The basic truth of weight-loss is that one must figure out a way to somehow live with eating less than one wishes. This can be accomplished in many different ways. Most “Experts” have developed their own ideas about what works best, and they don’t hesitate to share them with us.

The concepts of losing weight are relatively easy when compared to the implementation of the eating-or-not-eating methods that are required to actually lose weight and to maintain that weight-loss.

But “easy” isn’t simple, and not only do the “experts” disagree on many weight-loss concepts, each of them has an agenda, a belief, about what is the “correct” way to implement weight-loss eating. Many times these “expert” beliefs oppose each other.

Articles by “experts” contain basic facts mixed with possibilities, and this combination is mixed with opinion. One problem for people with weight-problems is that it is almost impossible for us to separate FACT from THEORY from OPINION. Often the reasoning of an “expert” can seem very convincing .. but once we actually try to implement an individual eating solution an “expert” proposes, we find it to be personally unworkable.

Although I find the “WHY” to be interesting, it is basically useless to me unless the “HOW” is something I can accomplish long-term.  We aren't all the same, and each of us must figure out our own individual solution.

Most “experts” start with basic FACTS, and then move on to various THEORIES, and then move on to their own OPINIONS. Here at DietHobby, I often post copies of articles which I find personally interesting, and which offer solutions that might be workable for some. This doesn’t mean that I accept or agree with every Theory that is proposed in every article that I post here in DietHobby. It also doesn’t mean that I find that particular Solution to be workable for me, personally.

Here’s an interesting article by an “expert” who is an advocate of reducing the “reward” value of the food one chooses to eat.

Seduced by Food: Obesity and the Human Brain
                by Stephan Guyenet

In 1960-1962, the US government collected height and weight measurements from thousands of US citizens. Using these numbers, they estimated that the prevalence of obesity among US adults at the time was 13 percent. Fast forward to the year 2007-2008, and in the same demographic group, the prevalence of obesity was 34 percent . Most of this increase has occurred since 1980, when obesity rates have more than doubled among US adults, and extreme obesity has more than tripled. Welcome to the ‘obesity epidemic’. Today, more than one third of US adults are considered obese, an additional third are overweight, and largely as a consequence, each child born today has an estimated one in three risk of developing diabetes in his or her lifetime.

Since the obesity epidemic is a serious threat to public health and well-being, scientists have made it a r...

For those who are eating out during the Holidays, and become tempted to treat themselves to a dessert, the list below will give you some clues as to how many calories are in such tasty treats:

 

 

Cinnabon Pecanbon - 1,080 calories, 19 teaspoons of sugar
 

• McDonald's Large Rolo McFlurry - 830 calories,
  26 teaspoons of sugar.
   
• Denny's Oreo Blender Blaster - 890 calories,
  19.25 teaspoons of sugar
   
• Coldstone Creamery Gotta Have It Oreo Creme Ice Cream - 1,060 calories,
  22.75 teaspoons of sugar
   
• Dairy Queen Banana Cream Pie Blizzard - 1,090 calories,
  29 teaspoons of sugar
   
• Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie - 1,250 calories,
  40.75 teaspoons of sugar
   
• Applebee's Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae - 1,550 calories,
  52 teaspoons of sugar
   
• Outback Steakhouse Chocolate Thunder From Down Under - 1,554 calories,
  33 teaspoons of sugar
  
  
   
• Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake - 1,679 calories,
  51.5 teaspoons of sugar 
  
  
   
  The Keg Carrot Cake a la mode - 2,344 calories,
  65 teas...

For those who have trouble learning to eat slowly,
here is a lesson on how to play with your food
while observing appropriate Thanksgiving Etiquette.

Examples of One Serving.

Sometimes I read an article that interests or amuses me so much, that I just have to include it here at DietHobby. 

    Here is one such article: 

How I lost 40 lbs doing everything wrong
             by Erik Davis. 11/14/12

I’ve been on a quest to lose weight over the last 6 months. It had been a long time coming, and I’d put it off for too many years. But while I have been achieving my goals, it’s got to be a statistical fluke, because I’ve done just about everything wrong!

1. I ate wheat!

Apparently, I didn’t get the message that my “addiction to wheat” is making me “fat and unhealthy”, because I kept right on eating it. Wheat breads, pita, even the dreaded enriched-flour pasta — all of these remained part of my diet. What a dolt I was! If only I’d bought a copy of William Davis’ best-selling book Wheat Belly, I’d have known that 100 million Americans (and presumably ~10M Canadians) experience some form of adverse health effect from eating wheat — from minor rashes to high blood sugar to unattractive stomach bulges. Or I could have listened to any of the countless nutritionists and alt-health gurus recommending gluten-free diets for non-celiac sufferers like me.

But I guess I was living under a rock. Really dodged a bullet there.

2.  I ate other carbs too!

“You’ve lost weight,” friends would say. “What have you been doing — cutting out carbs?” It was a question I kept hearing over and over again, yet somehow I never clued in that I should have been on a low-carb diet. After all, everyone knows carbs are what make us fat. Yet I kept on eating them — starchy tubers, rice of all colours and hues, gluten-laden rye breads and barley. In fact, carbs made up over half of my calories — and two-thirds of my food by weight!

Had I never heard of Robert Atkins or The Zone? This cat has far more than nine lives, let me tell you.

3. I used artificial sweeteners!

Boy should I have listened to Dr. Oz — he says that artificial sweeteners are the #1 habit making me fat! He recommends “natural alternatives” like honey, agave and coconut sap syrup. Yet stupid me, I figured that because those alternatives were largely comprised of glucose and fructose, they were just as bad as sugar — I completely forgot they were natural!