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!

Was that the first time your Mum has ever tried to lose weight OP?

I see a link between obesity and mass marketing by the food industry.

If we weren't so tempted by the media maybe it would be easier to lose weight.

It does show that it can be done at an older age .

Yes Talky, but you are pretty full on about it all aren't you, with your 2 hours of exercise every day and your 1400 calories or whatever it is?

No not at all, she had gained and lost plenty over the years.

Mintyy
You know full well that many people try a lot less hard to look after themselves than you do.
They try to blame anyone but themselves.

Bitoutofpractice
Until you have tested to see if it works on yourself, do not suggest it to others. I have, it can.

Climbed - I remember being as evangelical as you the first time I lost a load of weight. Note the first time.

Now hopefully you won't ever put it back on, but you're more likely to be overweight again if you have been before.

Try not to be judgemental about other people, their weight and the way they may lose or gain. I promised I'd never get fat again, but things happen in your life and you can slip back into old patterns easily.

You have to avoid sugar altogether and keep avoiding it.

No, you don't. That's simply not true.

All these 'cut out sugar this', and 'cut out carbs that' diets are the ones that are doomed to fail, even if they do result in weight-loss in the short-term.

The only fail-safe 'diet' that will work long-term is the eat less 'diet'. You don't need to cut out this, that and the other, you 'just' need to eat less.

Which is a hell of a lot easier said than done for many, many people.

Yes, eating less sugar is much better for you, but you don't need to cut it out entirely to lose weight.

You 'just' have to put less food overall in your mouth. A little bit of what you fancy every now and then is fine, as long as overall, you're not eating as much as you used to. This is, of course, assuming you even need to lose weight in the first place.

I think it IS easier when you are younger - your metabolism is faster. Well mine was. It ground to a halt at about 33.

I think if dieting did work we wouldn't have an obesity crisis in this country. Surely almost everyone who is obese has been on a diet at some point?

I don't find it hard to cut out sugar, much easier than limiting it in any case. Plus I feel good which is the key thing as well as size.

I did eat anything when young and stayed slim. Much easier pre-dc.

It is easier - from an evolutionary perspective, older people just like older animals would struggle to get food. Your metabolism slows down to stop you starving to death

Having said that I do agree with Worra - we all have to learn self control and I do recognise it isn't that straightforward. I'm trying to lose a bit of Christmas bulge and its very tempting to just keep on eating - really want Pringles at the moment!

I eat miniscule amounts of sugar as I just do not have a sweet tooth. Infact, most sweet things make me shudder. I haven't had a filling for 40 years. I can't eat breakfast cereal or pasta because they are too sweet for me.

However, I am still 30lb overweight .

Mintyy
Dieting works just fine so long as you ignore the diet industry.

All of the groups and publishers and manufacturers deliberately make their rules and systems easy to fail at and they do not prepare dieters for maintenance at the lower weight.

Why?
They are businesses and they need people to keep coming in the door.

As soon as people realise that "hitting target weight" is just the half way stage - because unless they learn to eat the right amount of food for the new small them, they will get big again.

But the "industry" would not make nearly so much money if everybody worked it out

WW didn't work for me when I ate all the points I was allowed!

climbing when you say you 'lost weight and stuck to it' do you mean you are still restricting your food intake now, or that you stuck to a diet whilst losing then ....what? Something presumably changed between before you lost the weight and after ?

Minty, it might be the amount of food you eat (not being rude) We really dont need to eat a lot of food. One big meal a day is enough for the average person.

dieting is an ugly word i think - a misnoma

i have an eating plan that is a lifestyle choice - it is with me every day

I used to be a size 20/22 - lost 4 stone

found a structure that worked for me, I am an over eater, I gorge like i am going to be sick, its disgusting disgusting disgusting. but if i take a day off this is what i do.

what annoys me is when i give people my time - have done this at work, people have sat with me for ages asking this and that - i write out recipes, i buddy them

and they don't grasp the context - that low carbing isn't like calorie controlled dieting - you simply can't have one crisp and it will be ok - you can't cheat or it wont work
not a jelly baby
not a piece of fruit
you can't cheat

and it drives me fucking nuts

puzzled
FWIW, Mintyy and I have been discussing her extra 30lb for over a year and I can't work it out. I don't know her but assuming she's told the truth (and she's very, very consistent) she is one of the around 1 in 30 who are just bigger. But being fit and big will help her stay healthy.

It's not puzzle. It is the lack of exercise I do.

Also, I am 51. I have gained 1lb a year since I was 20.

That is what 30lb excess flab boils down to when you are middle aged. 1lb per annum. Think on .

The only fail-safe 'diet' that will work long-term is the eat less 'diet'. You don't need to cut out this, that and the other, you 'just' need to eat less.

I don't think you even need to eat less, infact since I have been losing weight I probably eat more than I did before. I just make better choices,

Mintyy You are only two years older than me .... but yes, I'm a bit of a gym bunny. THen again my New Year house guests live in London and cycle everywhere rather than darken the door of a gym ..

Sirzy
THe amount of calories people ate in the 50's and 60's was similar to today - but it was in discrete meals and tended not to have additives ....

I don't think you even need to eat less, infact since I have been losing weight I probably eat more than I did before. I just make better choices,

That probably depends on how much you ate in the first place to be fair.

I know people who struggle with their weight due to what they eat, and I know those who struggle due to the sheer amount they eat.

In fact some people eat fairly healthy food but just far, far too much of it.

I wonder if anyone had fat Grandparents, I didnt.

Both of my grandmothers (maternal grandma died aged 94 in 2003 and paternal grandma died aged 90 in 1991) were both more overweight than me.