i. Sugar isn't a drug. Treating it like one will not help you get over it. You're ignoring the fact that I'm responding to every comment on this thread that claims a withdrawal and release effect like one would get after coming off an actual drug. There is real reason to believe that the people commenting on this thread simply aren't interpreting correctly what they are experiencing mentally. It is the amount of sugar that creates dependency, not the substance itself. Of course you can become dependant on sugar when you lose track of what you're taking in. It's a magical substance that gives your body instant energy. Of course your body is going to crave it. Enjoying sugar is not the result of brainwashing, it's the result of evolution not catching up with the realities of industrial farming yet.
ii. It's not missing the point of Keto. I get Keto. I've been on Keto. I've been on Keto, Whole30 and every fad, low carb diet there is. They are not suitable as a basis for permanent weight loss for like 95% of people trying to lose weight. Telling a guy who's only starting out on a weight loss journey (from a very naive place) that he should commit to a complete lifestyle overhaul insofar that he's eating in a way that is completely out of kilter with every single person around him just adds another layer of stress to something that is already stressful enough and that we already have a tried and tested cure for. You're also asking that he do it without taking full account of energy out vs. energy in. That's the very first thing anybody who has a history of overeating should understand because they face a real risk of going on Keto, succeeding with the plan but still overeating. My whole point was that he should focus on tracking and moderating for now (which he most definitely should) and look at things like Keto in the future when he's able to make a rational, informed decision about his diet.
iii. That doesn't counter my point. How is "different methods work for different people" relevant to the discussion about all or nothing? There is no such thing as a physically all or nothing person. We are all capable of moderation. All or nothing is the easy way out and the belief in it is based on underlying mental issues more than anything else.
Here's the thing about different methods for different people, okay? - No diet has ever been proven to result in permanent, manageable weight loss apart from moderation. Moderation is the only diet that we have documented history, over 100s of years that proves it works. So when a person is beginning a weight loss journey that is the very first piece of advice they should hear, because we know beyond all doubt that it works and that it is healthy. Once you have accomplished moderation and take notice of how much food you put into your body then you should consider yourself free to take a look at all the different diet options available to you within that calorie boundary. From there you can look at Keto and experiment with all different kinds of diets, keeping in mind at all times that moderation is key. It's something I do and intend to keep doing because I'm willing to experiment with nutrition and I think everyone should so that they can keep themselves interested. However, I would love to see how many of you are still on Keto in your 60s and 70s.
Here's the final thing I will say on Keto itself: You talk about the main benefit of low-carb diets. A lot of humans right now are eating carbs in a way that was designed for people working long manual hours and they don't need the excess. I acknowledge that. But you do not need the word Keto to understand that. When you track calories you immediately notice how difficult it is to have a high carb diet anyway. How long do you think someone is going to last on 1600kcals a day if they're only eating bread and sugar? - Not very long. Keto is another layer of complexity that this guy doesn't need right now. There is a reason why the FAQ says eat less, move more. It really is that simple.
I read a thing about diet, fitness and humility last week. It basically said that if you want to be successful at losing weight permanently you need to have humility. I don't think that's something the Keto crowd has here. They're more dogmatic than any other group on r/loseit and I think many of them are going to be very disappointed when they realise that they put too much faith into it. The way I see it is that moderation is the hardest thing to come to terms with because it promises nothing but slow, mediocre, boring gains. Nobody wants to face into years of slow weight loss because it seems so difficult and unrewarding. If you talk to people who are now succeeding with moderation on r/loseit you'll find that every one of them has tried wonder diets. We've all been on our Ketos and our Atkins, etc. but how many people on those diets have made a real honest stab at boring old moderation? Not many, I'd guess.