ARE ALL DIETERS MESSED UP IN THE HEAD?

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Replies

  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
    Something must be off in our heads compared to people that can maintain their whole lives without ever getting too fat, let it be

    lack of self control, emotional eating, etc.

    A screw's missing, what is it?

    For many of us, it's physiological. If I eat 1600 calories at 60% carbs/25% fat/15% protein, my body responds differently than it does to 1600 calories at 20% carbs/60% fat/20% protein. In the former case, I'll be hungry all the time, thinking about food constantly, craving sweets, and may gain a few pounds. In the latter, I can maintain weight or even lose a little, without cravings. YMMV.

    Sure, some people do have emotional issues with food, and others lack self-control. But that isn't the case with everyone.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I think it's more of a "I'm bored, so I'll eat thing" or an "emotional eating" problem.

    Personally, I'm a junk food junkie. Even if I'm not hungry and something sweet is around... I have to eat it. I bodybuild, have my diet in check, and know what I can and can't do and I still battle with sweets.

    I've learned to incorporate a small fix or it by making a majority of my carbs junk food, and yes, I've lost weight AND built and continue to build muscle doing this so don't lecture me on "YOU NEED OATS AND SWEET POTATOES"... I call that mentality B.S.

    You need oats and sweet potatoes..

    ok.. nevermind.. just oats.. sweet potatoes are over rated..
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'd like to think not...

    I gained weight because I used to be very active and ate like a horse to support that activity...then I got a desk job and started working a gazillion hours and traveling for business, etc...I was far less active but continued to eat like a horse. I have since made adjustments for that and have become more active with regular exercise and I have moderated my diet to allow me to lose my excess 40 Lbs and maintain my current weight. I've had little issue maintaining my current weight for the last 8 months without logging...it was simply a matter of getting things back into balance for me.

    I guess I wouldn't consider myself a "dieter" though...MFP was the first time I really took anything serious enough to actually say I was dieting. I tried South Beach a couple of times years ago, but it was a pretty half assed effort that lasted about a week.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    I personally don't know of one person in real life that's 'naturally' thin past their late 20s. Either they do something to keep their weight in check, or they're overweight/obese. There was one person I know, that I thought fell into the natural category, but a recent fb post of hers mentioning diet pills blew that out of the water :tongue:

    For me-I was actually 'naturally' thin until just a few years ago-I never had to watch portion sizes, was clueless to how calories worked etc. And I maintained solidly in the middle of a healthy bmi. I didn't even own a scale, but the number stayed pretty stable every year at my annual physicals. Then I had 3 pregnancies close together and hit my 30s. It all went down hill from there :grumble: But, I've lost the extra weight with little fuss and I'm now maintaining the loss with even less effort (just watching portion sizes and spot checking calories), so life has gone on pretty much as normal, except I now spend way to much time on MFP and my husband has started complaining about having to wear dirty uniforms to work :laugh:
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I think it's more of a "I'm bored, so I'll eat thing" or an "emotional eating" problem.

    Personally, I'm a junk food junkie. Even if I'm not hungry and something sweet is around... I have to eat it. I bodybuild, have my diet in check, and know what I can and can't do and I still battle with sweets.

    I've learned to incorporate a small fix or it by making a majority of my carbs junk food, and yes, I've lost weight AND built and continue to build muscle doing this so don't lecture me on "YOU NEED OATS AND SWEET POTATOES"... I call that mentality B.S.



    You need oats and sweet potatoes..

    ok.. nevermind.. just oats.. sweet potatoes are over rated..

    You have to mash the sweet potatoes and stir in the oats. Then drizzle the whole thing with pecans, maple syrup and whipped cream.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I think it's more of a "I'm bored, so I'll eat thing" or an "emotional eating" problem.

    Personally, I'm a junk food junkie. Even if I'm not hungry and something sweet is around... I have to eat it. I bodybuild, have my diet in check, and know what I can and can't do and I still battle with sweets.

    I've learned to incorporate a small fix or it by making a majority of my carbs junk food, and yes, I've lost weight AND built and continue to build muscle doing this so don't lecture me on "YOU NEED OATS AND SWEET POTATOES"... I call that mentality B.S.



    You need oats and sweet potatoes..

    ok.. nevermind.. just oats.. sweet potatoes are over rated..

    You have to mash the sweet potatoes and stir in the oats. Then drizzle the whole thing with pecans, maple syrup and whipped cream.

    :noway:

    That sounds super sweet.. like sickeningly sweet, I'll pass but someone else can try and report back. :drinker:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    Our species evolved in times when the availability of food was sporadic and you had to eat all the calorie dense food you could whenever you had the chance. Now the food is everywhere always and we have to fight our instincts. We are more fish out of water than messed up in the head.
    But as a species, shouldn't we be adapting to environments? As mentioned why aren't fit and lean people suffering being overweight/obese when all the same foods are available to them? While I agree instinct plays a part, socially we can adapt to what is being viewed as accepted. For instance wouldn't it be beneficial to have as many offspring as one can to ensure genes get passed on? Yet, a person who isn't in a monogamous relationship is possibly viewed as unfit to have a family?

    Thoughts?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • KingofWisdom
    KingofWisdom Posts: 229 Member
    Technology has made us lazy. I don't like exercise, and I don't have any friends to play sports with, so I naturally spend most of my time on the laptop. It turns out that sitting on your butt all day puts you on the fast track to weight gain. Even walking around isn't all that convenient. Everyone is driving, intersections are everywhere, people don't know how to drive etc. it's just not safe. Especially if you live in California, Florida, Texas, or New York (the states with the most pedestrian casualties).
  • Whambam087
    Whambam087 Posts: 170
    From one extreme to the other...

    That can't be normal.

    Something must be off in our heads compared to people that can maintain their whole lives without ever getting too fat, let it be

    lack of self control, emotional eating, etc.

    A screw's missing, what is it?
    It's the dieting mentality that's messed up. It goes something like-"tomorrow I'm starting my diet and I'm going to cut out all those "bad" foods and be super "good!" Bye bye icecream, cookies (or whatever fits your definition of unclean foods) hello bland boring foods! After all weight loss can't be as simple as a calorie deficiet can it? No! Certain healthy foods magically melt fat off your body by default. Now I'm not saying we should eat nothing but cookies and pizza though you could lose weight that way (though you'd probably feel pretty awful). Eating healthy definitely has its benefits, but is it realistic to eat "perfect" 100% percent of the time? For most people no. There comes a time when you do want that cookie. But with that "can't have" dieting mentality you usually feel so deprived that that one cookie turns into a free for all and then of course there's justification, I've been so good I deserve it. If you can't see yourself eating that way the rest of your life the diet is unsustainable and you'll just gain weight back when you go off your diet.
  • sillyvalentine
    sillyvalentine Posts: 460 Member
    Our species evolved in times when the availability of food was sporadic and you had to eat all the calorie dense food you could whenever you had the chance. Now the food is everywhere always and we have to fight our instincts. We are more fish out of water than messed up in the head.


    If that were true everyone would be this way
  • staveshabr
    staveshabr Posts: 74 Member
    I think it's more of a "I'm bored, so I'll eat thing" or an "emotional eating" problem.

    Personally, I'm a junk food junkie. Even if I'm not hungry and something sweet is around... I have to eat it. I bodybuild, have my diet in check, and know what I can and can't do and I still battle with sweets.

    I've learned to incorporate a small fix or it by making a majority of my carbs junk food, and yes, I've lost weight AND built and continue to build muscle doing this so don't lecture me on "YOU NEED OATS AND SWEET POTATOES"... I call that mentality B.S.

    agree :flowerforyou: :bigsmile:
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    From one extreme to the other...

    Try not going to extremes!

    Getting away from the diet mindset was what actually fixed everything from me. About three years ago, I was approaching 40. I weighed 202 pounds and felt fat and frumpy. I'd done diets before and lost weight easily and quickly... but it always came back (and usually with a few extra pounds).

    I decided that I didn't want to be 'Fat and 40'. So, I joined MFP and set it to a 250 calorie deficit (lose .5 pound a week). I continued to eat all the same foods I loved. I focused on adjusting my portion sizes and eating the highest calorie foods a little less often. I drink craft beer, eat pizza, burgers, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, fries - just not in my old 'free-for-all' fashion. I started walking everywhere (meetings across campus, errands, the farthest-away restroom in my building, etc).

    I lost 66 pounds really easily and have kept it off for almost two years now. It's been surprisingly simple and easy. Don't diet - don't label foods as good/bad - just commit to a moderate calorie cut, don't go over and stay active - everything else will take care of itself. At least it did for me. :smile:

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