Dear Fun and Fit: I noticed you were running a 30-day challenge, but I was too late. Maybe the next one. In the meantime, I at least want to start eating better and want your opinion on diets. Which one is best for weight loss?

— Kristin at UCSB

Alexandra: My opinion? Well, first of all, “diet” has the word “die” in it. Therefore, I am against all diets in principle. So, please throw away that word and substitute the phrase “eating habits.” Since you’re going to the trash can anyway, please throw away your scale, too. Those things really should come with a warning label — “Caution: Use of this machine will cause you to feel bad.”

Anything that has you temporarily changing your habits won’t work. Improving your eating habits in small (or medium, if you’re addicted to cream puffs) increments is the way to permanent change. Keep in mind that a habit is the opposite of temporary.


Just to show you how ridiculous some diets really were, let’s look back in history a bit. In their time they were considered “the bomb,” but time and facts say otherwise. See if you can spot the quackery and “magic pills.”

» Tapeworm Diet: In the 1920s, women (and a few men) actually ingested tapeworms in the belief it would cause them to lose weight. Technically, that did occur, but darn those side effects — nausea, infection, abdominal weakness, pain and the knowledge that you’d just eaten a worm! On purpose. Jackass for the 20th century.

» Drinking Man’s Diet: Does that sound like something from the ‘50s maybe? Close — 1964. Veal and vodka, steak and whiskey, chicken and gin. Sure, for some of you that may sound delicious, but does it sound like a healthy diet plan? Urp.

» Calories Don’t Count: Sure, and neither did the years in jail Dr. Taller spent for suckering millions of people into buying his book. Why? Because you had to also buy his vegetable oil pill or it wouldn’t work! Ipso facto, the definition of quack with a magic pill.

» Vinegar and Water: Lord Byron popularized this delightful combo back in 1820. All you had to do was sprinkle vinegar on everything. Oops, he forgot to mention that he had an eating disorder.

» Cabbage Diet: I won’t say anything besides “Ewwwww. Stinky.”

» Ketogenic Diet: First of all, it mimics the metabolic effects of fasting. Fasting is not a diet — it is temporary starvation. And what did I say about temporary plans? The Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution in the early 1970s was based on this, as was The Last Chance Diet, which was blamed for the deaths of some of its adherents. Sadly, the “die” in “diet” was for real.

Here’s what you should do: eat a variety of foods. The closer to the ground, the better. The fewer the ingredients you don’t recognize, the better. Eat in moderation. Eat slowly so you’ll know when you’re full. Actually, I’ll make it easy for you (well, actually for me) — read Food Rules by Michael Pollan. Everything you need to know is in there. And I should know — I contributed one of the rules!

And don’t even consider the Twinkie or cookie diet!

Dear readers and eaters: Have you ever tried any unusual diet plans? Do you now have Twinkies stashed in your cupboards?

— Identical twins and fitness pros Kymberly Williams-Evans and Alexandra Williams have been in the fitness industry since the first aerobics studio opened on the European continent. They teach, write, edit, emcee and present their programs worldwide on land, sea and airwaves. They co-write Fun and Fit: Q and A with K and A. You can currently find them in action leading classes in Santa Barbara and Goleta. Kymberly is the former faculty minor adviser at UCSB for its fitness instruction degree offered through the Department of Exercise & Sport Studies; Alexandra serves as an instructor and master teacher for the program. Fun and Fit answers real questions from real people, so please send your comments and questions to info@funandfit.org.