3 Dieting Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Awesome! I'm a firm believer that the first change needs to happen in the mind. Thanks a lot for this awesome post!

I too agree changing your mental state is the first, and the most crucial, step. If deep down you don't WANT to lose weight enough, you simply won't manage to stick with it.

I had to calorie count to diet successfully (I'm a short, small-framed woman, and I have PCOS which makes it hard to lose weight). I do agree that it's better not to, though, or not for too long at a time ... it can certainly lead to an unhealthy obession with calories, rather than with nutrition.

Ali

Low calorie does not necessarily mean low fat...and calories do count...calories in versus calories out is 95 % of the fat loss equation

Very cleary put! I agree 200% with all.....
Would you mind if I translate this in french and publish it on my site? With a link to your site of course!

I haven't read Todd Tucker's book, it sounds interesting... but, a web site on Ancel Keys contradicts what you cited here:

For five months the volunteers received half the normal number of calories for adult males. Each man was required to keep a diary and to exercise regularly n the treadmill. The diet was designed to duplicate that of the occupied countries of Europe, so that "each volunteer would become the nutritional equivalent of a Pole or a Greek." After a while, the men became irritable and were obsessed with thoughts of food. Simple strength declined only about 10 percent, but endurance on the short, heavy tasks dropped by half. Keys noted that men who were initially most fit showed the greatest deterioration. The average weight loss was 25 percent per man.

Three months after the experiment, none of the men had regained his former weight or physical capacity. Keys learned that effective rehabilitation for an adult male requires that the daily calorie level be above the normal for several months, that the proportion of protein in the diet be increased, and that he take vitamin supplements. This information was sent to various national and international relief agencies at work in Europe. "Starved people cannot be taught democracy. To talk about the will of the people when you aren't feeding them is perfect hogwash."

I'm a big believer that I'll never have the "A-Ha!" moment regarding my issues with my weight - and I'm okay with that. Learning about my own body and health is a lifetime process and the first lessons have been in throwing away the diet books, the Weight Watchers points, and the excuses, because you're right - life is always going to get in the way. It's up to each individual to make the best choices for them. I love reading your blog! :)

Great message - it really does start in the mind. I agree with Quito, though that calorie counting does work for many. I think the key is to be calorie aware, not obsessed.

Regarding the low fat/low calorie. I think we would have to define the terms - especially low fat. If you eat a lot of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and get sufficient essential fatty acids - you are still technically eating low fat. If, however you are eating high-sugar low-fat replacement foods and many refined grains, than this is obviously counterproductive.

It's great info and makes for great discussion.

I feel like I could have written this myself! All of it is so true. I especially identify with the client claim of "oh - this week was 'special'" It's always going to be something - a business dinner or a birthday or holiday... whatever.

One of the best pieces of advice I recently read was: When eating out at a restaurant, stop thinking about that event as an excuse to let loose. Instead, use it as a chance to continue your healthy eating.

With the increase in frequency that people dine out, if every dining out experience is special and what we know about restaurant portions & calorie counts, it's no wonder that folks have a huge issue controlling their weight.

Great article!

and the starting.

it's all about that.

as long as it's all about TOMORROW youre never gonna get there.

Miz "goals are dreams with timelines" Fit

I agree with the fact that you have to change your thinking and that you need to focus on overall nutrition and being healthy regardless, but I have to count calories to lose weight! I have tried many times to lose weight without counting calories, and only now that I am counting am I losing weight. Also, weighing myself is kind of a motivation for me. If I know that I have to step on the scale in the morning and I want to see a smaller number, then I'm more than likely not going to eat that brownie or second bowl of ice cream. I know this may not be best for everyone, but it's definitely what I have to do!

Mindset absolutely has to change first!!!

I have to watch Calories-- but severe restriction did not work for me. I increased what I was eating on the recommendation of a nutritionist, and after a small initial gain, I started losing past where I'd ever been before.
I had to get to the right mindset to be able to do that.

I disagree with your first "mistake" regarding counting calories. In the first two sentences, you claim that one must stop counting calories because this leads to a low-calorie diet. You then proceed to discuss how low-calorie diets don't work, etc. I do not think it is accurate to say that calorie counting leads to a low-calorie diet; counting calories is a way to quantitatively measure how many calories you are ingesting and then adjusting your daily caloric intake accordingly. Whether one uses this information to allocate a high, normal or low-calorie diet is the idea. Thus, I do not think it is a mistake at all or a practice that should be avoided.

These are good points. going along with the third one, a lot of people think that they will reach a point where they can stop dieting. Eating well should be something that continues indefinitely.

"Starting implies stopping": Too true! My mom is a classical yo-yo dieter, meaning that she goes "on" diets when she wants to lose weight and when she's sick of eating healthy foods, she'll go "off" the diet, go back to eating what she was before, and gain all the weight back. That is the only reason that diets don't work; they all theoretically WORK, it's just that most people don't stay on them very long. I followed the WW guidelines to lose weight, but I had the mindset that I couldn't eat like a fat person anymore. I realized that my friends and roommates all ate a LOT healthier than me and that they were consequently thinner than me. My friends that were fat generally ate like I did. So I decided that I couldn't eat junk as much as I used to if I ever wanted to be a thin person.

Soan:
I would love to see the article in French, and on your site. Feel free. I am quite fascinated by the traditional French diet and health. I was told by an obesity doctor in Bordeaux recently that the longest lived women in the world are in Toulouse, the capital of foie gras and duck fat, of course. Is this published anywhere that you know?

I agree with what you said about it starting in the mind. But - I believe food logs and calorie counting do help big time, especially when you first started shaping up your mental state.
Having been slightly overweight for a long time, attempted diet thousand of times, I've recently made up my mind and been doing the food logs and calorie counting for the past three weeks. Seeing how the lower calorie intake has impacted the way my jeans fit, makes me realize that I am responsible and I have control over becoming slim. It only encourages me more.
Sure I don't plan to do the calorie count forever, but it is really a very useful tool in the mean time.

I think the bottom line is if your losing weight just to go back to the way you used to eat, you are inevitably going to gain back all the weight you lost! And maybe even a little extra!

But if you genuinely want to be a healthier person then you will start making changes. Writing in a journal is therapy for me...I even write notes to myself like..."eating the chocolate cookie today is not going to help me see a good number on the scale tomorrow", which is also a daily ritual - but my calorie counting is making sure I eat at least 1800 cals a day - I record how much water I drink too, I have to keep track of 72oz of water...maybe I like to write because I don't have any recall skills...lol...

It's all about where your brain is...if you want to be a healthier person, keep thinking like a healthy person, try to make healthier choices, find out which foods are healthy and which aren't.

If you don't want to be healthier, you need to find out why...If it's because you don't want to give up favorite foods...you really don't have to. You just need to learn how to live with them! If it has to do with emotional eating, then seek out someone who can help in that area.

Think it and Believe it!

I really agree that weight loss starts in your mind. The outer world is a reflection of your inner world.

nice post but with the low-calorie thing...aren't you arguing with the 'eat less, move more' thing?

I use calorie counting as a tool. Because I count calories does not mean that I eat a lot of refined carbs. I make sure I eat a balanced diet and that includes some fat. I also work out on a regular basis. I have lost 35 lbs in the last 7 months. This is a lifestyle change for me not a low calorie low fat diet. I eat good healthy foods that will help boost my motabolism.
I do agree that in order to loose weight you have to really decide that you want to do this. So get it set in your head that you are and can do it and you will. I just think that counting calories as well as what all you put in your body is important.

Awareness....that the foods you are craving, do nothing to increase your health. I think the mental battle is the biggest factor. Most people feel deprived when you tell them to eat healthy....as we should really be looking at what food does to your body, and only putting in the stuff that has a positive effect...and getting away from the stuff (sugar) that only lessens our state of health and accelerates aging. Sugar accelerates aging and does nothing to improve the state of health of our body. Would you put coke into your car? (ok now replace car with "your body"...and use the same line of thinking as it wasn't designed for that)

There is a lot of great information both in the post and in all the comments! All I would add is that I think I know why 98% of people don't want to provide a food log.

Using myself as an example, I would say that I have a very healthy diet and lifestyle. I do not need to count calories because what I eat is generally good for me and the rest seems to take care of itself. The friends of my kids think I am a health food nut. Of course that is just in comparison to what they usually see.

Having said that, I might not want to give you a food log, or if I did, I would might "fudge" on it a bit. Why? Because even someone like myself who thinks about healthy living every single day, is not perfect. Just a few nights ago, after dinner, I had a large piece of white flour and sugar lemon cake. But I don't beat myself up over the fact that not everything I eat is good for me.

I think I am unusual in that I have a high level of food health and safety knowledge but am not bothered by the fact that I don't always eat exactly what I should. But I still might not want to include everything on a food log that I was giving to a nutritionist. We are all human and like to think that our diets are better than they probably are. Putting in it writing would just show us the truth that every week is atypical when compared to how we "think" we eat.

"A big part of the problem is that dieters do nothing to change their mental state."

Thank you for preaching this!!! It is the first thing I always tell clients and it's always the last technique they've tried.

Medifast is great. What I love is they do the shopping for you. My biggest downfall is going to the grocery store. With this plan you go once for your Lean&Green choices and you are done. We used to get Free Shipping, but since they are now in the Star Limelight they have eliminated the free shipping.

Diets are pure torture and if you think otherwise there is something wrong, so here's the question. Why do people torture themselves just to gain more fat back? Diet is not what you should do to lose the weight it is what you should use to manage your weight. Weight management is the ultimate prize and can only be achieved by changing the bad eating habits that got you into trouble in the 1st place.

You crave what you eat. If you are eating fast food burgers every day for lunch that is likely what your brain will tell you you need to get your protein/carb fix. Change your diet and watch how your cravings change.

And it's often all about the condiments - try piling on mustard, ketchup and pickles & onions on a veggie burger (fry it in coconut oil for the fat you crave) on on a whole-wheat bun and you'll be satisfied.

Great post! Timothy Ferriss also wrote about the Keys study here:

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/02/25/the-science-of-fat-loss-why-a-calorie-isnt-always-a-calorie/

Although fat technically has the most calories per unit, I truly believe the body uses it (esp. in a plant-based form) for vital functions - not as fat storage. The low-fat mantra has been a great cause for things such as depression (to name one) IMO.

One more thing, we are eating animals primarily corn or grain-fed (in order to fatten them up quickly for slaughter) - if fat makes us fat, why are not farmers feeding the animals fat? And in the process, we are missing the grass nutrients from the meat that we evolved on. Another good reason to choose the organic grass-fed variety of dairy & meat :)

~Marcie
http://feedingblackmail.blogspot.com

I've always believed that the biggest thing to think about is eating a balanced diet and sensible portions.

I started a diet awhile back just eating more protein, less carbohydrates, cut all the unnecessary super-processed stuff out of my habits and almost immediately felt better. As time went on I realized that I didn't crave other foods anymore, and given a choice, I wouldn't choose them. I started realizing that I could do this forever, that this doesn't feel like dieting anymore. Am in a good place, thanks for the article!

"Calorie counting doesn't work"? That's called lying. 500 fewer calories a day = 1 lb lost a week.

This is a great ebook....check it out!!!

I count calories and weigh myself every day...and I have mixed feelings. I admit I am obsessed, but it's the only thing that works. I have gotten too strict before and got very cranky and quit...but I view that as part of the greater learning experience - I have reflected a LOT about my whole weight management journey to figure out what works and I'm constantly working to improve my program. For me, it has STARTED with calorie-counting because calories truly are what count for weightloss. I have worked hard to identify the best calorie range for me. My nutrition tracking website (SparkPeople) also gives me info about nutrients, and I'm always trying to eat healthier too! I think the improved mindset comes gradually as you learn more about the process - many responders have said the change in mindset has to come FIRST, and I disagree. First I had to use calorie counting to figure out what to eat. Now I am learning to trust myself in various scenarios to always make the right choice. It is a process!

I think that the mental approach to dieting is really important.

Many people begin a diet program thinking, "In a couple of weeks I can stop doing this".

People go in with the attitude that their healthy choices are only temporary, instead of thinking that they must change the way they eat for the rest of their life.