To think that weight-loss diets don't actually work

[AKMD]

SILs and MIL are morbidly obese. They have been on weight loss diets for years, SILs since they were early teens, and are still hugely overweight.

A group of women in a certain department at work are morbidly obese. For the first year I was there I noticed that they always got x + chips from the canteen for lunch, then they all switched to WW ready meals to heat up in the microwave. Three years after the switch they are still morbidly obese.

DH decided to lose weight about 6 months ago and got those stupid milkshake meal replacements. All that happens is that he gets very hungry during the day and overeats when he gets home.

Back in the days when I was into women's magazines I was always when the celebrity being interviewed raved about x latest diet and how great it was, then went on to describe how they did 2 hours of yoga every morning, then went for a run, then worked out with their PT for an hour or so, followed by a massage. Who in the real world has the time or money to do that kind of exercise regime?

AIBU to think that most weight-loss diets don't actually work short-term, none of them work long-term and the only long-term solution for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is to eat a balanced diet and do regular exercise?

I've lost nearly a stone doing the 5:2 'diet' - I consider the 2 days relative pain worth it for the 5 days pleasure. I eat whatever I like on the 5 days and restrict on the 2 and have consistently lost weight every week. I've done SW in the past and whilst its an ok diet I found life gets in the way and SW friendly meals are not always available when you're socialising/working. You have no such problem with the 5:2, you plan your 2 days 'fast' around your life - and like someone said above, its not endorsed by anybody and doesn't cost you anything. Excellent!

I should add, I don't exercise either - the stone weightloss is purely down to the 5:2. I'm going to start exercising though cos I need to tone up a bit now.

We cook most things from scratch in our house. I don't like processed food and don't find it particularly convenient. But neither DH or I are 'thin' people. I'm on a bit of a weightloss journey (1.5 stones gone, 1.5 to go). I've done this with Slimming World.

To be honest, I ignore lots of it (I will never never make a sodding pasta quiche). I'm not obsessed with finding the lowest fat options for everything. I mostly use my syns as part of my meals for example.

What SW has done for me is to give me a structure. To be fair I think any diet club would have worked for me in a similar way. I've learnt that I'm an all or nothing person. In the past if I ate cake in the morning, I would tend to think 'oh fuck it, that's my diet gone so I might as well eat cake this afternoon and this evening too). I'm getting better now at making choices, thinking through what I'm going to eat for a whole day, and if I have an 'indulgent' day I can get up in the morning a start again. I don't eat as much bread and cereals, and I eat considerably less dairy (which is my real love).

But I don't own fry light (bleurgh!), I don't like mullet lights, and I don't own an SW recipe book.

I think it is about willpower and changing your life. If the structure of a diet club helps, then it helps.

I went from 13 and a half stone to 9 stone last year by low carbing. I have stayed at my goal weight for the past 9 months. Dieting definitely worked for me, I love being a size 10.

YABU to think (despite having no medical qualifications) that you can summarise and analyse how and why diets work, from observing some colleagues eating chips ( did they eat lots of cream cakes and doughnuts too?) and your DH eating Pizza.
Tbh, I would be a little worried if my DH was attempting to eat in secret and hide the 'evidence'.