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YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Anyone stopped dieting? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:03:48 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Traci on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1696049 Sun, 17 Jul 2016 01:21:54 +0000 Traci 1696049@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've actually found in the last couple of years that sometimes I can get the same joy I feel from gorging on delicious foods, just by cooking them.  It's like I get all the sensory input without having to actually consume it. Carla on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1695443 Sat, 16 Jul 2016 02:31:46 +0000 Carla 1695443@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Joy from food preparation and being a scratch cook won't lead to negative health issues, but 'medicating with food' will - if 'medicating' triggers a binge. I don't count calories or weigh food, but I do understand about nutrition and prepare food accordingly. Like texstyle, I eat until I'm satisfied, and dislike the feeling of being overfull. I do eat sweets, and drink wine, and coffee, however what I eat does affect how I perform in the sports I am passionate about, so that informs my food choices. I've never been on a specific diet, so have never gone off one However, I am a more informed (and better!) cook now, than I was as a young adult and I can afford a better quality of food now than I could then - so I probably have a better 'diet' now than I did 35 years ago. I do weigh myself on the scale at the gym, but write down the number in my exercise log only once a week, on the same day. catgirl on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1695334 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 23:21:26 +0000 catgirl 1695334@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Long backstory of body issues with me, but today I don't diet.  Like shopping, the minute I decide I can't do something, it's all I think about.  I do exercise regularly - but not at a gym or as a routine.  I am an outdoor gal by nature, so for me exercise comes in the form of what I consider playing - hiking, biking, climbing, skiing.  I can't stand being on a treadmill or a stationary bike.  My advice for what little it's worth: find a healthy activity that makes you happy and do it with joy and passion.  Life is too short to give up eating yummy things, and there is a balance to everything. Anonymous on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1694211 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 17:42:58 +0000 Anonymous 1694211@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm not dieting, but I am eating differently. My DD deals with anxiety and depression, and says that exercise and her vegan diet make her feel a lot better. She has to take vitamins, though, to make sure she doesn't develop a deficiency. Anonymous on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1694193 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 17:32:29 +0000 Anonymous 1694193@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You mention that depression has been an issue in the past -- are you being treated for it?  Just wondering, in case you think you might be self-medicating with food to feel better.  (I used to binge-eat before I got diagnosed and received the proper medication.  That took care of the desire to binge!) gradfashionista on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1694155 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 17:01:13 +0000 gradfashionista 1694155@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have a strong aversion to the WW principle because numbers on a scale do not tell you about blood work, bone density, muscle vs fat tissue, measurements, etc. It makes people obsessed with a number that, barring extremes, is a very poor proxy of health. WW promotes accountability, though, and accountability can be obtained in any number ways, i.e. journals, food trackers, or photo diaries of what you eat. It sounds like you want to break free from those forms of tracking, though, so I'd suggest reading Intuitive Eating, which is an excellent book. texstyle on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1694009 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:57:35 +0000 texstyle 1694009@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ rabbit makes an excellent point about metabolism and how it slows as we age. I can't eat the same amount I ate when I was 20-30 years old and I cannot eat the same amount as my husband. I do get hungry throughout the day if I don't eat enough protein so I snack on things like wasabi peas or a small square of cheese. I do tend to go to bed a little hungry quite often - esp. if I stay up past 10 at night, but I've gotten pretty used to that feeling and don't view it as a negative thing. The alternative of going to bed full seems much less appealing or healthy. rabbit on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693817 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 06:33:16 +0000 rabbit 1693817@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The articles that came out about the biggest loser and metabolism slowing that caused the contestants to regain weight were a big eye opener for me:  <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05.....-loss.html</a> I knew I was eating healthy foods, and had lost weight slowly in the previous two years by exercising and adjusting my food choices, but still to maintain my current weight over time (not my lowest or highest, but a point of equilibrium) I was eating about half the volume at each meal of what I ate in my late 20's-30's when I weighed 15 lbs less.  That didn't make sense to me until I realized how dramatically your body can adjust how it uses food.  On the one hand I realized dieting, especially crash dieting just intensifies the bodies attempt to 'spring back' to it's highest weight afterwards.   But I also realized that if I wanted to stay around the weight I currently am, for health as well as not replacing a wardrobe reasons, I had to be mindful not only of what I ate (keeping sugars, carbs and processed foods as treats not staples) but to stay within a target portion size (about a small cereal bowl worth per meal) which was downsized from what I ate as a younger person. So I agree that 'dieting' definitely carries both emotional baggage and unintended consequences.  I'm thinking for myself that joyful eating with awareness and moderation built in to maintain current weight seems to be the way forward. It sounds like you have had some good insights, cooking from scratch is a great way to bring joy to eating.  Growing veggies and planning menus around them has transformed what I eat all summer and into the fall and also seems to be adjusting my taste buds too.  It's all a voyage of discovery for sure, and we have to enjoy the ride. Lucy on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693798 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 04:18:52 +0000 Lucy 1693798@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think that "diets" can make a person overly focussed if not obsessed about food. I've never been very overweight but I'm on meds that make me gain weight very easily, so I have to be careful about it. The one time I tried Weight Watchers (which does seem a sensible solution), I spent half my life figuring out each and every point - it took up a lot of brain space.  Now I simply work to maximise nutrition, and try to eat healthy good "real"foods. I tend to stick to low carb and I minimise sugar, but I don't ban either. I'm not paleo as I still love my yoghurt and have a soy milk coffee most days. I am coeliac, so I have to avoid gluten, which cuts out a lot to "fun" foods. A couple of years ago I started trying to eat 3 good meals a day and cut out snacking, and that really seemed to work. Less time thinking about what I could fit in and how I had to "juggle it".  Given that you think what you are doing is not really working well for you, why don't you try something different for three months? Read up on healthy eating. Know that if you binge on cakes and biscuits it will have consequences. But it sounds like you have great cooking skills - take those and find new ways to enjoy food, rather than having it as the enemy.  Sally on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693671 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 21:39:49 +0000 Sally 1693671@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I was hesitant to comment as I am someone who has lost a lot of weight recently and I always swore I'd never diet again. When I was 14 my older sister made a comment about me needing to lose a few kilos. I did go on a diet and ran a km everyday and lost 3 kilos bUT that along with teenage pressure screwed my head and I started binging and making myself vomit. So I never dieted again. I have been very lean through extreme exercising though and I've been a voluptuous size 18 after having my baby and recently a 16. I was comfortable dressing my size 16 body, there's some great styles out there. My decision to go to weightwatchers (my friend was a coach there ) was because at 44 I had seen my two older sisters go through a hard menopause and I wanted to be the happiest and healthiest at that time of life and as I carry excess weight in stomach for me it was losing that. ) So I did track my eating but I never starved myself. I went to fish and chip picnics with my friends, drank wine, went out for dinner, even ate my son's birthday cake. The only thing is i ate smaller portions and didn't always eat the cake and i walked each day for an hour with my ipod. I've lost about 18 kilos and I don't track what I eat now. I'm conscious of what I eat and I weigh myself regularly but I don't feel out of control like I did as a teen and young adult. I've made other changes like getting a job closer to home and I'm going to start yoga again. It's all about saying yes I matter.. even if that means giving the finger to those who make rude comments about size(and I have some friends who are plus size and look amazing..I have a friend who is size 26 and way more stylish than me) or making a decision to make a healthy change whatever it is. And as others said it's not all or nothing. My dr says eat well, exercise and above all be happy. She did ask me to cut out red wine and chocolate but I'm not listening to her on that note. Anyway that is just my experience.... Aziraphale on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693650 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 20:53:48 +0000 Aziraphale 1693650@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I can't relate to the love of cooking that you have (although I wish I did! But I hate it!), but I DO believe in "real food" and I try to eat as many whole foods as possible.  :-) I was diagnosed with an eating disorder as a teenager, although in retrospect I think it was runaway anxiety because I didn't fit the profile for classic anorexia, classic bulimia, or even respond to the treatment for these disorders. I do know what it's like to stop eating for fear of being fat, though. I had body dysmorphia for sure. But the symptoms went away on their own by my early 20s, once I got my adult life under control (I didn't adjust to university and adult life well!), and since I'm not the type to put on a lot of weight easily, I have not had any issues. I recognize that I'm lucky. I do sympathize with you, though, and I admire your attitude. Women face a lot more pressure to conform to a certain body type. It feels like the world is getting more accepting of larger, more bountiful bodies (look at Queen Latifah! How fabulous is she? And never tries to be smaller than she is!).  shedev on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693492 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:41:03 +0000 shedev 1693492@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <div>You don't need to deprive yourself of your favorite foods in order to lose weight. You just need to eat a little less than you burn. Liking to cook should help you, not hinder you because you can create really tasty healthy stuff. I agree that home made soups are way better than canned. I also make my own.</div><div>If you are happy at your current size, than don't worry about dieting. Instead of telling people that you can't lose weight, tell them that you do not want to be thinner. If you are looking for external validation via the internet, I kinda suspect that may not be true. I have stopped dieting. I eat a little less than I burn and use a site to track my food and exercise plans. I don't restrict any foods but I do try to get in sufficient protein because it does seem to help a lot with muscle recovery. Best of luck and much happiness whatever you decide is right for you. </div> texstyle on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693475 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:06:37 +0000 texstyle 1693475@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The only red flag I saw in your post was this comment: I'll admit I'm scared of weight gain...what if I go off the rails and gorge on cookies 24/7? I'm not actively planning to do that but what if I do? What if I escalate back up in size? Basically, dare I trust myself? If you truly are scared of weight gain and you think you *might* gorge on food of any kind - that is the thing I probably would focus on changing more than anything else. I also love real, natural organic food and love to cook and try new recipes, etc. That said, I've never been overweight or had a high BMI. I have other health considerations but those would be more likely to make me gain weight, not lose it. So for me, it's more about what kind of food I choose to cook and eat and how much of it I eat, along with the activity I get on a regular basis. I don't enjoy sweets. I don't enjoy feeling "really full" after a meal. I don't think sugar is really very good for anyone except in the most limited way and in the most natural way (fruit, a little honey, raw sugar, etc.) I've never had to "diet" more than maybe cutting back on drinking wine or easing up on bread - I haven't owned a scale since I was a teenager and judge my need to eat more/less based on what I see in the full length mirror unclothed. But I HAVE had to realize that when I've eaten enough, I should stop - before feeling really full. And I don't eat after 7 pm unless I'm traveling or something where I have no easy choice. If I don't honor those two "rules" I will start gaining fat, esp. in the belly. Sisi on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693459 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 13:39:24 +0000 Sisi 1693459@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think that if you are healthy you can go on living as you like. Enjoy your food and enjoy your cooking! To be uninterested in food? How sad! (said by an Italian ...) rachylou on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693367 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 09:15:59 +0000 rachylou 1693367@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ok, I love the Babybel story! Love! A couple of thoughts... One, weight is the sum total of all your parts. I think you have to consider how much is fat and where it's being carried. If you trust your doctor... Two, there's something interesting about the question 'who has stopped dieting?' There's just something about it. Something cultural. I think an analogy could be, 'who has stopped watching tv?' Like how odd would it really be to not be on a diet? Third, I feel a need to ask what is meant by dieting. Meal plans, restricted calories, getting on a scale everyday, eating a lot of salad, looking everything up on the glycemic index...? 'Cuz it's like, you know, I think dieting can be a form of (misery-making) entertainment - and I certainly have stopped that!! I am 'a bear of small brain' and honestly can't keep up with the reading. My mum loves it tho... Astrid on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693364 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 07:41:58 +0000 Astrid 1693364@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Just a thought - the weight could very well cause some issues in the future, even though the doctor says you are healthy now. My mum lost a lot of weight with Weight Watchers last year, it was recommended by the doctor. She had been overweight since I was a child (I have three younger siblings). It never bothered her much and she enjoyed eating nice foods. But then she got health issues that were aggravated by her weight. And the weight loss now could only help a bit with the symptoms, there's no way to really correct it. Preventive measures would have been necessary years ago. I think the comments you got aren't okay at all and I don't believe in diets (just healthy eating). But I do think that in the long run it might be a good idea to find a solution that secures both your emotional well being and your weight. I agree with the others that keeping the weight stable instead of gaining is a good first step. BrieN on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693333 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 04:36:03 +0000 BrieN 1693333@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ There really needs to be a book for raising girls to women. Where the rules are spelled out: your job as a mom or other person in her life is to cherish her - who they are, how they look, and to reflect back to them what you see their interests and talents are without any labels or judgment. As a young person you are just so vulnerable - you've got no armor -- the words are spoken and they just settle in your marrow. And you are typically so aware of even the smallest slights...not to mention some of the derisive comments made by judgmental relatives.  The thing is you can't erase the negative words--at least I know I can't -- I can't pretend someone's comment didn't affect my feelings or somehow have me feeling "less than".  I think you literally have to challenge every comment as it is spoken or as it wells up to the surface. Like you've done here. To acknowledge that you are this person who is intensely interested in food and gifted at cooking. To know that you don't fit in with some of your relatives. That you don't value what they value. To know that you are building a beautiful life.  But the realizing and challenging the ingrained thoughts....it's hard work. So I think the answer is you make the decision what to do next on your own terms as well as you can define them. I have one relative that I love except for the fact that she's pretty twisted up over the whole body appearance thing. Somehow she gets under my skin; I know I start to go a little nuts when I think I might see her soon. Like either I'll need to lose a million pounds to gain approval, OR that I just won't give a darn and eat a sleeve of Oreos because "who is she" to judge me. And of course... I've gone into a tail spin.  Sort of a knee jerk reaction to the anticipation of being judged. I have learned to very carefully think my way through these encounters to make sure her voice doesn't get into my head. I realize I didn't grow up with good body image role models and that I'm going to have to find my own.    I try to remember that no matter who we are, no matter what size we are or were, we all have the challenge of making good choices with respect to what we eat and how we remain active. That will be true in ten years as much as it is true today, and every day in between. The challenge is always there as long as we are living abundant lives.  I do have to ask, though. When it's weigh in day - or judgment day as you put it -- Whose voice are you hearing?  Where is the fear coming from?  Anonymous on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693225 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 00:53:26 +0000 Anonymous 1693225@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Just focusing on your health is probably the way to go.  As long as you and your doctor are okay with your weight, that's all that matters.  As far as fashion goes, there are plenty of options for all body types these days. Liz on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693190 Tue, 12 Jul 2016 23:25:42 +0000 Liz 1693190@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ If your doctor is saying you're healthy, absolutely, yes, jump far away from the rat race. Haven't studies shown that constant dieting doesn't work, anyway? It's not an all-or-nothing choice between "eat everything" and "be on a constant diet." There's also a difference between weight control and weight loss. You could just decide that for now, you'll drop the idea of weight loss and just be OK with not gaining weight (weight control). Sal on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693164 Tue, 12 Jul 2016 22:34:59 +0000 Sal 1693164@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think if your prioritise health and quality of life and how you feel about yourself, the rest does not matter. I honestly believe: 1) You can be healthy over a large range of BMI' 2) You can be attractive in a range of sizes/weights 3) Being healthy and happy is more important than fitting into an arbitrary size. We are all built and wired differently...I have thin friends who are not that into food, and some who eat very large amounts on a daily basis.  Some people love cooking - others it is a chore.   I do think there is a difference between eating sensibly and dieting.  I believe everyone should eat sensibly to ensure a balanced nutritional intake with fruit/vege/protein/fibre etc...  It sounds like you are doing that. Good luck mamacandoit on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693155 Tue, 12 Jul 2016 22:16:50 +0000 mamacandoit 1693155@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sorry this is a double post, I don't know how to delete the extra one!!! mamacandoit on "Anyone stopped dieting?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/anyone-stopped-dieting#post-1693149 Tue, 12 Jul 2016 22:11:55 +0000 mamacandoit 1693149@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ (warning: long post lol!!) You guys have really helped me think about who I am and what I wear and it's had an unexpected knockoff... Now to give a bit of background: we (or mainly I) home educate our 4 kids. This is my career and choice and I love it but like many jobs out there it's stressful and demanding. Before having kids I was an average UK size 12/14. I felt I was overweight but that was bc I had always been told I was the fat one of the family when i was growing up. I've just now come to realise that the reason why I was termed "fat" was bc I've always loved food - not eating mounds and mounds of it but the very fact that I've loved cooking and making food from scratch since childhood made me stand out from the women in my family who claim to be uninterested in food (when in fact they obsess about every calorie and constantly try fad diets).  Since having my babies, i've gone up in weight significantly (maximum was UK22 , now at UK16-18) , mainly bc was trying to be a perfect mum and inevitably this lead to stress which i didn't manage very well and comfort ate, all the while feeling guilty and being judged by my aunts/mother/cousins who would not-so-subtly suggest i try crazy-diet-of-the-week. I tried crazy diets and not-so-crazy ones and overtime i lost weight but every time i felt i wasn't being me and I'd crash into depression (which is an illness I struggle with). Because the person I am loves good food. Even if the eating plan (aka diet) allowed lots of food/or was "intuitive eating" I still felt I was missing out on being me. I'm the kind of person who will and has spent years perfecting that one recipe. I've also always loved veg and real food.  That's me and that's the me I like. When we were newlyweds hubby came home from work one day to find me peeling the red wax off Babybels (which I never ate - can't stand plastic cheese!) and melting them to coat some cheddar I'd made from scratch and left to cure under the stairs.That's me.  Even at university I found ways to cook veg soup from scratch in my room rather than eat at the canteen (weird I know). That's me. The joy I felt when I moved into accommodation with cooking facilities is something I'll never forget. I don't like the diet-obsessed me who spends Mondays biting her fingernails bc it's weigh-in aka judgement time. Given the choice - and I do have that choice, in 10 yrs' time what kind of woman do I want to be? - a slim diet-controlled woman fearing weigh-in days? - or a mature "fat" woman who looks confident in her outfits and who has realised that she does not want to be a slave to other peoples' demands as to what she should look like? I'll admit I'm scared of weight gain...what if I go off the rails and gorge on cookies 24/7? I'm not actively planning to do that but what if I do? What if I escalate back up in size? Basically, dare I trust myself? I've always loved working out and that's never going to away. I've spoken to my doc about all this and had tests that all come back saying i'm very healthy. When I pointed out that my BMI is 32 whereas it should be under 30, he said getting it under 30 wouldn't improve my health significantly as all my other results were so good. Sorry I'm rambling on but I really feel that just as you've taught me to select what clothes are "me" it's also empowering me to strive to live as ME, not as society says should be me. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has come to this point and jumped off the diet/weight control rat race and what your experiences were? thank you for reading all this!!