Your mother's rudeness doesn't make the advice any less sound.
The solution isn't easy. It takes time, energy, and motivation to record everything you eat. It takes commitment and a willingness to be honest with oneself.
What is easy is blowing off good advice and saying that it wouldn't have worked any way, so why even try?
No one else but you can decide to take charge of your own well-being. Telling you that isn't the same as being a bully. I resented advice like this until I realized that the people giving it to me were all in better shape than me. When I decided to stop making excuses and try to do the right things, the weight came off. Wow... who knew all you had to do was change your lifestyle to include more activity and less calories? All it took was the "easy" solution of walking or biking instead of driving, eating lower on the food chain, watching my portions, and, yes, keeping a journal. Just what everyone had been bludgeoning me with.
Tired of excusesof PA5:24PM July 09, 2008
My problem with this article is that sells this "easy" solution to weight-management. It resembles some "advise" (often cruel) that my mother "offers" to my admittedly-overweight wife...again, and again...
Unfortunately, my mother now has "printed proof" that she was correct, and will bludgeon my wife and I with it for weeks.
Neilof CA4:01PM July 09, 2008
I've lost 40 pounds by doing the food journal. The thing that I do that I think makes it effective is I set a daily calorie budget, and subtract calories that I eat until they're gone. If I 'run out' of calories, that's it for the day. I read somewhere that to calculate your budget, multiply the weight you want to be by 10 for women (so if your goal is 125 pounds, aim for 1250 calories), or 13 for men. Stick with it.
Measuring and weighing food can be a pain, but there are a number of great websites that already have done the work for you. I like thedailyplate.com for brand name foods, restaurant foods, etc.
Kelly in Caliof CA3:25PM July 09, 2008
Monday:
I bought some stuff. Then I chewed. After I chewed, I swallowed. Then I bought more stuff. When I got home I chewed and swallowed it.
Tuesday:
I got over it.
of 1:08PM July 09, 2008
Thanks for this article, Katherine Hobson and US News. Well, if a food diary works, try a food documentary! Six people who started a 30 day period with insulin-dependent diabetes, and ended 30 days later with an average of about 12 lbs lost, no insulin, and a much stabler, lower blood sugar had a documentary feature film made about their food choices. I wonder if I'm allowed to post a link to the website or even the title, but try youtubing with the search words "reversing," "diabetes," and "30 days."
Michael A. Bedarof AZ10:50AM July 09, 2008
This is something that Weight Watchers has promoted as part of their program. It definately works and makes you more aware of what you are eating
franof FL10:13AM July 09, 2008
I lost 67 pounds doing precisely this, combined with more exercise. But the food diary accounted for at least 80% of the weight loss: there's no way to exercise enough to lose that much weight without also eating a LOT less!
I have tracked everything I eat for the past 9 years. The one time I stopped, I started to gain weight immediately. I will do it for the rest of my life. It's obsessive, but I'm used to it now, and IT WORKS. It requires you to stop fooling yourself, and from my own experience, that is the #1 thing people do when they're not losing weight.
bcamardaof NJ9:58AM July 09, 2008
Go to sparkpeople.com as an option for FREE online diet library and references. It's GREAT!
rebekahof WA8:59AM July 09, 2008
I started using Ck's books than switched to the website. Apart from the diary and DB being far superiour than any free site, ck is a learning program and the diary is only one tool. U only get what u pay for!
david jamesof CA2:43AM July 09, 2008
I use the diary, lost 3.5 pounds, but I am stuck and I am being so careful,I have fybromalgia, but even with pain I do exercise daily or stretching.Drink water too
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Tired of excuses of PA 5:24PM July 09, 2008
Neil of CA 4:01PM July 09, 2008
Kelly in Cali of CA 3:25PM July 09, 2008
of 1:08PM July 09, 2008
Michael A. Bedar of AZ 10:50AM July 09, 2008
fran of FL 10:13AM July 09, 2008
bcamarda of NJ 9:58AM July 09, 2008
rebekah of WA 8:59AM July 09, 2008
david james of CA 2:43AM July 09, 2008
Mary Jane of TX 11:04PM July 08, 2008