Talkback on dieting

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From:	Nicky	2001-10-23 06:06:28
Subject:	Dieting
Comment:	Jim, I have to disagree with your view on dieting. I have lost two stone since January and all due to dieting. No exercise was involved due to having a back problem and being very lazy. Your one-man war against pasta is unnecessary - I've eaten bowlfuls of the stuff every night (ask Shane for independent verification) and the weight has still come off. Also baked spud and beans - a great way to lose weight. The key is to not eat too much protein and carbohydrate combined in any one day - one or the other is okay - as this is what leads to bloating and weight gain. Of course you need to cut out the fat as well, but I have finally got down to a weight I'm happy with and it has only improved my life hugely, not destroyed it. I used to be the same, always making excuses for why I was overweight, but it comes down to two things - greed and willpower. I agree that everyone's different, but I think you will find an undeniable link between the quantity and frequency of food eaten and the weight of the respective person. The way I describe it is finally my desire to lose weight was greater than my desire to eat the wrong kinds of foods, and only then did I suceed. After all, it's just physics - if you burn more than you eat, you lose weight.
From:	JANE	2001-10-28 17:33:01
Subject:	dieting
Comment:	I would just like to remark on your comment that non-fat woman often diet and by doing so we make ourselves look uglier. Yes, I agree that models today can look pretty ghastly and very often look ill, but not all thin people diet and not all fat people over-eat. Very often it is in our genes. Some people are made to be fat and some people are made to be thin, it doesn't matter what they do they can't change that fact. Take me for instance i've been slim all my life, I can endulge in any kind of fattening food and eat it as often as I like and not put an ounce on. Yet my sister only as to look at a piece of chocolate and she puts on a few pounds. My daughter takes after me, she is very slim. At school she is called skinny Annie Anorexic, matchstick legs and many more cruel names. Most days she will say to me, ' Mum I eat, why can't I put weight on?' So you see Jim, NOT all thin people diet...
From:	MadPole	2001-12-02 14:05:37
Subject:	It is all in the mind...
Comment:	I have to admit that I haven't read Jim's article about dieting -apart from first few sentences that is which I found sufficient enough. Yes. Dieting does not work and why should it? 'Dieting' does not mean 'losing weight'... 'dieting' is an art of eating the foods which are appriopriate for one's chemical and phisiological makeup. And yes, 'loose weight' remedies don't work on the same principle as 'give up crack in 2 days' or 'enlarge your thinggy bobby with those magic pills' remedies. Yes, it is all just silly commercialism. I tried many 'give up smoking' remedies and they don't work either, for they never address the most important part of giving up - the cause. I am overweight as a rule but have lost weight on few occasions - when I was really 'in touch with myself'.. when I was fully aware of my body. I wouldn't know how market this 'technique' - most of the times I cannot recreate it myself. It just did happen and hopefully will happen again. But who's got time for all this 'New Age Crap Fantasies'?!! Give us some pills! 'Loosing weight' remedies is nothing else but the sign of our times - i.e. the sign of moving away from reality, escaping our real self and replacing it with commercial products. Yes. Loosing Weight is a modern religion and has got very little to do with weight loss, on the same principle as Christianity has got very little to do with Jesus Christ.
From:	Wendi	2002-01-08 17:28:48
Subject:	Don't mourn over the cheeseburgers!
Comment:	<FONT color='black'><B>Jim and readers,<BR><BR> I thought your article was really cool. I think losing wieght is different for everyone. One thing I've noticed from my diets, you don't get anywhere without willpower. And sometimes the aroma of a bacon double cheeseburger is stronger than one's desire to get the body one wants. But I want to give a tip that has helped me stick to diets...a simple solution called a 'cheat day.' I pick a day for myself, that I say the hell with the diet and eat whatever I want. It falls on the same day every week, so when I get a craving while I am eating my bland whole wheat bagel in the morning, and one of those damn Sausage McMuffin commercials comes on, I can say to myself 'Just 3 more days until 'Cheat Day.'' The only wieght I have ever gained this way is food wieght that simply needs to come out (and you all know what I mean!). By the end of the week when I wiegh myself, I always lose my 1-2 pounds, without losing my head over food cravings. The only bad thing about this method, is making 'cheat day' become habit...which well, I'll let you figure out why I am on a diet again! But it does beat totally depriving yourself of the greasy startchy foods which portrays the American diet. I am sure this will not be the last wieght loss diet I am on, as probably most of you reading this can relate to, but at least when it is time to trim the tummy down, 'cheat day' makes it a lot less agonizing. </B></black>
From:	MadPole	2002-01-15 07:01:39
Subject:	The Best Diet Ever (and it is free!)
Comment:	I find that the best to get one's body into harmonious balance is ... to drink hot water. Yes! Hot water solved all my weight problems and the reason for this, is, I believe, very simple and basic. We tend to binge on food because a) we are inbalanced b) we try to kill one after-taste with new taste... I eat something sweet.. that leaves after-taste.. so I have to wash it with hot tea.. that stimulates my craving for some other taste...and the whole chain of events develops...and I find myself 'snacking' all day replacing one taste with another...and my meal is NEVER over...there is always something to be had to wrap up the previous meal hehehe... Hot water is brilliant for it gently washes all the tastes away...hot water is an exclamation mark to our meal, it wraps up all the leftovers, washes the tastes and cravings away... after drinking a cup of hot water my desire to have something else to nibble on diminishes..... There is also another thing to be said for hot water, and it is all purely common sense...when we eat, a lot of fatty and other substances litter our internal tubes and organs...those leftovers make us feel uncomfortable, and that in turn results in us stuffing some food down our digestive tracks... for when they are full we momentarily don't feel all those little discomforts... a lot of people drink cold water as a 'healthy lifestyle option'.. but think what cold water does when poured over fats... yes.. it sets them... and therefore it cloggs our internals rather than cleansing it...hot water gently dissolves all the impurities and helps them on their way out hehehe..
From:	MadPole	2002-01-15 07:02:11
Subject:	Best Diet Ever - conclusion....
Comment:	I find that hot water rapidly decreses my craving for alcohol or cigarettes too... when I drink hot water I feel myself, I feel one and wholy and I don't look for ways to quieten my little discomforts and cravings for there are none... If You wanna live healthy life - drink hot water, do a bit of yoga.. and don't worry about the rest... your body will take control over your digestive needs and You will be surprised! Very surprised! For we try to control our digestion and decide what is good or bad for us... but only our body knows that! Give the control to where it belongs, put your feet up and enjoy! ;-)
From:	MadPole	2002-01-15 07:05:49
Subject:	Message to Wendi...
Comment:	Oh yes! And 'my diet' does not involve any will power! I find that anything that involves will power never lasts, never works - one can keep the dog on a leash for infinitive period of time... but it does not mean that this dog won't run away once it is released... The only way to fight the cravings is to eliminate them from one's life... controling it never works for it just adds a level of discomfort and frustration (even if subconcious). It also requires energy... and this energy is better spent on digesting hehehehe!
From:	natasha	2002-08-10 18:01:45
Subject:	dieting taking ur better parts
Comment:	this is my experiance about dieting i did lose weight and ive became totaly different person. I became ugly,much older and depressed. In fact when u lose weight; u lose it from ur nice young moony full face, from ur nice shape legs etc, u r losing it from the things that u want, and keeping the ugly parts and make them worse. I wanted my face and me my self to be back , im looking in the mirror and it is so hard to accept that i did destroy the nice part of me and that will never be back again.
From:	kaleon	2002-09-17 20:16:25
Subject:	dieting
Comment:	Dieting is a pain in the butt!! It is not easy and very hard to stick with.Even when health is at stake. Even when family members are dieing because of poor health it is still not easy to stick to. But I have known and admitted years ago that I need to lose weight so since then I have not been able to forget about it, I can't seen to get any where BUT I can't just foreget it and stop trying even though sometimes I relly want to. I feel so trapped sometimes. Point of this: NONE Direct, but i feel better , Good night
From:	devnull	2002-10-01 12:55:58
Subject:	hot water and genes
Comment:	The problem with drinking hot water is it tastes disgusting. On the matter of weight being dictated by genes, this puzzlement was realised in WW2 by the Nazis. The SS noticed (contrary to western propaganda) that the concentration camps were filled with 2 types of Jew. Half were skin and bones whilst the other half was as fat as the day they arrived. 'Vee feed zem nothing but zay are still fat' they would ponder. The same quandary occurred during the African famines. The red cross pleaded 'fat genes for everyone - let's end world hunger', but their cries were suppressed. The farmers and retailers had lobbied the WTO and with friends in power, the subject was closed.
From:	Lora	2003-01-17 16:45:48
Subject:	you
Comment:	You are beautifull. we need more articals like this and more people to set the example of what true helth and beauty is.
From:	Lora	2003-01-17 16:55:06
Subject:	water
Comment:	Going to drink glass of hot water now
From:	jason	2003-03-08 02:01:15
Subject:	weight problems
Comment:	guys i really need your help..im 22 years old and a new fathr of twin girls(10 months)..my problem is that im really over weight .i have always beed heavy in the 240 pound mark at 6'2' and to me i was fine at that wieght it was very healthy for me..my wife got pregnate and during that 9 onths and for the past ten ive cut down on other activities to be there for my wife and daughters but in the mean time ive gained a alot of wieght do to under activity and an uncontrollable desire to eat all hours of the day and night..couple this with lack of exercise and a soda habit that i just cant kick (6+cans a day)and i blew up like a balloon in the past 17 months..i havent checked my wieght cause frankly im embarrased to and i dont go out much because i hate myself like this...but i know im way over 300 pounds and maybe even over 400 i sure feel like it i cant do anything i used to be able to and it hurts my back to walk for long periods of time so walking is out.. personally i would just lay down and die and not even care but i really want my kids to have a dad that can play with them and a least be alive to see them grow up..i really need help and i dont know what to do.. please help me out and point me in the right direction.. thank you in advance ,jason
From:	nicola	2003-04-08 15:40:15
Subject:	dreaming
Comment:	Dreaming of the person you would like to be is wasting the person you are!
From:	Big Nick	2004-02-19 19:06:59
Subject:	Diet
Comment:	I liked your page: It is bold and resolute. If you cut out simple carbs and carbs in general how does your diet differ from the Atkins diet?
From:	JGR	2004-03-21 17:12:45
Subject:	Atkins
Comment:	The Atkins diet is something I can speak on. My brother, who was severely overweight since his teens, utilized the Atkins program years back to shed 50 pounds. This was before it was fashionable, and I watched, took note that yes, this diet worked. I have always been thin, on the other hand. This was not due to any particular strenuous exercise regimen or otherwise. I devoured whatever I wanted. But my metabolism kept my weight in check. The years unrolled. Maybe at a rate of three, four pounds a year the weight accumulated due to ingestion of heapish amounts of Mexican dishes, pizza, pasta, swine. At the age of 29 I found myself 30 pounds overweight. I enforced the Atkins plan on my diet. I felt tired, weak and sluggish the first week. The same the second, and the same the third. But my carb addiction was broken. I was eating less. I woke up one day and realized that I was eating three meals a day. My sugar addiction was broken. Splenda befriended my morning coffee now. Michelob Ultra accompanied me on my ribald nights at the local pub. I ate all the swine my heart desired. And I lost. Twenty pounds. I've been off the diet for two months now, and eating three reasonable meals a day. No more. No snacks. And, needless to say eating whatever I damn well feel like eating. My appetite has remained in check. I have actually lost two more pounds since the conclusion of the diet, eating Mcgriddle sandwiches for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and a Rolling Rock Green Light meal replacement six-pack for dinner. And that is that. The diet works, and you can eat on it. Selah.
From:	MadPole	2004-08-27 19:46:59
Subject:	Atkins
Comment:	jgr's superbly eloquent and precise comments above sum up long-lasting 'Atkins controversy' beautifully We are dealing with a tough dilemma here: Atkins may be unhealthy but so is being overweight. Which is the lesser evil? It seems to me that there is certain psychological body-weight threshold after which we become sluggish and lazy and are not able to follow any routine harsh physical exercises or strict and dramatic changes in our eating habits. And we ARE habitual creatures. So in order to lose weight and keep it in check we need to first of all... we need to go below this magic body-weight treshhold! How do we do that? Atkins sounds like natural answer – the diet which works because it addresses not only digestive nature of the problem – but, much, more importantly – it also addresses the psychological aspects of dieting and so called 'feel good' factor. Most diets don't work because they don't make us feel good - they make us feel terrible and deprived. And let's be honest: any diet can last long term ONLY when we feel good about it, ONLY when we feel good about ourselves, ONLY when we feel BETTER OFF – not just our body, but our mind, our feelings and our outlook on life too. It is the Mind which drives the Body - not the other way around. Most dietitians seem to forget this simple truth.
From:	Elisabeth	2004-10-27 20:51:04
Subject:	Never avoid
Comment:	I found your article very interesting and honest. An approach from experience, which is always the best approach. However, even though your appetite became surpressed, no diet is good cutting out anything. You said you completely cut out sweets and a lot of your carbs. Carbs do not make you fat. Basically, you can eat anything you want as long as it is in MODERATION and you EXERCISE. Those are the keys to success. I was overweight all my life and then slowly started to diet which later became an obsession. I was diagnosed with anorexia a year later having lost over 125 pounds. I was eating only fruits, vegetables, and minimal fat, if any. It was a very difficult time too, which goes along with an eating disorder, but, had I stuck to my original plan and maybe allowed a night of sweets, or a cookie a day, I would not have gotten to the point of deprivation, that when I started to eat again, I would binge and then purge. I still struggle with bulimia. I am not saying you're wrong- as each person has a different caloric intake need and a differe appetite. It comes down to each individual to take control and make their diet suitable for themselves. But, I do want to point out, that it isn't always a good thing to avoid 'anything' food-wise like 'the plague'. Cheers.
From:	MadPole	2005-06-05 22:07:46
Subject:	Balancing out chemical deficiences
Comment:	Being 'out of touch' and have reckless attitude towards my body obviously creates a lot of unplesant chemical imbalances, which affect my well being. Now, since I am out of touch with my body, I actually don't know what is needed to restore the balance. So I eat, eat, eat diferent foods, hoping that the variety of food I eat will address ALL chemical imbalances, it is simple statistics, the wider variety, the better chance that I give my body all it needs. And this works spendidly, but such method implies that I have to eat much more than I need: my body gets chemicals it needs, but it also gets a lot of stuff it doesn't need. And then, the more overweight I am, the more tendency to not eating at all, hence creating more imbalances, hence more eating to restore them. And so the cycle continues... :)
From:	MadPole	2005-06-05 22:52:48
Subject:	Eat Fat And Grow Slim
Comment:	This is quite interesting, particuclarly that it comes from 'A Theory Of Civilisation' website and therefore does not have any interest in promoting any diets: 'The Common Delusion About Corpulence' (http://www.users.bigpond.com/smartboard/diet/myth.htm) and 'Eat Fat And Grow Slim', by Richard Mackarness, M.B.,B.S. (1958)(http://www.users.bigpond.com/smartboard/fat/index.htm)
From:	BLESSBOY	2005-06-20 18:38:35
Subject:	LET GOD BE TRUE AND SATAN A LIAR
Comment:	rEMEMBER,TO FEEL GOOD IS TO FEEL GOD, FOR GOD IS GOOD. YES! I FELT THE EARTHQUAKE LAST NITE... i HEARD THE THUNDER ROLL AS THOUGH MY DAYS WERE OVER UM..UH! I BELIEVE ALL THE BIBLE SAYS. I WANT TO LOVE GOD AND HATE SATAN fOR REAL..THE WICKED PEOPLE WILL BE CUT OFF LIKE GRASS. TIME WILL COME AND WICKEDNESS WILL BE NO MORE. IMAGING YOUR LIFE.. IMAGING HOW LONG YOU GOT LEFT.. I MEAN WHERE WILL YOU BE IN 25 YEARS FROM NOW..? oH! DO YOU SEE HOW REAL GOD IS.. WELL YOU DON'T HAVE TO. BELIEVE IT OR NOT YOUR DARKNESS WILL DESTROY YOU. HAPPINESS IS NOT ACHIEVEABLE IN SIN.. FROM NOW ON..REMEMBER THIS: TO FEEL GOOD IS TO FEEL GOD FOR GOD IS GOOD.
From:	jane	2006-01-16 17:24:35
Subject:	weight loss
Comment:	HI WHAT DO YOU THINK OF LIPOTRIM WHICH YOU CAN GET VIA HOSPITAL OR THE DOCTOR OR PHARMASIST PROGRAMME. I WAS 12 ST 7LBS 5FT 1IN BODY FAT 40 ON THE 17TH DECEMBER. TODAY IS 16TH JANUARY. I AM NOW 10ST 9LB BODY FAT 28.30 AND STILL HAVE A WAY TO GO YET I FEEL FIT AND HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH IT HARD FIRST FEW DAYS I WAS A BIG CHOCAHOLIC. I KNOW I WILL NEVER TOTALLY GIVE UP CHOCOLATE BUT FEEL IN CONTROL AND BETTER INFORMED ABOUT FOOD CHOICES. JANE
From:	rhiannon	2006-11-29 17:16:09
Subject:	disagree
Comment:	I think it is very bad for people to diet and i they do they could get really sick and they could die.....but thats my view so yea...w/e do wht u think is right!
From:	Dieting Gal	2007-04-09 20:41:08
Subject:	dieting or no dieting?
Comment:	The key to normal, healthy weight is your genetics and good traditional nutrition (not dieting!). If you eat what you ancestors were eating for centuries, you will be lean and energetic. If you fall succumb to newfangled products and 'diets', you are most likely to disrupt your metabolism and health.
From:	JAK	2007-05-02 03:45:59
Subject:	loosing pounds
Comment:	I don't diet anymore, i eat well and read everything i buy. I find that high fiber low sugar foods work to keep me full all day long so i don't pay much attention to fat intake. I have replaced butter and sugar with 0 cal. sub. This alone has enabled me to loose 26 lbs. that have been hangings on to my legs since i had my 1st baby. It took 3 years of diet to gain 10 lbs. and 6 weeks of educated eating to loose 26. If you knew what was in the wieght watchers food you would rethink that next bite. Sticking to whole foods and low 'corn syrup' not only helps you loose wieght it will make you live a longer happier life. Piont of the story; know what you eat, just because something is labled DIET doesn't mean is low cal. and just because you're skinny doesn't mean your healthy.
From:	Penny	2007-07-23 08:05:55
Subject:	Breathing
Comment:	Hi Jim Am currently studying to be a Yoga and Pilates Teacher and no I am not a crad carrying, tea total, vegetarian, buddist waif. But I can twist it with the best of them and in fact am getting a hjuge following because I am a real woman with curves and boobs. I wa googling for information of blood and breath acidity when I came across your sight and just wanted to let you know that one of the other ways to balance the acid in your blood is with exhalation. 'One mechanism the body uses to control blood pH involves the release of carbon dioxide from the lungs. Carbon dioxide, which is mildly acidic, is a waste product of the metabolism of oxygen (which all cells need) and, as such, is constantly produced by cells. As with all waste products, carbon dioxide gets excreted into the blood. The blood carries carbon dioxide to the lungs, where it is exhaled. As carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood, the pH of the blood decreases. The brain regulates the amount of carbon dioxide that is exhaled by controlling the speed and depth of breathing. The amount of carbon dioxide exhaled, and consequently the pH of the blood, increases as breathing becomes faster and deeper. By adjusting the speed and depth of breathing, the brain and lungs are able to regulate the blood pH minute by minute. ' So practising yoga and meditation or even just taking a few deep breaths can be one of the most important things we do for ourselves. There ar eof course a lot of other scieintifically proven benefits to breathing so if you want some more info let me know. Cheers