I was thinking I didn't know anybody who'd lost a vast amount of weight, and certainly none who'd kept it off, but then it clicked: my dad. My dad lost probably at least 70 or 80 pounds 20-ish years ago, and has kept it all off. It'd been so long that I forgot he was ever fat at all! This makes me extraordinarily happy, having a direct genetic link to somebody who's been very successful in maintaining a big weight loss. :)

Kaplods, I always love reading your posts. :D

Anyway, me, I only know 2 -- First, my mother. She lost 70 pounds recently and is slowly gaining it back. Second, my good friend, who lost about 20 lbs and is trying to lose more. She's kinda the reason I went on a diet in the first place -- I'm competitive. She's already got the straight A student thing going on while I struggled and dropped out of school, so I at least want this over her. lmao. I know it sounds like an awful reason to lose weight, but we've been compared to each other for the past 7 years and I refuse to be the one who ended up nowhere.

I agree! I always get a little excited when I see that Kaplods has posted in a thread. :)

Someone here made a good point - there could be people we know who lost weight before we met them so we aren't aware of their success. I guess that could bump the percentage up a bit.

My doctor made a huge deal when my annual physical showed a 60 lb. weight loss as she'd never had a female patient loss that kind of weight without drugs or surgery.

There is a man at my Y that lost more than 100 lbs and has kept it off for more than 1 year. I have 4 female friends who lost in that range, 3 from weight loss surgery. The one who lost without surgey has gained back and one of the gastric bypass surgeries has since regained more than half of what she lost. However as she has kept 10% of her original weight off, she is reported as a success in the statistics the hospital keeps on their bariatric surgery success rate.

wow, I am glad this thread got so many replies. I guess there are lots of people out there which is encouraging. It just got me thinking because of other's reactions. I guess it depends on who you know and where you live.
The statistics are pretty disheartening but hey, we don't have to be one of them if we all support each other and do what it takes to lose and maintain ;)

I know just a few people who've lost weight & kept it off, but I really have to stretch the idea of "knowing" to get a fair number.

One is a coworker. He had bariatric surgery. (I can't think what it is called, but it has a vaguely French sounding name -- it sounds like a roux which you make by browning flour & butter in a pan.) He motivated me to do something about my own weight. He said doing it without surgery was impossible. And that triggered a response from me, because years before, I had, in fact, lost nearly 100 pounds & kept it off for three & a half years, though mostly that was through developing an eating disorder. I thought: "It's time do it it again. But to do it right." That thought was simmering in the back of my mind. Only to be ignited to a real pure flame of determination after I had a health scare & my doctor gave me a come-to-Jesus meeting in his office after one of my blood tests ... Anyway, since I'm wandering, this colleague has kept much of his weight off for about four years now, but he has had some health problems away. He also seems to have a somewhat compromised immune system because if there is a cold going around, he will catch it & will be prostrated.

Two more I don't know very well, really -- by sight, to wave to on the street? -- they're my mother's neighbors, and again, both have had surgery. One woman has had great success & even goes around giving lectures & running support groups. The other, not so much, and has gained back half of what he lost, or so my mother says that he told her.

Okay, and to really stretch the term "know," there's a columnist in the newspapers in my old hometown of Syracuse NY who lost 250 pounds & kept it off. Her name is Bunny Dimmel. She keeps a blog (bunnydiet.com) & writes columns for the local papers. You can Google her name to read some of her articles & comments. I do not know this woman personally, but when I went back to my hometown visiting my mother & old friends, the friends all brought up her name time & again as someone who has successfully lost a lot & kept it off.

The statistics on smoking cessation are equally depressing "About 10% of people who quit unaided will remain non-smokers for 12 months".

But you know what, 5 years ago I quit and that was the end of it. It can be done.

My mother's partner lost roughly 50 pounds some 12 years ago. He has kept the weight since and he's in his 60's.

Kaplods, compared to me, you're a weight loss speed demon. It took me three and a half years to lose thirty pounds while eating an average of 1500 calories a day, exercising ten hours a week and working a physical job. The only thing that kept me going was to tell myself that least I was losing even though it was at a snail's pace. And even though I've been stuck at five pounds over goal for going on a year I haven't gained any weight back.

I don't personally know anyone who lost all their weight and kept it off. One woman I know lost 100 pounds after lapband surgery, but got stuck fifty pounds from her goal. Her daughter lost 50 pounds in her early teens by giving up sweets and snacks, but as since regained thirty pounds. The woman's sister lost sixty pounds on Weight Watchers, but gained it all back and then some.

grandma's diet
 

When I was a kid, I asked my grandmother about a photograph in her bedroom. I assumed it was of her mother, and grandma and her two sisters. THe mother was very fat, and I knew my great-grandma was fat and had died of diabetes. Turned out the photo was of grandma and HER three daughters.
After having 3 kids, she wanted to get some birth control, as she gained with each kid and didn't lose, and her mother by then had died of diabetes complications. Back then birth control was illegal, or only available by prescription by the doctor, he had a lot of power and control. She told me he would give her condoms and fit her for a diaphragm, if she would co-operate with a weight loss plan. I am not sure exactly what she did for her diet, I know there was some medication involved, (like medical speed maybe?) but she did lose weight.
I had never seen my grandmother fat, except in that and a few other old photos. I only knew her as thin, and she was thin all my life until she died when I was 20. She kept it off all those years, and was the only one of her siblings NOT to become diabetic.
SHe baked the best treats too. And always had candy in the house for us. And was a good cook. So she must have maintained by staying on a basic calorie plan and sticking to it. I don't remember it being a struggle for her.
Looking back now, I am really impressed by the whole thing too.

I've known several people that lost a significant amount of weight, but none of them have kept it off except the one who had bariatric surgery (well, it's been several year since I've seen her, so I don't know if she's still kept it off). My mother has lost 60 lbs in the last 2 years and has so far kept it off - but I've known her to yoyo for my entire life, so I don't know for sure that it's "kept off" yet, and she still has probably 30-50 lbs before she's actually at her goal weight. I really, really do hope she keeps off what she's lost, even if she never loses another pound.

I have two friends, sisters, who lost a lot of weight on WW and are keeping it off. They live together and I think having that support in the home makes a huge difference. I know also know two WW leaders that lost large amounts of weight and are keeping it off.

I know several people who have lost weight and regained it. I fall in that category too so I know how important maintenance is!

I also know 4 people who lost with surgery. So far 2 are keeping the weight off and 2 have gained back a good deal of weight, but not all the weight they lost.

Yup. I agree. It is rare to find people who have lost weight and kept it off and certainly when you lose a lot of weight, people's first thought is WLS.

A few years back I had a patient who lost about 90 lbs. She kept coming back to see me every three months for something not weight related, and every time I saw her, she was 30-40 lbs thinner.... I was amazed by her and I used to ask her all kinds of questions every time and then tell my other patients about her.

My uncle lost 100 lbs counting calories-- when he hit the hundred pound mark he looked super thin-- I think he may have gained back 10 or so, but he has remained thin. When he lost the weight he was in his 70s. I know he had lost a bunch of weight once before on a liquid diet, but he regained that.

His wife, my aunt lost a bunch too, I'm thinking maybe 75 lbs or so all told. She lost it gradually over the course of a few years in her 60s. She has kept it off.

I have a friend from years ago who was very obese when I knew her and she is very slim now and is a triathlete. I've never asked her how she lost it, but I doubt it was WLS because she lost the weight before WLS was popular.

I have another friend who lost about 120 pounds recently-- she has kept it off for about a year and I don't see her going back.

Regarding the statistics: I really think we need to take them with a huge grain of salt. First, the big obesity epidemic is relatively recent.... there are many more people around with 100lbs to lose, so it stands to reason that more people will start finding ways to succeed.

Also, those "diets don't work" stats serve the WLS industry VERY WELL. Part of the whole rationale for WLS is built on the foundation of "diets don't work..."

The whole "diets don't work" mentality may be a reaction to the ugly flip side, which is, "you're fat because you have no willpower..."

But doesn't the truth lie somewhere in the middle. Diets DO work, but only in the right circumstances-- the person has to be highly motivated, get good information and have excellent support.

Let's face it. Where are you more likely to get good weight loss advice-- from your doctor, or from Rockin Robin? I'd argue for ROBIN. Most doctors feel completely powerless about giving weight loss advice-- they can tell you to cut your calories and exercise more, but they don't know how to help you implement that information, and with weight loss, implementation is everything.

But knowledge is power, and modestly, I'd like to say that people like us maybe can start the WEIGHT LOSS IS POSSIBLE revolution!!!

I'm thinking a hundred of us 100 lb losers should pay a visit to Michelle Obama. Anyone game?

I know a former co-worker who lost 80lbs and is still maintaing. I tell her all the time that she is an inspiration. Found out yesterday that she had to do surgery though to get rid of the excess skin.

I lost over 140 pounds through diet and exercise and I am the only one I know who has lost over 100 pounds through diet and exercise. Everyone else I know has done it through surgery.

I am scared though that I won't get down to my goal 150, but I will tell you that NOT ONCE in the 3+ years that I have been losing my 140+ pounds have I ever gained back more than 8 pounds.

the secrets:

daily weigh ins to keep track
writing/tabulating EVERYTHING.. yup. EVERYTHING even the gum that I chew
Not exercising is NOT an option. I always exercise at least 5 days a week.
therapy to deal with the emotional eating issues
journal writing for "ditto above"