maintaining weight loss

I've noticed recently some of the posters on Diet-Blog Share have been asking about how to maintain weight loss.

There's no doubt about it, despite the large amount of books and other resources available these days, the big problem most people seem to have isn't with losing weight, but maintaining weight loss.

Is there anything more frustrating and guilt-inducing than losing weight only to see those pounds slowly creep back on?

The long-term success rates of diets is shockingly low. Figures vary on this, but at best, about 10% of dieters manage to maintain their new, lower weight.

So, what can you do to make sure you don't stand on the scales one day only to realise you're back to square one?

What's going on?

So you've lost some of those extra pounds you've been carrying around since you started college/your career/a family/addiction to reality TV... Congratulations! Now get on that treadmill... for an hour! A new (and not terribly surprising) study has shown that it takes about an hour a day to maintain at least a 10% weight loss. I'll breakdown the study and offer some opinions/advice.

New research into weight maintenance shows some (slightly) promising results.

After 30 months - the majority of participants were able to keep their weight below the initial level.

A review of weight loss trials that included counseling has shown sobering results.

Out of 46 trials (that met the criteria) - the weight loss after 12 months was just 6% of start weight. As time goes on it gets worse...

We have so much information about weight loss, yet so little about maintenance.

So many people losing weight, yet so few maintaining.

Every other week a new diet comes out touting dramatic weight loss stories - but virtually nothing about what happens after the weight loss.

All successful maintainers - come and add your pearls of wisdom in the comments below.

I remember watching the first season of the network show, “The Biggest Loser” and being amazed as participants would weigh-in each week and lose 10-25 pounds a week.

By the end of the show, the winner was crowned and his name was Ryan Benson. In one season, he was able to lose a staggering 122 pounds!

So how is Ryan Benson doing these days?

Everyone has an opinion about exercise and weight loss - but what does the vast body of research tell us? How effective is exercise, and is it necessary? Can we at last lay down some rules of thumb - a reality check as it were?

A researcher at the University of Colorado has pored over 70 different research papers and come up with some conclusions.

I'm sure you heard it before: "Ninety-five percent of all dieters gain the weight back." There is little evidence to back this up.

Many dieters can - and do - keep the weight off.

There is a mountain of information available telling you how to lose weight. However there is precious little guidance telling you how to maintain your body weight.

So what are some habits that keep people lean? We all know someone who eats like a horse, but resembles a beanpole - however this is the exception rather than the rule. Most people who maintain their weight do so because they have implemented some positive habits.

If you have been actively losing weight - at what time do you decide that it is time to stop losing - and time to start maintaining weight? What exactly are the factors that make you decide - this is enough?

You say you won't become obsessed with the numbers. Pounds, kilograms, body fat percentages or skinfold measurements - they're just numbers aren't they? Until one day you take the measurements and discover 8 pounds of fat appeared seemingly overnight.

Is it the end of the world? Of course not - however it is an obvious sign that (depending on your goals) you are taking on too much energy.

So how does it happen? You eat healthy, you exercise regularly, you thought it was all under control.

How many times do you read "95% of all diets fail"?

That statement has become part of weight loss lore, and is the opening line for many a sales pitch. However each time I read the statistic it bothers me. Where is it from? Who said so? Is it a lie?