because I don’t ever want to weigh over 235 again. I am capable of moving my butt and so I do so that I can eat more of what I want when I want it.

psychod787 wrote: »

nxd10 wrote: »

I'm one of the people in the National Weight Loss Study. That's where those numbers come from that says that most people regain all the weight they lost. To get into the study you have to have lost at least 30 pounds and have maintained that loss for a year.

For that successful group of folk, 65% regained most of their weight within 4 years. That's depressing. OTOH, before I started losing, I read what the people who did succeed. That's 35% of people - and I wanted to be in it. I followed their advice.

It's what you'd expect. They eat regularly and don't snack. They exercise (at least walk) an hour five days a week. They watch what they eat, don't eat a lot of fast food, log their food or track it some other way. They have changed their eating habits so they maintain 'naturally'. They don't diet.

I did that. I am one of their successful maintainers. I find it easy but not effortless. It is not the focus of my life. It's a habit, like brushing my teeth. I had a sudden weight gain when I got sick in January. I just dropped it without changing my calories by changing my macros (whole30 on doctor recommendation). I can't tell you how much better I felt once I was back in my range.

You can join too! Qualifying for the study was one of my non-scale goals. You get a survey once a year and I really do think about making sure I am still in range when that survey is coming.

I actually have the paper work..... just not sure if I want to join.. just in case I fail.

I hope you don't fail, but I encourage you to sign up. Data on people who fail or succeed after being successful a year is important to their project. I plan to join. I won't qualify until the beginning of March 2019. I think it is important that I believe I will qualify and be a success story.