The Science of Body Metamorphosis
- About Us
- Articles
- Can Calcium and Vitamin D Help Reduce Fat Gain?
- Coaching Clients With Obesity Course
- Do Dietitians Accurately Report Their Food Intake?
- Eat Slow, Eat Less
- Fat Loss
- FREE Research Reviews!
- General Guidelines for Training Programs
- Get Access to the Weightology Archives!
- How Successful Are U.S. Citizens at Maintaining Long-Term Weight Loss?
- Increasing Protein, or Decreasing Carbohydrate…Which Gives You a Metabolic Advantage?
- Insulin, an Undeserved Bad Reputation: The Biggest Insulin Myth, Continued…
- Insulin, An Undeserved Bad Reputation: The Finale
- Insulin…an Undeserved Bad Reputation
- Insulin…Still an Undeserved Bad Reputation After 10 Years
- Insulin: An Undeserved Bad Reputation, Part 2
- Insulin: An Undeserved Bad Reputation, Part 3…MOOOOO!!!!
- Insulin: An Undeserved Bad Reputation, Part 4: The Biggest Insulin Myth of Them All
- Insulin: An Undeserved Bad Reputation, Part 5: Addressing the Critics
- Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Worse Than Regular Sugar?
- Jello to Rid the Jiggles? The Effects of Gelatin on Weight Maintenance
- Latest Content
- Miscellaneous Articles
- Muscle Gain
- Omron Exam: How Accurate Are These Pedometers?
- Online Coaching
- Physical Activity and Weight Regain
- Podcast Appearances
- Protein Before Or After Your Workout?
- Shop
- Sitting Too Much May Be Hazardous to Your Health
- Snooze to Lose
- Speed Eating: Do You Feel Less Full?
- Test Menu
- Testing the Phillips DirectLife Accelerometer
- Thank you!
- The Pitfalls of Body Fat “Measurement”, Part 3: Bod Pod
- The Pitfalls of Body Fat “Measurement”, Part 5: Skinfolds
- The Pitfalls of Body Fat “Measurement”, Part 6: Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA)
- The Pitfalls of Body Fat “Measurement”, The Final Chapter
- The Pitfalls of Body Fat “Measurement”: Part 1
- The Pitfalls of Body Fat “Measurement”: Part 2
- The Pitfalls of Bodyfat “Measurement”, Part 4: Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA)
- The Use of Weighted Apparel During Contest Prep: The Science and Practical Application
- The Weightology Archives
- Thinking Better, Part 1: The False Dichotomy
- Thinking Better, Part 2: Confirmation Bias
- Thinking Better, Part 3: Non Causa Pro Causa
- Thinking Better, Part 4: The Straw Man
- Thinking Better, Part 5: The Ad Hominem
- Weightology Archives Terms & Conditions
- Weightology LLC Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
- What’s In the Weightology Research Review?
- Why Is It So Easy To Regain Weight?
- Speaking
- Testimonials
- Contact
- How Much Do Variations in Physiological Testosterone Matter To Your Gains?
- Periodization / Variation in Repetition Ranges for Muscle Size: Your Complete Evidence Based Guide
- Set Volume for Muscle Size: The Ultimate Evidence Based Bible
- Training Frequency for Hypertrophy: The Evidence-Based Bible
- Post-Exercise Energy Expenditure, Part 4: The Effect of Low Volume Weight Training
- Post-Exercise Energy Expenditure, Part 6: The Effect of Weight Training Volume
- Research Review: How Much Does Weight Training Help With Fat Loss?
- Research Review: Intermittent vs. Continuous Calorie Restriction for Fat Loss
- Why Do Meal Replacements Work?
Thanks for the excellent article James!
I definitely agree that for most people wanting to lose weight, the easiest part usually is losing the weight. By far the biggest struggle is to sustain it. I believe part of the explanation may be, that new lifestyle habits that needed to be solidified during weight loss, most of the time is not. Therefore people easily tend to slip into old habits, when the new “healthier” ones have not been established completely.
But yes it is a complex situation and there are no simple solutions to it.
Again thanks for the great content!
A much more positive result than gets spouted out over the Internet all the time (98% failures etc!!)
However I just need to clarify something- the weight loss maintained, is it, 10% of the starting weight or 10% of the weight lost?
E.g. Is it 10% of someone going from 200lb down to 180lb or 10% of the 20lb that was lost?
Sorry if this is a silly question!
Hi, Stuart!
Yes, I’m not sure where the “98%” figure comes from as I’ve heard that figure before as well. In fact, the CEO of the weight loss company I used to work for spouted that figure all the time, despite the fact I couldn’t find any evidence to support it.
The weight loss maintained is 10% of the starting weight. So 10% would be someone going from 200 lb to 180 lb.
Nice summary. It’s true that no matter how you define weight maintenance the figures are grim. I’ve done a few columns on the subject, too – including the issues surrounding the definition itself:
http://www.secondhelpingonline.com/?p=2031
There are terribly few resources out there addressing maintenance, relative to losing weight in the first place. I’d like to see that changed.
James, I just came across this post, and I think that the stats from either study indicates one of the main problems with fat loss: maintenance.
I’d contend that the @ 83% who regain do so because their “sole” goal is fat loss while maintaining their losses is many times an after-thought, unfortunately.
As I’m sure you tell your clients, fat loss is simple (i.e., create a consistent calorie deficit), but the true work starts with striving to be part of the 17% crowd … for life!
Good post, as usual …
Excellent point, Muata. When I worked for the weight loss clinic, we always helped our clients plan for the maintenance period, as the maintenance period is just as important as the weight loss period. But, as you state, too many people focus on just the weight loss and don’t think about what they’re going to need to do to keep it off long term.