RunningAHEAD - Topic: I have this friend...

Tangerine

posted: 5/6/2009 at 10:34 AM

A friend of mine is overweight, my guess is she's around 5'4 and 200 or so pounds. A few of us were headed to Subway the other day and asked her to come along. She said, "No, I can't. I'm on a diet." So I asked what kind of diet she was on, there are plenty of healthy options at Subway. She's doing some kind of shake diet. All you eat are these shakes. I'm sure it's infused with nutrients and such, but this CAN'T be good for you. I don't know whether or not she plans on exercising. She probably will lose weight on this diet because she's depriving herself of all of the things she NEEDS. But the second she gets off it, she will gain all that weight back. This whole thing throws up a billion red flags to me. This can't be healthy at all. How can I convince her that this is no good? All these fad diets are too much! Just eat better, eat less, and exercise!

"To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time." -- Leonard Bernstein

milktruck

an amazing likeness

posted: 5/6/2009 at 10:37 AM
modified: 5/6/2009 at 10:39 AM

Quote from Tangerine on 5/6/2009 at 10:34 AM:

How can I convince her that this is no good? All these fad diets are too much! Just eat better, eat less, and exercise!

You can't. Only she can set her path. You can only show (not tell) your approach as an example.

_{Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.}

skeetermc

posted: 5/6/2009 at 10:38 AM

Yeah, I know what you mean. My roomie is currently on a diet - well not so much as a diet, more of an always been this way - but all she is currently eating is protein bars. Confused

Like "zone" or some other brand. Meal replacement maybe? I dunno, but srsly, it can't be healthy to just eat those every day...I'd like to say something but we aren't really on speaking terms right now Roll eyes

Unfortunately, her eating habits rubbed off on me, and I couldn't figure out why I felt like shit training for my marathon eating nothing but oatmeal all day. *sigh* Some females never learn food is NOT bad for you! Just gotta make the correct choices...(this included myself lol). Good luck with your friend, maybe you could try talking to her?

Teresadfp

One day at a time

posted: 5/6/2009 at 10:41 AM

Showing by example can really work. I have had three overweight friends who started running just because they saw me do it and I talked nonstop about it. One of them has lost 30 pounds like I did! I volunteer to run with women all the time, and some of them take me up on it.

labrat

posted: 5/6/2009 at 10:42 AM

Quote from skeetermc on 5/6/2009 at 10:38 AM:

...but all she is currently eating is protein bars. Like "zone" or some other brand. Meal replacement maybe? I dunno, but srsly, it can't be healthy to just eat those every day..

LOL - this reminds me of Mean Girls.... Tongue

just remind her that the girl in the movie actually gained weight.

celiacChris

3Days4Cure

posted: 5/6/2009 at 10:46 AM

Quote from milktruck on 5/6/2009 at 10:37 AM:

You can't. Only she can set her path. You can only show (not tell) your approach as an example.

Can't top that answer. Lead by example. People do insane things to lose weight. One co-worker does these crash "green and white" diets (only broccoli, asparagus, white fish and chicken. No seasoning, no butter, drink only tea or water, and one egg white for breakfast). She then goes back to eating whatever she wants until the next time she needs to wear a swimsuit. I will admit to having a couple of meal replacement shakes in the fridge at work, but only because some days its the only way to get a meal (and I figured out skipping is a bad idea).

Chris
PRs: 27:26 5k/ 49:52 5mi/ 58:17 10k/ 2:09:24 half/ 5:13:17 Full

Post-Bipolar PRs: 38:35 5k/ 1:09:34 8k/ 1:09:39 5mi/ 1:33:03 10k/ 3:20:40 Half

2022 Goals

Back to 10k

DirtyGraceFlint

The Crap Whisperer

posted: 5/6/2009 at 10:58 AM

I have a friend on the "shake" diet. She lost weight on it but not flab...and she has been a total crab-ass... Most people don't last long on these fad type diets...with any luck she will get sick of it soon and try a healthier option!

Being the best tiny spec that I can be!

SeeLizRun

posted: 5/6/2009 at 11:24 AM

Is she possibly doing Cold Fusion aka Herbalife shakes? We have a bunch of them popping up around town. I admit I have tried it, I did it for 3 weeks and was like eff it I want real food. LOL 1 real meal a day does not make me feel good. I will have a shake now and then cuz they are yummy but I will never use them to replace a meal ever again. I'll stick with portion control and good choices. Hopefully your friend will come around and see *fad* diets just do not work in the long run.

~Liz, single mama to K, L & C Pain is nothing compared to what it feels like to quit.

DirtyGraceFlint

The Crap Whisperer

posted: 5/6/2009 at 11:47 AM

Quote from SeeLizRun on 5/6/2009 at 11:24 AM:

Is she possibly doing Cold Fusion aka Herbalife shakes? We have a bunch of them popping up around town.

They just opened a 'shake shop' in a little town near where I live (by my gym) that sells these Herbalife shakes along with one of their 'diet' metabolism booster teas for like $6 and they call it 'lunch'! WTF? I would pass out if I tried to survive on that...!

Being the best tiny spec that I can be!

Doug B

posted: 5/6/2009 at 12:38 PM

for me I just decided one day that I had to eat right for the next 5,000 days and today was day 1. I eat right 90% of my meals and don't sweat the times I add something as a guilty pleasure. I reversed the weight gain and have lost 40 pounds in 2 years. I think running didn't really help with losing weight directly but it did psycologically give me a positive boost where I might have turned to food in the past. And running gave me more incentive to continue dropping a few pounds as it would make me able to run farther/faster and more comfortably. beating yourself up about food isn't worth it. Some people (like me) can't lose 40 pounds in 4 months "for swimsuit season". They just have to start being healthy and know that it is a long term (several years) commitment. you can't make someone else flick the switch.

Phidippides

posted: 5/6/2009 at 1:01 PM

Tangerine, Perhaps you can tell her how nice running is and slowly influence her to ran and then to eat correctly to support her running (if you can get her to start)....since she is interested in getting thin and in shape, perhaps she will be open to you.... It's hard to change people -- and when they have their minds already made up, even harder......

Champions are made when no one is watching

I have this friend... (Read 727 times)