About fifteen years ago I was up to 225-230 lbs, with chloresterol level to match. I lost about 60 lbs by exercising regularly (swimming, mostly) and cutting back on sodas and crap food. I’ve been at 170-175 lbs for years now.
I’ve kept the weight off by accepting that I can’t eat or live how I used to. Yes, exercise sucks sometimes, but I do it. Yes, I’d like to eat doughnuts and McDonalds and sodas, but I don’t. I don’t make excuses and don’t fall for “just this one time” reasoning.
I originally chose exercise to lose the weight because I didn’t want to rely on dieting – I knew it would have to be a permanent change, and dieters never seem to think they’ll be permanently dieting. However, after all these years… I can’t eat like I used to; it would nauseate me. I can pass up doughnuts all day long, sodas are cloyingly sweet, fast food is stomach-churning. Give me some fruit, or something! Bread and cheese, I’ll still indulge in. And chocolate. All in moderation.
And the smell of McDonald’s french fries is maddening, but it’s been years since I actually wanted to try one.
On July 14, 2005 I weighed in at 333 pounds. This was the first day of my weight-loss program*. Over the next 8-1/2 months I got down to 183 pounds, which is 150 pounds lost, or 45% of my body weight (I had been shooting for 50%, but I realized that at 6’1" and at my age (56 then) that 167 pounds would be too gaunt).
I currently weigh about 210. In the five years since I first lost the weight, I have been as high as 255 and I had to go back on the serious program twice. It’s been 14 months since the last time I was on the program, and I am doing better than I have before. I am currently on a maintenance program, by the same folks who offer the weight-loss program. It consists of weekly meetings where we all talk about how we’re doing and share tips, and the group leader provides information and advice.
You’re very right that keeping the weight off is harder than losing the weight in the first place. There are biochemical reasons for this, which, simplified, are that the fat cells don’t go away when you lose weight, they just get smaller, and meaner. They spend most of their time screaming for you to feed them. My advice to anyone who will listen, if it’s not already too late, is don’t let yourself get fat in the first place. Once you’ve been fat, the rest of your life will be spent either fat, or spending a huge amount of emotional energy trying not to return to being fat.
*The weight-loss program is a doctor-supervised, high-protein liquid diet. At the time I did it, I was doing about 600 calories a day. Now you’re not supposed to go under 800 calories a day, so I guess folks lose a little slower. Maintenance generally is successful when these conditions are met: recording all your food and calories in; a regular exercise regimen; attending the weekly meetings (which generally just helps you keep on track with the first two, and helping you maintain perspective).
Roddy
I seem to be unusual, my weight is incredibly stable.
I have huge problems dropping weight (have to drop my food down to below 1000 calories - and then I get faint/dizzy) … but I lost 20kg (44 pounds) over 8 years ago (through extreme diet control) … hasn’t come back on and I eat lots of chocolate/pastries and do little exercise!
I’m still overweight … I can’t seem to find whatever motivation helped me lose the weight all those years ago … but I don’t have to try hard at all to keep it off (Christmas I’ll put on a kilo for a week or so … then it goes).
I recently lost 2.5 stone (40lbs) over 18 months and have kept it off for a year or so.
I started off at 14 stone (200lbs) and am now 11.5 stone (161lbs) - for reference I’m a 32 y/old 5’11" male.
Main factors were linked to the birth of our first daughter two years ago:
No alcohol - once my daughter was born we had no time and no money for booze, plus my wife wasn’t drinking while breastfeeding. This made it very easy to remove alcohol from my diet, and it’s not been replaced.
Smaller meals - I used to eat a large mayo+chicken baguette for lunch each day, and we’d have a lot of takeaways and pub meals (accompanied by beer/cider/wine). As part of a cash reduction plan I started taking in my own lunch to work, which meant smaller and healthier portions.
In my case it was a simple calories-in vs calories-out equation: I have a desk job so don’t burn much energy at work. I have a good BMR so reducing the number of calories meant my body burnt a lot of excess fat without too much extra effort, and from then on it’s just a case of keep a lid on calories.
Male, 40, 5’ 10". Went from 212lbs to 170lbs in about 6-12 months (don’t recall exactly) and I’ve kept it off for nearly 4 years, with my weight not varying more than +/- about 1 or 2lbs on a day to day basis. Went from a L/XL shirt to a S and a 36" relaxed fit pant to a 32" regular (now too big in the waist).
Have to take the view that you are making permanent lifestyle changes. IMHO people who “go on a diet” are setting themselves up for failure since they view it as a temporary change. Sure they may lose weight but as soon as they go off their diet and back to what they were doing before, the weight will come right back (I’ve seen many of my friends do exactly that).
For me there was nothing magical about it - Weight Watchers and getting more exercise. Losing a half a pound in a week might not seem like much but it’s 26 pounds in a year, that’s the kind of long view I fostered.
In January 2008 I weighed 345 pounds @ 6’1". Over about a year and a half (maybe, don’t remember the exact timeframe) I got down to 185 and have stayed there since. It’s not easy, and I have my splurge days, but it’s doable.