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This was my response when my MIL recently compared me to her friend who has been on a sef-imposed low-fat, low-cal starvation diet since the first of the year. In that time, he has managed to lose 20 -25 pounds and is looking quite a bit slimmer.
The trade-off, as she was pointing out, is that he is extremely hungry "all the time". I know when he first started this starvation program he was complaining about laying awake all night thinking about food. Any conversation with him invariably turned to food and eating.
The biggest thing I have noticed is that with his weight loss he looks much older. He is taking on a gaunt old man appearance. He doesn't look healthier at all to me.
I've also noticed how he seems to have lost a lot of muscle tone on his arms. This is most surprising when you factor in that he is a very active person... Skiing, hiking, weight lifting, kayaking, gardening...
Anyway... As MIL was praising how this person has shown real fortitude and really stuck with his diet she capped it off with "just like you"... to which I responded, "Yeah... 'cept I'm not starving."
Her response to this was... "Well, you're on a different type of diet. He needs his carbs."
The unspoken implication of this statement is that I'm on some sort of "fad diet" and he's on a "real diet". It's even been suggested to me that the way to control your weight is to count calories... not whatever it is I'm doing.
What really struck me about this whole exchange is just how ingrained the "low fat = health" rubish is in people's minds. I'm reminded of that old saying "My mind is already made up. Don't confuse me with the details."
The trade-off, as she was pointing out, is that he is extremely hungry "all the time". I know when he first started this starvation program he was complaining about laying awake all night thinking about food. Any conversation with him invariably turned to food and eating.
The biggest thing I have noticed is that with his weight loss he looks much older. He is taking on a gaunt old man appearance. He doesn't look healthier at all to me.
I've also noticed how he seems to have lost a lot of muscle tone on his arms. This is most surprising when you factor in that he is a very active person... Skiing, hiking, weight lifting, kayaking, gardening...
Anyway... As MIL was praising how this person has shown real fortitude and really stuck with his diet she capped it off with "just like you"... to which I responded, "Yeah... 'cept I'm not starving."
Her response to this was... "Well, you're on a different type of diet. He needs his carbs."
The unspoken implication of this statement is that I'm on some sort of "fad diet" and he's on a "real diet". It's even been suggested to me that the way to control your weight is to count calories... not whatever it is I'm doing.
What really struck me about this whole exchange is just how ingrained the "low fat = health" rubish is in people's minds. I'm reminded of that old saying "My mind is already made up. Don't confuse me with the details."
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