Barry Estabrook, an investigative journalist and author of "Just Eat," shares his quest for the most sustainable diet after testing over a dozen. He discusses the rich history of dieting, contrasting low-carb and low-fat philosophies, and the bizarre fads that have emerged. Estabrook highlights the pitfalls of extreme cleanse diets and emphasizes the reality of popular dieting trends. He concludes with insights on mindful eating and flexibility, showcasing how a more enjoyable approach can lead to lasting weight loss and improved health.
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Doctor's Warning
Barry Estabrook's doctor warned him about his high cholesterol and blood pressure, urging him to lose weight.
This prompted Estabrook, a food journalist, to embark on a three-year journey of trying various diets.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Whole30 Failure
Estabrook's first attempt was the Whole30 diet, which he chose because of its popularity.
He lost 13 pounds but quickly regained them, realizing he hadn't researched the diet's efficacy or sustainability.
insights INSIGHT
History of Diets
Modern diets are often repackaged versions of older ideas.
William Banting's "Letter on Corpulence" from the 1850s is considered the first true diet book, promoting a low-carb approach.
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In 'Just Eat', Barry Estabrook delves into the world of dieting, testing popular diets like Whole30, paleo, and South Beach. Through his personal journey, he critiques the diet industry, highlighting its pitfalls and the lack of sustainable solutions. Estabrook's narrative blends humor with insightful commentary on the broader issues of food culture and health.
Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public
William Banting
In 'Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public', William Banting shares his personal journey of weight loss by adopting a diet that limits starch and sugar intake. The pamphlet, first published in 1863, became a model for modern low-carb diets and remains influential in discussions of obesity and diabetes management.
Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution
Robert C. Atkins
Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution, first published in 1972, introduced the Atkins diet, a nutritional approach that challenges conventional weight loss methods by emphasizing the reduction of carbohydrate intake. The diet promotes the consumption of meat, cheese, eggs, and other high-fat foods while limiting carbohydrates such as bread, cereal, and pasta. The book has been a bestseller and has sparked extensive research and debate within the medical community regarding the benefits and drawbacks of low-carbohydrate diets.
If you're someone who wants to lose weight, you've probably spent some time thinking about and experimenting with different diets. Browse the literal shelves of a bookstore or the metaphorical ones of the internet, and you can find thousands of options to choose from, each with their ardent fans and supposedly decisive rationales. But which diet really works best, and, most importantly, given that 95% of people who lose weight on one gain it back, is a plan that an average human can stick with for the long haul?
My guest today is in a distinctly well-informed position to comment on this question, having personally test-driven over a dozen diets in three years. His name is Barry Estabrook, and he's an investigative journalist and the author of Just Eat: One Reporter's Quest for a Weight-Loss Regimen That Works. We begin our conversation with what set Barry on his quest to find the best, most sustainable diet. We then get into the fact that the ideas behind modern diets aren't new, and the sometimes weird history of their predecessors. From there we turn to Barry's experiments with contemporary diets, including what happened when he tried eating both low-carb and low-fat, joining Weight Watchers, and figuring out what he could learn from the eating habits of the Greeks and French. We end our conversation with what Barry ultimately changed about his own diet to successfully drop the pounds, and what he discovered as to what really works best for sustainable weight loss.
The Art of Manliness 
