"DIETS"

snookumss

So... here's the deal.

I know for the everyday average person, the view is that diets don't work. They temporarily make you eat a certain way and as soon as you stop eating that way you'll eat the way you normally were and gain it all back over some amount of time.

For athletes, why can't people go on "DIETS"?

For example. Now that I have MFP under my belt, I am aware how to maintain weight. I understand how much protein I need to maintain muscle, I count all my calories and do what I am supposed to do. Why is it that at the very mention of the word diet people go on a "DIETS ARE BAD" rampage?! Why can't a serious person go on a temporary low-cal or whatever extreme diet they want and cut some fat?

Seriously, any competing athlete knows what I am talking about. Some (wrestlers, power lifters, boxers, any other weigh-in necessary sport) even stop drinking water and do crazy cardio to further dehydrate themselves for weigh-ins. Why is a "DIET" so wrong if somebody understands how to utilize it and maintain later?

Why do people have to have little rant sessions about how "DIETS" don't work and lifestyle changes do... when somebody serious could utilize both?

*pant pant*

Ranting here "D

ninerbuff

So... here's the deal.

I know for the everyday average person, the view is that diets don't work. They temporarily make you eat a certain way and as soon as you stop eating that way you'll eat the way you normally were and gain it all back over some amount of time.

For athletes, why can't people go on "DIETS"?

For example. Now that I have MFP under my belt, I am aware how to maintain weight. I understand how much protein I need to maintain muscle, I count all my calories and do what I am supposed to do. Why is it that at the very mention of the word diet people go on a "DIETS ARE BAD" rampage?! Why can't a serious person go on a temporary low-cal or whatever extreme diet they want and cut some fat?

Seriously, any competing athlete knows what I am talking about. Some (wrestlers, power lifters, boxers, any other weigh-in necessary sport) even stop drinking water and do crazy cardio to further dehydrate themselves for weigh-ins. Why is a "DIET" so wrong if somebody understands how to utilize it and maintain later?

Why do people have to have little rant sessions about how "DIETS" don't work and lifestyle changes do... when somebody serious could utilize both?

*pant pant*

Ranting here "D

People that "cut weight" (boxers, wrestlers, competitive fighters, weightlifters) do it by dehydrating. It's not an actual "diet" but deprivation of water just to make weight. They don't maintain it though and in a day gain a lot back.
Diets have basically been shown as weight loss programs. Most are restrictive. That's why a majority of people gain lost weight back plus more.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

SergeantSunshine_reused

My dad was a wrestler and coaches boxing. I have seem what those guys go through xD
I think the diets they go through are crazy because they have to be at a certain weight and have to make it by a certain time. So it is more accepted :] I'm sure if I did and my mfp friends knew I was in that sort of sport then they would understand you have to go to crazy measures.

I think the reason for the explosion on here is because many people will use it as a quick fix. Or expect that they will lose more weight doing a "diet" eating the same calories as mfp allows. So a lot of time we are just pointing out that there is no use. Or people want to give up foods completely on said diet once again thinking that they will lose more

snookumss

So... here's the deal.

I know for the everyday average person, the view is that diets don't work. They temporarily make you eat a certain way and as soon as you stop eating that way you'll eat the way you normally were and gain it all back over some amount of time.

For athletes, why can't people go on "DIETS"?

For example. Now that I have MFP under my belt, I am aware how to maintain weight. I understand how much protein I need to maintain muscle, I count all my calories and do what I am supposed to do. Why is it that at the very mention of the word diet people go on a "DIETS ARE BAD" rampage?! Why can't a serious person go on a temporary low-cal or whatever extreme diet they want and cut some fat?

Seriously, any competing athlete knows what I am talking about. Some (wrestlers, power lifters, boxers, any other weigh-in necessary sport) even stop drinking water and do crazy cardio to further dehydrate themselves for weigh-ins. Why is a "DIET" so wrong if somebody understands how to utilize it and maintain later?

Why do people have to have little rant sessions about how "DIETS" don't work and lifestyle changes do... when somebody serious could utilize both?

*pant pant*

Ranting here "D

People that "cut weight" (boxers, wrestlers, competitive fighters, weightlifters) do it by dehydrating. It's not an actual "diet" but deprivation of water just to make weight. They don't maintain it though and in a day gain a lot back.
Diets have basically been shown as weight loss programs. Most are restrictive. That's why a majority of people gain lost weight back plus more.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Cutting weight isn't ALWAYS just dehydration, my boyfriend in college went from the 230's to 162 by doing crazy cardio and eating only carrots and celery for an extended period of time. He went back up to about 185 after the weigh-in and maintained it for years. He also was amazingly strong and pulled the best deadlift of his life at the smaller bodyweight. He cut for 5-6 weeks to make that goal. Motivation there 'D It really depends on the athlete and how long they spend actually trying to cut weight. If they do it the day or two before (as I have) its only water weight and such, but sometimes there are the determined ones who actually do cut fat.

ninerbuff

Cutting weight isn't ALWAYS just dehydration, my boyfriend in college went from the 230's to 162 by doing crazy cardio and eating only carrots and celery for an extended period of time. He went back up to about 185 after the weigh-in and maintained it for years. He also was amazingly strong and pulled the best deadlift of his life at the smaller bodyweight. He cut for 5-6 weeks to make that goal. Motivation there 'D It really depends on the athlete and how long they spend actually trying to cut weight. If they do it the day or two before (as I have) its only water weight and such, but sometimes there are the determined ones who actually do cut fat.

But cutting weight for a weigh in is usually only a few days. He didn't do what he did in a few days. Also, I wouldn't advocate a crazy diet to just cut weight in a short period of time, nor to just compete in a certain weight class.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

snookumss

But my point is, why cannot people use a sort of fad diet or crazy temporary diet for a few weeks and make the weight loss last afterwards? If they use MFP, its totally possible to make that method work! I personally don't have the self control to do that, but why is it such a big deal if somebody considers this?

ninerbuff

But my point is, why cannot people use a sort of fad diet or crazy temporary diet for a few weeks and make the weight loss last afterwards? If they use MFP, its totally possible to make that method work! I personally don't have the self control to do that, but why is it such a big deal if somebody considers this?

Because in most cases the weight loss is as temporary as the diet itself. Liquid diets, starvation diets, cabbage soup diets, etc. are all very calorie restricted diets and many don't supply the essentials you need in a day without going over the calorie count that's recommend for that diet. That harm's the body more than helps it. Now a couple of days or 2 won't kill you, but a few weeks can really start messing with regular body activity.
I posted an thread awhile back on how many females will disregard the dangers of any diet, if they just lost 10lbs. in a very short time.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/397661-females-do-you-do-this?error_user_id=9285851&error_username=ninerbuff&hl=women+will+do+anything+to+lose+weight

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

myofibril

But my point is, why cannot people use a sort of fad diet or crazy temporary diet for a few weeks and make the weight loss last afterwards? If they use MFP, its totally possible to make that method work! I personally don't have the self control to do that, but why is it such a big deal if somebody considers this?

They can if they know how to structure that type of diet properly to provide sufficient nutrition, not compromise their recovery ability and depress metabolic rate by doing too much planned exercise, not sacrifice a disproportionate amount of existing muscle mass, have realistic expectations of what they will actually achieve (lots of water loss but very little actual fat) and also know how to transition out of it into normal eating to prevent excess and rapid fat oxidation.

Could the vast majority of the people on here know how to structure such a plan properly? No.

In instances where posters seem insistent on what is essentially crash dieting I have referred them to Lyle McDonald's "Rapid Fat Loss Handbook" so at least they have a shot of doing so safely.

KimmieBrie

But my point is, why cannot people use a sort of fad diet or crazy temporary diet for a few weeks and make the weight loss last afterwards? If they use MFP, its totally possible to make that method work! I personally don't have the self control to do that, but why is it such a big deal if somebody considers this?

Usually a quick diet does not permanently keep you at your goal. Your boyfriend gained back over 20 pounds - not all you're right, but he gained back and athletes are typically in shape. If you want to make "goal" and stay there - it's a lifestyle change - not temporary. Temporary quick fixes usually get temporary quick results. So people criticize "diets" - more like fad diets, things you can't maintain = because they just don't work in the long run.