Regarding dieting

[Climbingthewalls12]

Just watching that Channel 4 program about people who used to be fat, then thin then fat again and its got me thinking.

AIBU tonot see how people can claiming dieting and exercise don't work and to say that of course they bloody do if you stick to it and do it properly. As someone who has previously lost a great deal of weight this way it really grates on me that people use it as an excuse.

I know there can be medical issues but the general reality is that people don't do it properly!

[formerbabe]

Diets do work. They don't work when you don't stick to them. Its bloody hard though and I think those who have never had a weight problem or issues with food think it is easy and just needs some self control. It is much more complex.

[Tweasels]

Diets do work in the short term but not if once you're at your goal weight you go back to eating loads. I'd guess that's where the phrase comes from.

Many fad diets do work in terms of weight loss but not in terms of helping the person overcome their psychological issues with food or how to permanently change eating habits.

However, there are many people who do make excuses for why they can't lose weight.

[UsedToBeNDP]

But a lot of people aren't overweight simply because they overheat & underexercise,are they? I mean that is probably a factor but those who, for instance, link food issues to emotion/control (either by over or under eating) will not be 'fixed' by cal counting & a treadmill. It's often a much more complex issue than just 'greedy & lazy'.

[Climbingthewalls12]

I lost about 4 stone on WW after the birth of DD and it was incredible the number of people at my meeting who each week were like "I stuck to it religiously and it didn't work" who were they trying to kid?

[UsedToBeNDP]

Over eat. Damned ipad

[Musicaltheatremum]

For some, who put on weight and then lose it that's fine but the problem is our relationship with food. Eating it without thinking and portion control. I have a BMI over 30. It is slowly coming off but I have put on 5 pounds over Christmas by just eating and drinking the wrong things.
It is not easy. I am a GP so should and do know better but my relationship with food is not good. I sympathise with people but do try and encourage them to empower themselves to loose weight. When I track my food religiously with weight watchers I loose weight. When I don't I either stay the same or put it on.
Excessive is only about 20% of the answer and you see all these programmes such as "obese, a year to save my life" which I have been watching just now and they push at the excessive excessive. 4 hours a day. It's ridiculous and yes they do loose weight but put it on so quickly when they go back to normal eating and excessive levels.
It is actually quite a complex mixture of social and emotional problems on top of food. And some people just find it harder.

[Musicaltheatremum]

**excersise not excessive oops

[BitOutOfPractice]

How old are you OP? It does get harder as you get older (and no, I didn't believe that either when I lost 4 stone on WW in my early 30s)

[puzzleduck]

I think its the word "diet" that causes people to loose and put on weight.
If we say Im changing my lifestyle for the better and will eat healthy food because I enjoy it, I think more people would stop yoyoing.

Its all in the brain.

[Sirzy]

Diets dont work for most people, not in the long run. Diets, especially extreme ones, are only 'good' for as long as you can stick to them.

Personally, I have found that lifestyle change is much better than dieting. Making sensible sustainable changes in order to make yourself healthier and fitter. I have lost 3.5 stone in the last 7 months this way.

Of course though as important as the food and exercise is tackling the the emtional side of things too.

[MarshaBrady]

Diet usually means feeling deprived short term but if you can switch to lifestyle and way of eating it can feel easier.

[CaptainTripps]

It is so hard to resist yummy food. Portion control isn't the issue for me. But it is picking the right foods.

[Joysmum]

The mistake most people make is on focussing on the diet, rather than why they over eat or exercise too little. Get the thinking right and change the way you think and the lifestyle change isn't a chore and is sustainable.

[Mintyy]

Come back and preach when you are post menopausal OP.

[aturtlenamedmack]

Many people have disordered relationships with their bodies and with food.
While diets work in the sense that eating less and exercising more will mean weight loss, they do not address disordered attitudes towards food, if anything diets exacerbate these issues by putting food and weight at the centre of life.

[Onepostposy]

I lost a stone and a half with weight watchers last year, going from nearly 11 stone (10 stone 11lbs) to 9 stone 5.

I would have weeks where I lost nothing and then I'd lose 3lbs. It took 6 months. I did stick to the diet! I resent the person above saying I didn't!

[TalkinPeace]

I did WW 12 years ago.
There are people still going to those meetings who are still overweight.
Which bit of "stop snacking, no second helping, no sweets" has it taken them that many years and hundreds of pounds to not get?

There are people who have medical reasons that make it very hard for them to lose weight, but they are a very small proportion of the population - just look at photos of crowds before the 1970's to prove it
( snacking was invented in the early 1970's BTW )

And as for It does get harder as you get older
sorry but bilge
I lost a stone in 3 months in 2012
I maintained right through 2013
I'm a few pounds overweight at the moment and will be back to proper size by the end of January, before my 49th birthday.

It just takes self control and self discipline.

But too many people want it all done for them rather than by them.

[puzzleduck]

I saw a thread the other day when someone said we were brainwashed into eating by the media

We are!!!

We actually don't need to eat much but we are being brainwashed into thinking we do.

[hiddenhome]

I don't think of it as 'being on a diet', but more as healthy eating. I'm losin weight easily just by cutting out junk, sugar and processed foods. Healthy eating is a way of life and adopting good habits. Some of my colleagues go on crash diets and lose tons of weight, but then go back to munching cake. You simply can't do that. You have to avoid sugar altogether and keep avoiding it.

You're only ever a kitkat away from disaster

[WorraLiberty]

I saw a thread the other day when someone said we were brainwashed into eating by the media

See it's statements like that ^^ that does no-one any good imo.

It's a kind of 'shift the blame' thing to say.

We're still responsible for what we put in our mouths and swallow.

And yes, I realise that sounds a little ruder than it ought to

[ChippingInLovesChristmasLights]

Stop shit stirring - it's not big & it's not clever.

[puzzleduck]

Of course we are.The food industry spend Billions on advertising. Take McD for example they entice children with the toys, we all know its junk food yet we are so brainwashed we feed it to our kids.

[WorraLiberty]

Just because something is advertised, doesn't automatically make us brainwashed into using it or into thinking we need to eat too much.

Tempted yes, brainwashed no.

I think the key is willpower and that's hard enough to muster up without convincing yourself you're being brainwashed.

[Climbingthewalls12]

I am 22 so can see why it might be easier. At the same time however my Mum (who was overweight since she was a teen) lost over 8 stone at the same time (aged 48.) So not sure I believe the whole older thing.

I agree that its up to us to take responsibility for what we put in our mouths.

[BitOutOfPractice]

Oh well TalkingPeace, a study comprising one person (yourself) is conclusive isn't it?