to think it ridiculous that India Knight calls her diet easy to follow and compatible with everyday life?

[emkana]

It's bl*dy Atkins all over again and not in the least easy IMO.

Okay so she wants to advocate this kind of diet, but why pretend it's something it's not?

Weight Watchers, now that's a diet easy to follow - one where you are allowed everything within reason and not a ridiculously restricted amount of food

One quote from the Sunday Times magazine today:

"you are allowed all vegetables, apart from potatoes, carrots, peas and sweetcorn" WTF?

Vinegar "allowed, apart form balsamic"

When you get in the swing of it (in about 48hours) there is no faff.

99% of it is made from fruit (no exotics though) and veg (no root veg) and white meat, fish/shells and steak - no pork or lamb because they are quite fatty.

The "rules" are quite simply no caffeine, no wheat (which is easier than it sounds - swop normal bread for rye bread/ryvita) and um, I think that is about it - apart from avoiding sweets/puddings but that is common sense on a diet isn't it!

The way I've done it is to go to a nutritionist who gave me a structured diet (or rather a list of things I can eat) and left me to make them in to combinations - I have got so good at it now that I can make my own cranberry sauce for chicken!

Oh, I forgot - the method is basically eat most carbs in the morning for breakfast (porridge is the best or home-made museli) and then less, but you can still have some at lunch (rice or pasta but only SOME!) and then none at dinner other than those found in veggies. This method is due to the fact that most of us need more energy during the day than at night. If we take carbs on as our evening meal, there is a high chance we won't burn them off - they then get stored as fat. This is why a giant plate of pasta (or indeed a whole day of it on SW for example) just can not work - our body/way of life just doesn't suit that way of eating.

All diet books are bullshit. The whole slimming industry is bullshit. How much fat people store is more about genetics than behaviour, and it's perfectly possible to be 'fat' and healthy. Given that the so-called government guidelines on a 'safe'; amount of alcohol to drink each week have now been admitted to be completely made up, would you really want to give a flying fuck for 'advice' that contradicts how well you actually feelo (never mind the media bullshit about how being thin equates to being virtuous, that;s all bullshit too. The majority of really thin people have either eating disorders or amphetiamine habits).

I disagree, partly madamez - I think it is MORE to do with behaviour than genetics.

I was always a skinny/slim child - right up until age 19 when I went off the rails. I began to comfort eat and eat the wrong things/too much. I find myself reaching for food when depression/lonleliness hits me and there is a choice to be made. Do I eat the kitkat or do I eat an apple?

I think fat people (myself included - am size 20 and getting healthier/fitter) aren't healthy or fit - you only have to think of the strain on the heart, joints, muscles, ligaments of carrying all the excess weight to realise that it can't be good for you - it just can't.

oops "I disagree partly, madamez" (silly me!)

I picked up an "undiet" book in a charity shop. Basically is about doing self-help psychotherapy as a way to lose weight. I.e. get yourself mentally sorted and you naturally won't eat more than you need. Gets around the whole carbs/fat/calories approach. It's still on the shelf. Looked like way too much work. What do you all think?

Lewisfan: don't want to be patronising or make assumptions about your life but in general the worst health risks are experienced by people who diet for a while, then stop, then get fatter, then diet again and repeat the cycle. Better to eat a varied diet and be active and not stress about what size clothes you wear than starve/eat normally/starve/eat normally because starving messes up your metabolism and makes your body store more fat.

Yes, that is absolutely true. I agree wholeheartedly with that and that is why I detest fad-diets, magazine diets etc and that is why they don't work long-term.

Yes, you could lose a dress size if you eat 2 bowls of cereal for 2 meals a day for 2 weeks but it won't last - the minute you add in a lunch, it will pile back on (and some).

Low Gi (for example) is a way of life - it is learning to eat properly, varied, healthily and carry on forever - it isn't just until I reach X stone.

Lalisa I think it would partly work. A lot of people are overweight due to mental health issues (depression for example) and so sorting their relationship with food would help but it isn't always so black and white of course.

Madamez - I also agree partly with what you say.

My weight problems co-incided with hormones kicking in BUT got worse when I left school and did less activity.

I was a very average/normal sized child.

Sorry, I don't talk diets

Desi

Long time no see.