Depressing articles about how dieting do not work

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Replies

  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    Just thought I'd share this excellent (though lengthy) post that points out why people who try to tackle too many changes in their diet/lifestyle at once may struggle:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10613774/the-importance-of-willpower-for-weight-loss/p1

  • double_nn
    double_nn Posts: 24 Member
    I find it odd that you say you prefer healthy foods, and prefer to not eat sugar and dairy because it tastes bad to you, and yet you were considering quitting this change due to an article you read?
  • Sojo15
    Sojo15 Posts: 87 Member
    edited January 2018
    double_nn wrote: »
    I find it odd that you say you prefer healthy foods, and prefer to not eat sugar and dairy because it tastes bad to you, and yet you were considering quitting this change due to an article you read?

    I am just looking for encouragement and was discouraged by the article that is all. And I have often eaten food I don't like because I'm tired or don't have time to cook. Logging and following a routine takes a lot of effort, and I do care about the results: to look and feel better than now. I know that what my sweet tooth wants is not really pleasurable. I am uncomfortable in my body and am trying to keep the hope up that I can change it and stop habits that make me feel bad physically.

    Also, I am not at all interested in posting flaming stuff on the internet, and don't judge anyone who likes and consumes sugar. I respect everyone who is on this journey. You seem to think I am dishonest, well, you are wrong.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    Sojo15 wrote: »
    double_nn wrote: »
    I find it odd that you say you prefer healthy foods, and prefer to not eat sugar and dairy because it tastes bad to you, and yet you were considering quitting this change due to an article you read?

    I am just looking for encouragement, and was discouraged by the article that is all. And I have often eaten food I don't like because I'm tired or don't have time to cook. Logging and following a routine takes a lot of effort, and I do care about the results. I am somehow beyond prefer - I know that what my sweet tooth wants is not really pleasurable.

    I was discouraged by articles like that too until I started focusing on what *does* work. Maybe 95% (or whatever) of people who "diet" regain the weight - well, what about that 5% who do manage it? I am a big fan of the National Weight Control Registry as a resource on how to maintain, as well as the maintenance forum here. As far as I'm concerned, the only real way to mess up losing weight and maintaining that loss is to give up. So don't get discouraged!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    Sojo15 wrote: »
    double_nn wrote: »
    I find it odd that you say you prefer healthy foods, and prefer to not eat sugar and dairy because it tastes bad to you, and yet you were considering quitting this change due to an article you read?

    I am just looking for encouragement and was discouraged by the article that is all. And I have often eaten food I don't like because I'm tired or don't have time to cook. Logging and following a routine takes a lot of effort, and I do care about the results: to look and feel better than now. I know that what my sweet tooth wants is not really pleasurable.

    I disagree. I consider myself to be on the lazier end of the spectrum, and logging & routine are not a problem. Yes, when you're new, you have to log everything that first time, and put some time into working out the calorie counts of the dishes you most frequently prepare. But then that info is there in your database and just needs tweaking each time you have the item. I'm actually in a discussion on another thread about how routine *saves* our energy & willpower so we don't have to constantly be making choices that are difficult for us throughout the day. I have a family and I get tired and we have frozen pizza and mac & cheese for dinner sometimes... big deal. I limit the portion & have a salad or piece of fruit with it and call it a day (and stay within my calorie allowance). I also have a big sweet tooth (and sweets are *incredibly* pleasurable ;) ), and while I admit, I have allowed it to slow down my weight loss at times, for the most part it fits in just fine. I hope this doesn't come across as trying to tell you what to do... you've made it clear you like the way you're eating. But you said you've been at this 2 weeks, and I want you to still be at it (working to maintain a healthy weight) in 2 years, 5 years, etc. :)
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    Sojo15 wrote: »
    double_nn wrote: »
    I find it odd that you say you prefer healthy foods, and prefer to not eat sugar and dairy because it tastes bad to you, and yet you were considering quitting this change due to an article you read?

    I am just looking for encouragement and was discouraged by the article that is all. And I have often eaten food I don't like because I'm tired or don't have time to cook. Logging and following a routine takes a lot of effort, and I do care about the results: to look and feel better than now. I know that what my sweet tooth wants is not really pleasurable. I am uncomfortable in my body and am trying to keep the hope up that I can change it and stop habits that make me feel bad physically.

    Also, I am not at all interested in posting flaming stuff on the internet, and don't judge anyone who likes and consumes sugar. I respect everyone who is on this journey. You seem to think I am dishonest, well, you are wrong.

    The bolded is really confusing to me. Where do you get food that you don’t like and why is it faster than food you do like? There is no food in my kitchen that I don’t like and I certainly wouldn’t pay money eating out on food I don’t like.
  • Sojo15
    Sojo15 Posts: 87 Member
    The bolded is really confusing to me. Where do you get food that you don’t like and why is it faster than food you do like? There is no food in my kitchen that I don’t like and I certainly wouldn’t pay money eating out on food I don’t like. [/quote]

    Planning and cooking healthy meals takes time. We have kids and our fridge is full with pizzas and frozen tamales. My kids needs to eat differently, since they are picky and need 1600 cal a day to grow right. Plus my mother in law always leaves huge bottles of soda and potato chips around. I am not alone in the household. But I do work on hiding things I shouldn't eat, that is smart. I am talking about cravings, like I can smell a pizza and react to it with hunger. But honestly when I eat it I don't find it so pleasurable. I am a foodie, and I am surprised that I found recipes that are pretty low on calories but have a lot of taste. An example is Moroccan food, and Indian curries. That made me feel I can maybe stick to this, since I don't have to give up one of my main hobbies.
  • Sojo15
    Sojo15 Posts: 87 Member
    But you said you've been at this 2 weeks, and I want you to still be at it (working to maintain a healthy weight) in 2 years, 5 years, etc. :)[/quote]

    Thank you, I really appreciate your advice!
  • megs_1985
    megs_1985 Posts: 199 Member
    Sojo15 wrote: »
    The bolded is really confusing to me. Where do you get food that you don’t like and why is it faster than food you do like? There is no food in my kitchen that I don’t like and I certainly wouldn’t pay money eating out on food I don’t like.

    Planning and cooking healthy meals takes time. We have kids and our fridge is full with pizzas and frozen tamales. My kids needs to eat differently, since they are picky and need 1600 cal a day to grow right. Plus my mother in law always leaves huge bottles of soda and potato chips around. I am not alone in the household. But I do work on hiding things I shouldn't eat, that is smart. I am talking about cravings, like I can smell a pizza and react to it with hunger. But honestly when I eat it I don't find it so pleasurable. I am a foodie, and I am surprised that I found recipes that are pretty low on calories but have a lot of taste. An example is Moroccan food, and Indian curries. That made me feel I can maybe stick to this, since I don't have to give up one of my main hobbies.[/quote]

    So try skinny taste.com for some great recipes. Make double and then you'll have leftovers for yourself so they are quick to heat up. Go buy a few snacks that are just yours and hide them if need be. If sofa is left, pour it out when she leaves. It's her money going down the drain not yours. If you wasn't pizza have one slice then a salad or fruit with it. I also try to eat on a schedule to help prevent grazing, easier said then done but the effort helps.

  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Dieting is die with a t. That is why I don't diet. I made gradual, sustainable lifestyle changes so that over time I could eat, exercise, look, think and feel like someone who was fit and healthy. I never said I couldn't eat a particular food but instead asked myself whether the food I wanted to eat would be the calories needed to eat it. Most often with sweet foods that answer is no. I'd much prefer savoury instead. I kept cooking meals that I used to but made changes to male them more balanced and more nutritionally dense. For example, using wholemeal wraps when making tacos and adding veges and black beans to the meat. I'd use wholemeal Lebanese bread for a pizza base and add things like spinach, kale and pine nuts to the topping. I have played around with herbs and spices and enjoy the flavours of what I cook now and the rest of the family do too.

    Time can be an issue. For this I nearly always cook enough for at least two meals for the family. One would either be frozen or eaten the next night. I have half of the amount of cooking to do then. My slow cooker is also my saving grace, especially in winter. I prepare the meal the night before (often a Sunday) and put it on the following morning. That way you come home after a hard day at work to a house that smells amazing and tea ready to go. In summer it is so easy to pick up a cooked chicken on the way home so all you need to do is cut up a salad and enjoy. Keep giving those fussy eaters one new food at a time and keep offering it multiple times to increase their food likes. Keep feeding them frozen pizza because that is all they will eat and they will have health issues down the track.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Ignore depressing articles! be the so called outlier like so many 1000's of us on here who successfully lost weight and kept it off long term :smile:
  • paulbrttn
    paulbrttn Posts: 72 Member
    Take a look through the Success Stories, real proof from hundreds of MFP users that size and weight are not genetically predisposed.
    If it were true it would work the other way round as well, we'd be able to eat as much as we liked without putting on weight.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Sojo15 wrote: »
    double_nn wrote: »
    I find it odd that you say you prefer healthy foods, and prefer to not eat sugar and dairy because it tastes bad to you, and yet you were considering quitting this change due to an article you read?

    I am just looking for encouragement and was discouraged by the article that is all. And I have often eaten food I don't like because I'm tired or don't have time to cook. Logging and following a routine takes a lot of effort, and I do care about the results: to look and feel better than now. I know that what my sweet tooth wants is not really pleasurable. I am uncomfortable in my body and am trying to keep the hope up that I can change it and stop habits that make me feel bad physically.

    Also, I am not at all interested in posting flaming stuff on the internet, and don't judge anyone who likes and consumes sugar. I respect everyone who is on this journey. You seem to think I am dishonest, well, you are wrong.
    I don't think double_nn thinks you are dishonest, I think she points out your ambivalence. I know from my own dieting/healthy eating history that I always tried to "eat right" and always failed, and gained a bit more for every attempt. The way I'm eating and moving now, however, is a way I would have eaten and moved even if it didn't result in maintaining a healthy weight.

    I'm wondering if you're trying too hard, like I did. Routines should save time, not add to the workload; cooking can be easy if you plan ahead. If you have logged your food intake for a while and paid attention to portions - and if you can stick to appropriate portions - you might not need to keep logging.

    I also know how expectations can exceed reality, so not getting the pleasure your sweet tooth wants, is understandable. But I also know that this is linked to not really allowing yourself pleasure, relax and enjoy without guilt. I am actually starting to get enough of even the more hyperpalatable things that I struggled terribly with just a couple of years ago.
  • suzesvelte
    suzesvelte Posts: 134 Member
    Sojo15 wrote: »
    The bolded is really confusing to me. Where do you get food that you don’t like and why is it faster than food you do like? There is no food in my kitchen that I don’t like and I certainly wouldn’t pay money eating out on food I don’t like.

    Planning and cooking healthy meals takes time. We have kids and our fridge is full with pizzas and frozen tamales. My kids needs to eat differently, since they are picky and need 1600 cal a day to grow right. Plus my mother in law always leaves huge bottles of soda and potato chips around. I am not alone in the household. But I do work on hiding things I shouldn't eat, that is smart. I am talking about cravings, like I can smell a pizza and react to it with hunger. But honestly when I eat it I don't find it so pleasurable. I am a foodie, and I am surprised that I found recipes that are pretty low on calories but have a lot of taste. An example is Moroccan food, and Indian curries. That made me feel I can maybe stick to this, since I don't have to give up one of my main hobbies.[/quote]

    What amazes me is parents who train their kids to eat this stuff and then set them up for a life of obesity too. Soda and cakes used to be a treat, not an every day essential. Pizza is OK now and again, but it shouldn't be a go-to meal for your kids anymore than it is for you. Why not do ALL your family a favour and let them learn to eat wholesome food too?
  • Sojo15
    Sojo15 Posts: 87 Member
    suzesvelte wrote: »
    Sojo15 wrote: »
    The bolded is really confusing to me. Where do you get food that you don’t like and why is it faster than food you do like? There is no food in my kitchen that I don’t like and I certainly wouldn’t pay money eating out on food I don’t like.

    Planning and cooking healthy meals takes time. We have kids and our fridge is full with pizzas and frozen tamales. My kids needs to eat differently, since they are picky and need 1600 cal a day to grow right. Plus my mother in law always leaves huge bottles of soda and potato chips around. I am not alone in the household. But I do work on hiding things I shouldn't eat, that is smart. I am talking about cravings, like I can smell a pizza and react to it with hunger. But honestly when I eat it I don't find it so pleasurable. I am a foodie, and I am surprised that I found recipes that are pretty low on calories but have a lot of taste. An example is Moroccan food, and Indian curries. That made me feel I can maybe stick to this, since I don't have to give up one of my main hobbies.

    What amazes me is parents who train their kids to eat this stuff and then set them up for a life of obesity too. Soda and cakes used to be a treat, not an every day essential. Pizza is OK now and again, but it shouldn't be a go-to meal for your kids anymore than it is for you. Why not do ALL your family a favour and let them learn to eat wholesome food too? [/quote]

    Are you a parent? My son is on the spectrum and eats very limited types of food. My children are not obese,neither am I.There is a special place in hell for people that pick on parents and assume things that are not true. If I forced my son to eat 1200 calories a day his development would be stunted, he needs 1600. However, he likes to eat what I eat, so I have to find ways to get healthy fats and protein in him.
  • Sojo15 wrote: »
    I am very committed to a complete lifestyle change two weeks ago. My loss is going slowly (1 lbs per week) but I feel better and lost 2.5 inches in my waist. I am creating a system for eating that I find pleasurable on 1200 cal per day. It helps that I love vegetables and fruit. I found bread (here in the US) and grains (rice pasta etc) not so good anyway, it is the main protein or sauce that is good. I find that the food I craved before, like dairy, cheese, sugary carbs etc, is inferior to the dishes I am learning now. Processed sugar now have a weird taste to me. But of course I want results, I want to feel in control and be healthy. I found it so hard to read NYT and other newspapers that talks about how dieting never works. We are genetically disposed to have a certain weight etc. It just made me want to give up. I need hope that this creates results. I would be happy to restrict calories for my entire life if I just got results. Is it really that impossible? These articles are cruel.

    I hate thosr articles. I mean what about the people who are really overweight? Is there no hope for them?
  • Sam29a
    Sam29a Posts: 201 Member
    I agree. Diets do not work. I did so many over the years; I started out in at a normal weight, with around 7 lbs to lose, but over years of dieting, then binge eating, then back to dieting, I ended up gaining weight and becoming obese. I now realise that if I want to remain slim, I will have to always be mindful of what I eat, not just a few months, but the rest of my life.
  • Sojo15
    Sojo15 Posts: 87 Member
    I also approach it this way now. Like I have to forget about the bad food I crave. So much concentrated sugar and fats are maybe not natural anyway? I wonder if I would keep losing after I reach my goal though? Truth be told, at 1200 per day, with nutritious food, I am not hungry. It is the cravings that mess with me. I miss the taste of baked goods.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Dieting has an abysmal rate of failure for 2 primary reasons. 1. People make it way too hard and quit. 2. People reach their goal and go right back to what they were doing that caused them to get overweight in the 1st place.
    Lucky for you, you can avoid both of those pitfalls! Just follow CICO, and develop an "exit strategy" for once you hit your goal!