Why is maintaining weight loss more challenging than losing weight?

Watch the full episode and view show notes here: bit.ly/3IlLPiH
--------
About:
The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 40 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.
Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life).
Learn more: bit.ly/3pdWrc0
Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: bit.ly/3tcLwRc
Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: bit.ly/3HbO6M8
Connect with Peter on:
Facebook: bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDFB
Twitter: bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDTW
Instagram: bit.ly/PeterAttiaMDIG
Subscribe to The Drive:
Apple Podcast: bit.ly/TheDriveApplePodcasts
Overcast: bit.ly/TheDriveOvercast
Spotify: bit.ly/TheDriveSpotify
Google Podcasts: bit.ly/TheDriveGoogle

[@Joy80JJ]

So true..I was obese..I lost 80lbs started May 2020. I walk/cycle & do resistance training 6x wk. Have maintained my wgt by being conscious. Not a day goes by that I don't think about what I put in my mouth. I will never go back.

[@Dan-ch8kv]

It’s kind of like an addict. I will have to track my calories for the rest of my life to keep this off.

[@JWB671]

As someone who has lost 70lbs and kept it off for two years here is the secret… you have to learn to love the feeling of temporary hunger. It sucks in the beginning but you learn to know that that feeling is what you need to stay lean. Before each of my 3 daily feedings I get progressively hungrier and hungrier until I eat.

[@stereosonix2000]

Well said, that is some great advice. Thank you.

[@Looch1717]

Do you find that you get less hungry as the months goes by, or does it stay the same? And were you hungry in a similar way while losing the weight?

[@staysunny170]

So, temporary starvation? Ehh, idk

[@ShadowStarlight]

Thanks for the tip. I forgot allow myself hunger to a point. I've lost 35.6lbs total. I've been struggling with extreme hunger. After coming out a calorie deficit. Going too far too long with it. I've lost 10 of them 35.6 in the past. Then I'd regain them again to 142.2... I've lost them again, Not trying to gain them all back again. I expect some gain but not all of it. I've gained only 1.3lbs back. from 132.2 to 133.5. I shouldn't gain much more. With my hunger tampering off. After 3weeks and 2 days maintaining. It get easier with time.

[@ShadowStarlight]

@@staysunny170 For some people, Yes

[@joyalways1179]

So very true. The hardest part is staying thin. I think it’s the food crazy culture, it is everywhere.

[@pabloblanco2656]

No it's not true. Everyone is different

[@Lance54689]

I can speak to my experience as someone who has always tended to carry extra bodyfat. Loosing fat by cutting calories and eating the same foods takes willpower, and that willpower is easier to maintain when you are also getting a regular dopamine hit from loosing weight. You are winning the game! Once you reach your goal, you are then looking at a lifetime of hunger and willpower but no more dopamine hits. Very hard to keep that up year after year. I finally solved the puzzle by changing how and what I eat. I know it is trendy, but a combination of fasting, cutting out all sugars and reducing grains has allowed me to eat as much as I want(when I do eat), just not every single type of food I could eat. It doesn't take much willpower because I'm never hungry(at least not in the traditional sense). Oh, and my asthma went away and I literally feel better than I ever have in 52 years. I've been at my ideal weight for about two years, and still going strong, by far the longest I've ever been in "maintenance mode".

[@Gelindeful]

I was probably at my healthiest when I ate Paleo and I maintained it for over two years. IMO it's having to constantly push back the barrage of food pressures that creates the fail after the dopamine phase. From ads to social media to grocery store layouts to everyday people trying to force their concept of what is OK to eat there's just no hope. I wish I was wealthy enough to have my food decisions made for me, or as I often joke I'd like to be able to buy an appropriate for me kibble type food in 50# bags so I can measure and scoop it out as I need it. So I never have to think of what to eat ever again.

[@Lance54689]

@@Gelindeful You address the major point I left out: treating sugar as an addiction. Saying I'm not going to eat sugar is a lot different than actually not eating sugar. My breakthrough was realizing I have a sugar addiction, that eating no sugar is easier(though not easy at first!) than eating a small amount. To my surprise, after three years of no sugar I've completely lost my desire for sugar. This is the lynchpin for me: I'm a sugar addict, I don't eat sugar, and it doesn't take willpower anymore. The rest of my diet, exercise, mental health, mood, energy all stem from no sugar. I know a few people who can eat sugar in a healthy, sensible way. I'm not one of them.

[@Gelindeful]

I don't think I'll ever not crave it because the "unicorn food color palette" is so wired into my reward/comfort scheme. Also, ask many alcoholics if everyone stops pressuring them to drink, even when their status is known.

[@Lance54689]

@@Gelindeful I'm proof it can be done, but I won't pretend it was easy. Physical cravings lasted about two months and emotional cravings lasted a good six months. It took at least a year before I could be around sweets and be pretty ok. Today, after three years, I bought my wife a brownie at the bakery and it had as much draw for me as a ghost pepper. And hey, maybe one day I'll break, eat a pound of candy corn and a giant pixie stick and be right back where I started!

[@mcuserton]

​@@Lance54689 how are you holding up all these many months later? Also, do you do sugar substitute? I'm guessing not.

[@minab8777]

I'm struggling with this right now. I think it's a combination of our current overindulgent luxury lifestyle culture but also mentally if you've used food like a drug it's extremely difficult to continue using that vice but in a controlled manner. Human behavior is THE HARDEST thing for us to change.

[@JosephDiveley]

Food is addictive. Both mentally and physically. When you are sad you seek food high in sugar or food that makes you feel full like cake or steak. Those who grow up poor end up growing up on cheap processed foods that are nutrient deprived so eating doesn't actually satisfy your hunger even if your full because while your belly might be full your actually still starving nutritionally. They only way to break the cycle is to have daily exercise and a nutritionally sound diet. Regular exercise gives you better mental health that makes you less dependent on SUGAR to give you a high. Eating whole foods with their nutrients intact will take away the food cravings due to being deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. There is also the problems of bored eating. When we are bored mentally we get munchies. When we are working and active we are too busy to be hungry. Being bored triggers that it must be rest time and time to eat to recharge. Watching TV and having food at hand will lead to eating food whether you are hungry or not. A person watching TV will eat three to fives times the food a person playing on a computer game that is actively engaged with their mind because the person playing the game has to think and problem solve and it distracts them from being hungry. Reading a good book can also reduce eating habits. How often do you go to the movies where you DON'T want drinks, candy, or popcorn? Then you have some people with digestion problems where even when they eat they don't get the nutrients from the food because they don't break it down effectively. They are ALWAYS starving even though they are fat. Get them to eat probiotics and start eating more whole foods instead of processed foods though and you can see them turn it around slowly over time. Now it's easy to say, "Eat healthier!" Yet the harsh reality is that it's very expensive to buy whole foods and it's also very time consuming to cook healthy meals. We used to have loving mothers who spent all day preparing our meals and making sure their kids ate healthy. These days families are torn apart through divorce or both parents have to work just to keep a roof over their heads. Who even has time to cook? Everyone is just tired and wants a quick meal so they can rest up for the next hard day. Why is obesity on the rise? For many, many reasons. It's not all just lazy people who don't care about their health. Repair our society and repair our nutrition and you will find people become healthier and happier for it.

[@jaghad]

You're correct on many levels. But, is there really a need for such a long explanation? The reason for people being overweight are poor habits. And, saying that whole foods/healthy foods are expensive is nonsense. If you'd know how to eat, your food expenses every month would be tops $250-300 for a grown man. That is not very expensive in the Western world.

[@Dan-ch8kv]

I’ve ranged between 170 at my best and 245 at my worst. I dropped from 230 to 169 in 2017, but then gained it all back during covid and hiked up to 245. Now I’m back to 189 and need to focus on what maintenance looks like. Especially when when life changes happen.

[@darkdragonite1419]

The most difficult part about weight maintenance is managing stress and having a junkfood-free environemnt. I’ve been roughly 156-162 for a few months now (down from 198-205).

[@sw6118]

I’d like a video on HOW to maintain weight loss.

[@gybx4094]

It's extremely difficult during winter months. Just the constant cold and dreariness. I can limit weight gain during winter, but I can't seem to stop it. Thankfully, the weight comes off again in April and May.

[@shitface762]

I did water fasts and gained the 40lbs back twice. Tried OMAD and would gain back if I ate normally. The only thing that really worked to keep the weight off is just eating in a calorie deficit.

[@TerryManitoba]

👑👑👑As soon as I thought the Algorithm would not show me any more of the King of the Humble Brag - It drags me back in & forces me to post another review❗❗❗

[@SummeRain783]

Am I the only one who has the opposite problem? I have a harder time losing than maintaining? I can stay the same weight for years but struggle to lose it.

[@cartkooweightlossdrugsonli3775]

Weight loss tip today: Soups can be both filling and comforting. Try making a garden or bean soup with low-salt broth and store in portion-sized cups for later.

[@JigsawPuzzleConnection]

You have to set a weight range and face the scales each week. If you gain a pound make sure you get it off the next week. I lost 70 pounds and hated the way I was before. So I will never gain the weight back. How bad do you want it?

[@jamesc6137]

This guy is a little out there.

[@Joseph1NJ]

The overweight person, now thin, is still the overweight person, he just weighs less.

[@CarnivoreBum]

Explain this please. I lost 135 Lbs 5 years ago. Very lean now at 172. How am I still overweight?

[@minab8777]

@@CarnivoreBum I think the person means mentally. Esp if you've been overweight for a lot of years- you can lose weight but then to maintain you have to deal with having the mentality and experience of overindulging all the time on something that is accessible and fight that urge.

[@Joseph1NJ]

@@CarnivoreBum I'm sorry, it's been a year. My thinking was weight loss is more than just dropping pounds. That's actually not the hardest part. To sustain a weight loss it takes a change in lifestyle, habits, cultural perspective, adaptation, and more. I think we've proven obesity is not genetic as once thought, but it is familiar.

[@1ManOpFishing]

A bass fisherman, I like this guy, and he is correct on most of it, however, humans certainly were much leaner and hungrier 1,000, 10, 000, and 100,000 years ago.

[@travisshaffer552]

I’ve lost 50 pounds. All I have to do is eat 2100 calories one day per week. The rest of the week is free. Works for me.

[@bennigan88]

Stop saying weight loss isn't particularly difficult, that's an absurd claim, especially from someone who has never been obese. It's just not as hard as keeping it off.

[@ktkktlzubi]

yeah I know it's lame, but it's a lifestyle.. u have to eat as fresh as possible cook yourself and move a lot, sleep hygiene and don't stress too much,, sounds simple cause it is.. but obviously not easy for modern homo sapiens

[@bigal6114]

Andrew Huberman's latest podcast has a lot of info about the connection between the brain and gut. Not that it will explain why weight loss is so difficult, but he explains what research reveals about the gut-brain connection. I haven't finished all of it, but the part about bypassing the taste buds sweet foods still trigger a feeding response in the brain. I've been wondering why a number of my friends that lost their taste and smell for months from corvid still gained weight. I asked one friend who had started exercising and controlling her food intake if it was easier to control her eating since she lost her taste and smell. She said no, I still eat too much of the wrong foods even though I couldn't taste them.

[@bigal6114]

The link... kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2a1Y6ODprplpc0

[@Ayumi649]

Well he said a whole lot of nothing... I'm shocked that Peter and his team chose this segment to publish when it literally taught us diddly squat. As a paying member of The Drive, this is disappointing.

[@garlicbreathandfarts]

While running on ketones, I stay fit as a fiddle. Been doing it for almost 3 years and I am old, satisfied, and sexy.

[@chrismatney1397]

Society has created a lazy lifestyle filled with highly palatable foods. They won't even go shopping on their own anymore. They have someone else do it for them, park and have someone bring it out and put it in their trunk and go home. I've always told people park farther away to be more active. Can't even do that now. Now they want the next be all end all FAD or fat burner that does it for them. I see it all the time. You gotta love what you eat and get off the couch and move. As someone that used to be 285lbs I'm 184 now and kept it off for 2 and half years, I see food as fuel and I love my food. I lift weights and do my cardio. I keep my trigger foods out of the house. Find the exercise you love and the diet that works for you.

[@lechenaultia5863]

Well, you could've just said 'we have no idea how to maintain weight loss' at the beginning and saved me the 6 minutes. And then you provide a disclaimer for the advice you haven't given! 🤣🤣🤣

[@Michael-4]

Because the bugs in our stomachs eventually get what they want.

[@richj011]

Give yourself one cheat day a week.

[@brandonpeck7500]

I found this line of reasoning to be pretty unconvincing.

[@sunflowersadie543]

I was thinking the same. Maybe the full video is more convincing

[@squashduos1258]

I agree. Not to sound over simplistic but the heart of the matter is that vitamin D is the key driver for healthy growth and storage (for repair) for the fall and winter…where there is vitamin D for the human there is also most likely food….fatten up in the spring/summer and lean out in the fall/winter to use up our vitamin D storage. This macro cycle (seasons) imo also serves as a macro fasting cycle….cleaning up old storage only to be replenished again in the spring and summer…I am not saying become obese but get bigger in a smart way….circadian macro (seasons) and micro (day and night) cycling of eating….eat during daylight and fast during darkness…no more this crap of intermittent fasting at different times…follow nature….if you fatten up in the winter you don’t sequester the vitamin D due to poor sunlight and that fat becomes a dangerous fat vs fat built in the summer when being outdoors…just my two cents!! I could be horribly wrong but this is first principles thinking….

[@milospopovic4891]

and boring, can't listen to it.

[@gman9035]

There is too much crap food available. The walruses can't keep their fat fingers off of it

[@TumbleSensei]

Well if you supress metabolism by going on a low carb diet... then its always going to be harder.

[@darkdragonite1419]

I doubt there’s any actual science behind that statement.

[@olafstorbeck4777]

I have a very simplistic model for this: Even in the best case the human body can only process (i.e. intake -> metabolism -> output) a certain amount of energy in a lifetime. A very rough estimation would be 60 .. 80 Gcal ( = 2500 kcal/day x 365 days/year x 80 .. 100 years/lifetime). Thermodynamics rules that there is no energy processing without the gain of entropy. Biology is no exception from this rule, it is fundamental. Life means maintaining a low entropy state by consumption of "negative entropy". So each amout of energy you process leads to a gain on entropy. On an atomistic level this could be e.g. the loss of DNA or DNA methylation information by ROS produced by the Krebs cycle (or any other mechanism). The constant gain of entropy by the constant processing of energy (i.e. food) leads to a point where the low entropy state is not longer maintained and the body dies. It seams that longevity studies are congruent with this model (what not mean that it is true): Over and over it shows that if you reduce energy throughput (caloric restriction, being female, certain ethnicities and cultures, ...) you life longer, while increasing energy throughput leads to an earlier death. I for myself want to gain and maintain a lean body composition for the health and life span benefit. I personally see not so much sense in being of good body composition and die early, but this is up to each person individually. So the only conclusion I can see is that one have to reduce energy consumption while at the same time reducing the metabolic rate, even if that means to reduce the energy input even more. For me this seems to work with the tight blood glucose control resulting from a LC diet combined with moderate sport and fasting. I loose slowly by steadily weight (10 kg over a year) and my smart gadgets (a fitness watch, a bioimpedance scale, ...) indicate a reduced basic metabolic rate. Without any problem I can skip a meal or even 2 or 3. I do OMAD on 20 .. 30 % of days and it don't bother me. That is the strength of LC diets, imho. They allow you not to suffer while you reduce both metabolic rate and body fat.

[@TumbleSensei]

@@darkdragonite1419 glycogen is required the for the conversion of inactive t4 to active t3 in the liver. If the raw material and energy necessary for conversion are low then conversion dwindles. Which is why t3 always goes down on low carb diets.

[@HuFlungDung2]

Looking at life forms through an evolutionary lens is such a waste of brain power. Considering the OOL problem, evolution can't even begin to spin it's rotor.

[@abetterhealth6748]

the Bible can give you a lot more information on the subject. Evolution will only give you questions.