Diet Fads...

kthame

What are some of the craziest diet fads you've heard of that you just shake your head at and perhaps want to slap people over?

 

mainemommy

All of them, I dont believe in diets. I've never seen one actually work, sure you follow the rules & lose some weight but it always comes back.

Exercise & healthy food choices are the only way to go.

Hahaha edited to correct my issue with swapping letters.

mrs riva

my co-worker went on what i like to call "the famine diet." apparently when pregnant women are faced with famine, a hormone or enzyme kicks in and feeds off their fat to sustain the baby. for the diet, you gorge for 2 days, then go down to 500 calories a day and take these drops that contain the hormone to trick your body into using your fat as energy. at the end, you slowly ween yourself into eating normally again. i could never do it because i love my food, but it actually works. my co-worker lost 29 lbs in less than a month. 

 but i think once she tries to go back to a regular diet, she'll gain a lot of it back.

kthame

mrs riva:

my co-worker went on what i like to call "the famine diet." apparently when pregnant women are faced with famine, a hormone or enzyme kicks in and feeds off their fat to sustain the baby. for the diet, you gorge for 2 days, then go down to 500 calories a day and take these drops that contain the hormone to trick your body into using your fat as energy. at the end, you slowly ween yourself into eating normally again. i could never do it because i love my food, but it actually works. my co-worker lost 29 lbs in less than a month. 

 but i think once she tries to go back to a regular diet, she'll gain a lot of it back.

THIS is what gets me. I looked into this diet because I'm completely insecure with how I look at the moment, however I checked with my doctor - and he told me to erase this diet from my mind and it should never, ever be an option.

Of course you're going to lose weight - you're eating only 500 calories/day. I just don't feel like it's safe and am frustrating at the number of people that are pushing this diet for their own personal gain.

BrittBritt22

mrs riva:

my co-worker went on what i like to call "the famine diet." apparently when pregnant women are faced with famine, a hormone or enzyme kicks in and feeds off their fat to sustain the baby. for the diet, you gorge for 2 days, then go down to 500 calories a day and take these drops that contain the hormone to trick your body into using your fat as energy. at the end, you slowly ween yourself into eating normally again. i could never do it because i love my food, but it actually works. my co-worker lost 29 lbs in less than a month. 

 but i think once she tries to go back to a regular diet, she'll gain a lot of it back.

Wow.  She will gain all of that back and then she is going to feel really stupid.

My mom has had good results with Weight Watchers & South Beach although I personally wouldn't consider WW a "fad" diet.

sw_wedding

I agree with mainemommy. Eating healthy and excising is the best "diet". I did try the south beach diet and it worked pretty well.

MiniMin20

I get a little eh about Weight Watchers when I hear people say things like, "I can eat a whole bag of these candies a day because they have no points," or "I only ate 500 calories today so I can drink four glasses of wine tonight!" Um, eating candy all day and drinking half a bottle on an empty stomach sound like terrible ideas. Any good eating regime can go really wrong when people take it too far/do it improperly.

mrs riva

honestly, diets shouldn't even be an option. losing (and gaining) weight rapidly isn't good for your health. if you want to lose weight and keep it off, consider a lifestyle change- exercise and eat healthy and you wont ever need to worry about going on a diet again. plus, when you're 75 and still running around with your grandkids, your body will thank you.

amberpro

MiniMin20:

I get a little eh about Weight Watchers when I hear people say things like, "I can eat a whole bag of these candies a day because they have no points," or "I only ate 500 calories today so I can drink four glasses of wine tonight!" Um, eating candy all day and drinking half a bottle on an empty stomach sound like terrible ideas. Any good eating regime can go really wrong when people take it too far/do it improperly.

WW is a very healthy way to lose weight when done correctly.  Yes, you have a certain number of points per day, but you also have certain things you are supposed to spend those points on.  You are supposed to keep a checklist with your points to make sure you get in 3 fruits, 4 vegetables, 2 dairy, and 1 healthy oil (along with water).  

Also, the candies that have 0 points are only 0 points when you eat 1.  If you put them in the online calculator, if you eat more than 1, they cost points.  

The 1st time I did WW, I did the whole "if I only eat this, I can drink tonight" thing and only lost 8 pounds.  The 2nd time, I lost 26 and kept it off (most of it off- I'm up about 8... maybe even a little more since the wedding) by following their healthy eating  guidelines.  

Flex points can be used for candies, wine, or whatever you want  That's the purpose of flex points.   

Kniblet

Ditto Riva on the "lifestyle" change. 

I don't like the word "diet".  It implies that you will do it for a short time frame and more than likely, it will fail.  When people diet, they take out all of the stuff they love and then it's too hard.  So they fall off the wagon and even if they lost 5 pounds, they will gain back that and more.

I have asked countless doctors and nutritionists about this.  You can eat anything you want... but you have to eat it all in moderation.  That's the key.  

My mom has lost a lot of weight, but steadily over the last few years.  But she does tend to cut out bread at times.  (This would kill me.)  When she eats bread again?  She gains weight back.  So it's pointless.

 

My problem is not eating ENOUGH.  I do NOT try to only eat 2 times a day.  I would like to eat more and if I do, I lose weight.  I just have to force myself to eat because I never get hungry enough.

And eating too FEW calories for so long only makes you gain weight.  Your body starts to store it up knowing you will not be supplying anything.

Diet = a bad word

Lifestyle change = the right way to go

 

And 500 calories a day only?  Hell, even I eat more than that.