I was reading online about the different diets out there and this is one of the things I came upon....
Obesity is difficult to treat and has a high relapse rate. Greater than 95% of those who lose weight regain the weight within 5 years.
So what they're trying to say is no matter what I'm gonna gain my weight I lost and then some....What is the point!!!!

The point is it doesn't have to happen. Maintaining your goal weight takes constant effort, not neccessarily dieting forever, but being aware of what you are eating and making better choices.

Ahhh, but you can be one of the 5% who keep it off!

It just takes vigilance and the knowledge that maintenance is alot like dieting--no reverting to your old eating habits.

This is a frequent topic of discussion in the maintainers forum. Pop over and check it out.

Honestly, that 95% number has been thrown around for years but it is mostly fluff. It is hard to measure the success rate of dieters because unless you are in a formalized program to monitor your weight over the years, how would they truly know?

We have a lot of maintainers on this site and there is even a national registry for people who have maintained a 30 lb loss or more for over a year.

Forget the percentages, they aren't real, just concentrate on yourself.

Don't forget that whether you're one of the 95% or one of the 5% is completely, totally, 100% within your control. No one can make you fat again except YOU! We all make a hundred choices a day that affect our weight. If you consistently make the right choices, nothing and no one can cause you to regain weight. It's all up to you.

Well, I've kept 200 pounds off for 30 years so I guess its not impossible to lose weight successfully. The reason people fail is because they go on a diet. A diet has a beginning and and end. At the end the dieter resumes her old eating style and gains it all back. A successful person who loses weight and keeps it off makes permanent lifestyle changes and exercises at least 30 minutes every day. Good luck to you!

sunshine, I really think it depends on what kind of commitment you make. Is it just a diet or is it a new way of eating. I am doing South Beach and have lost 19 lbs. I feel great with this new way of eating, not just the weight loss. I know I will be eating this way from now on, so it is not just a quick fix. I agree and know from past experience that if I go on a "diet", I always gain back plus more. Now that I plan on staying on the SB plan, I really believe I will not gain back the weight. Best of luck to you

WOW you are my hero!!!

Exactly.

If I get fat again, it's nobody's fault but my own.

I don't know what the actual statistics are on people who regain lost weight, but I think one of the main reasons why it happens is because once the weight is lost, people get lazy about it and slip back into old eating patterns. Believe me, I've done it plenty of times. It's a mindset. I'll lose weight and feel and look great and then slide right back into my old habits, most times without even realizing it. And then one day I wake up fat again.

However, this time I'm doing things much differently - I've stayed completely away from diets, for one. I don't do diets anymore. I'm not on a diet, I call it a lifestyle change. And that's exactly what I had to do; change my lifestyle. I made the commitment to start eating healthier, getting more activity and counting the calories I eat. I started June of 2004 and to this day I use fitday to log all of my food. And I really enjoy it. I enjoy eating healthy. It makes me feel good not only physically, but mentally as well. When I buy a new food, I look forward to coming home and entering the nutrition information into my fitday log. I've had people say, "Gads! Doesn't that get tedious and repetitive?"

Not at all. I LOVE doing it. Because doing all of that is what's caused me to drop from 220 to 134. And I did NOT lose all of this weight to turn around and put it all back on again.

Like Meg said, you're in control. Only YOU can put the weight back on. And, by the same token, only you can keep it off.

I hate those numbers.

Yes, losing weight is very difficult and then MAINTAINING that loss probably even more difficult because of course it's for a longer length of time. But no one is saying there is no point. There most certainly IS a point. It's all up to us. I am responsible for every pound that was on my 287 lb body. It has also been my doing that I have now lost 138 lbs of that fat. And it will be within my power to get to goal and then remain there. It is absolutely, positively NOT a given that we have to gain the weight back. If I go back to my old eating habits, the ones that brought me to be 287 lbs, well then of course I will gain my weight back. But I have no intention of doing that. The good habits that I have learned in losing the weight will remain with me forever and ever. Of course it's up to me to apply those habits every day of my life, difficult yes, worth it 100%, doable - you bet. It's my choice afterall. And I choose to remain fit and healthy. There is no way on earth that I will EVER go back to being an obese person.

So please, don't let those numbers scare you one bit. It's all up to you. It IS within your power. You hold the cards. No one else. No numbers, statistics or anything in the world can force you to regain the weight. Just YOU.

I am begining to realize this has to be a lifestyle change and not just a diet.
It is too hard losing weight to work like a dog lose the weight and then gain it back.

Yup 95% of DIETS fail. not 95% of lifestyle changes. Dont go for the quick fix, dont be so rigid and strict that you cant live your life. Go for gradual and consistant change.

A recent New York Times article I read implied that people who keep off the weight they lost for the longterm are people who continue to be quite stringent and focused on their eating. For me, I believe the reason I've regained the weight several times is that I get resentful that I can't eat like most "normal" people. So, I sort of rebel, and then I regain the weight. This time around, I know that if I lose it, I'll need to focus on my food intake for the rest of my life. I can't just "wing it" like people who've never had a weight problem. This is a sacrifice that I've now accepted.

Instead of doing completely with out our fav foods, we can take off one day a week to eat Mexican food or pizza and the other 6 days stay in our maintence calorie intake. I found out last week that even when I reach goal I will have to keep account of what I eat. I ended up eating almost 2,000 calories one day.
I use sparks people to keep a record. I like these new things that have a hundred calorie a serving. I can have cookies and not feel guilty.

I personally think you can have pizza or mexican food and still stay on plan. Up until a few weeks ago, I was having pizza 2-3 times per month. I would have 2 slices of vegetarian pizza for around 300 calories. I also had mexican food the other day and I lost 3 lbs this week.

I have changed perspective a little in that I watch my portions and watch the high calorie items but overall, changing your lifestyle isn't really about giving up things you love but learning to love new, healthier things.