Diets Work: Way or No Way?
Healthy, eat less and better food diets. Millions start a diet this week of the year. Do you think they work long term - as in 5-10-20 years? Are we capable of changing our bad habits for good?
Or do you think people only diet for short-term weight loss and then go back to whatever made them overweight in the first place? Maybe a school reunion diet, or bikini diet or only lasted 3 days on the diet?
I think it's the rare disciplined person who can diet and maintain that weight loss and new eating habits for the long-term. So I vote No Way. I know that sounds pessimistic, but it's so very hard to maintain over the long haul.
You?
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36 Comments:
I was a fat kid, and I hope I don't sound arrogant when I say that I am 'fat no more' (knock on wood, hoping my body holds out for running and that my metabolism holds up in the coming years).
A 'diet' can mean a lifestyle, like a 'vegetarian diet,' a 'diet in moderation,' and so forth--and yes, truly altering your habits can work.
I think lots of people get stuck in a rut--their partner expects them to be a certain weight, they're stuck in a certain job, stuck in a certain way of looking at healthy eating and exercise--as a chore, rather than a fulfilling way to live life--and so they don't change their lifestyle. I was fortunate to change when I went to college, when there were so many other changes going on in my life, the weight loss (which happened almost naturally) was easier than it is for some whose habits are very ingrained.
'Quick fix'--ultra low-calorie diets, detox diets, can give motivation to a new dieter, but the dieter needs to find a sustainable way to truly embark upon a new lifestyle--a 'new diet' in a different sense of the word, as in a balanced diet--rather than rely on a cycle of self-hatred and yo-yo-ing.
So my answer (hope this is okay, PerkyMac) is that it depends whether you mean 'diet' in the old women's magazine definition of 'An 800 calorie diet that is totally satisfying' or 'diet' in the sense of what you eat and how you live on a daily basis--which can change, if someone is ready to see that their current way of living isn't giving them true, deep joy in food, movement, or life itself.
HeartofGlass at 9:11AM on 01/06/09
Two words.................................................................... No Way!
Markbb at 9:17AM on 01/06/09
Fad diets - those sold by name, i.e. Atkins, Jenny Craig, do not work. They accomplish a short term goal by addressing part of a problem, then do nothing to ensure continued success. Further to this, any diet that prescribes banishing all or most of a nutritive necessity, is by definition, a "fad" diet. The lone exception to this is a diet, prescribed by a doctor, which might abolish something from a person's food regimen due to allergy or repair (i.e. wheat-free for celiacs or ultra low fat diets for cardiac patients).
The cabbage soup diet didn't work. "Fit for Life" didn't work and was a somewhat dastardly attempt to inflict the personal choices of the authors on the reading public.
The only "diet" that works is balance. And balance includes an often forgotten participant. Nutritionally, you need everything (unless allergic).
1) You need low-cholesterol, non-artery clogging, healthy fat because...
* Your skin would dry and crack.
* You'd lose your hair.
* Your digestion would stop dead.
2) You need good carbs because...
* They are a source of quick energy through sugars metabolized by the body.
* They improve thought processes and nervous system function.
* Without fiber (usually procured by ingesting carbs), your digestion would stop dead.
3) You need lean protein because...
* Protein is the building block of the human body and necessary for growth and repair of cells.
* Protein is a source of long-term (endurance) energy, which enables you utilize stored fat.
Stop eating when you have satisfied your body's nutritional requirement. You can't say "eat till full" anymore because some see that as a green light for gluttony. "Yes, I've eaten a whole double cheeseburger but I'm still hungry." (What I wouldn't do for an eye roll icon right about now...) Would you pump more gas into a car when the gauge reads "F"? Then why do that to your body? Recognize hunger as the need for nutrition and not the need to polish off what's on your plate.
For some people, recognizing the amount of food that satisfies his or her body's requirement will require research and training. Research: How do I use my energy every day? If you're a construction worker hefting lumber and tile all day, you'll need more food (fuel) than, say, a librarian. More protein might do you some good, seeing as your day might possibly consist of 8 hours of physical exertion. Training: If you've come to recognize a heaped plate as a proper plate, no bells will go off as you plow your way through it. Be aware of the makeup and quantity of what you're eating, and know how much you require for your day's activities.
The Food Pyramid was an improvement to the four food groups, but it wasn't perfect. There is all sorts of information about calorie consumption, but nothing about calorie expenditure which brings me to the punch line: You've gotta use the fuel. Until there is a mass effort for the US to embrace exercise as a naturally occurring part of nutritional education - we are a nation doomed to be overweight and physically ineffectual. My favorite description of the food pyramid is, even when they had it right, they got it wrong And this brings me to...
The final member of this quartet:
4) You need deliberate exercise because...
* Food into a sedentary body is barely utilized but it is digested - so it will be stored as fat but you'll be hungry again after it's through your system.
* In order to burn existing deposits of fat, you must engage in some type of cardio exercise for 20 minutes at nearly peak ability. (This doesn't happen the first time you exercise - you build up to it.)
* In order to maintain healthy bone mass and muscle strength, you need to do some type of resistance training. (This is especially important for women who combat bone loss on a daily basis.)
Achieving and maintaining health is something that can't be done on a mass scale by a marketed "diet." Each person's needs are different and will have to be addressed on an individual basis. I know that I need food to survive and I need exercise to maintain strength and endurance. So that's my diet.
therealchiffonade at 9:54AM on 01/06/09
I started eating a lot healthier and cooking a lot more when I met my husband and it wasn't just me I had to cook for anymore. Plus, my little boy was getting bigger and I wanted him to be healthy too. And I must say, I have stuck with the program. But in all fairness my parents are very healthy people and I was raised with good habits.
Another side to the dilemma is that hardly anyone is in touch with their hunger anymore. People rarely eat for hunger (and stop when no longer hungry). It's for other reasons--it's time to eat, so they eat; the food is there, so they eat; emotional reasons, be it happy, sad, stress, etc; not hunger. Your body is designed to tell you when you need to eat and when to stop eating, and it works wonderfully, if you listen to it.
buffy at 10:22AM on 01/06/09
Oh... I guess my answer would be, depends on the person.
buffy at 10:23AM on 01/06/09
All right, I feel odd. Always used to when I worked in an office where the issue would inevitably come up, or a lady from another department would pass my desk as I was drinking my morning latte with a butter croissant and tell me, "I hate you for that!". The first time it happened I almost choked and asked her, "what for?", to which she replied, "for being able to eat that and look like this!"
The next 179 times she professed her hatred (I was a regular at the teeny local coffee shop, it was on the way to work, their coffee and croissants were to die for, and the barista/owner looked like Bruce Willis and was flirting with me like mad - yes, I had coffee and croissant for breakfast every morning:-)), I was just sitting there, smiling uncomfortably and pretending it was a funny joke.
So, I've never been "on a diet" in my life (although I've been told over the years that I need to go on a fattening diet), and I'm not a sports and health nut (I do love walking, not as in "exercising", but just walking, a lot - it clears my head and puts my thoughts/emotions in order). I'm not kidding myself now, I think I'm very fortunate. I also think that I should be gratefull to my parents for the way I was brought up - food was love, it was respected, appreciated and enjoyed, but it wasn't something you do when you're bored or upset or "just because".
My lifestyle, like many other things, has evolved over the years and I now rarely forget to eat all day and never have ice cream for breakfast, dinner and supper the same day (happened a few times because that's what I felt like eating). I've mentioned many times, I happen to love things that are "good for you", but I also don't despise a butter croissant (although I don't eat them every morning any more) or a slab of ribs. I cannot imagine saying to myself, "you won't eat this ever, till the end of your life", even though there are probably lots of things that I don't ever eat without this declaration. But it's a declaration like this that would make me go mad and crave the "forbidden fruit".
Oooh, this turned out to be such a long post. I'm trying to figure out an answer, seriously. So... I believe that if a diet is some kind of a "naturally occurring" thing devoid of big declarations and prohibitions, then it will work. Otherwise, I will have to say - NO WAY!
brooke29 at 11:03AM on 01/06/09
No Way. Diets do not work. However, healthy lifestyles work. If you can learn to get up off the couch and move your body, even an additional 20 minutes per day, and learn to eat and drink in moderation, and listen to your body signals, and turn off emotional trigger eating, then you can get and stay healthy. It may take a while, and so patience is key, which takes emotional fortitude. For so many of us, myself included, there are many things that have caused us to have cracks in our fortitude, which makes sticking to the healthy lifestyle difficult. But it's worth it to try...even if you fall into bad habits one day, it's worth it to try better the next day. It's never too late to begin taking care of yourself. Even if it is with baby steps. I have gained 100 pounds over the past 14 years. It took a long time to gain the weight, and it will no doubt take me a long time to take it off. But every day is a new day, and a healthy lifestyle is more than a diet....it's a way of thinking and believing in yourself and activity....it's not a magical pill or crash diet....that's just not going to do it in the long run.
juliebugsmama at 11:27AM on 01/06/09
I really don't think it's all that complicated. Exercise and consume fats and sugars in moderation.
I agree that the "fad" diets are bogus temporary fixes that aren't sustainable.
I actually think the biggest issue comes in the exercising part. When I see people at the gym, most do the little step machine or the bike while watching MTV or CNN on the built in TV. They do it for 20 minutes, hop off and take a swig of water....brush a little sweat from the brow. Please. You have to really get the heart racing for a good 30 minutes which means 10-15 minute warm up, then 30-35 minutes of INTENSE workout and then a cool down.
It sucks, but good exercise = pain.
Obviously, it's a generalization, but I think most people don't really push themselves when they exercise and then they wonder why they don't lose weight. I swam competitively for 15 years. Some practices were so intense that I felt like I had to (or actually did) regurgitate. Now, I'm not saying that's the benchmark or anything...and I don't suggest that...but the idea that just pretending to climb steps for 30 minutes or so equals a good workout is total rubbish.
But that's just me...and I didn't mean for this to be as long a post as it ended up being.
lawofmurphy at 11:31AM on 01/06/09
I have just recently started the Hallelujah Diet and it is more than just a diet, but a lifestyle change. I feel great and the eating habits that I have changed due to this has been AWESOME! I was not looking to lose weight, but that happened naturally. I am healthier and the issues that I used to have (allergies, headaches, etc.) are gone. If you have never heard of the Hallelujah Diet, you should check it out...www.hacres.com
Hamptel at 11:37AM on 01/06/09
If the diet trains you to think about food as fuel, and teaches you portion control and good nutrition, demands exercise, and allows for life and joy (and treats!) - then yes, it can work. But if the diet guarantees you will lose weight quickly, either thru starvation or extreme rules, doesn't mention exercise - then h-e-double-hockey-sticks NO!
I get so annoyed when I see the Jenny Craig ads this time of year.
Pre-packaged foods are not the way we were meant to live and eat. They are expensive, and the ads barely mention exercise if it is mentioned at all.
Get off your butt people and get a cookbook - either at the library or a garage sale, if you're trying to watch your budget - and start cooking, anything! You can control your budget and waistline by eating more meals at home! And guess what - Walking is free. Running is free. Throwing a ball around in the yard or park doesn't cost much. Lack of time, lack of money, lack of energy - bah, I've heard it all.
Sorry, got off on a tangent/rant....((reminds self to breath))
erinlovestoeat at 11:39AM on 01/06/09
Diets -- the grapefruit diet, the white food diet -- only work in the short term because so few people can stay on that sort of regime for the long term. They lose some weight, maybe even reach a goal, and then they go off the diet because they've accomplished the goal. The problem is, they only know two ways of eating -- the crazy restricted diet that's no fun at all, or the old way that made them gain weight. So they start gaining weight, and probably at a pretty fast rate because they're so anxious to eat all the things they missed while they were dieting.
The only thing (in my opinion) that works for the long-term, is a change in lifestyle that you can live with. You have to learn how to eat and exercise like a person who is the size you want to be. Not eat like a malnourshed rat, but eat like a normal person of a healthy size.
dbcurrie at 11:39AM on 01/06/09
Diets - NO WAY
Moving yourself towards a healthier lifestyle and modifying your diet as part of that - WAY!
And what better way to do so than by cooking!?!??? I yo-yo'ed 25-30 lbs up and down TWICE during my last three years in college, and now that I'm working a steady job and got my crap in order, I've managed to maintain my weight for about a year and a half now (give or take 5 lbs fluxtuation) at what I was before I started gaining weight in college. Learning to make vegetables taste good, eating more of them and less meat, cooking more than eating out, plus being more active has worked. I wouldn't call it a diet, espeically since I had corndogs for dinner last night, but overall, I've moved to a much healthier place and THAT has been working for me.
One of my favorite food blogs (Kalyn's Kitchen) is based around the South Beach Diet, and it seems to have worked wonders for her. I haven't been driving to try it, but her recipes are delicious so I'd say if going on "a diet" is part of moving towards a healthier lifestyle overall, then it can work.
joyyy at 11:56AM on 01/06/09
i think as we get older it's harder to keep the weight off.... i was always relatively slim and then all of a sudden - being able to eat whatever i wanted turned into - say what? how much do i weigh?
i did a modified atkins - it really took the extra 15 lbs off..... fast. and i stayed on it for 2 years..... staying away from white carbs. bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.... little by little i started to "slip" ... and before i knew it... i was back to my old eating habits.
so, i do think diets can work. it just takes discipline and the ability to say, well i'm going to be good all week and on the weekend -- have something extra -- and then get back into the swing. let's face it - if you have diabetes - and have to stay on a diet - it works. or if you have celiac?
you have to stay on that diet. it's tough. i know, i know.
i think try to eat as healthy as you can .... and get moving.....
pooch at 12:00PM on 01/06/09
Perky I can't agree more with your statement. But I say WAY because I also believe that the word 'diet' has the wrong typical conotations.
In nutrition, the diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. - Wiki
So yes, mass-marketed "diets" shouldn't work because everyone has to make choices based on their resources and lifestyle.
It is all about your habits (I think); as long as you make the correct choices when faced with a decision of what to eat--this is a diet. Am I way off here anyone?
hungrychristel at 12:15PM on 01/06/09
Of course people can change. We change all the time to adapt to new situations. The key to lasting change is that you have to want it. I don't believe diets work (in the sense of "I'm going on a diet to lose 10 pounds.") Eating habits are part of your lifestyle, and if you want to change your eating habits you have to incorporate that as part of your lifestyle. Get up 15 minutes earlier and make your own breakfast (a hard boiled egg and whole wheat toast works well) rather than stopping at the coffee shop; eat a banana for a snack instead of a candy bar; have a handful of almonds rather than potato chips at lunch; go to the grocery store and buy food for dinner rather zipping through the drive-thru at the fast food restaurant. Don't try and swear off chocolate cake forever, but if you do have a slice, recognize that it's a treat. Enjoy every bite with the knowledge that you may not have another piece for a while.
At first you'll wonder how you'll survive without your favorite empty calorie foods and soft drinks, then before long you'll wonder why you ever wanted them in the first place. And that's when you'll know you've changed.
ChefSusan at 12:35PM on 01/06/09
"No Way" ~ Never met a diet that could tame me!!
izatryt at 12:45PM on 01/06/09
iz you're a wild child!
hungrychristel at 12:50PM on 01/06/09
I agree with the majority here.
It comes down to this:
1. Diet vs. lifestyle, weight loss vs. maintenance and health:
-Make lifestyle changes. I think the term "diet" has taken on negative connotations and attempts to reverse this fail. It's up to dieters to change their perceptions. Was there ever a time when "diet" wasn't a "bad word"? I ask this earnestly.
-If you're trying to lose weight eat less & move more.
2. Mindfulness:
-Knowing why you're eating and listening to your body, as a few have suggested above. I've been saying for awhile that bodies are self-regulating but that people aren't in tune with their bodies anymore. In an ideal world people would eat when they're hungry, sleep when they're tired, etc. The body is one unit - your brain and stomach work together. Let them. Be mindful of your needs.
-Be aware of what you're putting into your body and why in the context of food's purpose. Would you rather consume foods and beverages that might be high in calories but are also high in nutrition or would you rather eat something that's high in calories with no nutritional benefit? I wish I could say that I'll chose the avocado over the ice cream but in other areas I'm pretty good. There are some edible products that I refuse to buy because I don't understand the concept beyond "tastes good" and they don't taste good to me.
3. The mental aspect, attitude and self esteem (not just related to diet):
-Don't beat yourself up or think of yourself as a failure if you violate a self-imposed (or diet prescribed) rule. Humans are fallible. Get over it and more on.
-Don't look at it as "discipline" or "will power". Those result in unrealistic expectations.
-Start with small changes and build up. Don't try to do to much at once. Doing so is one of the reasons people have trouble following through and "fail".
-Avoid words like "fail" and "failure". They're subjective, self perception words. Learn from each unsuccessful attempt to meet a goal and decide how to improve for next time, again in realistic, manageable steps.
@lawofmurphy: I agree with you but also acknowledge that 20 minutes is better than nothing and there are cases in which it's acceptable.
@brooke:
I can think of some responses for your former co-worker. One involves, "I hate you for that!" ... "For acting like a c*** and projecting your self-esteem issues onto me." Think she was trying to make you enjoy your breakfast less in order to appease herself? A small part of me would want to eat mass quantities of high calorie food in front of her in retaliation. Part of me also feels sympathetic towards her, though, and wouldn't want her to feel worse about herself.
(Also @brooke:) Like you, I'm naturally slim. This is partly genetic (yay for my mother's DNA!) but also, as in your case, my parents set a good example. It is crucial for good eating habits to start at home and for parents to encourage exercise. For years my mom got up early to use exercise videos before work and I have a memory of playing with my friends in the corner of our moms' aerobics classes at a community centre (I must have been 4 or 5 and said memory involves Smurfs figurines).
And forget about moms projecting their own insecurity, prejudices, and food fears on their children. I've seen girls with self-esteem issues caused by their mothers and children put on diets by their mothers. Not cool. Encourage physical activity and buy/cook nutritious food! There's too much processed crap manufactured right now.
I'll stop now.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 1:20PM on 01/06/09
@CanadianGirl / Brooke: Yay I'm not alone! I have been raised on proper eating habits/diet and day-to-day physical activity as well--this is why I've remained petite my whole life (on top of the fact I'm 5'2"). I'm sure that most of it is my lifestyle and some of it is inherited from my father's family.
I have to agree and add that I feel a lot of resentment from other women who struggle with their weight. "You're so lucky!" is continuously the comment. I almost want to tell them "Yes, but I'm also concous" They'll offer me a chocolate and I say no and the first thing they say is "Well, YOU can afford to eat it" and I'm like Actually, I'm this way because I make the right decisions. Like this one. I find it slightly offensive sometimes (?)
hungrychristel at 2:46PM on 01/06/09
@CanadianFoodieGirl - re Think she was trying to make you enjoy your breakfast less in order to appease herself? Yes, I'm quite certain this was the case. I wanted to give her a smart-arse answer so badly, but I also had that little part of me that felt for her, which is why I ended up just sitting there with that idiotic smile on my face. Grrrr! If the tables were reversed, I would have never thought of making a comment like this.
also, @CanadianFoodieGirl and @christel and all - I agree about exercising, even though I'm guilty of never doing it purposely. But like I've mentioned before, I walk. Whenever I was/am upset or excited or whatever, I would always go for a walk instead of reaching for food (I physically cannot eat when I'm not relaxed). If I had a bad day at work, I'd get off the bus 5 stops earlier and walk home to sort out my thoughts and feelings. Like some people are emotional eaters, I'm an emotional walker. I actually never realised how good a thing it was (other than the fact that walking always makes me feel better, of course). So I'd think that people who hate exercising could probably find something like that, that they would actually enjoy doing so it's not a chore or something they have to do, but something they want to do.
Again, it all comes down to doing and eating things one enjoys - or to enjoying things one eats and dos. Lifestyle works, diets never do.
brooke29 at 3:27PM on 01/06/09
I think it depends on how you define diets "working". If you mean, if you eat less for a while, can you lose weight? Then yes. If you mean provide lasting weight loss, then no. I would recommend a blog called Shapely Prose (www.kateharding.net) for some excellent reading about a way of thinking dubbed "health at every size". She will say it much better than I ever could, but essentially, there is no evidence that diets work in the long run (and lots to the contrary-read "Rethinking Thin" by Gina Kolata for an exploration of the scientific evidence). Further, regardless of size, people can be healthy and exercise and eat properly. You cannot tell much about a person's health just be looking at him/her.
psychsarah at 4:47PM on 01/06/09
Short term diets lead to yo-yo dieting in most cases. An evaluation of what you would like to change about your lifestyle and then figuring out what small changes will lead to those goals, seems to be the most effective approach. Generally this entails healthier eating choices plus exercise and really being honest with yourself about your life and how you choose to live it.
dhorst at 6:02PM on 01/06/09
i don't like diets at all. they are expensive and you are never happy while on them. i've tried a few and they can work but not for long. i'd rather eat the foods i enjoy in moderation. i eat a variety of food. i am active. i am fat. i am happy in my own skin. to me that is more important than being thin. although i would like to be thin, i will probably never be. i guess i am no way.. now someone give me a cookie!
dearrie at 7:26PM on 01/06/09
Fad diets don't. Education on proper nutrition and how it works on your body, controlling calorie intake, and exercise do.
Usually. There are very real conditions that can make any diet fail: hypothyroidism, for instance, completely sabotaged my otherwise healthy eating by making my metabolism so sluggish that even at 1,200 calories a day and regular (3-5 times a week) exercise, my then-28-year-old self could not lose weight.
I got it diagnosed, I got on medication, I started losing weight again.
But really, the education is what's important to me. Fiber and protein good. Sugar bad. Vegetables good. Portion control good. This is all stuff everyone should know, but not everyone does.
onalark at 7:54PM on 01/06/09
Diets don't work. It would have to be a life style change in order to change your eating habits. Me. I like the the motto, everything in moderation...yum!
pequenalooloo at 9:54PM on 01/06/09
I don't like the word diet - if you're serious about losing weight, think of it as a life style change. It is really not hard to not eat fried foods all the time and to eat more high protein, high fiber, and low fat foods. If you knock off about 500 calories a day, you'll lose weight. And this can be done without starving yourself or using fad diets. But I do agree that falling back into old patterns is just so easy to do. I lost ten pounds in ten weeks before a vacation, only to put it right back on after the bikini was no longer needed. My goal - find something every three months that is a goal and a reason to stay fit. Weather it is your vacation (which is a valid reason and a great motivator!), your wedding, your birthday, your anniversary, anything - find things that are three or four months out to look to as goals, and it makes things easier. I'm not sure that's a diet, though. But there is something to be said for goal driven weight loss and/or maintaining your weight/more active lifestyle by setting short term goals.
csbrown at 9:00AM on 01/07/09
@hungrychristel:
You said: I have to agree and add that I feel a lot of resentment from other women who struggle with their weight. "You're so lucky!" is continuously the comment. I almost want to tell them "Yes, but I'm also concous"
Occasionally I get this too. I've heard "Oh, you don't need to worry about it." or "Oh, but you can handle it." and my response has been similar to yours. Sometimes I get comments without the offer of food. "You're so small!" -Um, thanks, I think.
It is sometimes offensive. Sometimes I almost feel like I have to apologize for being naturally slimmer. Some - women and men - have called me "tiny". I don't think I am at 5'4", 121-126 (depending on the season - currently I feel like I'm back at my slightly heavier, but not insulating, winter weight), medium build.
Sometimes I'll tell them that I'm genetically smaller and work out, which is mostly accurate with phases of good gym attendance and phases of no gym attendance (I'm currently on week 5 of the latter). Everyone is built differently and carry weight differently. There are many people who are heavier than me yet more fit. Some people are slim but bigger boned. Some are smaller boned, but heavier.
Of course when offered I'll often take the chocolate, but only if it's good chocolate. There's a lot I won't eat. I never developed a taste for candy or soft drinks.
@brooke29: I'm an emotional walker too. :)
One more thing, and I apologize for going off topic here: When I was younger I used exercise videos and DVDs. You know what bothered me about a lot of them? References to weight loss and phrases such as "...you'll lose inches!" What about those of us who aren't exercising to lose weight or inches? How about trying to connect to a wider audience?
CanadianFoodieGirl at 10:50AM on 01/07/09
I "diet" in odd styles.
No pizza (once for 18 months)
no bread/rice/potatoes/pasta (tough one)
low carb
hardly any carb (no carb was impossible I felt weak)
high in protein
low in fat
6 small meals
Eat dinner for breakfast
24 or less grams of fat (the most successful one ever)
Now I just eat off small plates. I take those small bread plates out and serve food on them. All the pasta that fits in a cereal bowl is all you can have. We also eat at least 5 fruits and veg per day. I once shoved some grape tomatoes in my mouth at 7 pm to make sure I had covered the 5.
Do diets work? Sure they do. Does "your diet" work? There is the question.
The no pizza diet has started again. Pizza is the devil.
JerzeeTomato at 12:28PM on 01/07/09
No diet. It's a permanent lifestyle shift that is the solution. Portion control is big, learn to love vegetables and fresh fruits and prepare them well. Activity. Diets are a myth and a huge business, which is why many people will never escape the myth.
I have this plate diagram approach. It's a great guide to portions, and some info on what a portion size really is. Enlightening. Good luck to all who are struggling with diet myths. It's tough.
ExpatChef at 5:26PM on 01/07/09
I know it's an unpopular stance, but I think fad diets DO work if you use them in moderation. Sometimes the only way to break your unhealthy eating habits is to completely restrict yourself for a limited amount of time. I've done Atkins for a week, vegan for a week - it produces some results, which gives me the motivation to re-introduce the less healthy foods on a limited, reasonable basis.
marzipanda at 5:27PM on 01/07/09
@marzipanda - I'm on your side. While fad diets aren't really the healthiest way, the sad truth is that to lose weight sometimes you just have to take the hit and eat less or more restrictively. I've gone through many ups and downs in weight and struggle with it, and sometimes the only way to feel positive is to really cut down for a week or two and reap the benefit.
And I'm sorry to the naturally slim girls who feel offended at the skinny comments - of which I am certainly guilty. Unfortunately, this is another side effect of a weight- and image-conscious world that is full of women who are in a constant struggle with food. You're right that you shouldn't have to get the negative vibe built off of someone else's anxieties, but you must take into account the intense jealousy and insecurity that a normal woman feels when she sees a lovely and naturally trim woman eating a croissant as she heads to the gym for a grueling workout. At the end of the day, it's harder to deal with not liking what you see in the mirror than to hear someone say you're too skinny.
teenagefoodie at 9:19PM on 01/07/09
i'm trying the bittman plan: vegan and whole grain until 6pm. details to follow.
cybercita at 10:15PM on 01/07/09
Add me to the crowd of "if diet = permanent lifestyle change, then yes".
Nutritional balance - YES
Portion control - YES
Conscious vs. automatic eating (hunger vs. I happen to be sitting in front of the TV)
Conscious exercise (even if it's "just" walking, or parking further away)
One of the most useful concepts I've ever encountered is through running (which I do competitively, but slowly) - food = fuel. You put in your car the gas it needs to run. Less, and you get stuck. More...well, you can't overfill a gas tank... Seriously, though. The food is there to give your body the energy it needs to do whatever it is you do...and I find that the healthier I am in terms of exercise, the more I crave healthier foods and the easier it is to resist unhealthier foods.
I also count calories on www.fitday.com, and they do a good job of helping you visualize that food/fuel calorie balance. At the end of the day, I'd rather make healthier choices during the day and go to the gym on my way home from the office so I can eat a healthy AND satisfying dinner. Having leftover pasta carbonara one night was fun, but I didn't get to have very much. I got to eat almost twice as much chicken and dumplings last night, and still burned more calories than I ate yesterday.
OK, this is long enough. =)
akk328 at 3:04PM on 01/08/09
We seem to be all over the board, just like the general population. Fad diets get you kick started and fad diets do nothing. All seem to agree that a lifestyle change is the only way to maintain any weight loss, regardless of how it came about.
I was very active until a horrific car accident. In the year or three that I was sedentary, the weight packed on. I was young and took it all off (90 pounds) in about 9 months - following the Weight Watchers diet and resuming walking and riding a bike (took years of physical therapy). I kept that weight off for about 25 years, until consequences of that accident coupled with a couple more accidents did in my back and knees. Now, it's a constant struggle that I'm losing. Interesting side note regarding heredity. One of my daughters was skinny at birth and will always be very slender, as was my mother and all of her siblings. She tries to put on weight. My other daughter looks marvelous, but has to watch every morsel she puts in her mouth. She said someone recently told her she is big boned and she knew instantly that she probably put on a few pounds. She'll have to struggle with this her whole life - she is built like the portly members of the family on both sides. Sometimes, life isn't fair. Have a piece of cheesecake........or a raisin.
PerkyMac at 10:03AM on 01/09/09
I am a normie eater, I eat until I am full and stay away from junk food, my dad died at my age from a heart attack. My S.O. can overeat and what would make me uncomfortable,...is ok by him he on the other hand would not do well with more than one and a half drinks a month, me....well let's just say I am more comfortable with a glass of wine. Everyone it seems to me, get's their endorphines from different things. Do diets work, no, lifestyle changes and liking something more than eating seems to work I really don't like how uncomfortable I am when my jeans don't fit, that over rides my desire to have the Utah, "Training Table Cheesey Fries" this of course comes with "Fry Sauce" a mixture of mayo and ketchup, oops I mean catsup, anyway good luck to you dieters, being lighter gives you a bunch more energy.
Shelleyanne at 9:20PM on 01/09/09
@brooke, reading your original post made me think of one thing: "French Women Don't Get Fat" - really, your lifestyle seems to be very typical of the one mentioned in the book.
I lost weight on Weight Watchers. It could be construed as a diet, but it's meant to be a lifestyle change. Which is why it works for me. Not to say that I didn't gain some weight back. Sure I did. When I was stressed, I gained 15 lbs. Started measuring food again to remind myself what a normal portion is, lost it. Gained weight when I had a baby. Used Weight Watchers again to lose the last 20 lbs (had to give up that chocolate habit).
Having a healthy lifestyle is all well and good, but most everyone still puts on weight. Our metabolism slows down as we age if we aren't diligent about maintaining muscle mass and activity. The amount we eat gradually increases over time. Then we all need to smack ourselves and say, "oops, need to regroup". And we need to do it before those 10 lbs turn into 50.
mm1970 at 1:51PM on 01/13/09