Shouldnt my doctor be healthy too?

[Guest leviathan]

The website talks about "dieting", and yes, dieting does not work. You have to change your lifestyle. If you return to your original lifestyle of X calories in and Y calories burned (out) your body weight will once again reach an equilibrium balance between X and Y and you return to your old weight.

[Guest Jochi1543]

Weight Watchers is actually one of the best dieting plans out there, because unlike all these bizarre 3-apples-a-day type of diets or diets where you have to have meals delivered to your home, WW's point system is organized in a manner that teaches you to eat healthfully. I've heard from people who've tried WW that at first it can be a bit tedious to count points, but within a few months people start getting a very good idea of how much food and of what quality is appropriate for them. WW doesn't "ban" foods, it just teaches you that some foods require better portion control than others and need to be consumed less often if weightloss is to be achieved. Moreover, the point system encourages exercise, which is another very important component of a healthy lifestyle. I remember my high school dean of students lost 300 lbs on WW and by the time I graduated, had been keeping it off for 2 years!:eek

[Guest The Law]

Great read Peachy! One thing that was particularily interesting was how they mentioned an extreme calorie reduction (1200 vs 1900) in people who managed to keep the weight off for a prolonged timespan. My cousin lost about 40 pounds and has managed to keep it off for about 3 years now. He completely changed his lifestyle and exercises a lot, and has lowered his calorie intake by avoiding foods with high fat. When I say lowered, I really mean it.

 

Initially, he told me, that he was living off of cheerios snacks. He would not eat anything other than that. He described what he did initially, and it really sounded like anorexia to me. He avoided food at all costs, and eventually went to the doctor. The doctor didn't diagnose him with anorexia or anything, from what he told me, but it seems so extreme. He's a lot healthier now, but I think this is mainly a result of his extreme shift in lifestyle. He does cardio all the time, and just loves to run, vs before where he loved to sit on msn and chat all day.

 

Now, such a drastic reduction in calorie intake seems highly unlikely in many people. I question the safety of it also... but for people looking to lose weight, it appears to be the only thing, combined with a lot more physical activity.