Why are restrictive diets so popular?

For some reason a lot of people don't like accepting the fact that they are in complete control of their weight. They will blame anything and everything, except themselves, for being overweight. The diet industry is partially to blame. They know they won't make money if everyone knows that it's not about what they eat, but how much, so they continue to feed lies to the public about what is making them fat and what they need to do about it. A lot of people know its rubbish, but then you have the ones who don't. Then it turns into a game of telephone that ends with Brenda in her cubicle eating her fat bombs and drinking her ACV. She can't tell you how it works, just that it does and anyone who loses weight without doing these things is just "lucky."

*no offense to any Brendas out there, I'm sure you're great people*

I would disagree carb cycling is restrictive - it’s just tweaking your daily calories to workouts

Regardless of the diet, there’s seems to be some truth to most of them and we lose some weight.

But I believe the reason we torture ourselves with restrictions is that it’s easier to follow clear cut rules for what to eat and what to avoid rather than police ourselves.

This is why I follow intermittent fasting as it’s easier for me to say these are my set hours that I’m sticking to than for me to willpower myself into not being eating everything as soon as my kids go to bed... I know from experience that I’ve failed at self management time and time again.

I don’t see the difference between what you’re doing and what they’re doing in the sense that you’re all depending on something to help you lose weight, some people need a structured plan, some need tools. Who cares, whatever works for the person.

I think that as a whole, we've become a more impatient society. We generally don't want to wait. It's about quick fixes and instant gratification and we don't like hearing that some things don't work that way.

"I told them both I’m eating what I want and tracking my calories here, and I’ve lost 7 pounds since the beginning of the year, which didn’t seem to deter them from their plans"

Why should you telling them something about yourself 'deter' them from their plans? You weren't giving them orders. They don't have to copy what you do. You already admit you didn't even know what 'carb cycling' was before you judged it as 'restrictive' and assumed they were doing something wrong.

I carb cycle; eat more carbs on lifting days to fuel training, eat less on rest days to aid cutting weight. It's a popular and successful plan, and easy to implement. It doesn't involve restriction and isn't something to get upset about. Nor is keto.

Any diet with a goal in mind is 'restrictive'. The opposite is an 'unrestricted' diet, just eating whatever, which isn't going to suit anyone on a cut, maintaining or on a lean bulk.

TLDR: your way isn't the only way.

Long term consistency trumps short term intensity.

I use this Bruce Lee quote almost daily in my life, sometimes out of the original context.

Its been my experience that most people are looking for a quick fix, hence the fad diets. They offer quick results through intensity (drop this immediately, do this only, never eat carbs, only eat rare buffalo meat presented by time traveling Native Americans, etc...) . These people tend to relapse because it isn't sustainable. Something that can be done consistently over the long term is not only better for you but puts you in a position to be successful over the long term.

Again a little out of context but still applies

I think sometimes it has to do with the fact that restrictive plans are just harder. You get more of a sense of satisfaction and control sticking to keto or paleo or whatever. It feels active and purposeful. Eating normally, just a bit less, is boring. It also means that there is no evil combo of nutrients (wheat, gluten, sugar, GMOs, whatever) that made you fat, which is also boring.

I liken it to people who say they love to cook but are only interested when it means impressive dinner party food, chocolate fondants, sous vide duck breasts and a demi-glace. Feeding the family on a Tuesday is objectively easier but it's dull so it's frozen pizza or get someone else to do it.

Because people are lazy and want quick fixes.

paperpudding wrote: »

No, what is harder is subjective.

For some people calorie counting is harder. For some it is active and purposeful. For others it is not.

Same with low carb. Prescriptive diets ( those that tell you what to eat at each meal) or whatever method.

I'm sure everyone losing other than by calorie counting doesn't view gluten, carbs, sugar etc as evil. Or even avoid them.

I lost by calorie counting and it works for me.

But I'm rather bemused by the smug superiority some posters seem to have about it, and the derogatory assumptions about other people's lesser methods.

That's why I said "sometimes". It's just an observation I've had with a few people personally and also a mindset I completely understand myself because tbh I do the same thing with exercise. Nothing derogatory about it, it's just how some people's brains work, some of the time.

I agree with the notion that, overall, people prefer quick fixes and don't want to admit to themselves they eat too many calories.

Of course there's nothing wrong with keto, IF, carb cycling, etc. However, many people aren't following these diets because they're easier for them to adhere to. They're following them because they think they are magical ways of losing weight.

I can't count the number of times people have said keto causes more weight loss than CICO, that people thought eating outside of their IF eating window would prevent them from losing weight, or that cycling carbs would "boost" their weight loss. These are all examples of overcomplicating weight loss. A person who is just losing weight really doesn't have to worry much about nutrient timing, carb cycling, or refeeds yet I've seen just the opposite in many places, even here on MFP.

Noticing these things doesn't mean i'm judging them for it either. I just wish they'd know that they don't have to worry about any of these things to lose weight. If it truly helps them and doesn't feel like a burden, then that's wonderful! However, it simply isn't true for the majority of people who attempt weight loss. When they quit due to over-restricting or regain weight after going back to normal eating habits, they say weight loss is just impossible and give up until the next fad comes along. It's so disheartening because weight loss truly is accessible for everyone. There's no magic, no special metabolism, and no money to be spent on gimmicks.