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Hi there!

To be fair... there are plenty of diets out there that are not for the long-term, but it's often not a problem with the plan... it's a problem with the person. They are on a diet... and diets have end-dates, and quit-dates. I could probably find a few articles about what's wrong with every "diet" out there, but there are people on 3FC who have lost weight or are maintaining in many different ways.

I decided about a year ago that I was going to change my life. Forever. This meant a commitment through thick and thin, and down through maintenance.

I believe any course of action can have long-term results if we're willing to stick with it. If we're willing to accept that these changes have to be kept after. If we're willing to face down the hardships that we will (not may... WILL) come across.

Being totally committed doesn't mean that we don't make any mistakes... or don't make any poor choices. It means getting right back on and continuing in spite of those things.

I haven't lost 100 lbs yet. But I've lost 87. I hope the 13 lbs doesn't make that big of a difference about the experience that I've had so far.

I'm glad you've decided to join again We'd LOVE to have you stick around the boards, post, and keep us updated.

May I ask what lead you to dropping off the plan the times before?

My mother lost 60 lbs on WW, stopped going and gained most of it back. She's losing again at home, but not on a specific program.

I've lost large amounts of weight, up to 75 lbs several times in my life on a variety of programs. One of them being TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly, on which you can follow any food plan you like, in my current group half are former WW members and still following the WW food plan). TOPS has the advantage of being about 1/10 or less the cost of WW, but the support is similar, though there are also contests and recognition events if low-key rewards and competition is motivating to you.

I think the key component of sustainability, is whether it's sustainable for you. Both WW and TOPS membership are built around the concept that many, if not most people need to keep going for life. WW with their "lifetime membership" and free dues once you've reached goal. And for TOPS, achieving KOPS (keeping off pounds sensibly) status, where most chapters reduce or refund membership fees for KOPS who remain in leeway (usually 5 lbs within goal).

When I lost on TOPS about 10 years ago, I was fully expecting to be a member for life. I loved my group and each of it's members. I'd lost more than 50 lbs and was feeling great. Then I relocated for a great job, I just didn't hit it off or fit in with the groups in my new location. I missed my own group, and my new work hours were very inconvenient. Basically, I gave myself reasons to quit. And quitting the group, I also quickly reverted to old habits.

This time around, I am committed to staying in TOPS for life. I know it can be done, because our chapter has three KOPS members. One has been a member of TOPS for 40 years (most of those as a KOPS). The TOPS magazine members get every month also features stories of people who have acheived and maintained KOPS status for many years. Weight Watcher's probably has similar stories. I'm of course biased Towards TOPS, even though I've also been a WW member, because while I currently and many times in the past could not afford WW due to financial hardship, I've never been able to use that excuse with TOPS. At $24 a year and $3 a month, I've never been so poor as not to be able to afford that.

So yes, it is sustainable, if you are wililng to work the program for life. If you hate every minute of it or if you see it as something you must only do until you reach goal, then your success will probalby be temporary.

Well, we all know that if you don't make lifelong changes, you will not maintain your weight loss. It doesn't matter what program you follow, at least in my opinion.

That said, my aunt lost 135 pounds on WW...27 years ago. She has gained about 5 pounds (which I think is great for a 72 year old woman).

She eats like a bird. I talked to her last summer and she told me that was her greatest revelation about weight loss, that the "thin" people did NOT eat whatever they wanted (no matter what all the celebrities say). What "they" consider "eating a ton" is not what YOU consider eating a ton. I started watching people at work and she was right - the thin people consistently made better choices.

I'm doing WW and I like it -- I would like to be one of the people who eats real person sized portions forever, lol. I believe it will work.

if you make it a lifestyle change and do it for life then yes its long term! you have to work it even after you get to goal

The things that lead to me leaving the program before was being young and perhaps not ready for the change, but now I feel like I really am ready to work hard and succeed. I will be sticking around, and working really hard. =]

I just wanted to tell ya, I went back on WW last week, and I was 5 pounds below what I left WW with 2 years ago, and I had a baby 5 months ago. If you make good decisions to include healthy food, and less junk..then yeh...your body will start to metabolize the food better. It can be done. I'm ready to go back and lose that SIGNIFICANT amount of weight.

I think I'm one of the successful ones - 200 pounds gone for 30 years.

Wow, amazing Susan!!! You have worked so hard, and must be so proud!!! Do you have before/after pics?

I second that, Susan - do you have before and after pics? Those are always so inspirational to me!!