Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Do diets work?
System
Posts: 1,933 MFP Staff
This discussion was created from replies split from: SlimFast Diet.
0
Replies
-
Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!76
-
Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
If you don't believe or agree with MFP and everyone who uses the website and app, then why come on and comment that we are all doing it wrong? Most people who give advice have been successful in either losing/maintaining or gaining the weight they aimed for. So to claim it's all wrong it a bit unfair.
23 -
Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
I'll point out that CICO isn't a diet it's an energy equation.
So you think what that people should just stay fat? Yeah that works!
People can gain weight eating "clean" "healthy" foods so what is your solution?24 -
Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
Um... I started at 254lbs. As of today's unofficial weigh-in, I'm 153. I need to lose weight because I'm still 13lbs away from the top of the healthy range, 23 from goal. You know how I got this far? Eating less, exercising more, making room for treats, a lot of home-cooked meals, a few convenience staples... and less pain and hunger than any previous weight-loss attempts.
Diets don't work?
I went from:
to:
And still going. (PS. That second photo? Is from last August. Roughly 20 lbs heavier than I am right now.)
68 -
@slossia I moved your comments into this debate. On the help boards please focus on questions asked by the origional poster. If you would like to start a debate on a topic you are always welcome to start a new thread, but please dont hijack someone elses thread.
Thanks,
4legs
MFP moderator18 -
Short term. Yes. Long Term? No.7
-
Eating fewer calories than your body needs will result in weight loss.
Eating more calories than your body needs will result in weight gain.
Eating the same amount of calories your body needs will result in weight maintenance.
Yep. That works. And it's nicknamed CICO.21 -
Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
What's your definition of moderation? I ate less and moved more and lost weight...I've maintained that weight loss going on 5 years. I eat pretty healthy, but I also enjoy pizza most Friday evenings...I get a little pub grub once or twice per month...I have something "junky" for desert most nights...
All seems to be working just fine here...11 -
Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
1. Of course people here are dieting and needing to lose weight, particularly people posting in this particular forum. What else would you expect?*
2. As pointed out above, CICO is an energy equation, not a diet. People using Weight Watchers, Slim Fast and other named programs are losing, gaining, or maintaining by managing their energy in vs. energy out. So are people following keto, vegan, paleo and other named eating plans. You really don't understand what you're talking about here.
3. What do Weight Watchers and Slim Fast have to do with this site? It's not affiliated with any other weight management organization so that's completely irrelevant.
4. Find me a thread where nobody said "Eat what you like in appropriate quantities to lose weight. Make sure you are hitting your nutrition goals." when people ask if they have to eliminate certain foods or eat in a specific way to lose weight.
eta; *Just realized the thread got moved - posting in the Food and Nutrition forum6 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
What's your definition of moderation? I ate less and moved more and lost weight...I've maintained that weight loss going on 5 years. I eat pretty healthy, but I also enjoy pizza most Friday evenings...I get a little pub grub once or twice per month...I have something "junky" for desert most nights...
All seems to be working just fine here...
From the previous thread the post which seems to have disappeared now, OP (in this thread not th original) seems to think being vegan is all that is needed and that we all just need to go plant based, calories don't matter apparently. Someone should tell that to my best mate who is vegan and 100lbs overweight
11 -
Just another conflation of CICO with counting calories and the (very mistaken) impression that none of us seem to realize that nutrition matters9
-
tinkerbellang83 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
What's your definition of moderation? I ate less and moved more and lost weight...I've maintained that weight loss going on 5 years. I eat pretty healthy, but I also enjoy pizza most Friday evenings...I get a little pub grub once or twice per month...I have something "junky" for desert most nights...
All seems to be working just fine here...
From the previous thread the post which seems to have disappeared now, OP (in this thread not th original) seems to think being vegan is all that is needed and that we all just need to go plant based, calories don't matter apparently. Someone should tell that to my best mate who is vegan and 100lbs overweight
Oh and I forgot to mention the original thread we also had that dairy was cancer, cheese was just fat and animal agriculture is killing us all, it was like Vegan Propaganda Bingo.13 -
Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
Oddly enough, it worked for me. I'm down 135 lbs and maintaining my weight, yet, I eat Mighty Taco every Friday night, Pizza at least once a week and don't you dare stick a bag of Doritos anywhere near me, because I will eat it!
I also enjoy ice cream quite often...7 -
Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work! I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight! Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO, And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!! You are what you eat, not how much you eat! Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
This is the link to the National Weight Control Registry:
http://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm
80% of persons in the registry are women and 20% are men.
The "average" woman is 45 years of age and currently weighs 145 lbs, while the "average" man is 49 years of age and currently weighs 190 lbs.
Registry members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years.
These averages, however, hide a lot of diversity:
Weight losses have ranged from 30 to 300 lbs.
Duration of successful weight loss has ranged from 1 year to 66 years!
Some have lost the weight rapidly, while others have lost weight very slowly--over as many as 14 years.
We have also started to learn about how the weight loss was accomplished: 45% of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program.
98% of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
There is variety in how NWCR members keep the weight off. Most report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity.
78% eat breakfast every day.
75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.12 -
Am I the only one who sees that diets don’t work!
But they do work for some - I went on a diet (verb) to lose my excess weight, got to goal and have maintained for over 4 years.
I’ve been reading all the posts on all these threads on MFP, and see that everyone is always dieting and always needing to loose weight!
The word "everyone" doesn't mean what you think it means.
"Loose weight" sounds a bit dangerous, sounds like it might fly off at any moment.
I'm not dieting so your use of everyone is plainly wrong.
Weight watchers, slim fast, CICO,
CICO isn't calorie counting or a diet, please educate yourself.
And the worst offender, eat less and exercise more!!
That's exactly what I did, lost my excess weight, got stronger, fitter and healthier. Sounds ideal to me - really not seeing the problem?
You are what you eat, not how much you eat!
That's a really silly phrase. I got fat eating exactly the same foods I ate before I gained my weight. I lost my weight eating the same foods I ate while I was overweight. I maintain in my ideal weight range eating the same diet (noun).
Spend your life eating junk food , processed meat , sugary foods, and then think it’s okay as long as you eat in moderation!! Won’t work!!
Holy Strawman Batman!!
Who exactly is eating like that? Is it your mythical "everyone" again?
24 -
This content has been removed.
-
Look at the populations in Asia! They don’t have to go on starvation diets! It’s because of what they have been eating all their lives! And not eating! Lots of rice and vegetable and fruit! And what their not eating is lots of meat and dairy! Having to loose so much weight means that you knowingly new you were going to gain weight by eating to much and did it anyway! I don’t believe that!! You just didn’t know better because in this country we eat a bad diet!! We should eat like the poor people of china! Not like the poor people of the USA! The poor here eat fatty fast food because their to busy working 2 jobs to pay the rent! Or are in food deserts it’s not your fault that you gained so much weight! You got bad advise from people only looking out for big corporations like McDonald’s saying it’s okay to eat bad food as long as you eat it in moderation!! The department of agriculture isn’t looking out for you !! Their looking out for McDonald’s! Or they would tell you that tge food their selling you is not healthy at all!! Not even in moderation!!40
-
Also! My diary is open! I probably eat more calories then most people on this thread! I’m maintaining my weight! I don’t exercise! And I’m 65 I believe that I should be gaining weight eating that many calories!! But I won’t!! Never have ! Why!! Why do sone people of the same sex and same age and same activity level gain weight eating half the calories of me!! I believe it’s the food! Not how much food!!37
-
Also! My diary is open! I probably eat more calories then most people on this thread! I’m maintaining my weight! I don’t exercise! And I’m 65 I believe that I should be gaining weight eating that many calories!! But I won’t!! Never have ! Why!! Why do sone people of the same sex and same age and same activity level gain weight eating half the calories of me!! I believe it’s the food! Not how much food!!
If you are eating whatever it is you are eating and not gaining it's because your caloric intake is equal to or less than what your body is burning. Plan and simple. No exceptions. It is impossible (against the law of physics) to eat more calories than your body burns and lose or maintain just because you are eating calories that you think are from “healthier” sources.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but it abso-f'n-lutely *is* the amount of food (calories) you are ingesting and not the specific foods.21 -
The laws of physics that you refer to was in a closed environment!! We are not that26
-
Read up on your Newton16
-
I've researched plenty regarding weight loss and energy expenditure. My facts are correct. I've lost 130 lbs that, according to your views on weight loss, couldn't have happened. I'm fine with my views of how weight loss works.13
-
-
Look at the populations in Asia! They don’t have to go on starvation diets! It’s because of what they have been eating all their lives! And not eating! Lots of rice and vegetable and fruit! And what their not eating is lots of meat and dairy! Having to loose so much weight means that you knowingly new you were going to gain weight by eating to much and did it anyway! I don’t believe that!! You just didn’t know better because in this country we eat a bad diet!! We should eat like the poor people of china! Not like the poor people of the USA! The poor here eat fatty fast food because their to busy working 2 jobs to pay the rent! Or are in food deserts it’s not your fault that you gained so much weight! You got bad advise from people only looking out for big corporations like McDonald’s saying it’s okay to eat bad food as long as you eat it in moderation!! The department of agriculture isn’t looking out for you !! Their looking out for McDonald’s! Or they would tell you that tge food their selling you is not healthy at all!! Not even in moderation!!
So, you're claiming that all weight-loss efforts involve starvation?
You're against eating meat and dairy, but apparently AOK with fish? Because that's a basic staple in Japanese cooking, and where there's no fish, there's bonito broth.
A quick Google search on street fare in China (I wanted to be sure I was getting Chinese food as eaten in China as opposed to North American-style) turns up: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/shanghai-street-food/index.html
Hmm... crabshell pie, pork buns, fried chicken, rice balls stuffed with pork and ham... shall I continue?
How did I get fat? Stress eating, sedentary life style, boredom eating, lousy portion control, a desire to try "All the things", an ability to eat 3-4 loaves of naan with garlic butter in one sitting, a lack of patience to wait to get home to eat when convenience foods were available, not paying attention to calories... Raiding the fridge after dinner. You can get fat on homemade from scratch foods, too.
No food is bad unless it's gone moldy or you don't like the taste. I still enjoy treats in moderation. Sorry to burst your bubble. Well. Not really.14 -
Well do you plan on keeping your calories at the level that it took you to loose that weight!! I’m betting on your body fighting you to eat that back!! Your going to have to depend on willpower the rest of your life!! Their is a better way!! Eat a healthy diet!! Always being hungry is a terrible way to live!! Believe it , you can eat more and keep your weight down!! Cut out the fat!! Or cut down on the saturated fat!! That’s mainly in meat and dairy!! And loose the oils!!37
-
The human body CANNOT create energy from nothing or make ingested energy just *poof* disappear. But I always love it and think it is cute when people with a gut think they are an authority on dieting.16
-
Well do you plan on keeping your calories at the level that it took you to loose that weight!! I’m betting on your body fighting you to eat that back!! Your going to have to depend on willpower the rest of your life!! Their is a better way!! Eat a healthy diet!! Always being hungry is a terrible way to live!! Believe it , you can eat more and keep your weight down!! Cut out the fat!! Or cut down on the saturated fat!! That’s mainly in meat and dairy!! And loose the oils!!
Have you heard of "maintenance"!!!19 -
Why would I keep to a deficit when I'm ready for maintenance? And what makes you think I don't eat a healthy diet now? You're not the only one with an open diary.6
-
I don’t have to watch my Calories!! You’ll have to20
-
Actually you do. Eat above your maitenance and you'll gain weight like the rest of us.12
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.4K Introduce Yourself
- 44K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.7K Fitness and Exercise
- 444 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.2K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.7K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions