"Diets are useless " said a female media high-flyer

[GabbyLoggon]

I thought that is a bit strong, duckie.

I would guess she meant people have difficulty keeping to a diet. (I suppose most of us do)

But "useless" is a very strong word.

Generally most "diets" are a bit weird, possibly unhealthy, and not good training for eating normally and maintaining a healhty weight.

Why don't you link for us so we can she what she's saying?

Depends what you mean by diet doesn't it - quick fix/faddy very low calorie diets (as opposed to cutting down, eating slightly less and moving more to lose weight gradually and remain eating a mostly sensible amount and range of food) may do the job in the short term but longer term they mess up your metabolism and when you stop being "on a diet" you put all the weight back on and possibly more because of the effect of the diet on your body-so you are worse off than you were before the diet! In that sense then, "useless" probably isn't strong enough

yes trillion There is a lot in what you say.

She only said it as a punchy quip; when she had been discussing something else.

So, there may me no site registering
her on diets. A bit of hyperbole.

There is, I suspect, a social side to health clubs and the multi million £ diet
industry.

I could do with getting a stone off. But I cant do frantic excercise.

I knew a radio presenter who ate what he fancied and did 3 or 4 hard hours exercise a day. (People told me that was dangerous)
"Gabby"

Depends what she means by diet. If it's unrealistic and faddy then it's a waste of time. I don't really believe in diets either - just eat well, do a bit of exercise and everything in moderation. You don't need some kind of "regime".

Thanks, Sleep.

I am taking all this in you know. I wonder if Cheryl Cole could motivate me?

Honeybee

REGIME, honeybee. Now your talking Vanessa Feltz could eyeball me and shout; while dressed in battledress. "Gabby"

I can't cope with regimes and rules when it comes to eating. A little bit of what you fancy occasionally does you no harm if you're eating in a balanced way the rest of the time.

Had DS 4 months ago. Am pretty fat at the moment but working on it - with an emphasis on health and fitness instead of just being a skinny bean.

I weigh less when i don't worry about i'm eating, when i'm on a diet all i think about is food!

Presumably she means dieting is useless. Which, if you're just going to go back to eating platefuls of the same old crap you did before is probably true. If you're going to continue on a healthy diet then that's OK.

"Diets" don't work.

If they did you would only have to do them once.

Diets definitely don't work if it's a case of follow a certain plan until you lose the required amount of weight, then go back to normal (normal being the habits that made you fat in the first place). I've never understood why anyone imagined they would - it's not magic!

Having said that it depends how you want them to work - some people just want to lose weight quickly for a particular occasion like their wedding or a holiday, for that a diet probably works if you can stick to it for the required time. But for long-term weight loss and maintenance it's surely obvious that you need a long-term/permanent change to your lifestyle.

I would agree with her. I know a lot of people that lose weight from restricting their eating to hardly anything then go back to eating 'normal' but their normal is usually too much.

If you cut down your portion sizes but without completely restricting yourself, eat what you want but in moderation and dont drink too much alcohol/fizzy drinks then you are likely to remain a healthy weight. You have to change your whole mindset to food if you want to be slim/healthy weight.

well i've lost weight on mine. nothing drastic just cut out the crap, trying to go for a little more protein / less carbs, drink more water and smaller portion sizes.

also doing exercise.

of course they work but they have to be sustainable (i.e. not maple syrup diet) and you have to commit to doing it.

noodle, exactly, people have to change their beliefs about what 'normal' is when it comes to food. That works better IMO than a 'diet' which for most people is by definition a period of abnormal eating.

I think my radio 5Live near namesake has cracked it; but Mrs Logan is highly motivated with a challenging career to
grapple with.

(I still dislike Davinas monday night ITV gig) But I only watched the 1st episode.

Exactly ephiny. I am and always have been slim. Part of it is to do with genetics as all my family are but the other part is because I eat whatever I want but dont eat loads. I always hear its ok for you your eating mcdonalds/cake/whatever but you stay slim. I always think when we go out though you eat double what I could eat.

Its not what you eat, its how much of it you eat.

90% of people who go on a diet put more weight on than they had before so of course diets are useless.

If however you change your eating habits for life then that obviously works (as long as it's changing it to 3 h ealthy meals a day rather than changing it to constant mainlining of crispy c donuts)

Noodle your dead right! I think it is how much you eat that is the biggest factor, iv a slim sister who has always tasted every delicious thing going but has never gorged iykwim and she always balances it. My other sister is in health promotion and the word "diet" makes her ears bleed or so she says... Its really more important to completely change your relationship with food from what you choose to how you cook it to how much and how often you have it isnt it? And diet implys a short term thing not real everyday living forever but a plan like weight watchers for example (which im on) altho you can call it a diet it really is a for life re educate yourself thing imo, from what iv seen and read from people who have maintained long term healthy goal weights. Altho what that lady said was flippent i think she's not wrong really

I am getting dreadful on names; but the fenale I quote is

6 foot tall, 4 marriages, done BBC and edited newspap[er,  This is no lie, I tell you the tooth. I like her but she is unpopulat. Very direct. "Gabby"

I am getting dreadful on names; but the fenale I quote is

6 foot tall, 4 marriages, done BBC and edited newspap[er,  This is no lie, I tell you the tooth. I like her but she is unpopulat. Very direct. "Gabby"

PS having a lettuce sandwich for tea

i think there is misuse of the word 'diet'. we are all on a 'diet'. unfortunately the word is often used to mean a fast fix weightloss programme. those things don't work. but changing your diet longterm does.

noodle..i agree with you.it just needs a tad self control and common sense.food is a huge joy,it shouldn't cause so much grief. i hate it when people say..oh you are so lucky to be slim..luck's got nothing to do with it..if i ate for england i'd be huge.
also,tiny changes,like diet coke etc,and sweetners instead of sugar,taking the trouble to make yummy oil free salad dressings to make salad something to look forward to,and just walking more..it's not that hard to take control..it's your body!

I have an added complication, not being able to do the EXERCISE bit seriously for health reasons

But I get by; and I am a man; so I dont do multi tasking or massive focus.

Is there a simple strict diet I could do
just out of interest.? It need not do the biz for ever because I have given up on eternity. It would bankrupt the Coaltion.

"Gabby"

at 'I tell you the tooth'

Gabby I love you.

Are you on about Janet Street Porter?

"But I get by; and I am a man; so I dont do multi tasking or massive focus"

Is that you, DP?

Easy diet for blokes is atkins/dukan. Just eat protein and cut down on all refined carbohydrates - so pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, starchy veg and fruit is OUT.

You can eat as much chicken and cheese as you want.