Explaining weight loss to closed minded people

Kmarie8212

How in the world do you convince someone they can’t eat as much as they want on the keto diet, the low carb diet, the whatever fad diet there is out there? It’s infuriating!

My friend wants to do the keto diet and thinks that she can eat as much as she wants of the food that’s allowed on the keto diet. I can not convince her weight loss is all about calories in vs calories out. You can eat what you want if ya under your daily calorie burn. Granted you shouldn’t eat nothing but chips burgers and candy even if it IS under your calorie goal but still...you technically could eat that stuff and lose if you eat under calories.

I’m amazed at the amount of people that don’t understand calories in < calories out=weight loss. 🤦🏻‍♀️

L1zardQueen

Just let her do her thing.

dsboohead

Don't explain....let her results or lack there of do the talking.
I am sure what you are doing gets results....be the example!

apullum

L1zardQueen wrote: »

Just let her do her thing.

This. You can't convince people who don't want to be convinced. The idea of being able to eat as much as you want, as long as it's within some script, is really tempting. For most people, it sounds far more pleasant and attractive than the idea of having to eat less. Of course, the problem is that you really cannot eat as much as you want and expect to lose weight, unless you just happen to not want to eat as many calories as you burn.

RunsWithBees

Wish her luck and tell her your offer to learn about what really leads to long term, healthy and sustainable weight loss (CICO) still stands and you will be happy to help her if/when she is ready.

DoubleUbea

Fad diets always fail and people always gain the weight back after a fad diet. Let it happen.

Mom2ATM

I'm going through the exact same thing. I was told carbs make you fat not calories so I said well have at it then. In months time when I've lost x amount and she's stuck maybe she will rethink cico

777Gemma888

dsboohead wrote: »

Don't explain....let her results or lack there of do the talking.
I am sure what you are doing gets results....be the example!

This. Keto foods are calories laden. She's going to pack on pounds, not lose without following CICO.

sardelsa

I don't explain anything unless they ask. And then if they still don't agree I drop it. Some people have to do what they have to do for themselves. If she has successful results, great. If not maybe she will learn from it. Or some people will jump from one thing to another and not be successful, unfortunately. I focus on what I have to do at the end of the day.

katphi1618

I dated a guy once who got on the notion that eating 5 meals a day would help him lose weight. Problem was he ate out at restaurants for every meal. He didn't lose weight.

jgnatca

Horse....water. Some people must learn from experience.

Diatonic12

'How in the world do you convince someone they can’t eat as much as they want'

A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. You can't convince anyone that diets don't work either. It's exhausting so you simply walk away. Family members are the most difficult of all.

AnvilHead

Say nothing, sit back and observe, and wait for the moment when you can smugly say "I told you so!".

If it's any consolation, there are also some people here on MFP who don't believe that calories matter - in spite of mountains of scientific evidence to the contrary.

GOT_Obsessed

Just worry about yourself.

The other day someone came up to me with directions on how to make a dish. He said "and it has almost no carbs." I could not help it and said "carbs are not the devil." He disagreed with me and it took every bit of restraint for me to not twirl my now smaller body around and say "What the #$@ do I know about losing weight a-hole?!"

Don't waste your efforts on them unless they truly ask for your help. It's not worth it.

DomesticKat

I don't talk about it unless I'm asked. Most of my friends have jumped on various fad diet bandwagons at one point or another. Unless they do something seriously dangerous, I don't bother trying to convince them otherwise. They've talked to me about my weight loss so they know what I did already. They have to come to the realization of how to lose weight sustainably on their own just like I did.

amusedmonkey

I wouldn't bother. If she ends up satisfied with the food and eats less by default, prepare yourself to never hear the end of it. Practice smiling and nodding in advance. If she ends up eating more or hating the diet, it will fizzle out quickly and you'll have a short period of rest before she finds the next fad. Do your thing and let her do your thing. You can't help those who don't want help, and bickering back and forth about these things does nothing but cause friction.

MichelleSilverleaf

You can't convince a closed-minded person of anything. Save the energy for someone willing to listen.

fb47

Kmarie8212 wrote: »

How in the world do you convince someone they can’t eat as much as they want on the keto diet, the low carb diet, the whatever fad diet there is out there? It’s infuriating!

My friend wants to do the keto diet and thinks that she can eat as much as she wants of the food that’s allowed on the keto diet. I can not convince her weight loss is all about calories in vs calories out. You can eat what you want if ya under your daily calorie burn. Granted you shouldn’t eat nothing but chips burgers and candy even if it IS under your calorie goal but still...you technically could eat that stuff and lose if you eat under calories.

I’m amazed at the amount of people that don’t understand calories in < calories out=weight loss. 🤦🏻‍♀️

If they're not willing to listen to you about CICO, just let them do whatever they are doing, maybe some day they'll actually understand it's about that when they see their 654th diet failed.

I hate it when I then get stuck into an argument over something silly like carbs where they feel that carbs are the devil and the reason they gained weight. Problem is that on tv, carbs are always pointed as the culprit, so people feed off from that information alone.

CarvedTones

I did something that worked for me but I understand it's not for everybody. You do you.

Kmarie8212

CarvedTones wrote: »

I did something that worked for me but I understand it's not for everybody. You do you.

I’m not saying following a specific diet plan is a bad thing as long as your aware of the fact you won’t lose unless your under daily calories. It’s the mindset that you can eat what you want within those diet guidelines and still lose.

lucys1225

I don't know why you care. You do what works for you and let her try something the may work for her.

jgnatca

I've been reading about how to get through to people who hold opposing views. There's people asking about this in our increasingly polarized society, go figure. It does no good to "talk at" people, bombarding them with facts. However, sitting down and having a conversation, does work. Call it "civil discourse". Check out how the Free Hugs guy engages a shouter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n40n95hrKok

Hamsibian

You shouldn't care about her diet just as she shouldn't care about yours. Maybe she'll be successful following keto, and enjoy it too. Maybe not. Who knows? The only approaches you have are to be supportive or stop talking about weight loss.

Lounmoun

You told her the facts now let her go do her own figuring it out. If she doesn't lose on her plan maybe she will remember that calories matter.

I can't be too down on other people for choosing a fad diet because I resisted counting calories and did diets for years myself. I lost weight and regained several times. There are probably many here who did not watch their calorie intake but did various diets with success or failure in the past. I wish I had just counted calories all those years but if someone had told me I would have thought it was too much work, not enough of a change, etc too.

fb47

Lounmoun wrote: »

You told her the facts now let her go do her own figuring it out. If she doesn't lose on her plan maybe she will remember that calories matter.

I can't be too down on other people for choosing a fad diet because I resisted counting calories and did diets for years myself. I lost weight and regained several times. There are probably many here who did not watch their calorie intake but did various diets with success or failure in the past. I wish I had just counted calories all those years but if someone had told me I would have thought it was too much work, not enough of a change, etc too.

That's the usual excuse when I tell people about calorie counting which is why I let them be.

Lizakabibbis

I followed KETO for about 8 months but in the back of my mind I still knew it was CICO. The problem with me is I'm a binger....so I need to eliminate from my diet in order to be successful. I'm not a diet preacher and I really don't care about getting through to other people. People do what they want in their own time - and they learn the same way. So, just move on and let it go.

ExistingFish

I wouldn't bother. Adults are free to make their own diet choices. Who knows, maybe she will lose weight because she won't be so hungry (high fat foods tend to do this) and it will work for her. It's not your job to educate all your friends on how to properly lose weight. If she asks how you did it, share, but otherwise, why bother?

ccrdragon

Trying to explain anything to anyone who doesn't want to listen is a fruitless and thankless endeavor.

riverscloud3407

Fad diets just don’t work.. she’ll find out eventually, but some people don’t. The only way to loose weight is to loose weight, meaning cico

bpotts44

Its science bro....

Seriously though most people get really emotionally connected to their way of eating and its kind of hopeless to get them to change unless they are coming to you asking for information.

makkimakki2018

Kmarie8212 wrote: »

How in the world do you convince someone they can’t eat as much as they want on the keto diet, the low carb diet, the whatever fad diet there is out there? It’s infuriating!

My friend wants to do the keto diet and thinks that she can eat as much as she wants of the food that’s allowed on the keto diet. I can not convince her weight loss is all about calories in vs calories out. You can eat what you want if ya under your daily calorie burn. Granted you shouldn’t eat nothing but chips burgers and candy even if it IS under your calorie goal but still...you technically could eat that stuff and lose if you eat under calories.

I’m amazed at the amount of people that don’t understand calories in < calories out=weight loss. 🤦🏻‍♀️

My friends kinda like this but in a different way. He doesnt wanna lift weights to save his life. He barely can curl a 10lb weight... hes on a low xarb diet and hes sticking to it well but i keep telling him one day you wont lose weight and the muscle will help burn more fat but he wont listen so ima just let him run his course till he sincerely need the help.