MediWeight Diet: Scam or Bullshit?

Sir Neil · Post by **Sir Neil** » Mon May 17, 2010 2:13 am

My wife went to this witch doctor she found on the internet and he puts her on a 500 calorie a day low-carb diet. Magic potions cost extra.

http://www.mediweightlossclinics.com/

Is there any evidence this lunatic isn't just trying to kill her?

Data Vampire · Post by **Data Vampire** » Mon May 17, 2010 2:21 am

Such a low calorie diet is unhealthy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_diet

Count Arioch the 28th · Mon May 17, 2010 2:26 am

Said diet would make her lose lots of weight very quickly.

Once she is no longer on said diet, she is going to gain it all back and more because that's what starving does to people.

Honestly, I might be heavy. And the last semester where I wasn't home for more than 7 or 8 hours at a time and didn't have time to cook was really bad for me. But I can at least say:

1. I am on a downward trend as far as weight goes (average about -15 pounds a year)

2. I can maintain my lifestyle with little effort and expense.

However, you wife has been pretty clear that she is not largely concerned with what I think. So maybe that's not going to help.

But to sum it up: If this diet doesn't kill her, she's going to end it less healthy and heavier than she was when she started.

Calibron · Post by **Calibron** » Mon May 17, 2010 2:49 am

Higher activity and higher caloric intake will burn fat and keep it off. Starving yourself and cutting out energy rich carbs will make you miserable and likely sick while you're doing it and make your weight balloon up again as soon as you start eating anywhere close to a reasonable amount of calories.

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Mon May 17, 2010 12:08 pm

Yeah, there are a lot of bad things you can (and should) cut out of your diet, but exercise is also important for maintaining weight loss. Too many people want the quick way out. It doesn't work for most of them.

That being said, I think 500 calories sounds pretty low.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Mon May 17, 2010 1:41 pm

There's an easy sport for losing weight: the one where you race by wearing roller blades and hanging onto the backs of cars. If you fall at 60kph or more, you could grind off like 10lbs of flesh in one go.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Mon May 17, 2010 3:04 pm

Do not under any circumstances attempt to live on 500 Calories a day.

Just...don't do that.

-Username17

Lago PARANOIA · Post by **Lago PARANOIA** » Mon May 17, 2010 3:26 pm

I heard that (at least for the first couple of weeks anyway) it's actually safer to take in 0 calories a day than it is to take in 100-800 calories.

mean_liar · Post by **mean_liar** » Mon May 17, 2010 4:08 pm

Fasting is not dangerous.

Personally I've gotten better results out of HIIT than dieting. The time required is minimal and all you have to do is accept 10min of death a day.

Calibron · Post by **Calibron** » Mon May 17, 2010 4:53 pm

Fasting is good, but not really a weight loss tool.

endersdouble · Post by **endersdouble** » Mon May 17, 2010 5:27 pm

Intermittent fasting is the nuts, actually. I do this on a regular basis and it's not difficult + I feel great. Go read something like The Alternate Day Diet or just do the simple thing: every second or third day, have 500 calories, tops, nothing if you can do it. Other days, don't pig out, but eat normally.

TL;DR version: this produces an awesome hormonal response that tells your body to burn fat & so on, but you start eating before the nasty starvation mode kicks in.

Sir Neil · Post by **Sir Neil** » Mon May 17, 2010 6:05 pm

FrankTrollman wrote:Just...don't do that.

That's what I said.

Come to find out she's been living on 800-900 calories a day for several months now, she simply hadn't noticed.

Ganbare Gincun · Post by **Ganbare Gincun** » Tue May 18, 2010 1:45 am

Sir Neil wrote:
FrankTrollman wrote:Just...don't do that.
That's what I said.

Come to find out she's been living on 800-900 calories a day for several months now, she simply hadn't noticed.

Isn't that slightly lower then the number of calories peasants were given to eat back in the Dark Ages?

Sir Neil · Post by **Sir Neil** » Tue May 18, 2010 3:25 am

Probably. In fairness to her, though, I have no clue how many calories I'M eating every day, either.

koz · Post by **koz** » Tue May 18, 2010 3:28 am

Sir Neil wrote:Probably. In fairness to her, though, I have no clue how many calories I'M eating every day, either.

Being on a diet myself right now, I know what you mean. Having to actually COUNT what you eat really changes your perspectives on food in a fundamental way. It also makes you realize that the extras with your burger give waaaaay more calories than the actual burger.

Calibron · Post by **Calibron** » Tue May 18, 2010 7:49 am

Ugh, with the way the factory farms are treating ground beef I refuse to even eat burgers anymore unless someone I know ground the beef themselves.