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Special diet, detox, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, etc. Why?

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Replies

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Wetcoaster wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    I knew when I said "lazy", someone would get up in arms about it. I meant "lazy" as in the person doesn't want to put in the effort to cook foods or work hard enough to pay $500 a month for a food program, not that the person is stupid and ignorant. If I worked a full-time job, had to take care of a family and all the housework, and I could afford it, I might go with buying NutriSystem or similar program as I would be lazy, aka not want to make the time to grocery shop and cook meals. As I'm really self-employed working from home and my only responsibilities are to keep house and my family fed, I'm lazy about getting a second, outside-the-home job in order to earn enough money to pay for NutriSystem.

    Do I think it's bad someone pays $500 a month for a pre-portioned food program? Nope. I did it as a teen until my mom couldn't afford it.

    Did you ever feel guilty your Mom payed all that money until she couldn't afford it?

    Serious question. She probably couldn't at the time but did it for you till she could not.

    Or did finances change?

    Mom was on it herself. IIRC, there may have been a price reduction package if you bought more meals, like BOGO. "Buy 6 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners, and get 6 desserts for FREE!" She paid for it first for herself, then my brother and me. Mom's priorities changed and buying meals to lose weight weren't in the top choices lists.
  • mommarnurse
    mommarnurse Posts: 515 Member
    All of these programs are simple someone trying to take advantage of those who lack personal responsibility. (Those who are placing the work and responsibility on a product instead of their own choices and working on self control)
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Shana67 wrote: »
    I just detest the idea of paying someone money to do something that I already know good and well how to do by myself. I think that weighing and logging food is EASY (it takes what? 5 minutes per meal?). And using MFP *is* different because it *is* free. No one tells you what/where/when to eat, you make your own choices and then have the convenience of the calculator to keep track. I mean. I could write it down (and have done so before the internet age), but..... why would I?

    How long it takes to weigh and log a meal varies greatly from person to person. It took me longer than 5 minutes and more importantly I had to totally change the way I cooked.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    Shana67 wrote: »
    I just detest the idea of paying someone money to do something that I already know good and well how to do by myself. I think that weighing and logging food is EASY (it takes what? 5 minutes per meal?). And using MFP *is* different because it *is* free. No one tells you what/where/when to eat, you make your own choices and then have the convenience of the calculator to keep track. I mean. I could write it down (and have done so before the internet age), but..... why would I?

    How long it takes to weigh and log a meal varies greatly from person to person. It took me longer than 5 minutes and more importantly I had to totally change the way I cooked.

    That is a fair point. Hell, I had to START cooking to begin with. Finding premade keto food that isn't a bunch of *kitten* disguised by serving size micromanagement and FDA allowed numerical voodoo, is nigh impossible.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    ForecasterJason wrote: »
    So this has me wondering, is it that hard mentally to do the latter? I would think most people could save a lot of money and effort doing that. Even factoring in getting a food scale, it just seems so much simpler to go that route. As someone who has never had to lose any weight though, I'm curious to hear thoughts from others who have been down this path.

    Are you sure it's just a matter of tracking your habits so you can burn more calories than you eat? I mean, that doesn't sound gimmicky enough to work. Somebody else said if you don't eat after 6 pm you'll lose weight. I heard if you cut back on carbs the weight will come right off. Or, you have poison in your body making you fat and only a special tea can make you skinny. What I'm getting at is that there's a lot of uncertainty among people about how weight loss works ... partly because there are companies that profit from sowing confusion. You can't blame people for not knowing who to believe.

    The other thing that comes to mind is that a lot of people could save money doing their own oil changes, but don't because they feel the money they'd save wouldn't be worth the hassle. It's hard to see how that kind of thinking applies to weight loss or maintenance, but if people feel overwhelmed, it can make sense.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    ForecasterJason wrote: »
    So this has me wondering, is it that hard mentally to do the latter? I would think most people could save a lot of money and effort doing that. Even factoring in getting a food scale, it just seems so much simpler to go that route. As someone who has never had to lose any weight though, I'm curious to hear thoughts from others who have been down this path.

    Are you sure it's just a matter of tracking your habits so you can burn more calories than you eat? I mean, that doesn't sound gimmicky enough to work. Somebody else said if you don't eat after 6 pm you'll lose weight. I heard if you cut back on carbs the weight will come right off. Or, you have poison in your body making you fat and only a special tea can make you skinny. What I'm getting at is that there's a lot of uncertainty among people about how weight loss works ... partly because there are companies that profit from sowing confusion. You can't blame people for not knowing who to believe.

    The other thing that comes to mind is that a lot of people could save money doing their own oil changes, but don't because they feel the money they'd save wouldn't be worth the hassle. It's hard to see how that kind of thinking applies to weight loss or maintenance, but if people feel overwhelmed, it can make sense.

    If absolutely makes sense. I'm one of those people. For major mech work, I'll do it myself. For maintenance? The $18 I'd save isn't worth the time it would take me to get my car jacked up, let alone fighting with the oddly placed filters.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    ForecasterJason wrote: »
    So this has me wondering, is it that hard mentally to do the latter? I would think most people could save a lot of money and effort doing that. Even factoring in getting a food scale, it just seems so much simpler to go that route. As someone who has never had to lose any weight though, I'm curious to hear thoughts from others who have been down this path.

    Are you sure it's just a matter of tracking your habits so you can burn more calories than you eat? I mean, that doesn't sound gimmicky enough to work. Somebody else said if you don't eat after 6 pm you'll lose weight. I heard if you cut back on carbs the weight will come right off. Or, you have poison in your body making you fat and only a special tea can make you skinny. What I'm getting at is that there's a lot of uncertainty among people about how weight loss works ... partly because there are companies that profit from sowing confusion. You can't blame people for not knowing who to believe.

    The other thing that comes to mind is that a lot of people could save money doing their own oil changes, but don't because they feel the money they'd save wouldn't be worth the hassle. It's hard to see how that kind of thinking applies to weight loss or maintenance, but if people feel overwhelmed, it can make sense.
    Yeah, I get what you're saying. I have seen a number of statements posted on social media that could certainly get people confused.

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