You don't need diet clubs to lose weight
Why do Weightwatchers and other diet food brands exist? Do women on a slimming diet really have to jump on someone else's commercial bandwagon? Eating less should cost less, not more. These women trot down to their fat club meeting every week (some go in the car!) and pay for the privilege to use somebody else's scales.
Surely the whole point of such groups is to eat less, not to eat more food. Weightwatchers yogurts for example. Why bother having one? It doesn't matter whether its 60 calories instead of 120, it's still calories... it doesn't have some sort of negative calorie count that will make you thinner! As for slimming pills and all the loose weight quick diets that are out there, well you'd have to be naive to go down that road.
I do appreciate aspects of certain diet systems and some of the concepts behind them. The main problem is however is that businesses will happily paint a contorted picture of what you need to do in order to get slim in order to get you hooked on their multiple week system, range of foods or exercise equipment.
This is understandable on their behalf as it easily captivates the many who happily throw their money unnecessarily at these things. To be forced to observe this naivety from the customers though in addition to such furtive business activity sure is a mighty nuisance.
Whilst we're on the subject, you have to admire the timing of all the slimming ads. They tend to be more prevalent straight after Christmas and New Year when we've all eaten a bit more and made some resolutions to loose a bit of weight. For all of you who are thinking of going on a diet loosing weight is actually really simple. You eat a nice healthy balanced diet with a few less calories. You avoid the sugar and cakes, you do more exercise and burn off some of that fat. It doesn't actually cost anything, but it does require willpower and the desire to really loose weight in the first place.
By: Edward W
Comments from visitors
Forgot to add, I don't eat Weightwatchers branded products. One of the changes I made when going on a diet was to essentially cut out the overprocessed junk which wasn't satisfying me or filling me up. That's one thing I dislike about WW, that their diet materials give sensible healthy guidelines while at the same time they are hawking overprocessed salty rubbish with their name on it.
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I lost over 5st using the Weightwatchers points system. I've been maintaining my weight since then. It _is_ a simplified calorie control diet essentially, but as a tool it isn't a bad one. Of course I could just calorie count and that's valid in itself, but because I went to Weightwatchers some time ago and got used to their system, I carried on with what I knew.
One could just 'eat less and exercise more' as some people say as if they're the first to ever coin the phrase but the points system is a structured way of doing exactly that. Some people are able to cut back on their own, some people like me find the structure helpful and some people (not like me) find the meetings useful. Each to their own if it works for them.
One could just 'eat less and exercise more' as some people say as if they're the first to ever coin the phrase but the points system is a structured way of doing exactly that. Some people are able to cut back on their own, some people like me find the structure helpful and some people (not like me) find the meetings useful. Each to their own if it works for them.
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Its simple. Eat less, move more. Apparently I`ve got to say more, so here goes. Did you hear the one about the fat guy and the dwarf....
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All weight watchers is is a calorie contolled diet but they simplify it with points. I must admit I list almost 4 stone on it but to be honest you do t need to go to the classes or use the points system. I realise that now I'm trying to maintain my new weight. Like all the other posts here just re-evaluate what you eat and cut down on things.
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Big Mac Meal - 12-Nov-10 15:59
:It is beyond belief that Jenny Craig are advertising and operating in the UK again. In 1990, I handed over about £200+ to join based on a system of classes and then also purchasing their food. Within 48 hours of handing them the money, I had a phone call telling me they were in receivership. They should not have been taking new customers 48 hours before going into receivership as they must have realised they were in financial difficulties. I never got a penny back and then they had the audacity to write to ask would I like to purchase some of their excess food stocks! Beyond disgusting bearing in mind they'd just ripped me of for over £200. Not content with that, a year later I was contacted by Nutrisystem Weightloss Centres. I had no intention of joining but out of curiosity went along to see what their deal was. It was the same as Jenny Craig. A large registration fee for classes and would only sell the food which you had to take to be on the programme. They also seem to have disappeared in the UK in the 1990s but having done a quick check this morning, they're back too. Both firms have been successful in the USA but floundered in '90s Britain. That leads me to conclude that either (a) They are the same or sister companies or (b) Jenny Craig added insult to injury gaining further money from their victims in the UK by selling their client list to Nutrisystem to target. I have no gripe with Nutrisystem, my blood is boiling though for Jenny Craig's blantant distain for UK consumers in a vulnerable market. For a company that in the US attracts prominent celebrity spokespersons such as Queen Latifah and Kirsty Alley, they can't ever have been that skint! I can't say whether the programme would have worked but what I can say is that the only real pounds you stand to lose with Jenny Craig are £sterling. Buyer beware!
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Loose Skirt, that's quite an impressive way of putting it. I always say you should think of it as a funnel, the calories are dropping through at a set rate (most of us are set in our ways in terms of the amount exercise we like to do). You've then got two choices: Make a bigger hole (more exercise) or pour less in the top (eat less calories). It's a really simple concept but many people are unable to get their head around the whole input/output thing.
Liked the immediate v long term reward bit. That makes sense!
Liked the immediate v long term reward bit. That makes sense!
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No one needs a special diet to lose weight. You just have to eat less than your daily calorie usage over a long period of time. A bit of exercise helps but most overweight people don't want to be thin as much as they want another rasher so it often fails. A diet promises a future reward but another rasher provides immediate reward.
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Sounds good doesn't it. But actually, just think about it ... I can eat eggs, but what do I put them on? Can't have bread, or rice crackers, or waffles. Again, butter ... yum yum ... but nothing to put it on - no baked potatoes, no bread. Cream I have in my coffee, which is great, and I do eat a little fruit now so I have cream on that, and cheese I love to eat in my fingers, so no problem there. But I am getting really fed up of a low carb diet, but I will stick to it because it works. You are never hungry, and if done properly, the diet is extremely healthy.
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Nikki I am all for any diet that allows for eggs, butter, cream and cheese. Yum!
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Edward W. I couldn't agree more. Weight control is so simple - if you burn more calories than you consume, you'll lose weight. I pity people who pay good money to join some madcap scheme to learn a 'secret' of weight loss. If you are fat, you are eating too much. I've given that 'secret' away for free because it's not a secret and it's not even difficult to understand. Eat balanced meals and take moderate exercise and it will come together sooner or later. If you can't even follow that simple rule, you must want to be fat. Fat women are tragic - spend so much time worrying about the size of their backside, that they don't put any time into planning their meals and exercise so it's no wonder they are obese. Mothers are the worst, as they blame their kids for taking up so much of their time that they don't have time to eat properly or exercise - sad! Stop making excuses and sort yourselves out!
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Art Rosenheim - 27-Feb-10 00:27
I would doubt I would suffer from calcium loss, I eat such a healthy diet, but thanks for the tip. I eat plenty of cheese, cream in my coffee, a little meat and fish. My main item of food is loads of salads and low carb foods like olives, cheese, a few eggs per week. I will bear what you say in mind. I think I will only be on this diet for a few months, because I probably only need to lose another stone and I'll be done. I will then stick to a low carb diet, rather than no or very little carb diet.
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Hi Nikki,
A very high protein diet can lead to loss of calcium in the bones so it can be worth getting bone density checked if it is a long term eating plan rather than a "diet".
Well done on the weight loss though!
A very high protein diet can lead to loss of calcium in the bones so it can be worth getting bone density checked if it is a long term eating plan rather than a "diet".
Well done on the weight loss though!
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It is similar to the Atkins Diet, Slim. I have a very low metabolic rate, with very low blood pressure, and I have lost 6 kilos since the new year, which is phenomenal for me. I have cut out all carbs.
Carbs are poison - we do not need them. A diet rich in protein, some animal fat with loads of lovely vegetables and salad and natural foods like meat, fish and eggs is the way for me. Unless you are young or an athlete, you do not need carbs - a hunter-gatherer style diet is much better than these low fat, low carb diets.
Carbs are poison - we do not need them. A diet rich in protein, some animal fat with loads of lovely vegetables and salad and natural foods like meat, fish and eggs is the way for me. Unless you are young or an athlete, you do not need carbs - a hunter-gatherer style diet is much better than these low fat, low carb diets.
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I went from 87.5kgs down to 78kgs in 3 weeks.
I followed the Dr Pierre Dukan regime: basically 5 days of protein only, for example;
Breakfast; scrambled egg and smoked salmon (as much as you want)
Lunch; breast of chicken (remove the skin) as much as you want
Dinner; slab of white fish (as much as you want). IMPORTANT No oil, No butter, No milk just black tea or coffee and loads and loads of water. Balsamic is your friend. After 5 days the same but add in green vegatables a few carrots BUT NO sugar rich veg like sweet-corn. IMPORTANT No potatoes, No rice, No pasta, No bread AND No Booze. Those 10 days are the 'attack'.
In the third period I added in an occoasional glass of wine with water. Five months on I'm at 78.5 and now I read packets and go for high protein foods mainly and I leave carbs alone, I thought it was the drink making feel tired, it wasn't, it was the carbohydrates LEAVE THEM OUT. Ready to do an 'attack' again and get down to my target 75 then I'll start working-out. In between times I had a full Christmas and just last week went on an unscheduled session and had 6/7 pints of bitter so you don't have to change your life style forever just watch what you eat overtime. Good Luck
I followed the Dr Pierre Dukan regime: basically 5 days of protein only, for example;
Breakfast; scrambled egg and smoked salmon (as much as you want)
Lunch; breast of chicken (remove the skin) as much as you want
Dinner; slab of white fish (as much as you want). IMPORTANT No oil, No butter, No milk just black tea or coffee and loads and loads of water. Balsamic is your friend. After 5 days the same but add in green vegatables a few carrots BUT NO sugar rich veg like sweet-corn. IMPORTANT No potatoes, No rice, No pasta, No bread AND No Booze. Those 10 days are the 'attack'.
In the third period I added in an occoasional glass of wine with water. Five months on I'm at 78.5 and now I read packets and go for high protein foods mainly and I leave carbs alone, I thought it was the drink making feel tired, it wasn't, it was the carbohydrates LEAVE THEM OUT. Ready to do an 'attack' again and get down to my target 75 then I'll start working-out. In between times I had a full Christmas and just last week went on an unscheduled session and had 6/7 pints of bitter so you don't have to change your life style forever just watch what you eat overtime. Good Luck
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Miserablemoaninggit and to everyone else who is trying to lose weight, good luck and aim to enjoy the food and/or exercise you opt for.
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Cauliflower, thanks very much for taking the trouble to give some details of your fantastic weight loss. I've decided not to purchase any more cakes, biscuits or sweets - I mentally calculated how many I had consumed over the space of just a couple of days and it was quite surprising how much they all quickly added up. I've been buying the so-called 'lighter' biscuits, but I've been looking at the calories in them, and they don't have that much less than the 'full' versions, so to speak. Also, I've stopped taking any sugar now in my tea as a result of your post. I've tried the sugar substitute stuff, but the 'after taste' is too awful, so I've just cut it out completely. Getting used to it, I hope! Went out yesterday and bought a load of celery (which I love) and carrots, and have washed and prepared them and put them in a big tupperware container - to snack on, now that the biscuits have gone. I'm not keen on cabbage but love spinach, so bought a load of that too, fresh and frozen. I think I definetely need to exercise also, but finding it bloody difficult with this awful weather. However, will see how it all goes. I certainly agree that I need to change my long term behaviour. I've tried the diets, the fads, the short term 'starvation' periods etc, and none of it really works. Thanks very much for the advice!
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miserablemoaninggit - 1-Feb-10 21:32
Miserablemoaninggit, with the "minor calorific adjustments" theory ringing in my ears I set a ceiling of 2,000 "perceived" calories per day ("perceived" meaning the assumption of an optimism bias of 10%, with the real term intake probably being 2,300 calories). To meet that, some foods had to go onto a 'rare treat' basis, such as a fry up or cakes/sweets - that was quite difficult initially. Some foods had to change, eg. semi-skimmed rather than full milk, light spread rather than butter, sugar substitute rather than the real deal, fowl rather than beast. Some foods had a daily ceiling in themselves eg. bread and potatoes. Some new foods were tried, loved and adopted eg. porridge and green cabbage, both of which I hadn't had since a child. Some foods were unrestricted, mainly vegetables. There's a lot I haven't said here but you get the drift. Anyway, point being that in terms of sheer mass I probably ended up eating more. After the initial few weeks, my taste definitely changed and I settled into a pattern of being satisfied AND losing 2 -3 pounds every week. Fast forward 18 months and having attained my weight loss, I was able to allow myself some extra room to manoeuvre above the 2,000 calorie target. Fast forward 20 years and I am still on this diet, except I don't regard it as such, rather as something second nature.
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Miserablemoaninggit, I keep reminding myself not to feel smug about this for I reckon I just got lucky with something that worked for me. Good luck to everyone else who tries their own way.. In my case I'm afraid that I have nothing to offer in the way of a "neat" methodology or plan, rather it's the application of some home-spun and possibly dodgy science. What I mean, is that when I first set out to lose my weight, I realised that a long term successful outcome would depend on a long term change in behaviour. Which ruled out temporary, including crash diets. Whatever I put in place therefore had to be at least bearable and preferably pleasurable. It also occurred to me that it had been over the long term that I had put the weight on in the first place. So I arrived at a conclusion which I can best explain by paraphrasing (very badly) a certain character in David Copperfield: "Daily intake 2,500 calories, daily expenditure 2,600 calories, result happiness. Daily intake 2,500 calories, daily expenditure 2,400 calories, result misery." In other words, I convinced myself that the aggregate effect over the long term of relatively minor adjustments in calorific intake would have the desired effect and that this could be best achieved not by eating less, but by changing (only some) of the foods I eat. Just popping out the door to work but I'll do a second post later to summarise some of the changes.
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Cauliflower, quite simply, you have my admiration. To go from 21 stone to 11 stone is a fantastic achievement and my admiration is tinged with some real 'envy'. I know you might say it is obvious, but I'd love to hear a few details about your low calorie diet, if you wouldn't mind. I'm struggling with my weight and have had some success, but I'm finding it difficult to maintain a steady weight.
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miserablemoaninggit - 27-Jan-10 15:05
Can I gripe about your gripe? For many thousands weight and self-image is an important part of their lives, whether we like it or not. Slimming clubs, gym, diets do genuinely help people to lose weight in a way that they feel comfortable with (sometimes after a few wrong turns!) and in many cases for not a lot. The value in coming to 'centres' is in the contact with others and those who can provide the motivation - which is often hard to find! By all means knock the shysters but there are many good people out there who help people with more than just their weight issues.
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