Weight-Loss What to say to unreasonable dieters?

[Llamabean]

I have been reading this board on an off for like 3 years now - and have learned a huge amount about healthy ways to lose weight.

A few days ago my fiance told me about this hCG diet that one of his coworkers is on. He injects himself with this hormone and then eats like 500 calories a day. It sounded absolutely ridiculous to me, and I explained why that can't be healthy.

Then the same thing happened today with another friend who knows someone who has lost 17 pounds by following this same hCG diet. When I tried to tell him that it is too good to be true and not healthy, he retorted "but she lost 17 pounds!"

What do ya'll say to people who try to tout too-good-to-be-true diets? I think I don't have much credibility because I am not very far along in my own goals.

 

[KaraCooks]

You know, I have the same problem with some of my co-workers. The one woman (who I like, mind you, and is really sweet) flits from fad diet to fad diet, giving each of them a week or so to work and then moves on. Her latest is the incredibly unhealthy Beverly Hills Diet ... and you know, there's only so much I can say before I just have to walk away.

he retorted "but she lost 17 pounds!"

Honestly, my response to this would probably be something like "I could lose 17 lbs by sticking my finger down my throat and puking up everything I eat, too, but it's not healthy either. Losing weight isn't the be-all and end-all of the process for me." Then again, I tend to be pretty blunt about these things. I'd say it with a smile, mind you, but then I'd just refuse to talk about it.

The thing is, it's easy to become evangelical about it - kinda like a reformed smoker, you know? So my philsophy is that if someone tells me about a diet that I know is unhealthy, I'll say so. If they ask more, I'll tell them my thoughts. If they don't want to listen, then there's nothing else for me to say. I'll smile, shrug, and say "well, I don't agree with those methods" and move on.

You can only be responsible for you, when it comes right down to it.

 

[TheDude]

Honestly, my response to this would probably be something like "I could lose 17 lbs by sticking my finger down my throat and puking up everything I eat, too, but it's not healthy either. Losing weight isn't the be-all and end-all of the process for me." Then again, I tend to be pretty blunt about these things. I'd say it with a smile, mind you, but then I'd just refuse to talk about it.

The thing is, it's easy to become evangelical about it - kinda like a reformed smoker, you know? So my philsophy is that if someone tells me about a diet that I know is unhealthy, I'll say so. If they ask more, I'll tell them my thoughts. If they don't want to listen, then there's nothing else for me to say. I'll smile, shrug, and say "well, I don't agree with those methods" and move on.

You can only be responsible for you, when it comes right down to it.

That's pretty much identical to how I handle things. If they're asking for advice, it's one thing. But if they're trying to throw some terrible anecdotal evidence about some unhealthy diets, generally it's comporable to talking to a wall, and it's best to just walk away.

On a side note: Before changing to a healthy lifestyle, I was a pretty negative and cynical person. My responses to situations like this would have been more along the lines of "You're an idiot.". Nowadays, I feel better than ever, which reflects in a more positive outlook on things, especially when dealing with other people. Although, the cynical and negative ways aren't 100% gone. The dark side of me admits to enjoying them sometimes, but it's much less than before.