To think that people who say diets don’t work aren’t really trying

[amijumping]

I’ve lost a stone since having A baby got another stone to loose. It’s Been fucking hard I felt hungry for my usual snacks and rubbish for ages and still do but I’ve had to really get the willpower out to actually loose some weight. At first I tried to just easy a hit healthier but soon realised it wasn’t working as I wasn’t actually reducing my calories. Science states time and a time again it’s calories in vs calories out I’ve managed too lose weight slowly and sensibly by tracking everything that passes my mouth it’s hard it’s boring sometimes not fun but it’s the only way it’s worked. Otherwise I’ll think I’m being healthy and low calorie but things seriously add up that extra bit of mayonnaise extra slice of toast eyeballing butter in mash for example all adds up. Surely if people have been actively eating less calories than they need they would loose weight

Weight loss jabs have additional benefits, like blood sugar management.

But when you paraphrased OPs comment you totally missed the part about where they said ‘eating less calories’. You are saying ‘some people need to eat less than others to lose weight’……. So they need to eat less calories! We know every body is different and some may take fewer calories but the point is to loose weight we need to eat less calories. You’re not counter arguing that you have said the same.

Last time I lost weight,I did it by exercise alone. I looked good, I felt good and I ate a variety of food and didn't deprive myself.

I remember saying to someone I exercise so I can eat that piece of cake or burger and chips and not feel guilty.

The guilt around food is the killer for most people. They feel guilty for eating it so get depressed and eat more.

Or they’re disabled and physically can’t move? (That is the case for me. I was a size 10/12 until I became disabled and now I’m a 16. I am on slow release opiate painkillers with fast acting ones for breakthrough pain and I still spend a portion of each day in so much pain I can hardly communicate. I’m also on steroids. And look like a balloon.)

I'm not disagreeing with the principle that you have to eat fewer calories than you burn to lose weight, no.

I'm disagreeing with the statement "To think that people who say diets don’t work aren’t really trying".

In my example, two people are eating the same amount - 1500 kcal daily - theoretically less than the average amount needed to maintain weight (2000 calories a day) but only one is losing weight.

If you can lose weight on 1500 calories a day (without doing insane amounts of exercise) in my opinion you are quite lucky. I mentioned earlier that I could do this in my 20s - ha ha, says menopausal me, bitterly, 30 years later! You have to try, sure, but whatever you might think, you don't have to try as hard as someone who has to go down to 800 calories a day because you can eat almost twice as much.

So someone might go down to 1500 or even 1200 calories a day, be strict on this, weighing and measuring, cutting out favourite foods etc. and not lose any weight. Their diet is not working, yet they are trying. So the OP's premise is incorrect.

I agree with this. I would need to eat 800 calories a day to lose. I try to hit 1500 every day, most days are between 1200-1500 and I’m stuck.

I’ve lost a lot of weight, but I can’t shift the last couple of stone because 800 calories a day long term is fucking miserable.

And I don’t have very many other pleasures left. So sometimes I am going to have a blooming donut.

Because people AREN'T "eating less and moving more"! Or they might do so for a period of time, lose the weight, think "that's the dieing fine with now" go back to how they ate previously and regain the weight. Realising it's a lifelong change is the key to staying thin. And as a pp mentioned it can be pretty miserable denying yourself things that aren't deemed healthy.

Oh I do like a ‘just eat less, move more’ sort of thread! Goodness, why did none of us thick fatties think of that before? 😳

Yes, biology is simple - less in, reduce mass but, for the majority of serial dieters/overweight people it’s a lot more complex than that. Often (speaking for myself) it’s battling a lifetime of ingrained habits, fighting against genetics (every woman on my mum’s side has a significant weight problem) and dismantling all the thoughts and feelings around food. There’s lots of evidence now that serial dieting can actually cause a hormonal imbalance and that’s one of the reasons some women (me included) have found relief in weight loss jabs. For the first time ever, we feel ‘normal’ as though someone’s switched off the relentless merrygoround of food and serial dieting, not to mention the constant hunger or the sheer misery of sitting at a party nibbling your bag of carrot sticks while everyone else enjoys a burger and a glass of wine.

Thats nothing like losing a stone or two of baby weight. Not even close.

It’s also worth mentioning that many people can only eat a very small amount of calories in order to lose/maintain. I’m short and through trial and error have learned that to lose, it’s a maximum of 1000 calories a day. My maintenance calls are around 1400.

I can just about be ok on 1400 calories a day but it means constantly thinking/mentally tracking (or guessing) everything I eat and that in itself is exhausting. It’s really easy to regain weight too.

It’s like being a security guard constantly on duty over your own body. And if you ever take some ‘time off’ for a holiday or you stop counting everything because of a major life crisis or a bereavement, it’s very easy to find yourself a stone or two heavier.

Err, why?

I can’t shift the last couple of stone because 800 calories a day long term is fucking miserable.

Exactly! That's the point some are struggling to grasp. 800 calories is not a lot of food and when you have had hunger pangs all day, your carefully chosen super-healthy 400 calorie dinner is gone in a flash and you're still hungry, with no prospect of your healthy 200 calorie breakfast for over 12 hours.

Going to get flamed on here, but it's true. I can lose weight when I want to. I have lost weight when I want to.

I just have to eat a hell of a lot less. Cut out the chocolate and the sugar.Because I have a terrible sweet tooth. But it's just having the will power to do it.

I also have pcos which makes me prone to gaining weight easily. So it can be very disheartening that I can eat a normal amount of food and still put weight on.

I lost 5kg by May this year I only had another 7kg to go. And i've stalled, and put a couple of kilos back on. Work was very stressful.I had a holiday, you know, it's been difficult to get back into the swing.

It's like everybody using weight loss injections.Now they re just replacing willpower with a drug. They can't stay on those drugs forever. As soon as they stop taking them, their appetite wwill eventually be back. It's just a quick fix.

You have to want to do it, and it is a choice to eat foods in quantities that make you overweight or obese. .And I say that as somebody who needs to lose weight myself.

Nah it's not the diet or not trying hard enough, it's the "fucking hard... Hungry... Rubbish for ages..." bit that people don't want to have to keep up for their entire lives. Who needs more fucking hard and rubbish shit in their lives?
OP you've said how horrible dieting is, and that's exactly why people can't do it forever. And as soon as you stop, weight goes back on. THAT'S why horrible, rubbish, punitive diets that make you feel shit don't work long term!

I’d recommend the Fat Science podcast. Metabolic health is very poorly understood still. It debunks a lot of the stuff trotted out on this thread too.

They're not trying hard enough. 1500 calories a day is not enough of a deficit for many.

The recommended average daily calorie intake in the UK varies based on age and gender:
Men: Approximately 2,500 calories per day.
Women: Approximately 2,000 calories per day.
For weight loss, it's recommended to reduce daily calorie intake by about 600 calories.

The recommended intake is based on the average woman or man. It doesn't take into account age, height, weight, level of actvity etc.

What someone eat is probably much higher than what it actually is.

People often don't pay enough attention to the nutritional information on packets.
As an example, Vegetable Flavour Instant Noodles 90g

Quick nutrition guide
Per 1/2 pack (cooked) Typical Values
Energy
805kJ
192kcal
10%

Who eats half a packet?

For comparison: Pot Noodle Original Curry 90g
One portion is one pack.

(i don't normally eat such junk, but will occasionally, but I'll add soya chunks and spinach to make it more meal-like)

Then there's the "loose" issue.

I can't speak for others but my mental arithmetic goes into overdrive when I'm shopping to calculate the actual calories in a packet rather than a 'serving' 😆

Its all mental and willpower. But you cant really control that. I was overweight for almost 2 years after my DD was born until i finally found the strength to go on a very strict diet. I was hungry for 2 years, got all the weight off.
DD is almost 10 now and i still cant eat like i used to. If i order pizza one night and chinese the next evening i have to skip dinner for the rest of the week, otherwise the weight piles on again.
If i know im going out for dinner, then i only eat a small salad for lunch and no breakfast.
I rarely eat sweets etc.
I used to always be borderline underweight, then overweight after the kids. Ive now found the sweet spot at bmi 21 where im still happy with the way i feel and look and i dont have to suffer too much. I can afford a treat every now and then, but i definitely cant have treats every day.
Its worth it though for me, because i feel much more energised and healthy at this weight than when i was heavier.

I have tried high protein and I was still hungry. I have tried 16:8 fasting - I put on weight as I ate more in the 8 hours than normal

I have to eat a lot of fibre as I tend to be constipated otherwise so have bran flakes/psylliumhusk/berries/yoghurt for breakfast then sometimes sandwich or lentil Dahl for lunch. I am a carer and make what suits the patient and my kids for tea- mainly meat or fish and loads of different veg , with rice and potatoes. I know it works (with no snacks) but my hunger is off the scale some days. I’m hungry again 5 minutes after the biggest meal - I think I may be misreading hunger but I can’t stop it!

I agree that sadly many of us as we grow older are more prone to put on weight, at least not be able to lose it as easily as we once did. This coupled with massive societal change since the 60s - fast food outlets on every high street, unhealthy & addictive UPF being stocked & pushed by the food industry, pressure from universal advertising campaigns, snacking between meals totally acceptable… none of these things were ‘the norm’ in past decades and dare I say it, there was less obesity. So a slow but steady rise in convenience eating has been introduced, which has impacted us all to a greater or lesser degree. But despite this the idea of willpower/personal responsibility is not just a mythical beast, it’s just so much harder to maintain these days. Trauma, stress, disability & finance are some of the factors that also play a part in our relationship to food. However, it’s ok to pose the question, it’s how we learn!

Dieting is fine anyone can lose weight keeping it of is the hard part.

I think trying to control your weight long term through calorie restriction is misery and the high failure rate speaks for itself.

My appetite seems to be modulated by exercise so I do that, dont eat processed and sweet stuff is an occasional treat. I appreciate that won't work for everyone but it's great not having the obsessive misery of a "diet".

@CeciliaDuckiePond, The suggested serving size is often tiny. I can't be doing with the calculating it either.

@LoveMySushi , If i order pizza one night and chinese the next evening i have to skip dinner for the rest of the week, otherwise the weight piles on again.
Same here, but given how many calories in the takeaways, it shouldn't be surprising. You're doing the right thing.

The average calories in a Chinese takeaway meal typically range from 1,500 to 2,000 calories, depending on the specific dishes and portion sizes chosen.

The calories in a takeaway pizza can vary significantly based on the type and size. Here are some general estimates:

• Standard Pizza (9-10"): A standard pizza can contain around 1,800 to 2,000 calories for the whole pizza.

Think people need to change their foods they eat. If eat the same foods, week in, week out, body does not lose weight. Then heard people who ate different foods of a similar nv value and - they lost weight.

Bodies get bored of the same stuff.

Exactly.
and because my comorbid conditions don’t hit the “rules” I can’t get Mounjaro or Wegovy on the nhs and I can’t afford them
myself.