Ultra Random Stuff @lastremainingbraincell - Tumblr Blog

so basically im cursed to remain fat forever? jesus christ i did not need to hear that today.

There is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight. This is true.

And that means that if you want to truly live a fulfilling and meaningful life, you will need to let go of the fantasy of being thin. You will need to do the difficult self-work needed to unlearn your internalized fat phobia. You may also need to learn how to eat normally without restriction and shame. All of this is difficult. But a lifetime of self-hate, restriction, repeated cycles of weight gains and weight losses, and declining health from the damage caused by under-nourishing your body is far far worse.

And I know you are in pain right now, so I am being gentle with you, but I need you to think about what you said in your ask, and think about who you said it to. I am fat and my life is not a cursed existence. It is never okay to say such hateful things about fat people, including yourself. Don’t do it anymore.

What is the evidence supporting my conclusion that there is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight?

Over fifty years of research conclusively demonstrates that virtually everyone who intentionally loses weight by manipulating their eating and exercise habits will regain the weight they lost within three to five years. And the vast majority will actually regain more weight than they lost. [sources]

In fact, the results of a 10-year study of over 275000 people revealed that the annual odds of a fat person attaining a so-called “normal” weight and maintaining that for five years is approximately 1 in 1000. [source]

And those very few people who do maintain a significant weight-loss for more than five years do so by engaging in unhealthy, disordered eating and exercise. Consuming just 1300 calories per day, recording everything you eat, and exercising for one hour per day is not healthy, and in another context, would be considered evidence of an eating disorder rather than behavior worth emulating. [source] [source]

“Well I lost weight so anyone can!”

Nope. One individual’s experiences do not negate 50 years of scientific research with thousands and thousands of people.

“Just change your *lifestyle* by doing blah blah blah and then anyone can lose weight!”

Nope. Any attempts to intentionally lose weight by manipulating food intake and exercise have the same result. Scientists have tried it all! The result it always the same. Weight regain.

(PS: As stated in my FAQ, weight loss tips and pro-dieting talk are not welcome on my posts. There are many other spaces where such talk it welcome. Post there instead.)

“Actually, 1300 calories per day is totally enough!”

No. A systematic review of research using the doubly-labeled water method to assess people’s energy needs revealed that healthy adults over age 25 need between 2500 and 3000 kilocalories per day on average. People under the age of 25 need about 500 calories more per day than their adult counterparts. People who are bigger than average (including fat people) also need more energy than average to thrive, as do people who are very physically active. [source] [source]

“Buuuut the nutrition guidelines say we only need 2000 kilocalories per day!”

Those guidelines are wrong. They were developed on the basis of faulty science that used self-reports to assess people’s energy intake. And it turns out people habitually underestimate their energy intake by about 25%, most likely to bring their intakes in line with the perceived norms. When energy needs are assessed objectively, the results I described above emerge. [source]

Another study that is open access demonstrates similar results. [source; results in Table 4 in the row labeled “TEE”; 1 KJ = 0.24 kcal]

Objective assessment using the doubly-labeled water method demonstrates that adult women with a BMI in the “normal” range require about 2400 kcal per day on average, whereas women with a BMI in the “overweight” range require about 2750 kcal per day on average. However, individual needs also vary by about 400 kcal in either direction depending on height, age, and activity level. So if you are a young, tall, fat, active women, this study suggests that you may require well over 3000 kcals per day to meet your energy needs.

For the Anon asking for sources to support my statement that healthy, weight stable, non-restrictive eaters regularly consume, and need, between 2500 and 3500 calories per day to support their health and well-being.

voxette-vk

This is bullshit.

philippesaner

No offense, but I don’t buy that it’s bullshit.

I’ve seen plenty of people make the case that weight loss doesn’t work. And almost every time they’ve been met with outraged reactions from people who can’t believe they could possibly be so stupid as to think that weight loss doesn’t work.

But the weight-loss-doesn’t-work side usually cites decent evidence, and the other side usually has nothing. So I’m inclined to accept bigfatscience’s take on the matter.

That said, I’ve never taken a proper deep look at the issue.

not-afraid-of-laplaces-demon

My impression is (setting aside cases such as people with metabolic disorders), the reason the studies find that short-term weight loss is possible but long-term weight-loss is not, is that lots of people can stick to a strict diet short-term, but most of them are not capable of sticking to a strict strict diet long-term.

(By strict diet I mean “not eating junk food”; not “extreme calorie restriction”.)

That’s roughly my takeaway.

Diet and exercise obviously works just on a basic physics perspective. But whether or not you can actually get people to adhere to sufficiently restrictive behaviours (mild or otherwise) and sufficient excercise is another matter, and plenty of evidence shows that you really can not.

At a certain point, if 99.9% of people are failing, you gotta ask if what you’re asking of fat people is actually reasonable, not just whether it’s technically possible.

Fair warning I am pissed.

I dunno. I mean, I started eating less in the summer, and I’m still doing it (and still losing weight, though that seems to be tapering off some. I’ve lost maybe 15 pounds?)

So when people say “you can’t do it long term” what does that even MEAN? Because if I go back to eating the way I did I WILL get diabetes. There is no question of it. I have the test results. I was prediabetic and about to be prescribed blood pressure meds.

If I get the diabeetus I will have to do guess what? Eat less sugar. ANYWAY. So I might as well start now/last summer?

But when I read posts like this they say: eat more than 2000 calories a day even though you’re used to less then that now. Because since you DID weigh 142, you will ALWAYS weigh 142. And if you slip and go higher? Welcome to your new old life with constantly sore knees and the inability to walk on ground that isn’t level. You’re a slave to your body even if it’s hurting you.

I’m sorry, no. I am going t9 TRY to reduce my pain levels thank you.

And I am going to TRY to keep from needing insulin I didn’t make.

Hopefully by the time you’re laughing at my ass for trying and saying you told me so, insulin will be cheaper anyway?

I’m still pissed off at this person.

The fantasy of being thin?

Nah, man, the reality of needing fewer medications. And being able to walk to things.

sockablock

Knowing a fic author through AO3 is like attending someone’s thesis presentation and politely clapping at the end, knowing a fic author through this hellsite is like going over to their house at 3AM to watch them eat mayonnaise out of a jar

so basically im cursed to remain fat forever? jesus christ i did not need to hear that today.

There is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight. This is true.

And that means that if you want to truly live a fulfilling and meaningful life, you will need to let go of the fantasy of being thin. You will need to do the difficult self-work needed to unlearn your internalized fat phobia. You may also need to learn how to eat normally without restriction and shame. All of this is difficult. But a lifetime of self-hate, restriction, repeated cycles of weight gains and weight losses, and declining health from the damage caused by under-nourishing your body is far far worse.

And I know you are in pain right now, so I am being gentle with you, but I need you to think about what you said in your ask, and think about who you said it to. I am fat and my life is not a cursed existence. It is never okay to say such hateful things about fat people, including yourself. Don’t do it anymore.

What is the evidence supporting my conclusion that there is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight?

Over fifty years of research conclusively demonstrates that virtually everyone who intentionally loses weight by manipulating their eating and exercise habits will regain the weight they lost within three to five years. And the vast majority will actually regain more weight than they lost. [sources]

In fact, the results of a 10-year study of over 275000 people revealed that the annual odds of a fat person attaining a so-called “normal” weight and maintaining that for five years is approximately 1 in 1000. [source]

And those very few people who do maintain a significant weight-loss for more than five years do so by engaging in unhealthy, disordered eating and exercise. Consuming just 1300 calories per day, recording everything you eat, and exercising for one hour per day is not healthy, and in another context, would be considered evidence of an eating disorder rather than behavior worth emulating. [source] [source]

“Well I lost weight so anyone can!”

Nope. One individual’s experiences do not negate 50 years of scientific research with thousands and thousands of people.

“Just change your *lifestyle* by doing blah blah blah and then anyone can lose weight!”

Nope. Any attempts to intentionally lose weight by manipulating food intake and exercise have the same result. Scientists have tried it all! The result it always the same. Weight regain.

(PS: As stated in my FAQ, weight loss tips and pro-dieting talk are not welcome on my posts. There are many other spaces where such talk it welcome. Post there instead.)

“Actually, 1300 calories per day is totally enough!”

No. A systematic review of research using the doubly-labeled water method to assess people’s energy needs revealed that healthy adults over age 25 need between 2500 and 3000 kilocalories per day on average. People under the age of 25 need about 500 calories more per day than their adult counterparts. People who are bigger than average (including fat people) also need more energy than average to thrive, as do people who are very physically active. [source] [source]

“Buuuut the nutrition guidelines say we only need 2000 kilocalories per day!”

Those guidelines are wrong. They were developed on the basis of faulty science that used self-reports to assess people’s energy intake. And it turns out people habitually underestimate their energy intake by about 25%, most likely to bring their intakes in line with the perceived norms. When energy needs are assessed objectively, the results I described above emerge. [source]

Another study that is open access demonstrates similar results. [source; results in Table 4 in the row labeled “TEE”; 1 KJ = 0.24 kcal]

Objective assessment using the doubly-labeled water method demonstrates that adult women with a BMI in the “normal” range require about 2400 kcal per day on average, whereas women with a BMI in the “overweight” range require about 2750 kcal per day on average. However, individual needs also vary by about 400 kcal in either direction depending on height, age, and activity level. So if you are a young, tall, fat, active women, this study suggests that you may require well over 3000 kcals per day to meet your energy needs.

For the Anon asking for sources to support my statement that healthy, weight stable, non-restrictive eaters regularly consume, and need, between 2500 and 3500 calories per day to support their health and well-being.

voxette-vk

This is bullshit.

philippesaner

No offense, but I don’t buy that it’s bullshit.

I’ve seen plenty of people make the case that weight loss doesn’t work. And almost every time they’ve been met with outraged reactions from people who can’t believe they could possibly be so stupid as to think that weight loss doesn’t work.

But the weight-loss-doesn’t-work side usually cites decent evidence, and the other side usually has nothing. So I’m inclined to accept bigfatscience’s take on the matter.

That said, I’ve never taken a proper deep look at the issue.

not-afraid-of-laplaces-demon

My impression is (setting aside cases such as people with metabolic disorders), the reason the studies find that short-term weight loss is possible but long-term weight-loss is not, is that lots of people can stick to a strict diet short-term, but most of them are not capable of sticking to a strict strict diet long-term.

(By strict diet I mean “not eating junk food”; not “extreme calorie restriction”.)

That’s roughly my takeaway.

Diet and exercise obviously works just on a basic physics perspective. But whether or not you can actually get people to adhere to sufficiently restrictive behaviours (mild or otherwise) and sufficient excercise is another matter, and plenty of evidence shows that you really can not.

At a certain point, if 99.9% of people are failing, you gotta ask if what you’re asking of fat people is actually reasonable, not just whether it’s technically possible.

Fair warning I am pissed.

I dunno. I mean, I started eating less in the summer, and I’m still doing it (and still losing weight, though that seems to be tapering off some. I’ve lost maybe 15 pounds?)

So when people say “you can’t do it long term” what does that even MEAN? Because if I go back to eating the way I did I WILL get diabetes. There is no question of it. I have the test results. I was prediabetic and about to be prescribed blood pressure meds.

If I get the diabeetus I will have to do guess what? Eat less sugar. ANYWAY. So I might as well start now/last summer?

But when I read posts like this they say: eat more than 2000 calories a day even though you’re used to less then that now. Because since you DID weigh 142, you will ALWAYS weigh 142. And if you slip and go higher? Welcome to your new old life with constantly sore knees and the inability to walk on ground that isn’t level. You’re a slave to your body even if it’s hurting you.

I’m sorry, no. I am going t9 TRY to reduce my pain levels thank you.

And I am going to TRY to keep from needing insulin I didn’t make.

Hopefully by the time you’re laughing at my ass for trying and saying you told me so, insulin will be cheaper anyway?

so basically im cursed to remain fat forever? jesus christ i did not need to hear that today.

There is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight. This is true.

And that means that if you want to truly live a fulfilling and meaningful life, you will need to let go of the fantasy of being thin. You will need to do the difficult self-work needed to unlearn your internalized fat phobia. You may also need to learn how to eat normally without restriction and shame. All of this is difficult. But a lifetime of self-hate, restriction, repeated cycles of weight gains and weight losses, and declining health from the damage caused by under-nourishing your body is far far worse.

And I know you are in pain right now, so I am being gentle with you, but I need you to think about what you said in your ask, and think about who you said it to. I am fat and my life is not a cursed existence. It is never okay to say such hateful things about fat people, including yourself. Don’t do it anymore.

What is the evidence supporting my conclusion that there is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight?

Over fifty years of research conclusively demonstrates that virtually everyone who intentionally loses weight by manipulating their eating and exercise habits will regain the weight they lost within three to five years. And the vast majority will actually regain more weight than they lost. [sources]

In fact, the results of a 10-year study of over 275000 people revealed that the annual odds of a fat person attaining a so-called “normal” weight and maintaining that for five years is approximately 1 in 1000. [source]

And those very few people who do maintain a significant weight-loss for more than five years do so by engaging in unhealthy, disordered eating and exercise. Consuming just 1300 calories per day, recording everything you eat, and exercising for one hour per day is not healthy, and in another context, would be considered evidence of an eating disorder rather than behavior worth emulating. [source] [source]

“Well I lost weight so anyone can!”

Nope. One individual’s experiences do not negate 50 years of scientific research with thousands and thousands of people.

“Just change your *lifestyle* by doing blah blah blah and then anyone can lose weight!”

Nope. Any attempts to intentionally lose weight by manipulating food intake and exercise have the same result. Scientists have tried it all! The result it always the same. Weight regain.

(PS: As stated in my FAQ, weight loss tips and pro-dieting talk are not welcome on my posts. There are many other spaces where such talk it welcome. Post there instead.)

“Actually, 1300 calories per day is totally enough!”

No. A systematic review of research using the doubly-labeled water method to assess people’s energy needs revealed that healthy adults over age 25 need between 2500 and 3000 kilocalories per day on average. People under the age of 25 need about 500 calories more per day than their adult counterparts. People who are bigger than average (including fat people) also need more energy than average to thrive, as do people who are very physically active. [source] [source]

“Buuuut the nutrition guidelines say we only need 2000 kilocalories per day!”

Those guidelines are wrong. They were developed on the basis of faulty science that used self-reports to assess people’s energy intake. And it turns out people habitually underestimate their energy intake by about 25%, most likely to bring their intakes in line with the perceived norms. When energy needs are assessed objectively, the results I described above emerge. [source]

Another study that is open access demonstrates similar results. [source; results in Table 4 in the row labeled “TEE”; 1 KJ = 0.24 kcal]

Objective assessment using the doubly-labeled water method demonstrates that adult women with a BMI in the “normal” range require about 2400 kcal per day on average, whereas women with a BMI in the “overweight” range require about 2750 kcal per day on average. However, individual needs also vary by about 400 kcal in either direction depending on height, age, and activity level. So if you are a young, tall, fat, active women, this study suggests that you may require well over 3000 kcals per day to meet your energy needs.

For the Anon asking for sources to support my statement that healthy, weight stable, non-restrictive eaters regularly consume, and need, between 2500 and 3500 calories per day to support their health and well-being.

voxette-vk

This is bullshit.

philippesaner

No offense, but I don’t buy that it’s bullshit.

I’ve seen plenty of people make the case that weight loss doesn’t work. And almost every time they’ve been met with outraged reactions from people who can’t believe they could possibly be so stupid as to think that weight loss doesn’t work.

But the weight-loss-doesn’t-work side usually cites decent evidence, and the other side usually has nothing. So I’m inclined to accept bigfatscience’s take on the matter.

That said, I’ve never taken a proper deep look at the issue.

not-afraid-of-laplaces-demon

My impression is (setting aside cases such as people with metabolic disorders), the reason the studies find that short-term weight loss is possible but long-term weight-loss is not, is that lots of people can stick to a strict diet short-term, but most of them are not capable of sticking to a strict strict diet long-term.

(By strict diet I mean “not eating junk food”; not “extreme calorie restriction”.)

That’s roughly my takeaway.

Diet and exercise obviously works just on a basic physics perspective. But whether or not you can actually get people to adhere to sufficiently restrictive behaviours (mild or otherwise) and sufficient excercise is another matter, and plenty of evidence shows that you really can not.

At a certain point, if 99.9% of people are failing, you gotta ask if what you’re asking of fat people is actually reasonable, not just whether it’s technically possible.

Fair warning I am pissed.

I dunno. I mean, I started eating less in the summer, and I’m still doing it (and still losing weight, though that seems to be tapering off some. I’ve lost maybe 15 pounds?)

So when people say “you can’t do it long term” what does that even MEAN? Because if I go back to eating the way I did I WILL get diabetes. There is no question of it. I have the test results. I was prediabetic and about to be prescribed blood pressure meds.

If I get the diabeetus I will have to do guess what? Eat less sugar. ANYWAY. So I might as well start now/last summer?

But when I read posts like this they say: eat more than 2000 calories a day even though you’re used to less then that now. Because since you DID weigh 142, you will ALWAYS weigh 142. And if you slip and go higher? Welcome to your new old life with constantly sore knees and the inability to walk on ground that isn’t level. You’re a slave to your body even if it’s hurting you.

I’m sorry, no. I am going t9 TRY to reduce my pain levels thank you.

And I am going to TRY to keep from needing insulin I didn’t make.

Hopefully by the time you’re laughing at my ass for trying and saying you told me so, insulin will be cheaper anyway?

Yeah, to be clear, I had a fairly strict diet and vigorous exercise regimen before July, when I was a muscular 5′10″, 221 lb (probably around 17% body fat). Then it was determined that I am starting to develop high blood pressure, so my diet had to become even stricter. Cutting salt is… not easy in the US.* It made things sufficiently difficult that I’ve dropped to 206 lb (probably around 12% body fat). Which I expect to stay that way, because it’s not like I can go back to eating the salty things.

* Not as difficult as one might expect, though. I noticed that I was less hungry once I started reducing sodium, which makes me wonder if the absurd amounts of salt from processed food are what’s messing with modern people’s appetite control.

I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s not the same thing, but once I started reducing my intake of sweets I found myself wanting them less. I sometimes do crave them, but I ALSO usually find them rich now, which makes me feel like I need less.

I really do think that my eating habits were… I was depressed and upset and frightened and I was using sweet pastries to self soothe because “chocolate makes serotonin.” The more I did it, the more I craved and the less comforted I felt by any given treat.

Using a calorie tracker helped me to see just how much of my food intake that was, and how much I’d have to reduce healthier meals to accommodate for all those Nutella filled bread stuffs.

Maybe that was too harsh on myself? But I didn’t feel that way really, I felt like “oh wow no wonder I am having so much pain and discomfort.” I felt scared and worried at first, but I mean… I was doing things like replacing a croissant with a latte which is also a comfort food for me, just not my ultrafave.

And I feel… used to it, pretty much. I still eat croissants! I just eat one every seven days, not one every two days, now.

I feel like “you’ll never keep it off” rhetoric doesn’t even address that not everyone puts it on because they’re hungry. Sometimes people put it on because they’re using a harmful coping strategy, which means weight loss starts happening anyway when you start finding better ones.

So when I hear “you’ll never keep it off” my mind hears “you will always be a sad zombie shoving cookies in your face because you will never be able to think of s9msthing more satisfying to do”

And holy shit I’ve heard some anti recovery stuff but that takes the cake and wow, fuck you?

so basically im cursed to remain fat forever? jesus christ i did not need to hear that today.

There is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight. This is true.

And that means that if you want to truly live a fulfilling and meaningful life, you will need to let go of the fantasy of being thin. You will need to do the difficult self-work needed to unlearn your internalized fat phobia. You may also need to learn how to eat normally without restriction and shame. All of this is difficult. But a lifetime of self-hate, restriction, repeated cycles of weight gains and weight losses, and declining health from the damage caused by under-nourishing your body is far far worse.

And I know you are in pain right now, so I am being gentle with you, but I need you to think about what you said in your ask, and think about who you said it to. I am fat and my life is not a cursed existence. It is never okay to say such hateful things about fat people, including yourself. Don’t do it anymore.

What is the evidence supporting my conclusion that there is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight?

Over fifty years of research conclusively demonstrates that virtually everyone who intentionally loses weight by manipulating their eating and exercise habits will regain the weight they lost within three to five years. And the vast majority will actually regain more weight than they lost. [sources]

In fact, the results of a 10-year study of over 275000 people revealed that the annual odds of a fat person attaining a so-called “normal” weight and maintaining that for five years is approximately 1 in 1000. [source]

And those very few people who do maintain a significant weight-loss for more than five years do so by engaging in unhealthy, disordered eating and exercise. Consuming just 1300 calories per day, recording everything you eat, and exercising for one hour per day is not healthy, and in another context, would be considered evidence of an eating disorder rather than behavior worth emulating. [source] [source]

“Well I lost weight so anyone can!”

Nope. One individual’s experiences do not negate 50 years of scientific research with thousands and thousands of people.

“Just change your *lifestyle* by doing blah blah blah and then anyone can lose weight!”

Nope. Any attempts to intentionally lose weight by manipulating food intake and exercise have the same result. Scientists have tried it all! The result it always the same. Weight regain.

(PS: As stated in my FAQ, weight loss tips and pro-dieting talk are not welcome on my posts. There are many other spaces where such talk it welcome. Post there instead.)

“Actually, 1300 calories per day is totally enough!”

No. A systematic review of research using the doubly-labeled water method to assess people’s energy needs revealed that healthy adults over age 25 need between 2500 and 3000 kilocalories per day on average. People under the age of 25 need about 500 calories more per day than their adult counterparts. People who are bigger than average (including fat people) also need more energy than average to thrive, as do people who are very physically active. [source] [source]

“Buuuut the nutrition guidelines say we only need 2000 kilocalories per day!”

Those guidelines are wrong. They were developed on the basis of faulty science that used self-reports to assess people’s energy intake. And it turns out people habitually underestimate their energy intake by about 25%, most likely to bring their intakes in line with the perceived norms. When energy needs are assessed objectively, the results I described above emerge. [source]

Another study that is open access demonstrates similar results. [source; results in Table 4 in the row labeled “TEE”; 1 KJ = 0.24 kcal]

Objective assessment using the doubly-labeled water method demonstrates that adult women with a BMI in the “normal” range require about 2400 kcal per day on average, whereas women with a BMI in the “overweight” range require about 2750 kcal per day on average. However, individual needs also vary by about 400 kcal in either direction depending on height, age, and activity level. So if you are a young, tall, fat, active women, this study suggests that you may require well over 3000 kcals per day to meet your energy needs.

fukuro-dani-deactivated20200731

For the Anon asking for sources to support my statement that healthy, weight stable, non-restrictive eaters regularly consume, and need, between 2500 and 3500 calories per day to support their health and well-being.

This is absolutely and categorically wrong. A person who doesn’t move much can easily eat 1300 calories a day and be completely fine and healthy, however I recommend 1600 myself. It depends entirely on what you are filling up on. Protein in the form of lean meat - chicken and fish - is the best option. It will keep you full.

The safe way to lose weight and keep it off is through a calorie deficit and regular exercise. Humans are not supposed to be obese. Yes, I do agree that there is nothing actually medically wrong with being a bit overweight - if you read published surgical journals on this topic, you will see that mortality rates in overweight patients are no different to healthy weight patients. Once you get into the obese category your risk of death on the operating table goes up by around 30%.

This is harmful stuff, telling people they have no choice but to remain fat, and it is wrong. Your calorific needs will vary person to person. I lose weight if I eat 1500 a day. I gain weight if I go over approximately 2200 a day. A person who does more exercise than me will be able to maintain their current weight with a higher calorie intake.

There is no magic to this, it is basic calories in versus calories out. Having lost 100lb this way and kept it off I can assure you first-hand that this works. Its how we are designed. And not all calories are created equal. 600 calories of bread will not fill you up and keep you sustained, but 600 calories of protein and veg sure will.

What you are spreading is incorrect. People don’t have to stay at their current weight if they don’t want to. Weight loss is a choice that people can absolutely achieve if they educate themselves about it properly. Diets don’t work long term, but eating mindfully does. Plus, healthy food is fucking delicious.

theradicaldragonborn

Honestly op’s post made me cry and feel so hopeless. I kept seeing it everywhere with no rebuttal and it made me feel like I had nothing to live for. I don’t want to be skinny, I just don’t want to feel gross in my own body.

lastremainingbraincell

Oh God no, you can lose weight and keep it off if you want to and if you try well. You don't have to be hopeless. OP is spreading cherry-picked data from random studies. I recently lost around 16 kgs by just consuming less of whatever I used to consume earlier, and not avoiding any food groups. If you make healthier choices daily and make it a lifestyle, losing weight and keeping it off is very much possible. If you want more help, I would suggest you to visit r/loseit on reddit. It's what helped me lose weight. It's full of real people who wanna lose their weight and be healthy. And people who have maintained their weight loss for years, and they would be happy to give you their tips and tricks for the same.

so basically im cursed to remain fat forever? jesus christ i did not need to hear that today.

There is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight. This is true.

And that means that if you want to truly live a fulfilling and meaningful life, you will need to let go of the fantasy of being thin. You will need to do the difficult self-work needed to unlearn your internalized fat phobia. You may also need to learn how to eat normally without restriction and shame. All of this is difficult. But a lifetime of self-hate, restriction, repeated cycles of weight gains and weight losses, and declining health from the damage caused by under-nourishing your body is far far worse.

And I know you are in pain right now, so I am being gentle with you, but I need you to think about what you said in your ask, and think about who you said it to. I am fat and my life is not a cursed existence. It is never okay to say such hateful things about fat people, including yourself. Don’t do it anymore.

What is the evidence supporting my conclusion that there is no permanent and safe way to intentionally lose weight?

Over fifty years of research conclusively demonstrates that virtually everyone who intentionally loses weight by manipulating their eating and exercise habits will regain the weight they lost within three to five years. And the vast majority will actually regain more weight than they lost. [sources]

In fact, the results of a 10-year study of over 275000 people revealed that the annual odds of a fat person attaining a so-called “normal” weight and maintaining that for five years is approximately 1 in 1000. [source]

And those very few people who do maintain a significant weight-loss for more than five years do so by engaging in unhealthy, disordered eating and exercise. Consuming just 1300 calories per day, recording everything you eat, and exercising for one hour per day is not healthy, and in another context, would be considered evidence of an eating disorder rather than behavior worth emulating. [source] [source]

“Well I lost weight so anyone can!”

Nope. One individual’s experiences do not negate 50 years of scientific research with thousands and thousands of people.

“Just change your *lifestyle* by doing blah blah blah and then anyone can lose weight!”

Nope. Any attempts to intentionally lose weight by manipulating food intake and exercise have the same result. Scientists have tried it all! The result it always the same. Weight regain.

(PS: As stated in my FAQ, weight loss tips and pro-dieting talk are not welcome on my posts. There are many other spaces where such talk it welcome. Post there instead.)

“Actually, 1300 calories per day is totally enough!”

No. A systematic review of research using the doubly-labeled water method to assess people’s energy needs revealed that healthy adults over age 25 need between 2500 and 3000 kilocalories per day on average. People under the age of 25 need about 500 calories more per day than their adult counterparts. People who are bigger than average (including fat people) also need more energy than average to thrive, as do people who are very physically active. [source] [source]

“Buuuut the nutrition guidelines say we only need 2000 kilocalories per day!”

Those guidelines are wrong. They were developed on the basis of faulty science that used self-reports to assess people’s energy intake. And it turns out people habitually underestimate their energy intake by about 25%, most likely to bring their intakes in line with the perceived norms. When energy needs are assessed objectively, the results I described above emerge. [source]

Another study that is open access demonstrates similar results. [source; results in Table 4 in the row labeled “TEE”; 1 KJ = 0.24 kcal]

Objective assessment using the doubly-labeled water method demonstrates that adult women with a BMI in the “normal” range require about 2400 kcal per day on average, whereas women with a BMI in the “overweight” range require about 2750 kcal per day on average. However, individual needs also vary by about 400 kcal in either direction depending on height, age, and activity level. So if you are a young, tall, fat, active women, this study suggests that you may require well over 3000 kcals per day to meet your energy needs.