Opinions on "Quick Fixes"

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rtrcarrie
rtrcarrie Posts: 50 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I have my opinion on things like WW, JC, NS, etc and I'm just curious what others think.

I see these commercials all the time "For just yadda yadda $'s a month you get 7 breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks each week!" Then some skinny minny comes on the screen to attest to how much weight she lost 3 years ago and has kept it off. I'm of the opinion that if you use one of these "scheams" (as I like to call them) that you either MUST continue to buy their foods forever or you will just end up putting the weight back on.

I personally learned how to cook and eat healthier to loose and maintain. I'm almost to my goal and my husband has reached his. We read labels, adjust recipes so they still taste good but are healthier, eat more veggies and fruits, eat WAY less fast food and when we do that we go for the healthier choices at only the places that offer such (like Taco Bueno's "Bueno Choice" menu or Popey's Fried Chicken's "Naked Tenders"), and we eat filling but not stuffing ourselves portions. We aren't perfect people but I have no doubt that we will stay at healthier weights and maintain healthier lives for having lost in this manner.

What do you think?

Replies

  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    Whether you read labels or eat fast food is really irrelevant to weight loss, or maintenance. Same as how you get to your goal weight. When I first started losing weight I lost 25lbs with low carb (less than 30g/day) this is a lot of water weight some may say, but I added back carbs slowly and stayed under my calorie goal until I got to about 120/day. Some days i eat more, but it's at the expense of protein and fat which I don't like to do. My macros are pretty "standard" imo... Anyways, I didn't gain any weight back, in fact I just kept losing because I was careful not to exceed my planned deficit of -500 calories/day. So, I don't think there is anything wrong with using any particular program as a tool but as long as you realize that fundamentally, it's the calories that count.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    I figure if they need some "celebrity" to sell it, they're selling you. Anything that claims to be "fast" or "easy" with regard to losing weight is likely just a fast way to make someone some easy money, but hey, there's a sucker born every minute, and to them I say go nuts.

    Rigger
  • CycleGuy9000
    CycleGuy9000 Posts: 290
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    I figure if they need some "celebrity" to sell it, they're selling you. Anything that claims to be "fast" or "easy" with regard to losing weight is likely just a fast way to make someone some easy money, but hey, there's a sucker born every minute, and to them I say go nuts.

    Rigger

    I agree man, quick fixes don't work they're just quick cash for somebody else.
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
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    I don't think they're "quick fixes." I don't know how much experience you have with those programs, but I don't know anyone who's lost weight on them amazingly fast while doing no work. Weight Watchers is basically like MFP, but with a different formula. Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem are definitely for the busier/non-cooking people, but still. It's just a calorie deficit about the same as MFP likes to give (usually eating 1200-1400 cals/day for a woman).

    How you get your food, I don't really care. As long as you're eating :)

    The foods aren't magic. It's just calorie control, so you don't have to keep buying them to keep the weight off. I've lost weight on WW and kept it off because I didn't start eating excess calories when I left.
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
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    Theoretically I believe anyone could use a "quick fix" diet and then maintain their weight loss, or the majority of it, by eating in a healthy manner for the rest of their lives. Possibly with a transition period to slowly move up from the VLC diet to maintenance level. The problem is that most people think they understand how to maintain once they finish their special diet but when it comes time to practice true maintenance, they don't have the discipline to do it. Even people who lose weight in a healthy manner don't always have the discipline to maintain. We are fat for many reasons and that takes a lot to overcome for life.
  • rtrcarrie
    rtrcarrie Posts: 50 Member
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    I like hearing everyone's opinions. :)

    I for one will likely count calories forever but I actually like it so I'm good with that !LOL! I really believe it's about calories, portion control, and more importantly eating healthy foods. We love the food we eat now and feel so much better than we used to feel eating the old way. Most important to it all...no matter how you choose to loose and maintain......is to have support all the way!
  • CeeBee88
    CeeBee88 Posts: 33
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    I think, no matter a person's approach to weight loss, the key factor is Will Power. Some people have extraordinary amounts and some people dont. Some people get up at 5.00am and do for a jog, some people can't. Some people exercise portion control, some people cant. I have had gym memberships for years but it wasnt until I started personal training sessions I began to use the gym properly and really push myself because I never really had the self-motivation to do so.

    While I do think a good 80% or these make money with scammy advertising, they would work if people stick to them. If someone's problem with food is they dont have the willpower to make healthy choices for their busy lifestyle, it will certainly help. But I'm convinced it will only help if that is your specific issue - if you prepare properly-portioned meals healthily already choosing a meal provider isnt really going to do you any good and will probably be pretty expensive.

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