How many times have you gone on a diet so far?

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ninerbuff
ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
One average, a person will diet for weight loss about 7 times in their lifetime.

Once every diet is "done", statistically regain of 1/3-2/3 of weight lost happens in the first year. Regain of all lost weight happens within 5 years.

People will resort to doing a diet they lost on again or at least 2 times on average (which is why the diet industry makes billions).

Since dieting is a billion dollar business, there are lots of pseudoscience diets popping up frequently with the claim of "THIS IS IT".

Personally I've dieted more than 7 times in my lifetime, BUT 6 of those times were diets for bodybuilding competition preps.

Don't diet. Get a sensible eating lifestyle.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Replies

  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,051 Member
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    I tried the cabbage soup diet once. Have to say, the soup we made was actually pretty tasty... though the diet was horrible. I quit after three days and never did that again.

    Healthy eating for the win :)
  • allifantastical
    allifantastical Posts: 946 Member
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    I've tried about 7 different diets starting when I was 16. Creating healthy eating and exercise habits, and logging into MFP has been the only thing that has let me lose as much weight as I have and kept it off. I still have 100+ more to lose, but I'm going in the right direction!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I used to be on a diet every few weeks since I hit puberty. Waaaaay more than seven times.
  • DeeBrownBaker
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    lifestyle over diet... I'm done dieting...all that jazz made me FAT...now that I've adopted a healthier lifestyle, I've lost nearly 100 lbs... got 80 more to go!
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
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    One average, a person will diet for weight loss about 7 times in their lifetime.

    Once every diet is "done", statistically regain of 1/3-2/3 of weight lost happens in the first year. Regain of all lost weight happens within 5 years.

    People will resort to doing a diet they lost on again or at least 2 times on average (which is why the diet industry makes billions).

    Since dieting is a billion dollar business, there are lots of pseudoscience diets popping up frequently with the claim of "THIS IS IT".

    Personally I've dieted more than 7 times in my lifetime, BUT 6 of those times were diets for bodybuilding competition preps.

    Don't diet. Get a sensible eating lifestyle.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I'm in maintenance now, after dieting my one and only time, doing alternate day IF. I've gone into maintenance determined to be part of the 5% success rate and not the 95% that fail. My mom has been a yo yo dieter since she was 11 years old and now almost into her 60s, she's wreaked havoc on her body. Ironically, after all the diets she's tried, she's now doing alternate day IF and it's working beautifully for her and her relationship with food is changing, for the first time ever..She also has started exercising for the first time in her life and it's doing great things for her mentally (and physically I'm sure too!).
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
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    this is the first time I have ever had to limit my calorie intake-I am 46
    I don't call it a diet-I just changed how I cook food and choose healthier versions of the foods I love.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    Way too many times. Never again.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    Cabbage soup diet, the Mayo Clinic diet, Richard Simmons Food Mover, Grapefruit diet, 1200 calorie diet, 1500 calorie diet, Beverly Hills Diet, Atkins, Low fat, Low Carb,

    Yeah, more than 7....
  • Jett_05
    Jett_05 Posts: 95 Member
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    I have "dieted"/put-myself-through-hell-and-back about 3 times total. My weight has varied from about 225lbs-95lbs. All were extreme 700 calories or less diets and lots of diet pills and laxatives. This is the first time I've decided to go with lifestyle changes that allow more flexibility and also exercising in conjunction with eating less and better. I.E - I don't act like it's the end of the world if I eat a piece of cake (granted this hasn't really become an issue). I've continued to gain as I slipped off my diets with high amounts of binge eating and "f*** you society! My body is perfect as is" justification. Now I get to watch my mom face a stomach stapling and her knees both giving out as she is forced to use a wheel chair till she looses weight. I can't justify the stuffing my face anymore and demonizing diets. Now I've had to make peace with the fact lifestyle changes need to happen.
  • jimbo2180
    jimbo2180 Posts: 66 Member
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    Never. It's now my lifestyle.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    This is my first walk around the park. And since this is a lifestyle change and not a diet, hopefully it'll stay that way.
  • sarahanncarson
    sarahanncarson Posts: 50 Member
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    I've dieted pretty much since I was a teenager. I can't count the number of different fads I have tried. This is the first time in my life that I have actually tried changing my eating style for the rest of my life and not called it a diet. I'm just changing. I really liked your post (I'm a weirdo for statistics). Keep up the good work!!!
  • DocMarr
    DocMarr Posts: 132 Member
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    I spent 14 years of my life on a 'diet-binge' cycle. I started out aged 18 wanting to lose 7lbs and put back on 10lbs. I lost 10lbs and put back on 15lbs. Eventually I was swinging 70lbs. At 35, I came to the conclusion that diets make you fatter!

    So I stopped dieting and promised myself I would never diet again and I haven't. I've kept that promise for the past 15 years and have generally maintained my weight. However, what I have realised in the past year has been the importance of exercise in the scheme of things in keeping it all balanced. When I stopped exercising while I was writing my PhD, my weight drifted up, even though I wasn't eating more. So exercise was the key to keeping everything balanced and in the past couple of years I've upped my exercise and my weight drifted back down.

    I have now maintained my weight to within a couple of pounds for the past year, eating an average of 2000 calories a day.

    Yeah, I agree - don't diet - that is an arbitrary way of eating that is unsustainable in the long term. If you 'go on a diet' then you can 'come off a diet' and if you go back to what you did before then why would you not put on weight? You did before!

    It's not until you come to terms with the idea that 'this is what I eat and how I will exercise for the rest of my life' that you will finally get to grips with your weight. I would always suggest going for long term sustainability over short-term dieting every time.
  • Kristy7418
    Kristy7418 Posts: 85
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    In my early 20's I tried the Atkin's diet. Yes, I lost some weight. Yes, I gained it all back plus some especially having another kid and all. This time I'm going for a lifestyle change. I did cut out most white flour products and starches and you know what? I'm really not missing potatoes. Will I have some pizza sometimes? Yep. Will have I have ice cream sometimes? Yep! But not almost every day like I used to. I'm learning to eat in moderation, and learning that healthy eating doesn't taste bad at all. Am I someone who can exercise 6-7 days a week? No. I'm doing best and trying to exercise at least every other day. I've just started this journey but I don't really feel deprived so I believe I can do this for the long haul. I REALLY want to get healthy and stay that way.
  • bellehazel
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    I have been on and of diets for almost 2 years prob about 5 different ones, could never stick with them but ive recently started dieting again and I plan on keeping to my diet and hoping to lose 41lb by end of november as I have told myself if I dont finish my diet by then I have no choise but to stay the weight I am now and I do not want that x
  • pwittek10
    pwittek10 Posts: 723 Member
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    This is my 3 and final time!
    I am staying with this program forever.
    I was in my 20's the first time,
    we joined nutrisystem the 2nd time in my 40's
    I told my husband I was never going to diet again, then he lost 100 pounds,
    He was feeling so good I said what the heck I'll do it one more time
    I have reached my goal weight of 127 pounds over a year ago, I am at 120
    now and want to get back to 117.
    On maintance I stay within 6 pounds where I want to be.
    I always thought get the weight off and you'll stay there, WRONG!
    It is an on going program,
  • lingading
    lingading Posts: 259 Member
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    weight watchers x 3 (12 weeks at age 13, 6 weeks at 16, 2 weeks at 21 - found out i was pregnant)
    calorie counting on my own x 5 (usually a few weeks or a month at a time, biggest success was when i found mfp and did it for 9 months solid)
    herbalife for about a month recently
    and now i'm back to mfp. hopefully for good. is hopefully a bad term to use? probably. but skepticism comes with years of perceived failure.
  • msjames1999
    msjames1999 Posts: 528 Member
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    I have been on a "diet" maybe 5 times.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Once, I guess. Not sure if it really qualifies as a diet, because the goal was not to lose weight, but to get stronger. I was training for an athletic event. Changed my diet drastically (and not in a good way - bad info), and started lifting. Probably lost weight - I wasn't weighing myself so don't really know for sure how much. My appearance sure changed.

    Once I quit that sport, the training stopped. I didn't add on more weight until at least 4 yrs. later, but lost the muscle definition pretty quickly.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    I use the term "dieting" whenever I'm cutting. I would say after since initial large weight loss, I've probably cut 4 times in 4 years. Slow bulk or maintenance for the rest of the time.

    Before that I attempted to diet for about 3 days at a time and gave up. Had no idea at all back then!