Is there a diet not devised by a Quack?

[caesar]

Is there a diet not devised by a Quack?

 

[Keith_W]

All of them are faddish. There is a simple one: calculate how much energy you need a day (based on your age, your level of physical activity, and your gender). Eat a balanced diet according to your needs.

End of story.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I've never been on a diet in my life, and would never go on one. I believe in a healthy and balanced diet and have taken to eating small portions about 4 or 5 times per day. One of the things I've done in the last year is increase my intake of fruits, and I've noticed that when I stay on that path my level of energy increases. It hasn't yet become second-nature to me, but I'm getting there.

I've become a huge fan of plain Greek yogurt and add fruit and some granola, which I buy in bulk.

 

[jap]

Is there a diet not devised by a Quack?

Yes, check in with your Mom.

 

[cjfrbw]

Quacks need to make a living, too!

 

[JackD201]

All of them are faddish. There is a simple one: calculate how much energy you need a day (based on your age, your level of physical activity, and your gender). Eat a balanced diet according to your needs.

End of story.

Yup. Gotta change the lifestyle.

That's the HARD part!

 

[treitz3]

Consistent exercise, drinking plenty of water along with healthy food decisions and portions. Key words being consistent and exercise.

 

[FrantzM]

Consistent exercise, drinking plenty of water along with healthy food decisions and portions. Key words being consistent and exercise.

Agreed and would add to that to lower the intake of carbohydrates in the whole total sum of calories consumed.

I would also advise not to go on any Diet.. Rather one should change slowly the make up of what you eat as well as the amount. I recently downloaded a book recommended by Myles here on the WBF: Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. One interesting fact I read in this book could be put this way. If you remove consistently 100 calories from your total food intake everyday, for example suppose one would eat say 2500 calories a day if you simply remove one item or two that total 100 calories say less soda or less sugar and from this point just eat 2400 calories every day.. In ONE year, most people would lose 5 pounds! Just that .. No exercise would be involved in this loss .. I advocate exercise, start small just walk a few miles every day if possible, else three times a week at least .. Results in a year of doing so will be clearly visible and felt... Learn to give time to Time ...

 

[Bill Hart]

What is it you are trying to achieve? I quit smoking in December 2010 for health reasons (I love to smoke and smoked unfiltered Camels for more than 40 years). I knew I would blimp out if I didn't do something, so I started working out, and cut out all the starchy stuff, no bread, no potatoes, no rice, no pasta. Sounds drastic, but you can eat very well- eggs, meat, fish, veggies, fruit, raw nuts, salad (no gloppy dressings, and no cheese), etc. I went from about 232 lbs to 185lbs and look and feel better than i have in decades.
But, it is a commitment, and you gotta exercise, in addition to being conscious of the stuff you put into your body. I can always find something good to eat, without going to extremes, and I grill a lot of food at home. When I'm out, I'm selective, but no more than anyone would be if they are interested in food as a glutton!

 

[rblnr]

Consistent exercise, drinking plenty of water along with healthy food decisions and portions. Key words being consistent and exercise.

Yes. Bottom line is you have to burn off more calories than you consume if you want to lose weight. It's really that simple. The 'problem' is that the body is quite efficient. If I kill it on a crosstraining machine, I can do 440 or so cals in 28 min by its readout. That's less than half a pint of Ben and Jerry's - not much.

My sister designed a good chunk of the Weight Watchers system - done right, it's legit. But the whole 'cut out carbs' etc is BS IMO as long as we're talking about complex carbs. They're a mistaken and easy villain in many diets.

 

[FrantzM]

The experts will chime in. I do know, now that Weight training is an important aspect of health and weight loss. Weight Training when properly performed elevates the metabolism of the body at rest which means the body consumes energy to build muscle or to restore them. As for carbs thee is a substantial body ) )of literature and research that suggests that their consumption should be reduced...maybe not to the extreme of Diet like Atkins but the ideal is not that far from it either ...I don't believe in low-fat diets by the way.

 

[Steve Williams]

Yes. Bottom line is you have to burn off more calories than you consume if you want to lose weight. It's really that simple. The 'problem' is that the body is quite efficient. If I kill it on a crosstraining machine, I can do 440 or so cals in 28 min by its readout. That's less than half a pint of Ben and Jerry's - not much.

My sister designed a good chunk of the Weight Watchers system - done right, it's legit. But the whole 'cut out carbs' etc is BS IMO as long as we're talking about complex carbs. They're a mistaken and easy villain in many diets.

my mother would always say, "chew the food, just don't swallow"

 

[MylesBAstor]

my mother would always say, "chew the food, just don't swallow"

Yes but the one size fits all, as well the Bollywood celeb diets, don't work

 

[Bill Hart]

I'm not pretending any expertise here, but my experience- the combination of exercise and cutting out all the starchy stuff, has over the course of a year and a half, proven to have results. I lost the first 32 lbs in a year, and frankly, I wasn't as rigorous with either the diet or the exercise, i eased into both, but I was consistent, as others have said. on the exercise front, i mix it up, some cardio, some weights, some pilates type stuff (geez, that's a killer), and work out intensely for shorter periods of time (e.g. 45 minutes, but hard, to the point where i can barely breath sometimes when doing the cardio- i also have some issues from the smoking but i'm much better than i was). I'm not pushing super heavy weights, but I do tax myself using both machines and free weights. I'll walk, we did a mild rock clamber for 3 hours a few weeks ago, but i'm at the gym, if not every day, then 5 days a week, plus walking. I like the speed board, rather than the treadmill, because it is not motorized, and is actual work, rather than just jogging along. And, if I do use a treadmill, i crank the incline and push hard in short spurts, e.g. 1/10 mile bursts x 5 or more intervals between other exercises, crunches using weight, squats, etc. Sorta like 'cross fit lite'. Those cross fit dudes (and women) are pretty intense.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Yes. Bottom line is you have to burn off more calories than you consume if you want to lose weight. It's really that simple. The 'problem' is that the body is quite efficient. If I kill it on a crosstraining machine, I can do 440 or so cals in 28 min by its readout. That's less than half a pint of Ben and Jerry's - not much.

Unfortunately that readout you quite is not very accurate. I've measured it and you need to multiply by 0.65-0.7 to get the real readout. The only "machine" that gives an accurate readout is the treadmill.

And it's not so simple; unfortunately the flat earth earth RDs want you to believe it's calories in vs. calories out. And how do you know how many calories you should be eating or how much you're burning??? I can show you examples where people increased their calories and lost weight too.

My sister designed a good chunk of the Weight Watchers system - done right, it's legit. But the whole 'cut out carbs' etc is BS IMO as long as we're talking about complex carbs. They're a mistaken and easy villain in many diets.

The amount of carbs (as well as the macronutrient ratio) needed by a person will depend greatly on their body type and carb sensitivity. But people don't eat enough protein and not nearly enough fat. Fat unfortunately has been villianized and it is far from that. As far as carbs go, the first thing to cut out is sugar and processed foods eg white rice, pasta, potatoes.

 

[MylesBAstor]

my mother would always say, "chew the food, just don't swallow"

I might add the French have something to contribute here. Chew your food slowly and savor it. Put your utensils down between bites and don't hold them like weapons to fight off someone attacking your plate.

Americans gulp their food down like it's the last meal they'll ever eat. Perhaps it's that the food tastes like crap? The French also tend to break down a meal into smaller courses. Nice t ricks like eating off a smaller plate (see book Frantz recommended, it's a real eye opener!).

The sad thing is that some experts now estimate the number of obese Americans is closer to 60%, not 36%. Now if that's not an epidemic, I don't know what is?

 

[Andre Marc]

There is no such thing as a diet.

If your goal is to lose, weight, improve your immune system, and improve your daily performance, the word diet is a joke.

You need a life style change. Period.

I switched to a high nutrient, lower carbohydrate diet.

I am accomplishing two things here. I am recalibrating by body to fuel on protein and fat, rather than sugar and refined starches. This is how we are genetically programmed.

I eat very little bread, pasta, zero refined sugars where possible.

The rule is if it walked, swam, ran, or grew, eat it. If man made it, forget it.

 

[jadis]

my mother would always say, "chew the food, just don't swallow"

my brother do that to the fats in rib-eye angus steak.

 

[Bill Hart]

If your goal is to lose, weight, improve your immune system, and improve your daily performance, the word diet is a joke.

You need a life style change. Period.

I switched to a high nutrient, lower carbohydrate diet.

I am accomplishing two things here. I am recalibrating by body to fuel on protein and fat, rather than sugar and refined starches. This is how we are genetically programmed.

I eat very little bread, pasta, zero refined sugars where possible.

The rule is if it walked, swam, ran, or grew, eat it. If man made it, forget it.

Sounds like Paleo.

 

[Andre Marc]

Sounds like Paleo.

You are correct sir.