Well, I went to a really interesting day long workshop on this topic a few years ago. Lecturer had been involved with the registry in her years in academia but, on her move to a private practice, focused on folk who imagined they were resistant to weight loss somehow as theyd tried and failed so many times.
She worked on the principle that the first 10% of bodyweight is easiest to lose. With her patients/clients, she first did a RMR measurement and prescribed an eating plan (to suit individual dietary preferences) and exercise regimen to create a meaningful and reasonably accurate energy deficit designed to drop roughly that 10% of bodyweight over a 3 month period. Then the next 3 months focused on maintaining this weight loss…so a bit of a diet break and opportunity to learn maintenence. Next 3 months a repeat…measure RMR and use this newer figure to create deficit to drop 10% of this new lower weight over 3 months and so on.
She claimed success…well, she would, wouldn’t she…but it struck me as a way to harness physiology (any metabolic slowdown associated with the diet) and psychology (a planned break and new routine) in a useful way.