# The "I eat 3000 calories daily and do or do not lose weight" experiment \[IS OFF\]. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 9, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098 "2011-03-09T22:44:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/101 "2011-03-11T18:31:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Then try me, hoss. I’m good for it. Or, if you’d prefer just an honest “honor” bet–what would be an acceptable result for you, in terms of keeping weight loss? If I report on my five year anniversary (I started late August 2008 at 203 pounds), at under 175? pounds, would that be good enough for you? I’m 168 right now, 35 years old, so the ol’ body should be slowing down. I think you will find that long-term weight-loss success is somewhere around 2%. This means that, despite throwing every conceivable diet/approach at the problem, plus drugs and surgery, people fail at losing weight and keeping it off. They. Just. Do. Should we fight ignorance by pretending like I am wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/102 "2011-03-11T18:33:32Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > \*\*Hakuna… \*\* Your wife’s a gem… a rare case… and given the millions of attempts to do what she has done… you are probably left with few other examples of what she has done – if any. > > . Why yes she is a gem and I am a very lucky guy. Again nothing scientific to point to, other then my gut but I think she has reregulated to about 155 or so. If she doesn’t watch things she easy can go back to 155ish, so she keeps track of it. It could be just that she gets above 150 and panics too! She has never been heavier then 155 as long as I have known her though. Usually she gets antsy when she hits 150. I think part of the reason for her continuing to keep it off is that she lost it initally for herself, and not me. I actually didn’t know her then and I have seen pics and she was a big girl. The only other person I know like this is **Glory** from this board. She has talked to my wife on a couple of subjects and gave her a good website. She lost a bunch of weight and has kept it off, but again from her posts it sounds like she also plans out her meals for the week and has the same self discipline my wife has. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/103 "2011-03-11T18:52:01Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Philster, did someone run over your dog or something? You keep coming into threads to stomp your feet and sneer at people, and you make it personal. What gives? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/104 "2011-03-11T19:45:03Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > I think you will find that long-term weight-loss success is somewhere around 2%. This means that, despite throwing every conceivable diet/approach at the problem, plus drugs and surgery, people fail at losing weight and keeping it off. > > They. Just. Do. > > Should we fight ignorance by pretending like I am wrong? 2% is quite a ways away from “Powerball lottery” type odds. Hell, I’d be happy to spot you 50-to-1 odds, making this an even bet for you, depending on how you define “long-term weight-loss success.” ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/105 "2011-03-11T20:13:31Z")
Well, not everyone wins the Powerball grand prize, but they issue prizes to other people in smaller am’ts. The point here is that we are surrounded by people who either can’t lose weight or can do something to lose weight only to put it right back on. Oh, and that 2% rate… is for people who only need to lose 10 lbs or less. I’ll use the excuse that this isn’t GQ and dodge citing this. I’m not being smarmy here, but this is based on a vast am’t of experience I have. I’ve got caseloads of people… and very rarely… every now and then, someone takes off a fair am’t of weight, and keeps it off. It is very rare. It is. And thousands upon thousands of people attack the problem from every angle. Look at the resources available to make weight loss/life change happen, and yet we cherry pick examples from here and there. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/106 "2011-03-11T20:15:09Z")
I’d just like to direct this thread’s attention to [my post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13560254&postcount=577) in the spawning thread. We aren’t _completely_ doomed, Philster. But as you can see from that post and the links - cutting more calories and working out even harder isn’t the answer. Hope is not lost, it’s just had the shit kicked out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/107 "2011-03-11T20:55:07Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > I’d just like to direct this thread’s attention to [my post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13560254&postcount=577) in the spawning thread. > > We aren’t _completely_ doomed, Philster. But as you can see from that post and the links - cutting more calories and working out even harder isn’t the answer. > > Hope is not lost, it’s just had the shit kicked out of it. Not completely; just essentially. And I also offer a link: > **[Science and Pseudoscience in Adult Nutrition Research and Practice |...](https://skepticalinquirer.org/2009/05/science-and-pseudoscience-in-adult-nutrition-research-and-practice/)** ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/108 "2011-03-11T23:09:06Z")
I just never understood the assertion that you feel hungry because you need energy. I feel hungry because my stomach feels empty. It will start growling. I don’t understand what hunger could feel like otherwise. How would I feel a caloric deficit? I know that I’ve never felt low in energy and thought, “Wow, I need to eat.” Granted, I do eat when I’m not hungry, and that’s part of why I’m fat. (The other reason is some weight gaining medicines I took during childhood, the worst time to become overweight.) But even then I do it for emotional pleasure (the dopamine response). Oh, and I started Atkins, and while I didn’t get very far, my limits were not not being hungry. They were not being able to afford the food. Meat is expensive. I also know that ice cream helps me not be hungry more than anything. And it sure feels like its because it coats my stomach. And because it’s sweet and too much sweet makes me feel like hurling. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/109 "2011-03-11T23:26:35Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > I think you will find that long-term weight-loss success is somewhere around 2%. This means that, despite throwing every conceivable diet/approach at the problem, plus drugs and surgery, people fail at losing weight and keeping it off. > > They. Just. Do. > > Should we fight ignorance by pretending like I am wrong? No, but not coming into a thread and whining about how you’ll never lose weight, not specifically calling people dishonest, not hijacking a thread about a specific diet to say “diets don’t work”–those would all be nice. Everyone is calling you on being rude, not being incorrect. You can fight ignorance without getting personal. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/110 "2011-03-11T23:54:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > 2% is quite a ways away from “Powerball lottery” type odds. Hell, I’d be happy to spot you 50-to-1 odds, making this an even bet for you, depending on how you define “long-term weight-loss success.” Well, I did the math on that backwards, didn’t I? But I did mean I put up $100 for your $2. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/111 "2011-03-12T01:45:13Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > No, but not coming into a thread and whining about how you’ll never lose weight, not specifically calling people dishonest, not hijacking a thread about a specific diet to say “diets don’t work”–those would all be nice. > > Everyone is calling you on being rude, not being incorrect. You can fight ignorance without getting personal. Dude, your (and the original complainer’s) assessment of what constitutes being “rude” and “personal” is..well, it’s remarkable. Just remarkable. Particularly the “personal” part…like…really? Seriously? AM I being punked? I just reviewed every single post Philster made and the closest he could _possibly_ have been said to getting personal with anyone about anything at all was saying that Pulykamell’s guarantee was worthless, which, taken in the context of his Debbie Downer contributions to this thread, something you have to do, was entirely consistent and was not a personal slam on pulykamell at all, but merely his thoroughly disheartened and hopeless view applied to what is, for him, a guy who is out there trying his hardest to actually help people fight this fight and is seeing with his own eyes how insanely difficult it really is, another empty promise. I agree that Philster is being a bummer (hey, Philster, you totally are, man…) but I’ve never before seen someone called out as “rude” and “making it personal” for coming into a thread and doing his best impression of Droopy Dog. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/112 "2011-03-12T03:02:19Z")
I am not rude to anyone. I’m being harsh to be heard, because I am making a point that you want to drown out. What’s rude is discounting someone who you know is right… deep down inside where it hurts. It sucks: The way the human body works 24/7 to pull you back to the original weight (or more) can be countered by relatively few… and those few will report an obsessive, mind-boggling commitment that they work at almost by the minute. Heck, you could be labeled a freak by all medical standards for dropping a lot of weight and keeping it off long term. So, this point doesn’t just discount everything in the thread to be rude… it discounts everything to be realistic. We’ve throw everything at the weight loss issue. Like so many other medical issues, prevention has to be the fix, 'cause once the weight is on… you’re fucked. . ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/113 "2011-03-12T05:24:18Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > It sucks: The way the human body works 24/7 to pull you back to the original weight (or more) can be countered by relatively few… and those few will report an obsessive, mind-boggling commitment that they work at almost by the minute. Heck, you could be labeled a freak by all medical standards for dropping a lot of weight and keeping it off long term. > > . First of all I meant to thank you sooner for letting yourself really see that it is an agonizing battle that is very nearly impossible. Personal trainers often refuse to admit or recognize this, and it’s honest of you to do so. More importantly, it’s respectful. I just realized that, made that connection…that the easy dismissal of those who struggle with this is, at its core, deeply disrespectful. Secondly, regarding the “obsessive, mind-boggling commitment” is exactly it, and I recently realized what it is: essentially signing up for the mindset of an anorexic: constant, permanent, obsessive monitoring of one’s “energy balance”. Ugh. No. I’d rather be sane and fat. Or, better still, sane, well fed, and healthy. Now excuse me, I need to go eat some tasty beef with all the fat! ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/114 "2011-03-12T06:12:38Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > First of all I meant to thank you sooner for letting yourself really see that it is an agonizing battle that is very nearly impossible. Personal trainers often refuse to admit or recognize this, and it’s honest of you to do so. Right, because the entire personal training industry is built on a lie. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/115 "2011-03-12T06:52:15Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > Right, because the entire personal training industry is built on a lie. Huh? You mistook me - obviously personal trainers see that people are fat and out of shape. What many of them do NOT see or acknowledge is that these people are trying like hell and failing, they are not just lazy or indifferent or slothful or X or Y orZ, and it is not merely a matter of sufficient cheerleading/encouragement/will being applied. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/116 "2011-03-12T13:09:08Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > First of all I meant to thank you sooner for letting yourself really see that it is an agonizing battle that is very nearly impossible. Personal trainers often refuse to admit or recognize this, and it’s honest of you to do so. More importantly, it’s respectful. I just realized that, made that connection…that the easy dismissal of those who struggle with this is, at its core, deeply disrespectful. > > Secondly, regarding the “obsessive, mind-boggling commitment” is exactly it, and I recently realized what it is: essentially signing up for the mindset of an anorexic: constant, permanent, obsessive monitoring of one’s “energy balance”. > > Ugh. No. I’d rather be sane and fat. > > Or, better still, sane, well fed, and healthy. Now excuse me, I need to go eat some tasty beef with all the fat! EXACTLY. And everyone has a right, in my country, to try to obtain this, if that is what they want. Further, there is nothing wrong (and a lot right) with making improvements, such as slowing the rate of weight gain, or stopping it while adding some overall benefits to one’s general health. Why should you workout and/or eat better? Because there are benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/117 "2011-03-12T13:12:16Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > Right, because the entire personal training industry is built on a lie. You can read the post of mine right above this and take a chance at reconsidering that. I will offer you this revision: The ‘lose weight forever’ ads from companies wanting to bilk you out of dough are making false claims. The problem is in-and-around this market, give or take various specifics. But I think you get the gist now. As for improving one’s diet, muscle activity and adding in somehealthy lifestlye, we can probably agree that it’s better than continuing to pack on pounds, eat junk and remain sedentary. ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/118 "2011-03-12T14:48:53Z")
Philster, what do you consider long-term? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/119 "2011-03-12T14:51:44Z")
Years. Years after reaching ideal weight range, plus or minus a few pounds. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098/120 "2011-03-12T22:31:05Z")
Gee Philster, ever consider that the reason so many people fail to keep the weight off, is that they sacrificed to lose it and see dieting as a closed ended activity? When we diet, so much focus is on the negative. What we give up. What we can’t have anymore. How long do I have to do this? Seldom does someone start a diet as “this is the first day of the rest of my life”. Seldom does someone embrace their new diet and lifestyle as the norm. I think you would find that nearly all of the long term successes found some way to embrace their new regime and lifestyle. Through will, or luck, or a little of both. The problem isn’t finding the magic diet plan, the problem is finding a way to accept that making a significant reduction in weight is a permanent and major change in diet and lifestyle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-i-eat-3000-calories-daily-and-do-or-do-not-lose-weight-experiment-is-off/574098.md?page=7)