kirkj wrote:My problem was fighting with my weight my entire life. Over 40 years I had been on about a dozen different diets, many of them many different times. I never became obese but I was always fighting and the whole process made me miserable.
I got here gradually, first giving up meat and dairy and then after a couple years, oil sugar and salt. When I learned I could pretty much eat whatever I wanted if I avoided meat, dairy, processed food, oil and sugar it seemed obvious that was the way to go. But, I was utterly sick of dieting and fussing about the whole issue (I had hit bottom). The sacrifices seemed the obvious choice and far easier than constantly dieting..
A huge part of the reason why more people don't eat this way is the unwillingness of those who attempt and those who promote this way of eating to elevate "gradualism" and "imperfection" to their properly deserved position.
If only the promoters and those who follow were willing to make changes over several years, then compliance and continuation rate would be much higher.
Imagine going from a diet with 38% of calories as fat, down to a diet of 10% of calories as fat...but over 5 years.
38....31.....24.....17.....13.....10 percent.
You'd hardly know the changes or miss the prior foods, but in only 5 years you'd be eating perfectly.
Most people could do it in 2 or 3 years....BUT NO,,,, almost like on the Biggest Loser... the predominate theme is to do it FAST.
Drop everything at once... stop eating all meat,... stop using any oil... and do it within 30 or 60 days.
Then wonder and wonder why only 1 or 2 percent of the population follows the advice.
People are not like that, or at least a huge percentage of them are not.
Simple changes are easy. Stop drinking any soda and other sugar sweetened drinks. Stop drinking milk... and use soy instead.
That alone would be huge, simple and non-threatening. Try that alone for 6 months.
Meanwhile start eating more veggies, while not deliberately reducing meat.. See how it goes for 6 months.
Your meat consumption will probably drop naturally as you fill your plate with more veggies and salad.
So on and so forth....with a eye 5 years down the road.. Allow weight to very gradually drop.
A pound or two a month is fantastic.... building confidence as you go from month to month.
A fair portion of the public could do that, while only a fraction can do it all in a few months without falling away soon after.