The FastDay Forum

A couple of recent posts from Yoni Freedhoff that made me smile, had some useful phrases, and made me think as I don't wholly agree (but, as ever, so much depends on context). I've deleted my parenthetical comments on the bits with which I disagreed but suffice it to say that it may depend on where you are in your life, progress with weight change, and other such matters.

Why I'm Not Fazed by Long Term Weight Management Stats

http://www.weightymatters.ca/2015/03/wh ... eight.html

Expecting people to live lives where food can't serve to provide comfort and pleasure, where guilt and shame are meant to shape decisions, where fighting hunger with distraction is encouraged, where reality is ignored - go figure the long term stats stink.

We need new goalposts. Where goals aren't number based, where the healthiest life you can enjoy is the aim, where food retains its ability to provide comfort and celebration, where our personal bests are considered great, and where like everything else in our lives, we're comfortable with the fact that our personal bests will vary - both between individuals, and even within individuals.

Ultimately if your diet gives your life the finger, don't be surprised if you eventually tell that diet to kiss off. (Bold is my emphasis)

Why You Should Aim to be Diligent, not Militant

http://www.weightymatters.ca/2015/03/wh ... t-not.html

Regularly, thoughtfully, diligently, asking questions like, "is it worth it?", when considering dietary indulgences, and then following up with, "how much of it do I need to be happily satisfied?", rather than militantly, blindly, saying "No", and you'll have a far better chance of longterm thoughtful reduction.

I mostly like Yoni Freedhoff , but I think he's in denial about how difficult weight management can be whatever method you choose. He writes as if he thinks the only reason for failure is the extreme measures people use to lose weight.

MaryAnn wrote: I mostly like Yoni Freedhoff , but I think he's in denial about how difficult weight management can be whatever method you choose. He writes as if he thinks the only reason for failure is the extreme measures people use to lose weight.

Agreed, it's mostly why I had to delete my too lengthy asides on my points of disagreement and just embrace the quotable stuff.

Freedhoff occasionally shows flashes of insight when he mentions the research that shows altered metabolisms in the weight-reduced, particularly those who've cycled a few times but he seems to forget that at other points.

ETA: But, I do like Freedhoff for the emphasis on how essential it is to discover a vade mecum that allows us to live the life we enjoy rather than can scarcely tolerate - particularly with emphasis to scale weight. I know a number of clinical professionals with unyielding attitude to patients' 'failure to comply' that seems to have no regard at all to the circumstances in which people live and the many social networks in which they participate.

I don't think it is possible to write realistically about diet unless you are in possession of two X chromosomes.