Why are restrictive diets so popular?
Replies
-
There are loads of reasons why people choose the way they try to lose weight, someone could probably write a best seller on it....I don't know them all but one thing I do know is that Maintaining that 'your' way of losing weight is the only 'proper' way is like being a religious or racial bigot.... Horses for courses folks!2
-
My wife has been using Slimming World 'Syns' for years and years. She wont eat some of the lovely healthy food I prepare either because it is not Syn free or she cant calculate it. This has ABSOLUTELY worked for her as it enabled her to first of all lose weight and then keep at maintenance while still enjoying some of the finer foods and drinks occasionally.
I have a very overweight friend who knows he should lose weight and who says he wants to and 'sticks to the 5:2 diet'. He hasn't lost a pound since I started my weight loss almost 100 days ago. He can see the progress I am making and when I tell him it's basically CI v CO supported by more walking, less alcohol, and a huge (for me) reduction in sweets, treats, cheese etc he focuses on the walking (he does little exercise) and says 'oh it must be the exercise doing it then'. He tells everyone who listens his weight must be 'medical' or 'because of the tablets I'm taking because I've been doing the 5:2 for years'. He may be right but I'm not so sure.....!
4 -
"
I carb cycle; eat more carbs on lifting days to fuel training, eat less on rest days to aid cutting weight. It's a popular and successful plan, and easy to implement. It doesn't involve restriction and isn't something to get upset about. Nor is keto.
Is that really all it is? Someone please laugh with me because it’s one of several things I haven’t read into yet. I read and watch a lot of videos about proper form when lifting etc. Other things become noise. Carb cycling is actually pretty intuitive, it turns out. Thanks!
Maybe my tendency to research into what I want to do is the reason why I’d never consider paying someone for their dieting or workout plan. I own a bodybuilding book, used to buy magazines, and now read reputable online sources about lifting and nutrition. That’s probably way too much work for many. They’d rather pay someone to tell them what’s “right” and quick and will gaurantee success.2 -
witchaywoman81 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »
Some people dont want to count calories and would find it restrictive and torture.
Yeah, that’s a good point! I have even seen people here bemoaning this, saying, “do I have to do this FOREVER?” I like the point that’s been mentioned a few times as well about structure. Maybe that’s something we all need. I get it from tracking my calories and eating what I want, while others get it from having a prescribed list of foods to choose from.
Yes! It had never occurred to be that some might view calorie counting as restrictive and/or torture!
If I think about it, it’s just a set of rules and structure: eat this many calories and strive for these macros. I suppose entering foods may be tedious or torture for some.
What I’m doing does not feel restrictive at all- my calorie deficit is about 200 a day and if I’m actually hungry, I just add am extra 100 calorie snack.This weekend my macros went out the window because I made perogies for the first time in years and I FEASTED. So, most of the time I’m strict, but then I’m okay with enjoying things occasionally. And it’s working. The actual counting and figuring out my food is just part of my daily routine like brushing my teeth is.1 -
I think restrictive diets are popular because we live in a society that values punishment. You're fat, therefore you must deserve to be punished. You should deprive yourself to be a better (thinner) person. I think it is crap, but there you go.7
-
I honestly don’t mind that people have restrictive diets. For me, I can’t eat what I use to because it doesn’t fit my calories so I guess I am somewhat restrictive myself. The problem I have is when people don’t understand the mechanism that’s behind their weight loss. Keto for example. It’s the people who drop 15lbs in 2 weeks and think it’s magic when in reality it’s science based and it would happen even if you didn’t slap a label on it.3
-
Because we want it NOW, too bad most of the time we don’t even give a thought about how are we going to Maintain in the long run, if we did we would take our time to learn and make it a LIFESTYLE ...I did on my last attempt (took my time & ate in a balanced way) I lost 45 lbs in almost 2 years, but I’m maintaining for almost 11 years!!!
No fad diets for me
8 -
I'll just reiterate what others have said. Those who I know went on a more restrictive diet (mainly keto) did so because they viewed calorie counting as tedious and difficult to adhere to. I tried Keto and I was miserable one it whereas counting my calories is simple and has become second nature to me now.5
-
I honestly don’t mind that people have restrictive diets. For me, I can’t eat what I use to because it doesn’t fit my calories so I guess I am somewhat restrictive myself.
To me this reads “moderation.”
But I guess to some, moderation = restrictive.
It’s all relative really. What I think is moderate, others consider restrictive. Still others think it isn’t restrictive enough.
7 -
Because we want it NOW, too bad most of the time we don’t even give a thought about how are we going to Maintain in the long run, if we did we would take our time to learn and make it a LIFESTYLE ...I did on my last attempt (took my time & ate in a balanced way) I lost 45 lbs in almost 2 years, but I’m maintaining for almost 11 years!!!
No fad diets for me
That’s awesome. And true!1 -
pierinifitness wrote: »There’s more than one way to get the job done and what you describe as torture about your friends’ weight loss journey may be pleasant and palatable to them. Hold your breath judging them and others who aren’t doing it your way. See where you’re at in six months and then maybe make your next judgment.
I lost 33 lbs. in 173 days practicing intermittent fasting. Some would call it a restrictive approach. I saw it differently and didn’t feel deprived but, rather, very disciplined. It worked, for me.
Same here, I lost 25 lbs doing IF nothing else, I simply skip breakfast. I did not count calories/points, etc. No interest in doing any of that. For me it worked and I like the structure of an eating window as opposed to the structure of counting or tracking calories.
9 -
witchaywoman81 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »But I'm rather bemused by the smug superiority some posters seem to have about it, and the derogatory assumptions about other people's lesser methods.
🙋♀️ Full disclosure, I’ve been totally guilty of rolling my eyes at the many, many keto threads in these forums. If that woe works for someone long term, who am I to judge? I think I unintentionally project my own biases there. This is where I think it would be helpful to at least be able to ADD to posts later, but alas...
I can definitely see where I came off as a bit of a know-it-all in the OP, which is ridiculous, considering that fact that I’ve been at this for real for less than 2 months and still have a good 50+ pounds to lose. We will see where I am in a few months, but one thing I do know right now is that I don’t even feel like I’m “dieting.” Some days are harder than others and some days that voice in my head (which sounds a whole heck of a lot like my mother) asks me why I’m not losing weight faster.
This woe has been a real epiphany and a relief to me, after trying so many other woe over the years, without successfully losing weight.
I've seen a really cool graphic posted in other forums about other WOE and how basically they all come down to one thing - they're restricting something in the diet, which in turn causes calorie restriction, which means you'll lose weight. Keto, IF, low-carb, etc... They all restrict *food*, which helps restrict the calories at the end of the day.
But like others have said, it's clearly in how the food is restricted... how palatable (pun totally intended) it is to the person, that makes or breaks success. I know a couple that is doing "keto lite", and every time they mention it, I roll my eyes too. But my personal issue lies in mis-naming something when another perfectly good name is there - and that's my issue. They're restricting food in a way that doesn't make them feel like it's a restriction, they're losing weight, and it's working for them, for now. I suspect, knowing them, that they're going to stop this and go on another type of restrictive diet, because they get bored quickly, but at least they'll move on to something else, they'll continue to try.
Whereas my brain likes data, and hard facts, and so counting calories, and weighing things on a scale makes me feel like I'm doing something other than not-eating. So I feel more in charge, but I know family and friends think I'm on a *very* restrictive diet, more so than keto et al.
3 -
Merriam Webster defines "diet" as food and drink regularly provided or consumed.
If you eat only fruits and vegetables you could call it a vegetarian diet.
If you have high blood pressure you may call it a low sodium diet.
If you want to lose weight it's a restrictive diet (there are plenty to choose from).
Whatever your reasons, your "diet" is your habitual nourishment. If you're eating, you're on a "diet".
Good or bad, for whatever reason, you are what you eat.4 -
Over the nearly 6 years that I have been doing IIFYM I have probably had 20 people ask me what my fitness program is - when I give them an overview, not one of them (to my knowledge) cared to give it a try. Consistently living to your calorie and macros thresholds isn't sexy or exciting. Meanwhile, things like Whole 30, Paleo, detoxes, cleanses, no-sugar/no-grains, wraps, juice/shake only diets, etc., are eagerly embraced, tried for a short period, and then abandoned 🤷♂️.12
-
witchaywoman81 wrote: »I have 2 good friends who are on diets at the moment. One is doing something called “carb cycling” and the other is doing what she calls “lazy keto.” I told them both I’m eating what I want and tracking my calories here, and I’ve lost 7 pounds since the beginning of the year, which didn’t seem to deter them from their plans. Not that I was trying to at all, but it got me thinking about why “we” feel like we need to torture ourselves to lose weight. We don’t (generally) gain weight quickly, so why do we feel the need to lose it so quickly? I ask all of these hypothetical questions as someone who has tried my own share of quick fixes...with little success.
I think many people underestimate the psychology. We "know" losing weight is hard. Maybe we have tried before and failed, or maybe we know someone, like a close friend or a family member who has failed.
This reinforce the psychology. Losing weight is hard. Period. This "fact" makes us take irrational decisions. It will take an extraordinary effort to lose the weight, and the diet must also be extraordinary, hence all the crazy diets out there.
Sadly, the only extraordinary thing about all of this is the failure rate. under 10% will actually lose the weight and maintain over a period of time.
100% believe they are amongst the sub10%5 -
Someone in my workplace corrected me yesterday on my way of losing weight.
She took me aside and asked if I had lost some weight (yes, 25 lbs) and was I losing intentionally (yes, why?). She thought, because I commonly share in birthday cakes and cookies in the office, I couldn't be on a diet, so I must be sick or something. Then I got a lecture on the proper restrictive way to lose weight.
So even though my "stealth" diet is working, it's not right. I guess I'm supposed to do a lot of public suffering.25 -
First, let me say that I think any well-rounded nutrition that gets someone happily to a healthy weight is a very fine thing. Yay, you! :flowerforyou:
But tricksy named diets are common, often unsuccessful, and I think there are various reasons why they're popular. Others have posted some good insights. I'll just add my ramble:
First, I suspect many people implicitly think their current eating is OK and normal: It's how the people around them eat, and in some cases we'll believe we're eating no more than others around us who "eat the same" but are thin - coworkers or friends, typically. So, those other people must have a "faster metabolism" or something. (All of these are skewed beliefs, in this scenario).
If what we're doing is OK and normal, and we have a special-high hill to climb to reach success, then we need a method or mechanism or hack or something. This primes us to be fooled. Enter the marketers and blogs and TV shows and friends who follow/preach the fads . . . and we're off and running.
Second, there's a thread of guilt and shame around being overweight (not universal, not powerful in every individual, but common in the wild). This can create the implicit (not fully thought out) belief that if being fat is bad, we are bad for being fat, so penance will be necessary if we are to be saved. Enter the expectation that misery must be endured, in order to lose weight. If it were pleasant, we won't have suffered enough for our sin of gluttony. (The extreme weight loss shows contribute to this one by showing people being miserable (must be what it takes, eh?), losing weight, then getting a praise ceremony at the end, plus maybe cash.)
Third, add a dash of "bad at science/bad at math" or tendency toward conspiracy theories (the evil corporations making us helpless people fat, so we gotta find the secrets they're hiding from us, or somesuch thing). It's a minority of people who fit in this third point, but it happens at an observable rate in the general population. When it occurs, these people find claims harder to evaluate accurately, and can encourage some to turn away from "boring" sources full of statistics and studies and moderate advice, and go for something lively and psychologically seductive (that has plenty of footnotes pretty much no one actually links to and reads, and the occasional "science-y" word to sound more persuasive).
Fourth, named diets are a social bonding experience. If our friends all do the "Giraffe Phlegm Supplement Diet" (small print: "effective in combination with diet and exercise program on our web site"), and someone(s) lose a few pounds, that will keep a group going, and encouraging each other, and talking about how great they feel, and how they would've lost a bunch but unfortunately they had that birthday party last weekend . . . .
I'm not saying all of these things apply to everyone who undertakes a named diet, a faddy diet, etc. I'm merely suggesting that they're things that don't apply to everyone, but that do contribute to the popularity of tricksy weight loss diets and products.17 -
lthames0810 wrote: »Someone in my workplace corrected me yesterday on my way of losing weight.
She took me aside and asked if I had lost some weight (yes, 25 lbs) and was I losing intentionally (yes, why?). She thought, because I commonly share in birthday cakes and cookies in the office, I couldn't be on a diet, so I must be sick or something. Then I got a lecture on the proper restrictive way to lose weight.
So even though my "stealth" diet is working, it's not right. I guess I'm supposed to do a lot of public suffering.
First off, wow.
Second: Isn't it ironic how there are people out there who want to believe that the quick-fix will work, and knock on the people that actually *do the work*?
Like, hey, drink this crazy tea for 10 days and your entire life will change and you can go back to the old way of eating but you're going to stay thin! But counting calories? ZOMG the suffering! Why aren't you sharing your suffering so other people can feel better about themselves?6 -
lthames0810 wrote: »Someone in my workplace corrected me yesterday on my way of losing weight.
She took me aside and asked if I had lost some weight (yes, 25 lbs) and was I losing intentionally (yes, why?). She thought, because I commonly share in birthday cakes and cookies in the office, I couldn't be on a diet, so I must be sick or something. Then I got a lecture on the proper restrictive way to lose weight.
So even though my "stealth" diet is working, it's not right. I guess I'm supposed to do a lot of public suffering.
Oh my gosh..how annoying and weird of her!
I hate hate hate it, when people think that eating cookies/cakes is forbidden on an eating plan.
I have a friend that will say..."I am so bad, I just ate a slice of pizza" or I just ate a whole squash for dinner, I am so bad"....I hate that overdramatic *kitten*!
8 -
deannalfisher wrote: »I would disagree carb cycling is restrictive - it’s just tweaking your daily calories to workouts
I understand its genesis in athletic contexts, where it can certainly make good sense.
There seems to be, at the margins, a bit of early fad-ification happening around carb cycling now. It seems like some of the trendy blogs and such are starting to pick up on it, and imply that it has weight loss magic "because hormones", "because insulin", etc. - the usual lines.
It's not uncommon for something to start reasonably, in a well-thought-out context (often specialist contexts like elite athletics, bodybuilding, etc.) where the science is important/respected and the practice is structured to apply the science to achieving clear, specific goals . . . then it starts being picked up by trendy fitness bloggers, IGers, etc., as the next big thing, pulled out of context, often misunderstood or misrepresented, and marketed as somehow magical "because all the elites do it".
Look at HIIT, for example. A good thing as originally defined, useful in a context, studied and benefits found, pulled into other contexts, translated into other activities that don't meet the original definition or occur in the original context, still called HIIT and the original studied benefits still claimed (in the most click-bait-y, bad-math statistics ways), popularized to the point where beginners think they should do HIIT every day for an hour. (I exaggerate only slightly.)10 -
I hate when coworkers see me indulging in a treat or slice of homemade pizza and ask "but arent you on a diet?". I have explained to these people that I am but I make room for an occasional treat. They dont get it. They think I need to eat nothing but lettuce and unseasoned chicken to lose weight.10
-
lthames0810 wrote: »Someone in my workplace corrected me yesterday on my way of losing weight.
She took me aside and asked if I had lost some weight (yes, 25 lbs) and was I losing intentionally (yes, why?). She thought, because I commonly share in birthday cakes and cookies in the office, I couldn't be on a diet, so I must be sick or something. Then I got a lecture on the proper restrictive way to lose weight.
So even though my "stealth" diet is working, it's not right. I guess I'm supposed to do a lot of public suffering.
Oh my gosh..how annoying and weird of her!
I hate hate hate it, when people think that eating cookies/cakes is forbidden on an eating plan.
I have a friend that will say..."I am so bad, I just ate a slice of pizza" or I just ate a whole squash for dinner, I am so bad"....I hate that overdramatic *kitten*!
I agree, like somehow you are unable to fit in a dessert within your calories. Guess there's no such thing as limiting what you eat in a day to fit a sweet in? Silly.3 -
paperpudding wrote: »I agree with Emberlain - sometimes we get too caught up in calorie counting and smugly think that is the be all and end all way for everyone.
Some people dont want to count calories and would find it restrictive and torture.
But they are quite happy following a prescribed diet that, for example, restricts high calorie carbs and call it lazy keto or carb cycling, however that works.
or a plan that says Breakfast - 1 bowl of oatmeal, Lunch pick from this or that etc
As long as the plans are not silly restrictive quick fixes (eg eat bananas only for 3 days a week or suchlike) - which carb cycling and lazy keto do not seem to be - then no problem.
What they are doing works for them, what you are doing works for you.
No need for anyone to be detered.
Yes, I have heard that before in my family..(bold print above..)... But in the end, it was just that they couldn't face the fact that the total of the calories in the food log where their responsibility alone...nobody else to blame.... Some people (in my circle of friends and family) can't go without the frequent 'pity party', it seems. They need to draw attention to their restrictive diets... They always end up back on the 'frequently-overweight' side, and all I hear is 'Oh..I could never have your discipline...' Duhhh...keep trying for more than 2 weeks, sister....
7 -
When I first started trying to watch what I ate, I was lost. There are so many conflicting stories out there on diets, what works, macros to watch, carbs to avoid. What constitutes healthy fruits, what has too much calories or are too dense in calories that will leave me hungry, etc.
Then you get all the before and after photos of the results these diets get you. They all have their own as they all work in varying degrees (I'll let everyone else argue about why and how they do). But hell, who doesn't want to get the results these people get. And if all you have to do is strictly and blindly follow the instructions on the diet for 60 - 90 days people will jump on board in hopes of the easy fix (easy to follow, but yes hard in restrictions). That's the promise and allure they have. Also if they don't work you can blame the diet not yourself and try another.
I desperately looked for simple to follow diets so I could just follow along and get the results, but as I'm learning it's not just as easy as blindly following the diets.2 -
Losing weight requires a change of some sort. Personally I did it by tracking calories but a restrictive diet also changes behavior and what/how much you eat. The only problem is to keep weight off you have to keep doing whatever you did to lose it. Most folks aren't prepared to stick to carb-cycling/fake-keto/whatever-faddy-carb-diet for life.
People are dumb about carbs in general. So many people who comment on my weight loss say "you must not eat any carbs" and they are dead wrong. I just nod and smile because I've given up trying to explain that fiber-rich plant-based whole foods like beans, quinoa, potatoes, and winter squash are not the same as doughnuts and pizza.6 -
When I first started trying to watch what I ate, I was lost. There are so many conflicting stories out there on diets, what works, macros to watch, carbs to avoid. What constitutes healthy fruits, what has too much calories or are too dense in calories that will leave me hungry, etc.
Then you get all the before and after photos of the results these diets get you. They all have their own as they all work in varying degrees (I'll let everyone else argue about why and how they do). But hell, who doesn't want to get the results these people get. And if all you have to do is strictly and blindly follow the instructions on the diet for 60 - 90 days people will jump on board in hopes of the easy fix (easy to follow, but yes hard in restrictions). That's the promise and allure they have. Also if they don't work you can blame the diet not yourself and try another.
I desperately looked for simple to follow diets so I could just follow along and get the results, but as I'm learning it's not just as easy as blindly following the diets.
Some of the skeezier sites just grab good-lookin' before & after pics from places like the MFP Success Strories forum: No need to go through all the trouble of actually getting real people to follow the site's torturously difficult and arcane methods.
Similar concept to hiring a fitness model or known-name athlete to demo the latest infomercial fitness device: The person demo-ing didn't use the device to get the body they have; they're just adding the aura of their past persistent hard work to somebody's tricksy and probably ineffective product.
(Difference is that the subjects of stolen before & afters don't get a nice paycheck for it).
7 -
I think some people want to feel like they've finally solved the "Da Vinci Code" for weight loss, vs the simple but not easy CI<CO (no matter how you get there).4
-
Teabythesea_ wrote: »For some reason a lot of people don't like accepting the fact that they are in complete control of their weight. They will blame anything and everything, except themselves, for being overweight. The diet industry is partially to blame. They know they won't make money if everyone knows that it's not about what they eat, but how much, so they continue to feed lies to the public about what is making them fat and what they need to do about it. A lot of people know its rubbish, but then you have the ones who don't. Then it turns into a game of telephone that ends with Brenda in her cubicle eating her fat bombs and drinking her ACV. She can't tell you how it works, just that it does and anyone who loses weight without doing these things is just "lucky."
*no offense to any Brendas out there, I'm sure you're great people*
Nailed it. There are endless numbers of people looking to increase their power by taking responsibility and ownership over you.
You must first realize the prison of your own mind before you can escape it. No one can help you, but you.6 -
Look at HIIT, for example. A good thing as originally defined, useful in a context, studied and benefits found, pulled into other contexts, translated into other activities that don't meet the original definition or occur in the original context, still called HIIT and the original studied benefits still claimed (in the most click-bait-y, bad-math statistics ways), popularized to the point where beginners think they should do HIIT every day for an hour. (I exaggerate only slightly.)
HIIT is a great example. Most of the general population, i.e. those that really desire the benefits of HIIT and who are not already elite athletes, would not be able to do true HIIT every day, let alone for an hour at any one time.
When you see fitness models on their Bowflexes in the commercials showing moderate effort and that you spend "only 14 minutes", that's not exactly reality.
HIIT is hard hard hard..... if you do it right. It's really hard. The first sprint or two or three...no problem. In the commercial you are probably seeing the first or second sprint - not the ninth or tenth.
I do HIIT - about once per week, sometimes twice. I use it as a conditioning component as a part of my overall strength training program. I use a Concept 2 (C2) Rower because it lends itself well to the process and it is easily measurable. 30 second all-out sprints, followed by 90 second rest x 10 rounds. It's all I can do to stagger back to the locker room. I can do steady state rows on the same machine for 40 minutes and walk back to the locker room sweating, but having a good low intensity session. Completely different thing.
The benefits of HIIT, reported EPOC, should last for 48 hours after the fact - if you are doing it right. With that in mind, it makes no sense to do it 6x per week as many people claim to do. 1-2 times per week for most of us. Maybe 3 if you are part of the small percentage of those who are super fit.
Ultimately when paired with diet, it's still diet that has the biggest impact on weight loss. And it's not close.8 -
The truth is a large amount of people simply lack the willpower to not "cheat" themselves if they aren't given a specific set of guidelines to follow that they can't deviate from.
If you add to that the fact that most "restrictive" diets also cut out a large majority of empty high calorie items (cookies, cakes, large sugar items, processed foods, etc..), then those that follow them also gain that benefit.
If I eat one muffin for breakfast it's 400+ calories...on a keto or low-carb or paleo or whatever diet I never get that 400 calorie monster as an option..so I need to eat 6 hard boiled eggs, or a bunch of bacon, or a good amount of oatmeal or something that realistically will keep me from "grazing" on something else and blowing my daily caloric intake.
Any "diet" works if you have the willpower to make it work.
I personally like the calorie-counting method, I've lost 40+ lbs on it, then stopped, then gained it back...I've done that probably 5 times in the last 7 years. It is both a blessing AND a curse, as I know that I can abandon in a reckless fashion and re-lose the weight when I want, almost on demand (well, about 5-6 months of actual time to lose it)....
I have yet to be able to go "off" either a restrictive diet or a calorie-counting method and not gain that weight back...even though I seem hell-bent on continuing to test that theory....
6
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 430 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions