the channel 5 show currently has on a well known former stage hypnotist on the panel. he says 91% of people fail on diets. he claims there is a better case for banning diets than banning smoking. the case is that we diet and slow our metabolism then we come of them then we diet again and our metabolism slows again so we get very good at storing fat. each time we come off them we put on all the weight we lost plus extra.

this was actually agreed too by the panel including a doctor. its very interesting and well worth watching should be available on the 5 website for download later.

discussions please

Can't access the website, but from what I can read, I partially agree. There are diets and there are diets. I agree that food replacement diets like slimfast or lighterlife and similar diets like this and also diets that deprive you of food or where you are only allowed to eat certain foods (cabbage diet, soup diet, banana diet and what have you not) are not good for you and as soon as you come off them, you gain the weight back (and more).

However there are other diets that are not slowing down your metabolism. I am doing Slimming World myself and this plan actually encourages you to eat whenever your hungry. I have to be careful with my metabolism as i have hypothyroidism, and I'm being checked over by my doctor every month and so far my metabolism is doing fine.

The downfall with all diets is tho, once you stop them you start eating loads of the 'forbidden' foods, usually greasy food or sweets and then you are surprised that you gain weight again.....and then you blame it on the diet itself and of course your willpower has nothing to do with it whatsoever lol....

i hav to agree with that. which is why a lot of thigns now are about life style changes you dont suddenly stop eating stuff cos when you start again you will put on. if you're sensible about what you eat then that's how you lose weight.

I agree with Paul McKenna...diets absolutely suck. All they do is make you miserable, set you up with cravings, etc. The only real solution is to treat your body with respect, work on your self esteem and fit some physical activity in.

Paul McKenna addresses the emotional side of eating which no diet guru does.

It concerns me when I see the really cranky ones - 800 cals a day, etc. There's no way that is healthy, short or long term. I used *I Can Make You Thin* 2 years ago and found it very useful.

I didn't see the show but for me a diet involves being accountable for what I eat and anything that is just "cutting back" and "moving more" doesn't work for me as I'm not motivated enough and tend to overeat unconsciously.

I agree but...

...there is a caveat to that. If, like me, you have become a habitual over-eater then following a portion controlled, calorie controlled diet can help actually reset your body's metabolism. The plan I follow is 1500cals a day, emphasis on low-GI foods (although not exclusively) and strongly advocates exercise. (In fact there is a weekly exercise class as part of the program). All of which is designed to level out my insulin and hormone production, raise my metabolic rate and make me healthier. Weight loss is almost just a by-product of the real goals for me. (Which are: to get healthy and be fit).

I liked the Paul McKenna CD because he makes alot of sense about listening to your body and stopping eating when full. It is possible to overeat in that sense even when you are on a diet, and if you don't learn the lesson then you are doomed to repeat your fat state. I think alot of my problem is that my ability to listen to my body is broken or at least there is a disconnect between that and my conscious mind. I've overeaten to almost painful levels in the past and not felt anything until after the meal was finished. (and I'm talking about a drawn out meal here - not wolfing down in 20mins).

Sometimes I wish there was a watch or device you could wear that would bleep or vibrate when you've had enough - that would be cool.

The statistic about 90% of people regaining weight is a little misleading. It's the truth that people do put the weight back on. But if I canvas my friends who have lost alot of weight (and there are 4 within my extended group) all of them have kept MOST of the weight off. They can't all be in the lucky 10%. A couple of them gained a stone or so back and one a little more- but then she has had 2 pregnancies to deal with too. The other is still within a couple of pounds of her goal weight. Bearing in mind that all of them lost over 5 stone originally, and in one case 12 stone lost, I would say that they were all still successful.
The trouble is that the statistics don't reflect whether the goal weight was realistic for that person. Achieveable clearly since they got down to that weight, but realistic - in 2 of my 4 cases, No. They are both happier at size 12 to 14 than they were at size 10 to 12. Both are very healthy and better than moderately fit.

I think it's one of those stats like the BMI ratings - not applicable to everyone and not useful to anyone!

Fifi, I combined Rosemary Conley with low GI, exercising more AND Paul McKenna so what you say is spot on! I lost 5 dress sizes, and literally the week I hit a small size 12 where I was happy, my dad's illness moved into its final stages and the trauma of watching him die over the next 6 months etc led me to lose all my good habits (which had stuck for 2 years). Even so, in nearly 2 years now being off plan I have regained only 1 dress size. Now been back on plan just a week and already seeing changes - faster than I did last time. It's like my body's saying 'I know how to do this!'

I have been re-reading my Paul book but predictably can't find the CD! (And my son wiped it off me i-pod). But yes I think he works even better if you adjust how you eat not just how much.