If diets worked then you wouldn't have to start a new one every few months!

[marchplane]

I've just returned to the workplace and my colleagues (predominantly women between 30 and retirement age) have spent most of the week discussing weight watchers, slimming world, 5:2, basically every diet under the sun. It is doing my head in.

It's nothing new though and I'd forgotten all about it in the lockdown world as this inane chatter didn't translate over into zoom. It doesn't help that most people (myself included) have gained a few lockdown pounds.

I don't believe that dieting is healthy. Yes they work for the odd person (no doubt those people will be here to tell me!) but very few of them keep it off and most yo yo about all their adult life. Like my colleagues. These diets do nothing to address any psychological reasons they overeat and just encourage a devil and a saint attitude to food. One lady, doing 5:2 had eaten her 500 cals by 10am so is now having fish and chips for lunch because, well sod it.

I'm not perfect but I like to think that I have a balanced attitude to food and I like to exercise, I've worked really hard at it as I had an eating disorder when I was younger. Part of my recovery was to not engage in diet talk so I don't engage in these conversations unless I really have to. I really like my colleagues, they are lovely people generally but there are only so many times that I can be told that I should make roast chickpeas with spray oil, lemon and chilli for a healthy snack every 5 mins!

sorry xpost @SchrodingersImmigrant

stand on a desk in the centre of the office, ask for everyone's attention. Then say 'can you PLEASE stop BORING ON about diets! Not only is it really tedious, I've had eating problems in the past and I really don't want to listen to this. Find something interesting to talk about, please.'

(can add 'or SHUT THE FUCK UP')

I am so glad I've never worked in a female dominated workplace.

They are a short term, quick fix.

Not really. They are a tool. A measure. Which can be used pretty much for life. They keep us in check because it is very easy to overeat if you let things slide without using any form of monitoring.

@veryvery How long have you been eating 1200 calories a day and running 6 miles? Long enough to call it a lifestyle change? Because honestly the only thing that lifestyle change will give you is anorexia and dodgy knees.

Christ, that's some dedication to only eat 1200 calories a day
and run 6 miles a day.

Not really. A walk in the park! I feel very Viking with it sometimes, (and I take cold baths afterwards!)

I find it exasperating when people say that Slimming World or Weight Watchers work, because they've successfully done it 3 times now. I get what they're saying, but could cry at the amount of money they've spent and unhealthy eating they've done because of it.

@Mencken the stupid thing is this is by far the longest convo I've engaged in about diet and exercise in many years.

They would find it hilarious if I did that. And wouldn't take any notice.

@veryvery How long have you been eating 1200 calories a day and running 6 miles? Long enough to call it a lifestyle change? Because honestly the only thing that lifestyle change will give you is anorexia and dodgy knees.

3 years. Much less joint pain than previously. Pretty pain free. Bone scans all good. Knees fine. Good technique makes a difference.

It's not that diets don't work. It's that wools don't do the psychological work required to make the permanent changes.
Slimming world and weight watchers are about life style changes.

Tbh you can eat really quite a lit on 1200 a day. I've had few days when I finished on that and yet I still had light breakfast, light lunch, proper dinner and 2 snacks.

@veryvery

Most people but between 70-100 cals per mile so you're telling us you eat the equivalent of 700-800 calories every day and you maintain your weight. I presume you are 4ft tall?

There is science to suggest that once you've been overweight/obese for some time your body will fight to regain any weight loss. Basically, if you lose weight on 1,200 calories a day it's unlikely you'll be able to return to 1,800 (or whatever the internet says you need to maintain) without putting weight on. You will need fewer calories to maintain your new weight than someone the same height and weight as you who has never been overweight. This is why people yo yo.

Read this -

www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html

Do you know what is proven to work though? Weight loss surgery. Doesn't just restrict calories but removes hunger hormone from stomach and research is beginning to show it resets metabolism.

No I'm telling you I eat 1200 calories or just under usually. I usually have a deficit between 500 and 1000 cals. I am (peri) menopausal after chemo. I sometimes eat more if we entertain (about once a month) My weight is going down slowly. But my TDEE is only 1500 odd for maintenance. My main activity is my exercise. I don't work.

Seriously, read that article. It's fascinating and completely changed my life and thoughts about diet/weight/calories

Weight loss surgery. Doesn't just restrict calories but removes hunger hormone from stomach and research is beginning to show it resets metabolism.

Michael Mosely's research suggests the low calorie diet many have to go on before weight loss surgery is just as effective. Some people reverse their diabetes. Insulin release can effect hunger.

@veryvery If your maintenance is 1500 then you're only eating half of that when you take into account your exercise. That just seems ridiculous. I used to run miles and miles and my knees are screwed and I'm only just 40 so I'm jealous that you're able to.

I’ve eaten no more than 1200 calories a day since I was 18. I’m 43. I don’t find it difficult at all, and I eat totally normally 🤷‍♀️

Bit more on holidays or Christmas or whatever, but generally yeah.

march, all I can say is I'm much fitter and stronger than I was. Knees have been fine. I did start out as a beginner barefoot running inside, I think it helps with technique. Running makes me feel good. Better not worse. What I eat doesn't leave me feeling hungry. I sleep well, skin is good.

I don't want to have to constantly watch what I eat, but neither do I want to be obese.

I have to pick one of them though, and I prefer to be slim, so I accept that I have to constantly count calories, weigh my food, be hungry a fair amount of the time etc.

Exactly. I do the same.

With running as I do I only burn about 2200 cals over a day according to FitBit. But you are correct the running burns about 700 cals. So I eat more than half of the maintenance requirement. As I said I've usually a deficit between 500 and 1000 cals.

@veryveryvery I did a two week diet before surgery but it was simply to shrink my liver so the surgeon could lift it to get to the stomach. Yes if I'd kept it up (basically a low calorie low carb low sugar diet) I'd have kept losing weight. But I wouldn't have kept it up. It's have gone straight back on

Depends what you describe as a diet. A diet, is whatever I eat. If I do not diet, and I eat whatever I like, then I gain weight.

Call it a lifestyle choice if you prefer but it is essentially a life of denying myself what I want to eat.

And I do exercise, I'm very active, but exercise can't undo a bad diet. Unfortunately I prefer a bad diet, so I'm either destined to be fat or to deny myself. I choose the latter as being healthy and slim is more important to me.

The majority of people who diet do regain the weight, and some. Time and time again.

While I know plenty of people do so, I'm not so sure about the majority. I see this banded around a lot, but all the studies I've seen to support it have had weak methodology.

I do agree that constantly hearing people talk about it can be wearing and actually think there may be a relationship between those who repeatedly struggle with it and talking about it a lot - it's like the struggle and going to the unsustainable option & failing/rebelling & repeating becomes part of their identity which makes it harder to make different options.

I don't think nutrition can be viewed alone but alongside the rest of the lifestyle, but I also don't think diets can't work. I think we're within social systems that give mixed incentives on doing these sorts of things well which makes it harder. Community often plays a big role in it but a lot of our communities just make it more socially acceptable to say fuck it.

YANBU. Of course diets don’t work but people want to “feel” like they’re doing something to combat their weight problem and they can’t be arsed to exercise.

Huh? But surely it's been proven that weight is almost entirely about diet, not about exercise. Exercise is great, and good for your health in many ways, but you have to do a really unrealistic amount of it to burn off enough calories to cause significant weight loss on its own. So however much I agree that diets don't usually work, saying that they are the weight loss method chosen by people who can't be arsed to exercise doesn't really make sense, surely.

Yes if I'd kept it up (basically a low calorie low carb low sugar diet) I'd have kept losing weight. But I wouldn't have kept it up. It's have gone straight back on

But you might have if you got used to it. When I started running the running alone didn't make much difference to my weight. So I started to half my portions and add in more non starchy veg / salad, I already ate quite healthily. I got used to it. I found if I ate meals with everyone at the table and if it took me as long to eat as them I felt the same as before in terms of hunger.