Why do people restrict the amount of food they eat when trying to lose weight?

And then go back to eating normally, and gain the weight back?

Why can't they just exercise and cut down a little on the junk food, rather than completely changing their diet (e.g. changing from eating sandwiches for lunch to salads, which few people stick to after losing weight)? Is it not possible for them to lose weight by eating more or less the same things and exercise?

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Reply 1

AMG44

Eat to train don't train to eat.

Reply 2

BKS

It is but people are lazy and uneducated

Reply 3

Pegasus2

Because the word 'diet' has come sinonomous with a temporary change in your eating habits, when in reality your 'diet' is what you eat, all of the time.

Reply 4

Cinnie

Because of the diet industry

'lose 10lb in 2 weeks by quitting sugar' etc.

People want quick results, so they make extreme changes only to inevitably fail.

Reply 5

jimbles

Lack of education to be honest. Things like this should be taught to all in school, in my opinion.

Reply 6

daisychain_

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Reply 7

xoxAngel_Kxox

Because they want a quick fix. I learned this the hard way through 10yrs of unsuccessful weight loss before eventually getting down.

Reply 8

In One Ear

Because people forget/don't realize that a (substantially) lighter body takes (substantially) fewer calories to maintain its weight.

Reply 9

myblueheaven339

Because they go back to overeating, not eating appropriately for their size and activity level.

Also, if you have been significantly over weight chances are your diet needs a drastic overhaul.

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Reply 10

Kaylaleigh

less calories than required = weight loss...you can't really lose weight without cutting calories :rolleyes:

which is a lot easier to do with diet than exercise, of course people should do both and a combo is best. It's all the same though. I could burn 500 calories a day exercising or cut back by 500, doesn't matter really. It's only if they go back to over eating that they gain weight back, you can still eat more than you were dieting and not gain weight.

Reply 11

The_Blade

Original post by daisychain_

its all about calories out vs in. you workout your TDEE (amount of cals u need to maintain your weight for the day) and if u eat below that you will lose weight. simple. it does not matter what you eat. its about calories

Reply 12

the bear

all the delicious food makes you fat

Reply 13

Petapol

You can eat everything if you train :smile:

Reply 14

daisychain_

Original post by The_Blade

But by exercising, surely you increase your metabolic rate and burn calories that way? Surely its better in the long run to exercise and cut down a little on the fat/sugar intake, rather than make such drastic changes which only the minority stick to.

Reply 15

daisychain_

Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox

Because they want a quick fix. I learned this the hard way through 10yrs of unsuccessful weight loss before eventually getting down.

So you started to exercise? Did you change your diet too?

Reply 16

seaholme

If you're already doing the exercise but not losing weight, there's not much else of a choice but to alter your food. And your diet is not that unhealthy in terms of WHAT you're eating, then the only thing left to go for is quantity.

As for going back to eating the same as you did before - this is fine, assuming you were maintaining a constant weight before. If you're 10kg overweight and have been for a long time, then you drop the 10kg and resume your previous diet, you should continue to have a static weight at that point as well.

But if you've been gaining weight for years, then go on a diet and then go back on the same diet that was causing weight gain, that does seem a bit of a no-brainer.

Reply 17

daisychain_

Original post by seaholme

Didn't know this. So people can diet and exercise, lose the weight, and go back to their previous eating habits and maintain their weight?

Reply 18

seaholme

Original post by daisychain_

Didn't know this. So people can diet and exercise, lose the weight, and go back to their previous eating habits and maintain their weight?

Well it's input versus output. If your input = your output then you maintain a constant weight.

So yes if they were previously keeping a stable weight, it's just that weight was too high, then they could lose weight and return to their previous habits - where they would maintain the new stable weight, just a bit lower this time.

If they were putting on weight beforehand and their input > their output, then obviously going back to that diet would just result in weight gain again.

Reply 19

Kaylaleigh

Original post by seaholme

Although, surely they would need to eat a little less than they were before? Someone of 70kg will require more calories than someone of 60kg - so say a 70kg person could eat 2000 calories a day before gaining weight, a 60kg person may only require 1800?