Why Only 5% Keep the Weight Off
Why Only 5% Keep the Weight Off (and How We Do It Differently)
Let’s talk about something that most people don’t want to hear — and the $61 billion weight loss industry really doesn’t want you to understand:
Only 5% of people who lose weight actually keep it off long-term.
Let that sink in. We’re not talking about losing 10 pounds for a wedding or dropping a size for vacation. We’re talking about long-term, sustainable change — where you become someone who lives in a healthy body and never has to “start over” again.
So what gives? Why is the number so low?
Because the system isn’t built to help you succeed.
It’s built to keep you coming back.
Let’s be honest: Weight Watchers, Noom, Optavia — they all know the same truth I just shared with you. And they’re banking (literally) on the fact that you don’t know it — or worse, that you do, but you’ll still sign up anyway.
These companies profit most from people who lose weight, gain it back, and come back for more. Not once. Over and over. For decades.
They even refer to repeat customers as a business strategy.
And we’re not talking about pennies here. We’re talking $61 billion a year. That’s the size of this industry.
So if you’ve ever felt like it was your fault that you couldn’t keep the weight off, I want you to hear me:
It’s not your fault. But it is your responsibility. Let me say that again, louder for the people in the back…
It’s not your fault. But it is your responsibility.
Let’s break it down PHB-style — because we do things differently here.
When people set out to change their health, they usually fall into one of three personas. You might see yourself in one of these — or maybe you’ve been all three at different times. (I know I have.)
1. The Student
This is the person who’s coachable. They’re open. Honest. Willing to unlearn old patterns and replace them with new ones. They’re not looking for perfection — they’re building a practice. They get support, ask questions, and take action. They know they don’t have to do it alone, and they’re willing to be seen, to be vulnerable, and to be guided.
The Student becomes the 5%.
Because they know this isn’t about a plan.
It’s about a process.
2. The Seeker
The Seeker is always looking for the next thing — the next diet, the next program, the next shortcut. They want the result, but they’re afraid of the discomfort it takes to truly change. They lose 20 pounds, gain back 25. Try keto. Try tracking macros. Try walking 10,000 steps. But nothing sticks — because they never actually build a system.
The Seeker isn’t lazy. They’re exhausted.
They’ve confused movement with progress.
And until they get off the hamster wheel, they’ll stay stuck in the diet loop.
3. The Knower
Ah, the Knower. This one hits close to home — because it’s so sneaky.
The Knower listens to the podcasts. Follows the health influencers. Knows all about insulin and hormones and macros and fasting. But when it comes to action? They’re frozen. Or they try to go it alone. They say things like, “I know what to do, I’m just not doing it.”
They hide behind knowledge like armor — and avoid accountability like the plague.
The Knower feels “too smart to need help,” but deep down, they’re stuck.
Because knowing and doing are not the same thing.
Now here’s the tough truth:
No one wants to admit they’re The Seeker or The Knower.
We all want to believe we’re The Student.
But awareness — honest, radical self-awareness — is the starting point.
Because once you see yourself clearly, you get to choose differently.
That’s what The Student does.
They choose ownership over ego.
Support over shame.
Long-term systems over short-term solutions.
And here’s what we teach our Students at PHB:
We don’t chase weight loss. We build healthy bodies.
We don’t rely on willpower. We build habits and routines.
We don’t wait to “feel motivated.” We keep the commitments we make to ourselves.
We don’t hoard information. We take aligned action.
Because the truth is, the science of weight loss isn’t complicated. It’s simple — but it’s not easy. It takes support. Accountability. Community. And above all, honesty.
The kind of honesty that says,
“I’ve been doing this on my own and it’s not working.”
“I keep repeating the same patterns.”
“I need help. And that’s okay.”
And yes, I know what you might be thinking…
“Sure, but those people who invest in coaches and programs — they can afford it.”
Let’s be clear: the people who have success didn’t wait until they had “extra” money.
They prioritized themselves.
They understood that staying stuck costs more — financially, emotionally, mentally, and physically — than getting help ever will.
People stuck in the Seeker or Knower stage spend way more over time because they’re constantly buying the “fix”… but never investing in the “foundation”.
So here’s the real question:
Who do you want to be?
If you’ve seen yourself in the Seeker or the Knower — that’s okay.
It means you’re aware. It means you’re halfway there.
The other half? Is doing something about it.
Becoming the Student.
Opening up.
Getting supported.
And learning to trust yourself again.
Because at PHB, we don’t believe in “starting over.”
We believe in starting different.
And when you change your process, you change your outcome.
For good.
That’s why our clients don’t just lose weight —
They become Healthy People.
And Healthy People don’t go back. They fail, they fall down…but they don’t go back because once you know better, you do better…even if just one small, baby, micro step at a time.
We’ve got you until you’ve got you! Interested? Email me, jennifer@projecthealthybody.com
Much love,
Jennifer