Why is it so hard to keep weight off - article

[Seuzan]

Just read this article in the Guardian and thought some of you might have a view on it?

theguardian.com/lifeandstyl...

[marco83]

Not really rocket science and the sample of the study is small and probably biased... There is some good science out there with similar results anyway and I guess everybody here realised that we use to burn more calories when bigger.... Good news is in the end,physical activity can help as it can changing habits and diet

This forum is definitely a great source of support and good stories on which we can all rely

We just need to stick with the plan and get healthy

[Seuzan in reply to marco83]

I agree....

[Hidden in reply to marco83]

I think that there's also the idea of "going on" and "coming off" a diet. If you lose weight and then go back to the diet you had when you put it on, then don't be surprised when the weight comes back. To maintain, I think you've got to basically stick to the diet that got your weight down in the first place and just increase quantities a bit until you stop losing. That's one reason why going on a sensible weight loss diet is best, as you've then got the foundations for how you can eat well over a lifetime.

Sweeping judgement about Amercians here, but I do think they tend to have a slightly unrealistic attitude towards weight gain and weight loss, and are maybe more inclined that us Brits to think it's a disease making them fat, and to cling to whacky ideas about food. I can imagine that some of the biggest losers promptly went back to fizzy drinks and take-out food, and their old ways. Therefore, they started getting fatter once again.

[marco83 in reply to Hidden]

I agree,

There is some evidence to support that for somebody, a more extreme diet can be an option (might be not the best, but if it works why not..), as far as it is under control and normalized to a lifestyle diet.

Definitely a good idea to keep being on a healthy lifestyle for life to keep normal weight

[IndigoBlue61]

I read something similar, but also read that slow weight loss and increasing exercise and building muscle can help alleviate 😊

[Seuzan in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Well I am certainly losing weight slowly and I am increasing exercise - so hopefully that should stand me in good stead!

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Seuzan]

It will, most certainly 😊😊😊

[MW50]

I sincerely hope that the suggested decrease in resting metabolic rate is not accumulative, as a serial yo-yoer I could be in serious trouble!

[Caz28]

I think these things vary greatly fron person to person. When I was younger I was never really overweight, just a few pounds now and again and I could lose them easily without any increase in activity, just by cutting down food a bit. These days, I do think my metabolism has slowed and extra effort on my part through exercise is required. I only have to look at a pizza these days to put weight on too! I think why this eating plan is such a good one, as it's a change in lifestyle and is therefore sustainable.

[roberval in reply to Caz28]

I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned pizza. Our lifestyles have changed so much, when I was young pizza was only found in Italy or in London's Italian restaurants even in the area I lived in with a high number of Italians residents.

[Seuzan]

Yes, I could always lose weight very easily and quickly when younger. Now I have to really watch what I eat and even the smallest deviation from the straight and narrow seems to reflect on the scales!

It is making more conscious that this healthy eating plan really is for the long haul and not a quick fix.

[Hidden in reply to Seuzan]

I think that the decline in metabolism we see as we get older is entirely down to gradually losing our muscle mass. Even if we maintain a steady weight between 25 and 55, unless we make an effort to keep our muscle mass up, the likelihood is that more of our bodies will be composed of fat. Fat requires less energy to maintian than muscle, hence we suddenly find we can't eat as much as before.

I think the process is and unavoidable part of ageing, unfortunately, but it can be reduced and slowed down by exercising with weights and doing weight-bearing exercise.

I think it's worth the effort - I always think of Rosemary Conley. She's pushing 70, yet is slim and trim and toned!

[Hidden]

A few maintainers such as 2bFabnfit and elliebath have mentioned having to still stick to fairly low calories to keep the weight off, around 1500. For me, I've found 1) I can't go back to the level of drinking I used to do and 2) a certain level of exercise has to stay in place on a pretty much permanent basis. It does make me wonder what my prospects will be if I get older/unwell or somehow unable to exercise at this level anymore...

[Caz28 in reply to Hidden]

I'm 59 and managing to lose, slow but sure, I know when I eventually reach goal maintaining is going to be another challenge, but I honestly didn't think I could improve my fitness levels so much, so don't worry about it Ruth, you have the knowledge to control your own destiny now 😊

[Seuzan]

I wonder if we just need less calories as we get older...

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Seuzan]

Yes, definitely! I was so busy when the children were little it's not surprising 😕 But I'm just grateful that the weight is coming off albeit slowly, luckily I'm much more patient as I get older 😊😊😊

[Hidden in reply to Seuzan]

Yes, we do if our muscle mass drops, which will happen especially if we don;t do much exercise. So it's the loss of muscle more than the actual ageing that accounts for most of this, I think.