Originally Posted by
goldfinch
Though research is far from definitive it doesn't look like losing weight fast in any way correlates with the inability to keep it off. In fact, it might even help. This is one of the myths that come from the "reasonableness bias," the gut feeling that something must be true because it seems reasonable.
I have another weight-related theory on "reasonableness bias." People say it's not healthy to be a yo-yo dieter- that going through several cycles of weight loss and weight gain puts a stress on your system. I think back to my ancestors, Poles, who every year would go through lean times, and the people who survived were the ones who could pack on the pounds during time of plenty. I'm pretty sure I've got the "fat gene" that makes it easy to gain weight. But when I set my mind to losing weight, I tend to lose pretty quickly. I think this is a modern adaptation on my part of using the "fat gene"- yes, I gain weight quickly, and can lose it quickly, and so did my ancestors. It's the way I'm built, and maybe there's nothing wrong with going through cycles of weight loss and gain. Without this ability, my ancestors would have never passed on their genes.