(Why) are people really disappointed to hear they can eat anything they want and still lose weight?
Replies
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kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything "works".
Wow.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »kristen6350 wrote: »Because people listen to media. Infomercials, ads in magazines, etc. They assume because of this information that dieting is a struggle and it's a thing you HAVE to do to get weight off.
This, I think, is the truth. And being older, it's something I never realized until I joined MFP. When I grew up, I didn't know anyone that didn't know weight loss was all about eating less calories than you burn. Adults, teens, children, it was just common sense. And maybe that's why the general public was thinner then.
It's truly been an eye opener for me how many people today don't know this. What the heck happened?
I think there's always been a lot of people who didn't know it.
I'm probably about your age, and when I was a kid there were all sorts of fad diets in magazines and stuff like the Scarsdale diet and the Beverly Hills diet (my mother bought the book and lots of diet books, although the only diets I recall her doing were "eating less" based and not faddy). There was also the no fat craze.
I was a senior in high school when the Scarsdale diet was published. I'm not familiar with the Beverly Hills diet.0 -
Because eating "whatever you want" to them might mean eating 12 pizza slices and tons of mac and cheese regularly. Sure you can have pizza and mac and cheese just not that much.
And to the poster above about it being "that easy" it really is NOT easy at all. It's simple CICO sure, but it is not easy to lose weight by any stretch of the imagination.
That's the issue, I think. People say 'You can eat what you want and lose weight.' Some people hear, 'You can eat what you want, in whatever quantities you want, and lose weight.' And some of the people that hear that also think that they won't possibly be satisfied with 10 slices of pizza instead of 12, so they want the fad or magic bullet or whatever, which of course brings it back to accountability. Because, as PRMinx said - "Because it's hard to accept the fact that you have had control over your weight all along. And, also, that food isn't the problem - you are."0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything in particular "works".
Hmm, I'm not sure I agree. You couldn't say it works for maintenance, but you could say it works for weight loss.
And while it's hard to argue that maintenance is where more people fail, most people I know that have controlled their weight over the years have done it by periodically dieting. They yo-yo. Not 100's of lbs, but I know few people who have not been on more than one "diet" in their life. (I'm kind of old)0 -
Saying "Not to be a wet blanket" = being a wet blanket
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I don't know if it's disappointment you're hearing. I think some people (myself included) would find weighing and logging everything they ate to be a bit much. Which is why there are many different ways of going about losing weight. Yes, I know, ultimately it's all about CICO but there are many ways to stay within a goal without all the weighing and measuring. Although eliminating foods is not popular around here, it certainly works well for others. I have happily remained the same weight for many years by just eliminating certain foods. I would rather eat large plates of foods full of vegetables and lean protein rather than monitoring everything I eat just so that I can have a piece of cake. To each his own.0
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A slight, but meaningful variation on the theme that "food isn't the problem, you are"...
People believe they have black/white personalities that are fundamentally in conflict with moderation. So when "eat less of any food" is the answer, they literally don't think they have the toolset to do it and that is upsetting. It is not disbelief in the science, it is lack of confidence that they could ever eat in moderation.
Information that is much harder to come by on the forums, and is more useful, is how to change your attitude about food and diets so that you can put the oft touted advice into practice. And more importantly, that it can be done irrespective of how all or nothing of a personality you possess.0 -
It's really not. I'm not sure someone need 10 years to say something worked. That's crazy talk.
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It's really not. I'm not sure someone need 10 years to say something worked. That's crazy talk.
I respect your opinion but, sorry, I agree with the Knighted One. Based on the statistics of regain after weight loss within a five year period, even using the CICO method, he's right on.
I don't even think he's that crazy
That's not a failing of CICO. That's a failing on the part of the person.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »I_Will_End_You wrote: »I don't get it, either. People just don't want to believe that it doesn't have to be hard or miserable!
Being able to incorporate any food into your diet, doesn't necessarily mean the diet won't be hard. It's not as if you can eat everything you want and lose weight.
I do. Eating everything i want =/= eating five cakes for breakfast.
Everything indicates nothing about quantity, simply the actual items. If someone lumps "everything" with "however much food I want" then that is their issue to deal with.0 -
It's really not. I'm not sure someone need 10 years to say something worked. That's crazy talk.
I respect your opinion but, sorry, I agree with the Knighted One. Based on the statistics of regain after weight loss within a five year period, even using the CICO method, he's right on.
I don't even think he's that crazy
That's not a failing of CICO. That's a failing on the part of the person.
Yes.
Ok. And I think that if a person has had success and lost weight....only to regain it 7 years later...that person saying it works isn't wrong. They just lost control. That doesn't mean they can't reflect on what works, because they know what works because they've done it.
Just because they aren't practicing it, doesn't mean they aren't aware of why they regained the weight.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »I_Will_End_You wrote: »I don't get it, either. People just don't want to believe that it doesn't have to be hard or miserable!
Being able to incorporate any food into your diet, doesn't necessarily mean the diet won't be hard. It's not as if you can eat everything you want and lose weight.
I do. Eating everything i want =/= eating five cakes for breakfast.
Everything indicates nothing about quantity, simply the actual items. If someone lumps "everything" with "however much food I want" then that is their issue to deal with.
Semantic wars are silly. Agree to disagree.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything "works".
Wow.
Yup. Not surprised to see this coming from someone who recently told a poster that he was preemptive in posting about his success at 40lb weight loss over the last four months or so.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything "works".
Wow.
Yup. Not surprised to see this coming from someone who recently told a poster that he was preemptive in posting about his success at 40lb weight loss over the last four months or so.
Mind blowingly ignorant.0 -
It's really not. I'm not sure someone need 10 years to say something worked. That's crazy talk.
I respect your opinion but, sorry, I agree with the Knighted One. Based on the statistics of regain after weight loss within a five year period, even using the CICO method, he's right on.
I don't even think he's that crazy
That's not a failing of CICO. That's a failing on the part of the person.
Yes.
Ok. And I think that if a person has had success and lost weight....only to regain it 7 years later...that person saying it works isn't wrong. They just lost control. That doesn't mean they can't reflect on what works, because they know what works because they've done it.
Just because they aren't practicing it, doesn't mean they aren't aware of why they regained the weight.
The issue definitely is control, yes.
And despite the fact that people know why they regain, most of them regain even still. Using any and all methods of weight loss. Including CICO. While eating controlled portions of pop tarts. For 4 years and 364 days, or something like that.
Right, but just because they have regained the weight, doesn't mean they don't understand what works.0 -
It's really not. I'm not sure someone need 10 years to say something worked. That's crazy talk.
I respect your opinion but, sorry, I agree with the Knighted One. Based on the statistics of regain after weight loss within a five year period, even using the CICO method, he's right on.
I don't even think he's that crazy
That's not a failing of CICO. That's a failing on the part of the person.
Yes.
Ok. And I think that if a person has had success and lost weight....only to regain it 7 years later...that person saying it works isn't wrong. They just lost control. That doesn't mean they can't reflect on what works, because they know what works because they've done it.
Just because they aren't practicing it, doesn't mean they aren't aware of why they regained the weight.
The issue definitely is control, yes.
And despite the fact that people know why they regain, most of them regain even still. Using any and all methods of weight loss. Including CICO. While eating controlled portions of pop tarts. For 4 years and 364 days, or something like that.
Right, but just because they have regained the weight, doesn't mean they don't understand what works.
The did. But I think the definition of "works" might be viewed as subjective in this case. It works if you work it so to speak. But somehow, most people don't feel like working it anymore at about the five year mark, or well before. Most people regain the weight. It's the awful truth.
But that's a personal choice. It doesn't mean that they don't know what works.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything in particular "works".
Well, it works as long as I use it
If I stop doing what works, it's my fault that I don't succeed.
I have lost these 44 pounds before. This time I'm a bit more humble. But - I think my maintenance plan this time is better, especially because now I... have a maintenance plan.
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »kristen6350 wrote: »Because people listen to media. Infomercials, ads in magazines, etc. They assume because of this information that dieting is a struggle and it's a thing you HAVE to do to get weight off.
This, I think, is the truth. And being older, it's something I never realized until I joined MFP. When I grew up, I didn't know anyone that didn't know weight loss was all about eating less calories than you burn. Adults, teens, children, it was just common sense. And maybe that's why the general public was thinner then.
It's truly been an eye opener for me how many people today don't know this. What the heck happened?
I think there's always been a lot of people who didn't know it.
I'm probably about your age, and when I was a kid there were all sorts of fad diets in magazines and stuff like the Scarsdale diet and the Beverly Hills diet (my mother bought the book and lots of diet books, although the only diets I recall her doing were "eating less" based and not faddy). There was also the no fat craze.
I was a senior in high school when the Scarsdale diet was published. I'm not familiar with the Beverly Hills diet.
I read the Beverly Hills Diet, but it was a long time ago. I'm trying to remember. I think you ate a single food all day or something. Or at a meal? Like only pineapple. I remember she really had a lot about pineapple in there. Or only salmon.
It was a crap book and crap diet. My mother and I read the book right after one another and decided we didn't even want to bother trying the diet.
There was, however, one good sentence in there. And I've never forgotten it. Regarding food and wanting the instant gratification of having it your mouth now? "No food is leaving the planet." (Or something to that effect.)
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kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything in particular "works".
Have to agree with you-the weight loss phase is for such a short period of time. The real test is maintenance-20, 30, 40 + years. And most people fail miserably at it. Actually, most people don't even get past year 2 or 3 of maintenance, before failing. I've been successfully maintaining for two years so far, but it's been more challenging to me, especially mentally, than the weight loss phase was.0 -
I don't know if it's disappointment you're hearing. I think some people (myself included) would find weighing and logging everything they ate to be a bit much. Which is why there are many different ways of going about losing weight. Yes, I know, ultimately it's all about CICO but there are many ways to stay within a goal without all the weighing and measuring. Although eliminating foods is not popular around here, it certainly works well for others. I have happily remained the same weight for many years by just eliminating certain foods. I would rather eat large plates of foods full of vegetables and lean protein rather than monitoring everything I eat just so that I can have a piece of cake. To each his own.
Weighing isn't required to eat anything you want. I have some successful friends on here who don't weigh things and stil eat plenty of taboo foods.
I used to eat like you, and that required monitoring of what I eat because I couldn't eat "bad" food. Now I just eat portions based on how many calorie I have... No more guesswork and I can incorporate taboo foods. I only lasted 4 years (without continuous weight maintenance) on such a restrictive diet. Which is why I will always tell people that restriction is not necessary for loss if they are showing very apparent unhappiness with having to eliminate food or are simply mistaken on how CICO works.
Eta, much of my success wasn't even the restriction but the excessive cardio! I didn't know how much I was supposed to eat... Which is why CICO is so important. But I'd never tell someone that they should just stop eating like... Half of their diet at the drop of a hat0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything in particular "works".
Trying extra hard today, aren't you?
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I completely agree that you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I'm all for the calories in/calories out type of thinking. My problem is that if I start eating junk food I won't stop. I've recognized that I have horrible self control and a bad tendency to binge and because of that it's best if I try to stay away from it as much as possible. I want to go back to those things being a "treat" rather than something I just eat all the time.0
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kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything "works".
Wow.
Yup. Not surprised to see this coming from someone who recently told a poster that he was preemptive in posting about his success at 40lb weight loss over the last four months or so.
Mind blowingly ignorant.
Ironically enough the op posted about having success through iifym ie the essence of this op.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything in particular "works".
That's kind of like saying an F1 racecar driver needs to win races for at least 10 years to prove that an internal combustion engine actually works.0 -
This content has been removed.
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It's really not. I'm not sure someone need 10 years to say something worked. That's crazy talk.
I respect your opinion but, sorry, I agree with the Knighted One. Based on the statistics of regain after weight loss within a five year period, even using the CICO method, he's right on.
I don't even think he's that crazy
That's not a failing of CICO. That's a failing on the part of the person.
Yes.
Ok. And I think that if a person has had success and lost weight....only to regain it 7 years later...that person saying it works isn't wrong. They just lost control. That doesn't mean they can't reflect on what works, because they know what works because they've done it.
Just because they aren't practicing it, doesn't mean they aren't aware of why they regained the weight.
The issue definitely is control, yes.
And despite the fact that people know why they regain, most of them regain even still. Using any and all methods of weight loss. Including CICO. While eating controlled portions of pop tarts. For 4 years and 364 days, or something like that.
Right, but just because they have regained the weight, doesn't mean they don't understand what works.
The did. But I think the definition of "works" might be viewed as subjective in this case. It works if you work it so to speak. But somehow, most people don't feel like working it anymore at about the five year mark, or well before. Most people regain the weight. It's the awful truth.
But that's a personal choice. It doesn't mean that they don't know what works.
Yeah, any method chosen to lose weight is personal. And anyone is free to choose whatever method they want. But really. Statistically, those who choose CICO are not exempt from the dismal regain statistics within 5 years.
And I'm not knocking it. I'm trying it and we'll see. If it works, great. But I won't post my success story here until 5 years from reaching goal weight. It wouldn't be until then that I'd consider myself a success at weight loss. Even with CICO.
(And I'm not knocking anyone who chooses to post a success story earlier than that. I love to read success stories, even if they are short term and no one can read the future anyway )
That's you personal choice, but it still doesn't mean that someone who understand the basics principles of CICO (either because they understand the science or they have successfully lost weight) isn't able to say it works. All it means is that they didn't have the willpower to sustain it. Two very different concepts.0 -
I don't know if it's disappointment you're hearing. I think some people (myself included) would find weighing and logging everything they ate to be a bit much. Which is why there are many different ways of going about losing weight. Yes, I know, ultimately it's all about CICO but there are many ways to stay within a goal without all the weighing and measuring. Although eliminating foods is not popular around here, it certainly works well for others. I have happily remained the same weight for many years by just eliminating certain foods. I would rather eat large plates of foods full of vegetables and lean protein rather than monitoring everything I eat just so that I can have a piece of cake. To each his own.
Weighing isn't required to eat anything you want. I have some successful friends on here who don't weigh things and stil eat plenty of taboo foods.
I used to eat like you, and that required monitoring of what I eat because I couldn't eat "bad" food. Now I just eat portions based on how many calorie I have... No more guesswork and I can incorporate taboo foods. I only lasted 4 years (without continuous weight maintenance) on such a restrictive diet. Which is why I will always tell people that restriction is not necessary for loss if they are showing very apparent unhappiness with having to eliminate food or are simply mistaken on how CICO works.
I understand what you're saying. This is why is said to each his own. What works for some certainly doesn't work for everyone.0 -
rjmudlax13 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »For me, it was just so liberating and empowering to know that I could do it by myself.
Not to be a wet blanket, but until someone actually reaches goal weight and successful maintains the weight loss for 5-10 years, they're not really in a position to say that anything in particular "works".
That's kind of like saying an F1 racecar driver needs to win races for at least 10 years to prove that an internal combustion engine actually works.
Exactly.0 -
herrspoons wrote: »F**king hell. Let's recap shall we?
OP asks why people get butthurt about CICO. OP later mentions that is working for them and is glad it's in their hands.
Captain Obvious then steps in with an irrelevant point, followed by the usual White Knight squadron.
Jesus Christ on a f**king bicycle. Seriously.
Sounds like a normal day here on MFP. And it's Friday, to boot.0
This discussion has been closed.
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