To think that people who say diets don’t work aren’t really trying

A specific low calorie diet will help someone lose weight

However, making changes to someone's food intake and lifestyle in order to lose weight takes time and conscious effort

Theres a lot of talk about obsessive behaviours on this thread but there's a world of difference between obsessive behaviours and accountability for what you choose to consume.
I strictly do not count anything under 10 calories
I've made sensible swaps (eg ice lattes rather than ice capps/frapuccinos, 1 cal spray over oil).
It's not a choice between obsession vs being overweight.
It's being brave enough and loving yourself enough to make changes if that's what you want.
Yes its hard, yes there are days I can't be bothered but I do it. I've focused on what I can do rather than what I can't which is important because I have Dyspraxia which is a life long condition and does mean there are things I absolutely can't do. But wasting time focusing on what I can't do doesn't serve me.

Blood sugar management in people without diabetes could be handled by not eating so much sugar.

It is true that people say they cant lose weight and it's nothing to do with what they eat until they're on appetite suppressing drugs and they lose significant amounts of weight because they dont eat so much. How strange.

People massively underestimate what they're actually eating.

@Namechanged4obviousreasons but it's not that simple. As countless other posters have pointed out. The original post is idiotic because its a huge oversimplification (and a patronizing one at that) of a much, much more complex issue.

Must tell perimenopause this information

She seems to think otherwise

@LoveMySushi , I eat what I like, and fortunately pizza and chinese isn't what I like, but the 'it's not fair, you can eat what you like' brigade don't eat the same as you and I do.
With takeaways, I usually have leftovers the next day.

There have been huge advances in our understanding of metabolism in the last decade. Look up current science, not some of the shite being spouted on here. Fat Science podcast has an excellent episode about why it’s not calories in/calories out in the way we’ve been told for decades.

I could keep weight off when I had a decently job and long hours and children.

drugs that cause weight gain especially the steroids are a whole other ball game.

I hope you never end up like me with disabilities I wouldn’t wish it on anyone but I’d hope that before I became so disabled and unwell I wasn’t smug and patronising. But maybe I was.

Well yes, but i dont eat an entire pizza or an entire meal. With pizza i usually stick to max half a pizza.
But yes of course its still very high calories. Im just saying i know people who eat like this every evening and then wonder..
I have a work collegue who complains about her weight all the time. We often eat out together or eat our food brought from home.
I just dont get how she can sit there finishing an entire pizza while I nibble on my salad and then a couple days later she tells me she wishes she could be slim and eat whatever she wants, just like me.. ive told her many times if i ate everything i wanted, i would probably not be this slim. But she doesnt want to hear that, to her im just lucky.

"Science states..."

No. No it doesn't. You are mistaking science for the popular opinions of people who know jackshit because they were never taught to use common sense.

Weight loss is not as simple as calories in vs calories out, because that's not how the human body works. It's not a combustion engine. Try reading some actual science to discover why weight loss is far more complex than that (and while you're at it, have a go at figuring out what calories are and what they aren't. Hint: look at who defined a calorie and how they did it, then ask yourself: is this how digestion works? If you conclude no, you can carry on to draw logical conclusions about how relevant calories are when talkinhg about weight loss.)

@PuppiesProzacProsecco how is the OP’s post idiotic when she’s saying that you lose weight by reducing calories and you’ve proved that to be true by presumably doing this yourself multiple times.?

The rest is motivation, discipline etc and yes this causes people to yo-yo but it doesn’t detract from the calories in/out being correct. The weight loss jabs prove this - when calories are reduced, people lose weight. That’s literally what the OP said.

Lol OP. I've lost at least 22 stone over the last 20 years. Sadly it's tended to be the same 3 or 4 stone every time.

My entire life has been a weight loss/weight gain journey. I've spent my life being either fat/bad or slim/good. I pretty much guarantee I'm "better" at losing weight than you are and have far more detailed knowledge of the science behind it.

Your post is condescending and idiotic.

@Bogpinkbear I’m not but that doesn’t change the calories in/out approach. You may struggle to burn off calories (so do I - I have a sedentary job with long hours and children which doesn’t leave me time for the gym). You may have to restrict your calories significantly due to a low metabolism but most disabilities do not cause weight gain itself. It’s still calories in/out.

My grandmother was overweight despite being active (a competitive athlete for quite a whole). She had a stroke and was unable to exercise but also relied on my mum to make her food. She lost a significant amount of weight because my mum is very slim (not naturally so) and fed her the same foods and portions that she ate. She wasn’t able to access other food so there was no way round it for her.

Are you disabled?

@Bogpinkbear It’s not about empathy or lack of. I know I’ve said very similar things to what you’ve said at times and said I can’t lose weight, it’s not fair some people are naturally slim etc, but I’ve lied to myself and it hasn’t helped me at all. I can lose weight, I didn’t 100% track what I ate, I didn’t fill my plate with a lot of low calorie veg to fill me up. I made excuses.

You don’t have to have an empty stomach to eat low calorie. There are very few calories in veg so you could eat a big plate of food if most was veg or salad. Even low sugar fruit. I’ve had to do this, I do still sometimes feel hungry and go to bed hungry, I do sometimes fancy stuff that I can’t have and I’m having to make a conscious effort but I want to be slim and excuses won’t get me there.

As I said before, if a weight loss jab could help you to lose weight, you can do it yourself. If being completely disabled and having someone serve your meals would see you lose weight, you could restrict calories yourself.

I’m replying to you but not aiming this at you. It’s not personal and I do have empathy. Unless you are naturally someone that doesn’t gain weight, it’s hard and especially as you get older or have a low metabolism but it’s not impossible and if it doesn’t happen, that is ultimately on us. We do have to take accountability for our weight.

Your empathy is shining clean out of you.

do you realise if I want to lose weight I have to eat between 700 and 800 calories a day. And I feel sick or actually vomiting on that little (coz drugs that can’t be taken on an empty stomach).

@Bogpinkbear But losing weight starts with being honest with yourself. You mentioned not being eligible for weight loss drugs. If you were, do you think you could lose weight? If so, that’s because they would lower your appetite and thus your calorie intake. You can do that yourself with willpower and wanting it enough.

Anyone on a weight loss jab could have done the same themselves. They’re not a magic wand. They’ve just not done what others do themselves because they can’t motivate themselves or can’t be disciplined with sticking to low calorie for life. As I said, I’m not disputing it’s hard but it’s hard for most people to stay slim and calories in/out does work - the jabs prove that! Others mention the effect on blood sugar but this is naturally affected by the lower calories and lower consumption of sugars.

I lost four stone five years ago and I've kept it off. And you know what? My life has to be regimented to the point of near insanity in order to keep the weight off now I'm post menopause. I run four miles a day five days a week, do an hour of bike riding, Pilates three times a week, eat one meal a day..it's exhausting. I'm terrified of cake! If I miss a day's run I'm in agonies over what if I don't get out the next day. I am hungry a lot of the time. But I don't need many calories now I'm over 60 and if I stop exercising I'll be lucky to be able to eat a couple of bits of lettuce and a tomato without gaining weight.

The injections aren't a cheat. They don't make the fat melt off you. They just stop you wanting to eat as much, but you still have to NOT EAT. Good on anyone who loses weight by any method at all, because it's bloody hard work!

I could lose 3 or 4lbs a week in my 20s eating 1300 calories a day. In my 50s I eat less than 1000 and I’m lucky if I lose 0.5lb a week.

Oh to be young and judgemental again!

I think it is very hard to properly calorie track when you have 4 mouths to feed. My husband is very very slim, so he need calories, my children are perfectly healthy so they just need a varied balance diet. Unless I’m cooking myself a completely different meal (which I can’t afford to do tbh) then it’s really hard to measure one it and track my own bit of the meal.

‘diets’ are shit too. Things like completely cutting out carbs, or doing a keto diet ect just don’t work - it’s great for temporary weight loss but a lot of the time it’s not sustainable long term. Which is where I think a lot of people fail.

however, lifestyle changes is the way to go; if you can track calories, great. But it’s hard as hell to properly track calories.. weighing every single thing, every drink that isn’t water, every knife-full of butter you use on a sandwich, the drizzle of oil to cook with? It’s incredibly difficult to actually track all your calories. You are right though, weight loss is simply calories in, calories out - you could do no exercise ever and as long as you’re in a calorie deficit you’ll lose weight.

I cannot count calories to save my life.. but I have just started making some lifestyle changes. I eat smaller portions of what I cook; I don’t buy much (occasionally when I’m lazy) processed food; we mainly eat fish/meat and veg; rice; cous cous ect. I eat from a side plate instead of a dinner plate because dinner plates are huge and make my portions look tiny and depressing. A side plate tricks the mind into thinking you have a huge plate of food.
move stopped caring about clear plates, I’ll eat until I’m satiated then stop.
Ive stopped grabbing the kids snacks throughout the day. If im really snackish and Im not just bored or thirsty, I’ll have some carrots and hummus ect.
I drink much more water, I don’t have fizzy drinks anymore. Just because the amount of shit in sugar free crap is awful, you better off drinking full fat - so I drink neither 🤣 occasionally I’ll have some sparkling elderflower.
I've stopped drinking.. and honestly this one’s had the most effect.

I rarely (except for my every other Saturday treat) eat simple carbs.

when I say im in pain, I mean I can’t communicate I can’t move without it being excruciatingly painful. Hitting a 9 all day. Today’s a good day. It’s a 5. But that’s an hour after taking slow release morphine.

many of the medications I’m on cause weight gain.

It really isn’t that simple for me.

I’ve given up coffee because of the milk calories. I drink black tea. Or low calorie squash. I don’t drink alcohol. Couldn’t even if I wanted to.

The sort of answer you give shows you have no idea what it’s like to live with long term debilitating disabilities and pain.

Your post partum journey is not everyone’s.

As a woman who has been breastfeeding for 19 months, I can barely lose 1/4lb every week. My body was battered by pregnancy and I’m only just feeling ‘okay’ 19 months later.

We need to be kinder to other mums.

I do agree that over eating is a huge issue in the western world and so is exercise due to our lifestyles.

@Bogpinkbear Sure some people have circumstances which make it harder to maintain/lose weight but it’s still down to how much you want to be slim and how much effort you’re willing to put in for life.

Don’t have the treat, lower your calories a bit more and fill up on more nutrient dense food. Getting rid of a lot of the carbs (simple carbs especially) curbs hunger and lowers cravings. On good days, do any exercise you can manage, even just arms if legs hurt. Make sure you’re measuring everything. So many people say they’re eating x amount and really aren’t. The fact you say you eat 1200-1500 cals means it obviously varies a lot.

I think it’s unfair to think that slim people are naturally so and don’t have to work hard to remain that way. Some of them are regularly hungry and have to deny themselves more food to keep their weight in check. People don’t have to do that, but when others choose not to, it’s unfair to suggest they have it harder.

You can be in a wheelchair full-time and unable to move at all or expend any calories but if you only eat what your body uses, you will be slim. It’s not easy but if you were unable to get your own food and relied on someone only giving you what you needed, you would remain slim. If that doesn’t happen, you’re overeating. There’s no two ways about it. Look at the starving people around the world and show me the ones whose genetics mean they remain fat despite not eating (you wouldn’t be able to because that doesn’t happen).

And before you assume I’m thin, I’m not. I’ve been various weights, but cutting calories has worked and when I’ve tried, I’ve lost weight. When I’ve gained, this has been on me because I’ve overeaten and not taken ownership of my weight or been motivated enough to do something about it (again, nothing wrong with this but it doesn’t mean the OP is wrong about cals in/out).

I think people manage the bit you have done because you are right, eating less makes the weight fall off.

It's the bit from hereon in (keeping it off) that proves the difficult bit. If you are prepared for what you call the "fucking hard" to continue indefinitely, I am sure you will manage.

Losing weight calorie counting post baby the weight fell off… back to it at 42 and nothing. Loss was the same 2lbs over and over. Remember, your experience and body response is yours alone.