Why use a restrictive dieting plan...

ninerbuff

Also, it is not criticizing. Just speaking the truth.

Every single person would be much healthier without junk food and fake processed foods. As I previously mentioned, my Doctors agree with me and the state of the U.S. shows how much people really care..................if people cared there wouldn't be a 60% obesity rate in this country.

The truth is that fake and processed foods are ALL OVER THE WORLD. Other countries don't have the same issue because they don't OVEREAT. Correlation isn't causation.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Mama_CAEI

Personally I think the whole "in moderation" is a bunch of excuses not to make permanent lifestyle changes. I am sorry, but eating the same things you were eating that made you fat in the first place and then switching to just eating less of those things is not a lifestyle change.

Gotta disagree here. If you're eating maintenance calories rather than surplus calories, you don't gain weight. That is a SIGNIFICANT lifestyle change.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

^^like

Agreed. Eating less in general is a lifestyle change!! Whether you're eating fast food or a salad, if you're eating less of it, that's a huge change. The first few days I was recording my calories on MFP, I was SOOOOOO hungry by 7 p.m. It took a lot of self-discipline for me to stick with it and once I got over that hump, it's been much easier. I've been at this since May. For some of us, we have been able to change our relationship with food. For others, it's not as easy.
I have 4 kids...I know we will eat kid-pleasing processed crap once in a while and I'm at peace with that (because the rest of the time, we eat healthy balanced meals). But rather than fill my plate with frozen fries and chicken nuggets, I eat a smaller portion and enjoy it more. Moderation works for me, but it's moderation paired with effort.

SwankyTomato

Some people do have foods that can trigger binges. It isn't as easy as saying I will only have one piece of pizza or one cookie, or one _____________. In this case, at least for some time, cutting out certain foods can help a person stay on track. Some people feel like the only way they can be 'dieting' and losing weight is to punish themselves and must remove what they enjoy.

Yep, like I cut out Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, long ago because I would eat the whole bag in one sitting.

I am modifying my diet with limiting myself to 1 soda a day. It is my treat.

I think you need to find a balance that works for you.

raiderrodney

Some people do have foods that can trigger binges. It isn't as easy as saying I will only have one piece of pizza or one cookie, or one _____________. In this case, at least for some time, cutting out certain foods can help a person stay on track. Some people feel like the only way they can be 'dieting' and losing weight is to punish themselves and must remove what they enjoy.

Yep, like I cut out Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, long ago because I would eat the whole bag in one sitting.

I am modifying my diet with limiting myself to 1 soda a day. It is my treat.

I think you need to find a balance that works for you.

Well, at least you are treating yourself to 1 soda I would suggest breaking up a box of the goldfish into individual ziplock bags and treating yourself to those occasionally as well. Takes time...but I believe the more you can train yourself into eating your favorite foods in moderation the more long-term success you will have.

SwankyTomato

Some people do have foods that can trigger binges. It isn't as easy as saying I will only have one piece of pizza or one cookie, or one _____________. In this case, at least for some time, cutting out certain foods can help a person stay on track. Some people feel like the only way they can be 'dieting' and losing weight is to punish themselves and must remove what they enjoy.

Yep, like I cut out Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, long ago because I would eat the whole bag in one sitting.

I am modifying my diet with limiting myself to 1 soda a day. It is my treat.

I think you need to find a balance that works for you.

Well, at least you are treating yourself to 1 soda I would suggest breaking up a box of the goldfish into individual ziplock bags and treating yourself to those occasionally as well. Takes time...but I believe the more you can train yourself into eating your favorite foods in moderation the more long-term success you will have.

I treat myself to plenty so no worries there, lol.

I have not eaten goldfish in yrs and am not going to touch it with a ten ft. pole. That is an example of something I had to banish from my diet.

Grokette

Also, it is not criticizing. Just speaking the truth.

Every single person would be much healthier without junk food and fake processed foods. As I previously mentioned, my Doctors agree with me and the state of the U.S. shows how much people really care..................if people cared there wouldn't be a 60% obesity rate in this country.

The truth is that fake and processed foods are ALL OVER THE WORLD. Other countries don't have the same issue because they don't OVEREAT. Correlation isn't causation.

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

No, everyone does not overeat. Sorry to say, there are many, many obese people in this Country (U.S) that do not overeat. In fact, there are those people like me that have underlying medical issues and barely eat and by eliminating processed fake and processed foods are able to eat more and lose weight.

I eat more calories now than I have in years and I can lose weight instead of gaining, gaining, gaining. However, I only eat fat, protein and the only carbs I get come from vegetables and some fruits.

Between my 3 doctors, personal trainer and my chiropractor that has a background in nutrition they all agree with me about the excuses. I stand by how I feel.

And most countries do not have that much processed foods until recently when they started importing American junk food and hence now the obesity epidemic is on the rise in these countries also.

3dogsrunning

ETA: There are also some foods that i have eaten in the past out of convenience, but now that I'm really watching what I eat I don't want to "waste" my "junk foods" on things I don't like that much anyway. For example, in the past I've eaten at Mcdonalds/Wendys a lot. If I'm watching what I eat and trying to limit these type of "cheat meals" to once a week, I certainly don't want to waste that on something as silly as Mcdonald's or Wendy's- I'd rather have something higher quality. During the week, I theoretically could fit these into my calories, but again have to remind myself that I don't really like these foods that much and would rather make something tastier. It's about being conscience about it and not just grabbing something because it was convenient like I did in the past.

I have always been firmly entrenched in the "all in moderation" group. I still do believe that there is nothing wrong with enjoying the foods you love in moderation. However, recently, I decided to compete in a fitness competition. With that came a pretty restrictive diet. I was really worried how I would survive it. Its not totally restrictive, once a week I get a cheat day at first, then later, only a cheat meal. I am genuinely surprised how it has turned out for me. With my cheat meals being so prized, I started really appreciating the food I was choosing. Like this poster, I have learned that I don't actually enjoy McDonalds or Wendy's, I prefer much higher quality foods. After the show, I will go back to eating some of my favorite foods in moderation, I will always love a good pizza, but I doubt Wendys/McDonalds/Burger King are going to be on my list of moderation foods.

sbrooks0387

i agree! i don't get why people are like i'm on a diet i can not eat this or that when in reality you can just in moderation. tonight we are having pizza for dinner! now the 1/3 of thepizza i will allow myself to have prob will not fill me up so we are having salad with it (and i might even have a breadstick)

then people start wanting what they can't have then when they do allow themselves to have it they fell guilty. plus it's so hard living in the real world and going out and not having to eat something "bad" when you do.

neanderthin

If people want to measure healthy lifestyles then look at their exercise regime if they even have one. An overweight person that exercises is healthier and lives longer than a thin person who doesn't. Diet is important but it doesn't trump exercise for health and longevity.

meerkat70

Between my 3 doctors, personal trainer and my chiropractor that has a background in nutrition they all agree with me about the excuses. I stand by how I feel.

And most countries do not have that much processed foods until recently when they started importing American junk food and hence now the obesity epidemic is on the rise in these countries also.

None of these are nutrition specialists, as has already been pointed out.

I'm completely cool with you 'standing by how you feel'. However, when you start judging how other people feel about *their* food choices... well, I'd want you to support that with actual evidence, and not with an appeal to (slightly dodgy) authority.

(You also might want to take note that a lot of the posters on this thread aren't from the US... And even there, I'd tend to agree with ninerbuff.)

missbis

AGREE. Wholeheartedly. I lost 50 pounds few years ago because I ate the same thing every day and restricted so many foods. Needless to say, I gained about 30lbs back. Now I'm losing weight slowly, but I'm not restricting myself in a psychotic way. I was talking to a co-worker who avoids sugar and bread (who isn't diabetic) and I told her that **I** personally cannot do that because it is unrealistic for me to avoid chocolate cake for the rest of my life! Moderation and good choices lead to long-term weight loss (and pleasure with food!) NOT CRASH DIETS.

missbis

I'm guessing some people hard to restrict portions.
i.e. I can't eat just one small block of chocolate without eating the whole lot, so for me it's been easier to stop all together and now I don't crave it as much.

driaxx, I do agree with this. I think it's okay to restrict certain foods in the very beginning as well when you're trying to jump-start your diet change. Sometimes I'll avoid certain foods when I feel like I'm about to binge because just one taste will be my downfall. However, I indulge in certain foods when I know I can eat a moderate portion.

ZombieChaser

I think it's up to the individual to decide what approach is best for them. I can only speak for myself when I say that I do restrict and outright omit eating certain foods. Why do I do this? Because for me, it's a slippery slope - Let's take Saturday for example. I thought to myself, yeah, I can buy a can of Pringles, and just eat a little bit. No big deal, right? Nah, I ate the entire can...and I know if I had another one, I'd go for that one too. I just can't bring that stuff in the house - when it's not there, I don't miss it, but when I have it around...it's just THAT much harder to resist. Does that make me weak? Maybe. Does not having it in the house at all help me stay on track and lose weight? Most definitly.

I think the trick of it is not to feel sorry for yourself when you say: "aawww I can't have that b/c im on this stupid diet." You're already defeating yourself by saying it that way. I think it also helps to have your friends and family respect your decision to omit certain things from your diet. Like my dear mother who, if I don't take a second serving, will pout in the corner b/c she thinks I don't like her food.

I guess I would describe myself as an "all or nothing" kinda girl. I wish I could moderate my "guilty" foods, but truth is, I would throw it all away if I did.

ninerbuff

No, everyone does not overeat. Sorry to say, there are many, many obese people in this Country (U.S) that do not overeat. In fact, there are those people like me that have underlying medical issues and barely eat and by eliminating processed fake and processed foods are able to eat more and lose weight.

You're comparing apples and oranges based on this thread. If you have an underlying medical issue, then that condition probably doesn't qualify for eating in moderation but a SPECIAL DIET.

I eat more calories now than I have in years and I can lose weight instead of gaining, gaining, gaining. However, I only eat fat, protein and the only carbs I get come from vegetables and some fruits.

But if you OVERCONSUMED more calories than you burn and come in at a surplus daily, regardless of how you ate, you would gain weight. Or do you defy science somehow and are able to do this?

Between my 3 doctors, personal trainer and my chiropractor that has a background in nutrition they all agree with me about the excuses. I stand by how I feel.

They stand by it because it's what they believe too. That doesn't mean it's necessarily correct for EVERYONE.

And most countries do not have that much processed foods until recently when they started importing American junk food and hence now the obesity epidemic is on the rise in these countries also.

Untrue. My family is from the Philippines. I left there in 1968 and even then they were eating canned foods, boxed foods, etc. Compare the average Filipino to the average American and you can tell even with the access to foods, that the majority are still with good BMI numbers.

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

ninerbuff

For those that are "all or nothing", you can learn how to control it through repetition. IMO, it's all or nothing because first chance you get at it while having restricted it for awhile, you'll take the stance that you won't have it again. Part of being successful for my clients is actually learning how to control portions of their favorite foods. Smaller plate sizes in the house, splitting up snacks in little baggies (and not eating out of the container itself) make it easier to learn. If you're WILLING TO DO IT, it can be done. Like anything else, you can't be convinced against your will, you have to make the choice to do it.

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

Hellbent_Heidi

I think it's up to the individual to decide what approach is best for them. I can only speak for myself when I say that I do restrict and outright omit eating certain foods. Why do I do this? Because for me, it's a slippery slope - Let's take Saturday for example. I thought to myself, yeah, I can buy a can of Pringles, and just eat a little bit. No big deal, right? Nah, I ate the entire can...and I know if I had another one, I'd go for that one too. I just can't bring that stuff in the house - when it's not there, I don't miss it, but when I have it around...it's just THAT much harder to resist. Does that make me weak? Maybe. Does not having it in the house at all help me stay on track and lose weight? Most definitly.

I think the trick of it is not to feel sorry for yourself when you say: "aawww I can't have that b/c im on this stupid diet." You're already defeating yourself by saying it that way. I think it also helps to have your friends and family respect your decision to omit certain things from your diet. Like my dear mother who, if I don't take a second serving, will pout in the corner b/c she thinks I don't like her food.

I guess I would describe myself as an "all or nothing" kinda girl. I wish I could moderate my "guilty" foods, but truth is, I would throw it all away if I did.

I feel the same way..for me personally, restriction works and I don't give myself "treats" or rewards that are food related (see my profile pic!). If I have a strong enough craving for something, I might go for it, if I've worked hard enough in the gym that day or week, but I do have things I consider to be trigger foods and quite honestly, after cutting them out of my diet long enough, they don't even taste that good anymore. In my case, this works toward what I consider a lifestyle change (and my new lifestyle doesn't include pizza on any regular basis).
Everyone is different and if eating "everything in moderation" works for you, that's great, but cutting out things that offer no nutritional benefits doesn't always mean you are "depriving" yourself and that you'll fail and gain it all back.

TheBraveryLover

Different strokes for different folks, not just with eating, but anything else. You can't understand it because you're standing at the north pole while they're standing at the south, so there's no direct line of sight.

Congrats on trying to change your perspective by inquiring though! Here's some thoughts:

Some people started from such a bad place they have no choice but to have a no-no list.

Some people are on doctor's orders.

Some people have "trigger" foods that it's best if they avoid if they don't want to fall back into bad habits.

Some people might even say they are restricting certain foods, but it isn't really 100% of the time. It's "under normal circumstances," but on special occasions the rules are relaxed. Some people like the idea of "cheating" so they create restrictions, just so they can "cheat!"

Some people also exaggerate their resolutions online, not because they want to lie to their fellow mfpers, but because making a public declaration helps them stay on the wagon (even if they have a few lapses here and there).

There are probably truckloads of reasons that either haven't come up yet or I haven't thought of.

Hope that helps! (^_^)

Amazing post and sums up exactly how I feel. Although I'm apart of the "anything in moderation" camp, it took me some time to get here, so I understand those just starting out who restrict certain foods. If they're constantly failing while restricting, then perhaps they should reevaluate their plan, but in time, they'll get to a sustainable place regarding their eating habits.

Barelmy

My doctors agree with me on the whole everything is moderation is an excuse to keep eating junk food. My doctors have also told me if they had more patients that they would have to write a lot less prescriptions, but people don't want to give up the junk and fast food so therefore they have to keep writing prescriptions in ridiculous numbers.

You're aware though, that unless you're dealing with someone very specialist, most doctors (particularly GPs) have next to no training in nutrition... ?

I am dealing with my General Practioner who is Paleo, my metabolic Endocringologist and a Naturopathic M.D. who is also Paleo.

So, only one specialist and 2 regular doctors and everyone of them are clean eaters that abandoned any form of junk foods.

Paleo is extremely historically inaccurate and does not work for everyone. Someone eating a paleo diet does not indicate that they are a good source of advice on anything (except, possibly paleo). Which isn't to say that they can't advise on other thins - just that eating a paleo diet doesn't indicate anything either way.

worthymom

If you cut it out completely you will end up craving it even more and binge on it when you have the chance which is much worse then allowing yourself to have it in moderation.

3dogsrunning

If you cut it out completely you will end up craving it even more and binge on it when you have the chance which is much worse then allowing yourself to have it in moderation.

Or, as others have pointed out, you may break the habit and find you no longer crave/enjoy said food.
People have different relationships with food. Saying that everyone who cuts out a particular food will end up craving it worse and cave is not accurate. For some, yes. Not all.