Comments on: What the Diet Gurus Won’t Tell You

By: Victoria

Victoria — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:45:28 +0000

I just wanted to thank you for this post and I appreciate everyone’s debate about laziness vs. willpower.
I have to agree with DR that laziness is not the root of the problem but an apparent symptom of a much larger complex psychological/emotional/social syndrome (if I may call it that) that is unique to each individual based on their environment and genetic disposition.
Granted, some people do choose to stay stagnant and lazy and not take in knowledge, they seem to give up on bettering themselves, but I think DR is talking about the people who are motivated to make a change and they keep trying and struggling and for all appearances sake they are failing… I think he’s on the right track, that the key to helping them succeed is to get them to think deeply enough about taking ownership of their bodies.
If they take in knowledge and are enlightened about how their bodies work and counseled that it’s not their fault they were raised a certain way and it’s not their fault they have been ignorant/confused to the facts about how their bodies work (hence the title of this post) and it’s not their fault that their genetic disposition and BMR is not ideal (perhaps even their body’s systems are more challenging to manage than most! How disheartening this can be without education and without someone to believe in them!)……This knowledge can motivate at the deepest level to create lasting behavioral changes for optimal health. Realizing that it’s not their fault but that they have the power to make their bodies the sexiest, fittest, healthiest they can be is comforting! It’s not that they’ve been lazy…the have been victimized by circumstance, and to a degree each and every one of us is in some area of our lives.
But knowledge is powerful and the power becomes activated when we believe in it.
I love that statement: ‘I lend them my confidence’ We all just need to help people take ownership, to realize they are to a degree a victim of their circumstances and empower them to make a change. HealthHabits is a force for good! So thanks again DR for another stellar post!

By: healthhabits

healthhabits — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:32:03 +0000

Great story GGP!

Over a short 11 months, not only did you drastically improve your health, fitness & appearance, you learned a lot about your own capabilities, your own body, and a ton about the type of nutrition that you body thrives on. And because of that knowledge (experiential & intellectual) you are able to effectively pass on that knowledge.

Love hearing this sort of life story…love it!!!

By: healthhabits

healthhabits — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:27:05 +0000

Carole,

The amateur psychologist in me sees laziness as an effect rather than a cause. People are lazy for different reasons.

But they all come down to fear…fear of failure, fear of success, fear of embarrassment…

And sadly, the big lofty goal of living a long & healthy life is quite often too abstract or too grand a concept to be effective in overcoming that laziness inertia. But, your suggested goals of a sexy bod or a dependable erection are exactly the type of goal to overcome fear-driven goal.

Direct and too the point. Eat this way and be more sexually attractive. Move your body this way for this amount of time and be able to do something with that sexy bod.

Very primal…just like fear.

By: Matt Jones

Matt Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:54:58 +0000

Willpower and discipline is needed, but this is not the only thing. I once ate 1500 calories for over a year while doing hardcore exercise (80min on a recumbant bike 5 times a week, weight lifting 3x per week, etc..), I lost 50lbs in the process, but I also killed my metabolism, my muscle mass dwindled to nothing, and I was still fat (skinny fat). I’d say I had the willpower and discipline, but that was not enough to reach my goal. There are so many things that have to come together for weight loss, but the number one thing I think is good information.

By: Carole

Carole — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:26:30 +0000

Everyone here so far seems to be ethical. What we’re all pussy-footing around is the fact that people are lazy. They want something that requires nno effort and gives instant results. That’s why all the garbage sells so well. It’s frustrating for us because we know none of it will work and will only keep them fat and sick.

How do you make cutting up a vegetable sound sexy? How can you get them to see that they’ve wasted years, yet in one year they could reach their goal with a little effort?

You can call it will power, or discipline. I call it lazy. I swear I have people who tell me they bought the fruits and vegetables, and then they rot if the fridge!

That’s why I think the idea of getting people to focus on the end result is a good idea. You want a good erection? Eat this. You want a sexy body? Eat that. You want to look 35 when you’re 60?

This is a great discussion. I think we all want to help people. We just have to figure out how to get through to them.

By: healthhabits

healthhabits — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:33:16 +0000

Steve,

I think our wires got crossed (I am going to have to go back & re-read the post)

My point is that for most dieters, willpower is NOT enough. There are too many factors working against a dieter for them to rely on willpower.

By understanding those pro-obesity factors, they can devise an effective counter-attack that doesn’t rely solely on a diet book and their willpower.

Mental techniques, emotional techniques, dietary techniques, physical techniques, hormonal techniques, societal techniques, etc..

By: Shoulder Exercises

Shoulder Exercises — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:25:17 +0000

I loved the part about its almost 2010! Every year, it is the same thing with people, new year, new weight goal…and it never happnes!

But I have to agree with Dr. Parker on the fact that generally people who diet do NOT have the proper discipline or willpower, it’s ashame really.

By: Steve Parker, M.D.

Steve Parker, M.D. — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:26:40 +0000

I disagree with one of your major points, DR. You imply most dieters have adequate willpower for success.

They don’t.

They lack discipline, too.

A selling point of most popular (and unsuccessful) diets is that “being fat isn’t your fault.” People love to hear that. “It’s a toxic food environment, it’s your hormones, you inherited a slow metabolism, etc.”

Just think about your successful fitness clients, leaving weight out of the equation. Do they achieve success without willpower and discpline?

When I’m working with someone on weight loss, I do everything I can to enhance their willpower and discipline. That’s the goal of your aforementioned six steps, too.

-Steve

By: Girl Gone Primal

Girl Gone Primal — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:17:15 +0000

January 1st, 2009, I began a diet I read about in a women’s magazine – a two-page spread on what carby foods to restrict for weight loss. I bought a couple of low-carb recipe books to get me started as well, and within a month I had dropped a significant amount of weight: 4kg of my 15kg goal. Even though I knew some of it was water-weight, it was enough to motivate me to continue, but I wanted to know more about why this worked. Using the Internet, I clocked up many hours reading health and science blogs, becoming utterly immersed in nutrition and dietetics information, and I continue my reading and learning today. I found Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint, Gary Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories, discovered the fallacy of The Lipid Hypothesis and the misinformed beliefs surrounding cholesterol, and many more experts proving that the ‘conventional wisdom’ has it wrong in many ways when it comes to dietary guidelines and fitness standards.

Over 11 months later, I haven’t eaten any sugar or grains, I’ve dropped almost all the fat I planned to drop, my health is sound, my passion for learning and teaching is ignited once more, and I have inspired many friends and colleagues to change to more healthful eating patterns. I overcame all of the Diet Killers through willpower and healthy eating. I’m now helping my parents find ways of eating that will help cure their particular health issues.

I know that many people who just want a quick fat-loss fix are destined to fail, especially if they are following conventional wisdom rather than seeking true health. But I wanted to share my story here so that people who don’t have a doctor helping them through the process can see that it can be done individually, if you are determined enough.

By: Carole

Carole — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:23:39 +0000

Good common sense post. I find that breaking the convenience foods habit is the hardest for most people. That’s why I share my super fast brain-dead-simple recipes.

People don’t really seem to understand how all those chemicals are really messing up their body and keeping them fat and sick.

I particularly like this idea- “Instead of missing out on ice cream, they’re upping their sex appeal” Made me laugh!