“Calorie restricted diets are pointless because they are hard to maintain and you just end up putting the fat back on once you stop the diet”
I have NEVER understood this argument against dieting.
To me, it’s just a back handed compliment:
“Sure, you’re losing tons of fat now and you look great, but as soon as you stop dieting and start eating like the rest of us again your just going to gain all that fat back! ”
“Really effective weight training programs are pointless because they are hard to maintain and you just end up losing all the muscle when you go back to being sedentary”
or
“Getting out of debt is pointless because it’s really, really hard, and once you go off your budget and start spending like crazy, you just end up in debt again!”
To me, this is just the arguments made by the defeated, the lazy and the jealous.
My advice? Ignore these arguments, and stay the course.
Tags: Gain fat, gain the fat back
Brad,
I think there is some merit to the “you’ll just put the fat back on after the diet” refrain. I think it applies to very restrictive, hard to maintain diets. The reason they put the fat on is because the diet is unrealistic for mere mortals to stay on long term.
That’s the beauty of your ESE program. There are no real restrictions, no limits. Of course you could and should clean up what you eat but I know many “healthy” eaters that are over fat. My wife and I have been doing ESE since the beginning of March. It’s so simple we don’t even think about it. Just finishing month four and for us it seems that it will be a permanent change. ESE is really the “non-diet” or “no-plan” eating method.
Good point Brad and you make an interesting analogy to finance management and muscle building. I’m pleased to say it’s been nearly two years since I made a 7 inch reduction in my waist size and because my dietary changes are sustainable (the methods you promote in Eat Stop Eat) I have not regained the fat.
The implication always seems to be you’ll put the weight back on “when you go back to eating normally”. To which my retort is, “I DO eat normally.”
Great point, but you’ve consistently said that during the fast the key is to listen and understand how your body reacts to hunger. That helps to actually learn how your body functions – I’ve never heard anyone on a typical calorie reduction diet mention that approach.
I’ve been doing IF for a bit over 2 weeks and lovin’ it.
You are so right, Brad! I am living proof of that. Here’s my (short) E-S-E story –> http://wp.me/pn6kq-ym
Brad,
I love this article. Instant classic!
ps Where were you all my life?
That first quote is pretty much the foundation in highly commercialized “diets.” Anyways, you don’t know how many times I have heard those comments from people whenever I talk about fasting or eating less in general. “Lazy and jealous” are the proper words that seems to explain why their are excuses attached.