I'm sure you've heard the famous 5% stastisic:
 

Well this is from 2007 and I can't help but wonder why I never see it mentioned/covered anywhere. I guess the 5% is a little more shocking/depressing/newsworthy?:


EDITED: Now goes to the first page of the article! my bad :P

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Fitness...3251242&page=1

Thanks for posting this. One of the reason I continue to come here is because of the "maintainers", proof that it can be done.

I agree with you on wondering why we haven't heard about studies like this more often, as well as the "5%". Where does the 5% figure we have all accepted as gospel come from?

fyi- the link you posted goes to page 2 of the article, which had me confused for a minute

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Fitness...3251242&page=1

Here's a link to an article that talks about the origin of the 5%

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/25/he...r-do-they.html

This was a good article, thanks for posting

Excellent article--thanks for sharing it with us. :)

I always hear that 5% thing and it's as much hooey as the old chestnut about "You only use 10% of your brain." It's demonstrably, provably wrong.

I really needed this mood-lifting article today; so glad I read it!

I really appreciated this article, too. Thanks a lot for posting it, Lottie!! I need to replace that 5% thing in the very back of my mind with more good news like this.

Awww, so glad so many of you guys liked it!

It's motivating I think. :)

Also, sorry for posting to the second page! Will fix and thanks for the correction!

I believe Meg, on this site, may be a member of the National Weight Registry referred to in this article.

Yup, I do believe.

I hit 30 lbs lost (the requirement) in December, so next year I am definitely going to join.

I think several of our maintainers have joined the registry. I hope to do so one day, also. My doctors are clueless about weight loss. It would be nice for them to have a resource.

Thanks for the link. I honestly don't know what to think. I do know that I have learned a lot about myself and losing weight overall as time goes by. I have learned what doesn't and what does work for me. I have come to the conclusion that those people who are truly successful have to have what I have heard called a "paradigm shift". I think along with the extra weight we also develop a certain fat mindset. Thin people are different because they think and behave differently. I have been around enough thin people in my life to know this. I also used to be one. I do think that in the past three years I have begun to turn the tide. I feel more hopeful for myself than I ever have. If I have a binge, like I did last week, I don't freak out about it. In fact, I still managed to lose a little weight in spite of it.

I no longer think about "have to do this" by such and such date. It will happen when it will happen and in the meantime I plan on doing what I know works and try not to do as much the things that hurt me.

One thing I do is listen to what works for others and then I try it myself. If it doesn't work for me, I don't stop there. I just keep trying until I find out what works for me. One size does not fit all!

This made me think about the fact that most people in the registry who have kept weight off are in their 40's I think it said?

By then I think a lot of us, even though we took the long hard fat road, ha, have learned along the way.

(I'm 31 but have definitely made an extra 10 years worth of mistakes ;) )

I am relating to the "paradigm shift" you are talking about, pagmata. I can't really put it into words, but I just feel differently about my life, my body, my habits, everything now.

And I have thought many times about the age thing you bring up, Lottie. I'll be 40 this month, so I guess my "youth" is officially behind me. Along with it, a lot of the "OMG, I must have it all and NOW", basically spoiled brat thinking. I am finally growing up. A person definitely doesn't have to be 40 years old to finally GET REAL, but for a heathen like me, it has helped.

I think, too, that there are quite a lot of relatively healthy young people with weight problems -- the weight hasn't "caught up" with them yet. That was always me. My numbers/BP, etc were okay, no diabetes or any other weight related morbidities happening. Just knew I wasn't in the best of shape and sure would like to look cuter, but I guess deep down I thought I was going to dodge all of that -- that invincible feeling of adolescence that I kept well into my 30s. Almost overnight, my blood pressure was up, my fasting glucose was up, and I was really feeling the pounds. All of a sudden I really had to face the concept of my mortality and that I'm no longer a "healthy fat person", I'm sick, and I don't have a whole lot of years left if I don't do something about this. LITERALLY do not have a lot of years left if I don't stop this!

I don't have a crystal ball, but I have a strong hunch I have what it takes. This thread is really helping me to believe it!

Thanks for the link. Seems like the key is changing your life and adapting healtheir eating and moving habits. We have to be ready and willing to do this.