Apparently there's a study that shows that long term weight loss is possible if habits are maintained for over a year. I haven't had a chance to read it but thought you might be interested since I can see it being used to justify fatphobia. Just google new research obese people can maintain stable weight loss.

So this is the study in question.

Twenty fat people drank powdered meal replacements for 8 weeks and lost 13% of their body weight. For the next year, they had weekly nutrition counselling, and in the event of any weight regain, drank meal-replacements twice a day to lose weight again. They maintained their weight for one year this way. One year post-weight loss, their levels of two hormones related to hunger and satiety had started to return to the levels observed pre-weight-loss.

From these results, the authors conclude that such hormone changes likely cause weight maintenance. And then they put out a press release announcing that if fat people can just maintain a weight loss for one year, then they may be able to maintain that weight loss forever.

This is an excellent example of how the media (and researchers) commonly exaggerate and misrepresent their empirical findings about weight.

In fact, this study and the authors’ interpretation of their results are both flawed:

So basically, these results are not reliable or valid. So how did they get published? And why have they received media attention? Once again, I think you know the answer (it rhymes with “bat bobia”).

I can't do a pushup, and I have to be able to do at least 10 for something, how can i work to being able to do pushups?

Modified push-ups are a great way to start building your strength. Begin with easy variations and just add intensity as you go along!

Start with Wall Push-ups:

[Image from womenshealthmag.com]

Stand facing a wall and ex­tend your arms in front of you. Lean forward slightly and place your palms against the surface. Bend your elbows until your nose nearly touches the wall. Push back out to start. That’s one rep.

Once you can do 12+ of those in a row, move to an Incline Push-up:

[Image from Quora.com]

Stand facing bench or sturdy elevated platform. Place hands on edge of bench or platform, slightly wider than shoulder width. Position forefoot back from bench or platform with arms and body straight. Arms should be perpendicular to body. Keeping body straight, lower chest to edge of box or platform by bending arms. Push your body up until arms are extended. That’s one rep.

The lower your platform, the more difficult it gets. Start with a chair relatively high up and gradually lower yourself down.

Next comes the more traditional Modified Push-up:

[Image from Gethealthyu.com]

Begin in a kneeling position on a mat with hands below shoulders and knees behind hips so back is angled and long. Tuck toes under, tighten abdominals, and bend elbows to lower chest toward the floor. Keep your gaze in front of your fingertips so neck stays long. Press chest back up to start position. That’s one rep.

From here, you would move on to regular push-ups.

The key is to gradually increase the intensity of your exercise. You’ll get there, but go slow and steady: If you’re struggling to do 5 incline push-ups in a row, then you’re not ready for the next variation. Make sure that you can do over 12 before switching it up. 4 sets of 12 reps is a wonderful goal to aim for.

Good luck!

I saw your post on working your way up to a push-up. Any suggestions on someone trying to do pull ups?

Absolutely! 

Start with a static, timed hang:

[Image from StrongFirst]

An absolute beginner should start with their arms outstretched like on the left. Try to stay there for 15 seconds, then 30, then 45. This is key to building up strength in your hands.

Then you can progress to bent arm hangs like on the right. Grab a chair so that you can boost yourself up (don’t jump!), make sure that your chin is cleared above the bar, then try to hold that position. You may not be able to hold yourself up there at first, and that’s okay. But do a few sets each workout and you’ll notice that you can hold that position for longer and longer.

Once you can stay in the bent-arms hang for a few seconds, you can add negative pull-ups to your routine. Now, instead of simply dropping down when your arms start failing, try to slooooowly lower yourself in a controlled and gradual manner. 5-6 reps of negatives per set is going to make a big difference.

From there, just give pull-ups a try. If you make it to the top of the bar, hooray! If you don’t, then hold yourself as high as you can and slowly lower down again. The best way to start doing pull-ups is just to practice them, so every small step is going to help get you there.