The reason he has been successful at keeping the weight off, in my opinion, is he is in the spotlight. While we may have our friends, family, co-workers cheering us on, he has a nation. He has a public image to uphold. His face is plastered all over the Subway stores. He is a motivational speaker, and does the commercials. He can't afford to put the weight back on.
I don't know if you can say that for 100% certain. There's absolutely no way on earth to know. I'm sure it can't harm though & I certainly wouldn't mind the opportunity to find out if that's what would "work" for me .
Weight loss has thousands of components, and it can never be nailed down to just one. Fame didn't prevent Kirstie Alley from regaining, even while being the Jenny Craig spokeswoman.
I think that the important thing is not to hold anyone up and say "if (I, he, or she) can do it, anybody can do it." Or to hold their method up and say it is right for everyone. There is no ideal weight, or ideal weight loss program that fits everyone's needs. Some people will struggle more than others.
Positive attention (the everyman's fame) can be motivating. Peer pressure, group support, whatever you want to call it. It's definitely a part of the solution for me. This means a weekly weigh-in and meeting. For me, this means TOPS. The weekly "biggest loser" contests also help. My husband and I even accepted offices (coleader and treasurer). I can't tell you if it works yet, but I felt that I would be less tempted to miss meetings or slack off, as an officer. I don't know why, but the added responsibility to others, not just myself, makes a difference.
I think the secret to weight loss and maintenance is finding and using all of the components that encourage you. Setting yourself up for success rather than failure. It can be a life-long easter egg hunt for some, but when you find what works for you, you have to gather all those eggs and keep them with you every day.
Yup- look at Oprah, and today at the beauty salon I read about Carnie Wilson over 200 again (old magazine, maybe from February). This is tough stuff. I am so glad you are all here.
I agree that we can't know if Jared would have maintained his loss out of the spotlight. He truly changed his lifestyle. He got married, had a family. I'm betting that he would have kept the weight off even without the Subway gig. But, I'm an optimist that likes to believe the best about people (including my chances for maintaining )
I salute Jared because he's actually done what everyone here at 3FC wants to do. He's lost his excess weight and he's kept it off for ten years. And I'm sure it hasn't been any easier for him than it is for the rest of us. He still has to make the same choices that we do, every day. He still needs the same determination, focus, sweat, and self-discipline that the rest of us do in order to keep the weight off. Being a celebrity doesn't give him a free ride -- he's walking the same road that the rest of us do. I give him a TON of credit for what he's achieved.
For me, losing has always been easier than maintaining...hence the reason why I am once again losing DOH! Hats off to him for maintaining his loss. Being in the public eye wouldn't be enough for me, that I know. Hopefully, the new strategies I am trying this time will enable me to keep the weight off. If not, try, try, again, as the old adage goes.
Some folks were wondering about the 1-2 lbs per week loss 'rule', and I can shed some light on it. There is a limit to how much fat the body can get rid of in a week. Anything over that, and you are losing muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so it is to be preserved, as much as possible. That said, a 400-lb man whose bodyfat is at 50% still has a significant amount of muscle as well, and can afford to lose some of it. After all, moving 400 lbs with every step is exercise and takes muscles.
As someone pointed out, the closer one gets to goal weights, the more one should be concerned with losing muscle mass. This is also one of the reasons why a two-pronged approach of eating better/less and exercise is helpful.
I'm not an expert, this is just what I learned in a 6-month weight loss/behavioural change course run by a doctor doing research into weight loss at the local hospital.
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And I'm sure it hasn't been any easier for him than it is for the rest of us. He still has to make the same choices that we do, every day. He still needs the same determination, focus, sweat, and self-discipline that the rest of us do in order to keep the weight off. Being a celebrity doesn't give him a free ride -- he's walking the same road that the rest of us do. I give him a TON of credit for what he's achieved. 
