"Diets don't work" rant

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almostatgoalweight
almostatgoalweight Posts: 234 Member
in Motivation and Support
This would have to be one of the most annoying comments I've heard in relation to losing weight (that and "you're getting too thin"). People here on MFP say it too. First, cutting back on food is a diet! I'd say that any new way of eating would be considered a diet. Secondly, even if you're doing something new like low carb, high protein, liquid diet, juicing etc etc it doesn't mean that you're going to spend the rest of your life eating that way. It is possible to transition over to the type of eating that you want to eat for the rest of like without rebounding.

End of rant.

Replies

  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
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    I think you're missing the difference between a diet and a lifestyle change.

    When people talk about 'diets', they don't generally mean it in the sense of 'eating habits' which is what one's diet is.

    They mean a set of instructions and restrictions to live by for a set amount of time with the intention of losing weight quickly and easily. These are what I would call diets, but are really diet fads.

    The reason people who know their stuff dislike 'diets' and say things like 'diets don't work' is because diet fads may lose weight on the scale but they are a) not healthy, b) the weight doesn't necessarily come from fat loss, c) not maintainable meaning that once you finished, people tend to put the weight they lost back on again (and then some in a lot of cases).

    The people that peddle these diets aren't in the business of getting you thin. If they do that then they've just lost a customer. They want to to keep coming back, or, lose it at such a small pace that you become a long term customer.

    They don't want you to learn about healthy eating because then you could work it out for yourself. They just want you to follow a points scheme/eating plan/list of allowed foods and stick with/keep coming back to them for the long term.

    What does work is changing your attitude towards health, food and exercise and making a lifestyle change that you can keep up forever, then losing FAT, not WEIGHT at a healthy rate. Then, because you have learned how to do this, you are in a position to assess and adjust accordingly as you go, and ultimately, keep the weight off.

    THAT is why 'diets don't work' is a legitimate comment...
  • kimmyj74
    kimmyj74 Posts: 223 Member
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    Well said Chris
  • diletta24
    diletta24 Posts: 91 Member
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    I think you're missing the difference between a diet and a lifestyle change.

    When people talk about 'diets', they don't generally mean it in the sense of 'eating habits' which is what one's diet is.

    They mean a set of instructions and restrictions to live by for a set amount of time with the intention of losing weight quickly and easily. These are what I would call diets, but are really diet fads.

    very, very good point chris! particularly when you mention restrictions/ amount of time (limited).

    A smart flexibility within life long habits, but people still stick to the black and white definition of diet, just a word that doesn't say nothing about our lifestyle, our behaviors, our choices to re-make every single day and more times in a day.

    As long as there is a mantra like Diet does not work, there is a good excuse to keep old ways, one more.

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