Netflix- explained- why diets fail
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I guess this whole diet vs lifestyle thing is too black and white for me. I think your diet, whatever that may be, is part of your lifestyle, whatever that maybe. They are not exclusive of each other.
but isn't that exactly the point... your 'lifestyle' as was is exactly why you, I and OP came here.
to be more healthy or more fit or lose weight or whatever your goal, you need to change that lifestyle?
adding exercise and cutting carbs (for example) as a 'diet' works while you do it, but then if you go back to your original lifestyle, you'll lose your fitness and regain the weight.1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »I guess this whole diet vs lifestyle thing is too black and white for me. I think your diet, whatever that may be, is part of your lifestyle, whatever that maybe. They are not exclusive of each other.
but isn't that exactly the point... your 'lifestyle' as was is exactly why you, I and OP came here.
to be more healthy or more fit or lose weight or whatever your goal, you need to change that lifestyle?
adding exercise and cutting carbs (for example) as a 'diet' works while you do it, but then if you go back to your original lifestyle, you'll lose your fitness and regain the weight.
I guess. I think it's mostly semantics.
Living a healthier lifestyle, for most of us, is going to include a healthier diet (whatever that means to any given person). But to me, that's still a diet - you still have to chose to eat differently. I see no difference in making choices about how you eat because you're on a diet vs making choices about how you eat because it's a lifestyle.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »I guess this whole diet vs lifestyle thing is too black and white for me. I think your diet, whatever that may be, is part of your lifestyle, whatever that maybe. They are not exclusive of each other.
but isn't that exactly the point... your 'lifestyle' as was is exactly why you, I and OP came here.
to be more healthy or more fit or lose weight or whatever your goal, you need to change that lifestyle?
adding exercise and cutting carbs (for example) as a 'diet' works while you do it, but then if you go back to your original lifestyle, you'll lose your fitness and regain the weight.
I guess. I think it's mostly semantics.
Living a healthier lifestyle, for most of us, is going to include a healthier diet (whatever that means to any given person). But to me, that's still a diet - you still have to chose to eat differently. I see no difference in making choices about how you eat because you're on a diet vs making choices about how you eat because it's a lifestyle.
But semantics is what MFP is about.
Internet nit-picking. *nods*7 -
Diets fail because people treat them as temporary, rather than making small lifestyle changes that they can maintain forever.
When I say "diet" i mean some sort of laid out way of eating, like south beach, etc.9 -
Well if we are going to talk about lifestyle changes or just changes how one LIVES on my life are as follows. Dietary intake changes IMHO have been only a moderate point. As mentioned I switched to a generally less calorically dense. Most people do. Well the higher changes have only happened a few months ago. I exercise sure. I walk 4 days a week. About 3.5 miles a day. I lift on those days as well. I average 15000 steps a day. How do I do it.... there to me is the lifestyle changes. I got rid of my rumba and clean my own house, I wash my own car, I park far away from buildings, I only sit when I have to drive or eat until when I settle down for the evening. I only watch 60-90 mins of tv a day on average. I fix my own car, I planted a garden I tend almost every day, I mow my lawn with a push lawn mower, I walk my trash can up the drive. That's just a small part. I have property that has to be cleared constantly. I do it myself. Lifestyle changes. The biggest one for me has been this... I am hungry a lot. I now no longer curse it, but embrace it. I am blesa/lucky to have the ability to be not hungry at some parts of the day. There are billions who don't have that privilege.7
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Diets fail because they need constant upkeep during and after weight loss, whatever you want to call that. Very few are able to achieve that because many factors are working against it.
As for hunger, it's a learning process, but there are things that can be done about it. Most diets don't fail due to hunger, although some of us are naturally hungrier (I'm one).2 -
No one ever said dieting is easy. You’re eating less than you’re burning, it’s a natural response by the body. Of course it’s gonna suck, no one (majority) likes eating less. Just gotta suck it up and have will power6
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Regarding lifestyle change vs diet...
Five years ago I was extremely sedentary and ate a high-calorie non nutrionally-balanced diet. When I decided I didn't want to do that anymore, I made an effort to be more active and eat an appropriate number of calories within a balanced diet. That, to me, was a lifestyle change.
When I first started being more active and eating better, my goal was to lose weight. Eating in a deficit (calorie intake < maintenance) gave me an appropriate calorie intake for that goal. From time to time now, I do the same. That, to me, is dieting--eating at a calorie level that allows me to lose weight.5 -
I haven't seen the show - but is it even possible to get fat eating for hunger? I doubt it. I think we get fat eating for pleasure, or from habit. If we only ate for hunger it would be easy.8
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gailjankovski wrote: »I haven't seen the show - but is it even possible to get fat eating for hunger? I doubt it. I think we get fat eating for pleasure, or from habit. If we only ate for hunger it would be easy.
I'm hungry from running all the time. If i ate to hungry while training for a race I'd gain loads.3 -
Ok, so aside from comparing a verb to a noun, what's the real-world difference between the 2? When dieting, you are managing what you eat, right? Aren't you doing the same thing with lifestyle? The only difference is that one typically has an endpoint and the other inherently doesn't. Well, aside from death.
The one that has the endpoint is the one that fails. Failure comes from the notion that you can diet, lose weight, then go back to eating the way you were before the diet. Just. Doesn't. Work.
I, personally, blame manufacturers for creating higher calorie foods in the first place. They do it because it's profitable. Something loaded with sugar or saturated fat is going to sell better than a healthier version of it with no added sugar/fats. Sure, everyone's definition of 'healthy' is different, but for me the difference may be making a chicken fried steak with a good quality piece of lean steak, whole grain flour coating, and baked rather than a fatty piece of meat which is low protein, filled with 'fillers', fried in heavy oil, and frozen and laced with tons of sodium. Cook it yourself, pay attention to how it's made and the ingredients you put into it, and you will learn to adjust your diet to something that is sustainable. Making a burger? Use lean hamburger, or better yet, grind it yourself using lean cuts of meat rather than buying that 70% lean pre-made patty or eating the burger from the fast food place that is laced with extra sodium, slathered in full fat mayo with extra cheese. For the most part fast food = bad food. That includes packaged foods pre-made and frozen. That's just my .02, and it's helped me learn to prepare better foods for myself and my family, and it's helped me maintain my weight for the last 2+ years beyond the initial stage of losing weight.
If all you want to do is lose the weight just so you can go back to gaining weight afterward then by all means you should be dieting, not adjusting your diet.
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Spliner1969 wrote: »Ok, so aside from comparing a verb to a noun, what's the real-world difference between the 2? When dieting, you are managing what you eat, right? Aren't you doing the same thing with lifestyle? The only difference is that one typically has an endpoint and the other inherently doesn't. Well, aside from death.
The one that has the endpoint is the one that fails. Failure comes from the notion that you can diet, lose weight, then go back to eating the way you were before the diet. Just. Doesn't. Work.
I, personally, blame manufacturers for creating higher calorie foods in the first place. They do it because it's profitable. Something loaded with sugar or saturated fat is going to sell better than a healthier version of it with no added sugar/fats. Sure, everyone's definition of 'healthy' is different, but for me the difference may be making a chicken fried steak with a good quality piece of lean steak, whole grain flour coating, and baked rather than a fatty piece of meat which is low protein, filled with 'fillers', fried in heavy oil, and frozen and laced with tons of sodium. Cook it yourself, pay attention to how it's made and the ingredients you put into it, and you will learn to adjust your diet to something that is sustainable. Making a burger? Use lean hamburger, or better yet, grind it yourself using lean cuts of meat rather than buying that 70% lean pre-made patty or eating the burger from the fast food place that is laced with extra sodium, slathered in full fat mayo with extra cheese. For the most part fast food = bad food. That includes packaged foods pre-made and frozen. That's just my .02, and it's helped me learn to prepare better foods for myself and my family, and it's helped me maintain my weight for the last 2+ years beyond the initial stage of losing weight.
If all you want to do is lose the weight just so you can go back to gaining weight afterward then by all means you should be dieting, not adjusting your diet.
Well.... why do you blame food companies? If you have a business that sells something and people keep buying it and you make money, wouldn't you keep making it? I once blamed food companies for making hyperpalitable foods and selling them dirt cheap. I no longer do that. It's MY choice to eat that or not. Not the companies choice. I think we westerners/ modern industrialized country's want to blame others for our problems. Especially us people under 50. Many of us were brought up not having to take responsibility for our actions. Well..... the bill is due.... pay it.... or don't. Our CHOICE.10 -
cmriverside wrote: »The other thing too, angela - play around with what you are eating. For instance I can't really have too many carbs at any one time or it leaves me hungry soon after. I don't eat low carb, but I'm usually right around 150g or less every day. I make sure every meal and snack has protein, carbs and fat.
When I first started my food choices were centered around (and had been for a long time) cereals, bread, sweets, fruits. I tried to keep eating that way and I was always hungry. For me, cutting down on wheat was a great change I made. It seems to just make me hungrier. I don't think I have any kind of sensitivity to it but I think it does me no favors. I also stopped buying things that I would tend to eat the whole package in one sitting - like cookies, crackers, cereal or chips. When I was on low cal, having that stuff around was a recipe for disaster.
Then I started really paying attention to getting enough protein, fat, and fiber. So that meant most of my meals were heavy on the vegetables. That in itself helped tremendously. Volume and nutrition.
This is me!2 -
gailjankovski wrote: »I haven't seen the show - but is it even possible to get fat eating for hunger? I doubt it. I think we get fat eating for pleasure, or from habit. If we only ate for hunger it would be easy.
The levels of the various hormones are what make you feel hungry and many people have to stop eating because they logically know they have consumed enough but they still feel hungry. So yes, it is very possible to get fat eating from hunger. Also remember that our natural instinct is to eat all we can when food is available because it wasn't always available like it is now.3 -
kshama2001 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »The other thing too, angela - play around with what you are eating. For instance I can't really have too many carbs at any one time or it leaves me hungry soon after. I don't eat low carb, but I'm usually right around 150g or less every day. I make sure every meal and snack has protein, carbs and fat.
When I first started my food choices were centered around (and had been for a long time) cereals, bread, sweets, fruits. I tried to keep eating that way and I was always hungry. For me, cutting down on wheat was a great change I made. It seems to just make me hungrier. I don't think I have any kind of sensitivity to it but I think it does me no favors. I also stopped buying things that I would tend to eat the whole package in one sitting - like cookies, crackers, cereal or chips. When I was on low cal, having that stuff around was a recipe for disaster.
Then I started really paying attention to getting enough protein, fat, and fiber. So that meant most of my meals were heavy on the vegetables. That in itself helped tremendously. Volume and nutrition.
This is me!
This is me as well
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From the Fat2Fit website, there's a quote regarding figuring out what your maintenance calories would be for your optimum body weight. Start eating that way "and you'll never have to be on 'a diet' again."2
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CarvedTones wrote: »A lot of us get fat from an ED. It is easier to suppress it with motivation, which you have a lot of while losing, than discipline, which is what you need in maintenance. Both work to suppress it but it is harder to maintain discipline because it has to be forever.
That is pretty much the opposite of the problem, usually.
"Motivation" wanes. You have a finite amount of "motivation", so to speak.
But you can learn to develop and strengthen your resolve / discipline the more often you employ it, like developing a good habit.
Both of these things are well documented.
Develop the discipline up front and this problem practically solves itself.
Also "a lot of us" do not have an Eating Disorder and that is not why "we" get fat.
But "many of us" have bad habits revolving around how we abuse portion sizes, use food as a reward, or treat food like some sort of emotional outlet or proxy.
I've never heard stuff like that described as an ED before.
Furthermore, many "of us" do not know the difference between hunger or appetite nor how to think about things in the long-term.
Diets often fail because people revert to bad habits afterwards, no matter if the "diet" was working previously or not.
That is the whole reason the fluffy terms like "lifestyle change" started gaining traction.
Get people thinking about their life choices and habits for the long-term instead of "OMG!!! I have to lose 20 lbs for the wedding in 6 weeks!!!! Poor me!!!!"2 -
kommodevaran wrote: »To me - English is not my first language, but we have a similar distinction in Norwegian - "a diet" is just what you eat. "Going on a diet" is eating in a specific, externally prescribed way with the purpose of losing weight. "Dieting" is eating less (fewer calories) with the intention of losing weight. There are also specific diets for other conditions, like diets intended to manage or alleviate the symptoms of, or prevent complications from, diabetes, epilepsy, high cholesterol etc.
I agree very much with picking good terms for what you're doing, and filling those terms with positive meaning. Many people treat "lifestyle change" as yet another diet - same sh|it, new wrapping.
I also struggled a lot with my weight, but that wasn't because I was hungry when dieting; the diet I was on, was physically sufficient, plenty of calories and nutrition to not starve - it was just that the diet was made up of foods/combinations of foods I wouldn't have eaten if I wasn't intending to lose weight.
Figuring out how to eat in a way I truly enjoy - which is food I like in amounts that keeps me healthy and my weight stable, was the gamechanger.
Kom..... single? Lol0 -
CarvedTones wrote: »A lot of us get fat from an ED. It is easier to suppress it with motivation, which you have a lot of while losing, than discipline, which is what you need in maintenance. Both work to suppress it but it is harder to maintain discipline because it has to be forever.
That is pretty much the opposite of the problem, usually.
"Motivation" wanes. You have a finite amount of "motivation", so to speak.
But you can learn to develop and strengthen your resolve / discipline the more often you employ it, like developing a good habit.
Both of these things are well documented.
Develop the discipline up front and this problem practically solves itself.
Also "a lot of us" do not have an Eating Disorder and that is not why "we" get fat.
But "many of us" have bad habits revolving around how we abuse portion sizes, use food as a reward, or treat food like some sort of emotional outlet or proxy.
I've never heard stuff like that described as an ED before.
Furthermore, many "of us" do not know the difference between hunger or appetite nor how to think about things in the long-term.
Diets often fail because people revert to bad habits afterwards, no matter if the "diet" was working previously or not.
That is the whole reason the fluffy terms like "lifestyle change" started gaining traction - start thinking about your life choices and habits in the long-term.
Actually, a lot of that sounds like the technical definition of an ED. Our decisions to continue such practices lead to some of us becoming obese in some ways. You are both correct IMHO.1 -
psychod787 wrote: »Actually, a lot of that sounds like the technical definition of an ED. Our decisions to continue such practices lead to some of us becoming obese in some ways. You are both correct IMHO.
Fair enough. I just looked it up.
According to the current list of symptoms on https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/warning-signs-and-symptoms pretty much everyone on the planet now has signs of an eating disorder.
I guess everyone gets a participation trophy for this too.7
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