Is the "no diet talk" rule still in effect?

[Pat58]

Since I don't believe ALL discussions concerning nutrition should be banned, here is the policy (abridged) on what's okay and not okay as it was written by Wendy. I've gotten yelled at for posting a "clean" recipe or asking for whey protein recommendations, which IMO is overboard.

"Thank you for making VF a diet-free zone!
Many new visitors wonder why we don't allow discussion of diet here at Video Fitness except in very general terms. This page is meant to elaborate on this rule and why we have it, including some examples of what is and is not within guidelines.

...

Because what falls under the heading of "general" and what is too specific can be confusing, I've written up a list of examples below.

OK - Examples of topics or comments that are general enough to stay within the guidelines:

asking for suggestions for healthy lunches to take to work, or healthy snacks to have around. This would be most appropriate in the Recipes Forum.
discussions of food as fuel for workouts: for example, whether to eat anything before morning exercise, favorite "recovery" foods after grueling workouts, what do eat before/during/after a long race, etc.
asking for advice on how to stop snacking in the evenings
recommending to someone who is having trouble with weight loss that she keep a food journal
requesting recipes or substitutions for favorite unhealthy foods or dishes
Posting a single recipe in the Recipes forum with nutritional information (calories, # fat grams, etc.) included

Not OK - Examples of topics that would not be allowed:

Asking for or offering specific nutritional advice
Discussing experiences with a particular diet or diet program (e.g. Weight Watchers, Atkins, the Zone, Jenny Craig, whatever)
Discussing specific dietary advice given in a diet or fitness book. You may review such books for our book review section, however.
asking for or giving advice about what percentage of calories should come from fat/protein/carbs
Describing your own eating plan in detail
Discussing whether or not a specific food or beverage is healthy or not
Asking whether or not you should become a vegetarian (this particular topic has been the subject of innumerable flame wars on the Web)
Addendum: Discussion of dietary supplements is also off limits.

We do not feel that discussion of supplements, especially those used for more rapid weight loss or muscle gain, is consistent with our mission statement. Discussion of other supplements is not allowed, either, due to both the unregulated nature of the products and the fact that many people selling dietary supplements use internet discussion boards to tout a product they themselves are selling. We have allowed discussion of glucosamine supplements, however, because they have been used by some VF readers (with mixed results) as a form of alternative medicine to treat recurring or chronic knee pain that affects their ability to exercise."

[prettyinpink]

Thank you, Pat. That is broader than I thought.

It does seem a little outdated, so maybe something that could eventually be updated. Like only glucosamine can be mentioned? Most of the reasons we might take a supplement have nothing to do with weight loss or eating, like sleep and menopause symptoms.

We have had protein discussions where research on optimal amounts was mentioned. That is another area that might be outdated as that is about fitness and building muscle, not losing weight or specific foods to eat. It doesnt seem much different than this, which is allowed:

discussions of food as fuel for workouts: for example, whether to eat anything before morning exercise, favorite "recovery" foods after grueling workouts, what do eat before/during/after a long race, etc.
asking for advice on how to stop snacking in the evenings
recommending to someone who is having trouble with weight loss that she keep a food journal

I think creatine has been mentioned also.

All that said, I am fine with all of those still being off limits.

And I didn’t know there was a recipe forum here.

[ellaenchanted]

I frequent other fitness boards and diet talk doesn't get heated. Personally, I like reading different experiences because, IMO, it is a big part of fitness.

[Hsim]

I also am in favor of diet talk.
Maybe at one time when there were more people on the forum diet talk caused drama, but I feel that everyone here now is very respectful.

[Colleen]

I'm a big fan of the diet-free zone.

[bubbles76]

I am very happy that we're diet free too. I have a friend that goes on about being plant based and sugar free. She is very superior about it. I don't want that here. I know I couldn't stay polite about it

[dianestjohn]

I VERY strongly prefer a diet-free zone. In my experience discussions about nutrition and weight loss can get out of hand because we all have such different opinions about what works for our individual situation and that can bleed over into telling other people they are doing it all wrong. Plus not all of us have the same goal of reducing body size (one of the reasons I have abandoned Pahla B. who now only seems to feed the skinnier-the-better philosophy). Some of us just want to work out.

[Paula N]

Originally Posted by dianestjohn

Some of us just want to work out.

I remember when I first discovered VF in the late nineties. I was so excited to find like-minded people who were as excited about home workout videos as I was. Where else could I find anyone else who would pour over the Collage catalogue over their lunch break at work? While the format has changed from VHS to DVD to downloads and now streaming, my interest is the same. I still get the same tiny thrill now when I see a Kat Gates has released a new step workout on YouTube as I did back in the day whenever Christi Taylor announced she was filming a new workout. While others would probably think my extensive video collection is a bit odd (I keep it under wraps for the most part), I am so grateful to have found a community of people who get it. I would hate to see this forum become overrun with diet and weight-loss talk.

[sherry7899]

Originally Posted by Paula N

I remember when I first discovered VF in the late nineties. I was so excited to find like-minded people who were as excited about home workout videos as I was. Where else could I find anyone else who would pour over the Collage catalogue over their lunch break at work? While the format has changed from VHS to DVD to downloads and now streaming, my interest is the same. I still get the same tiny thrill now when I see a Kat Gates has released a new step workout on YouTube as I did back in the day whenever Christi Taylor announced she was filming a new workout. While others would probably think my extensive video collection is a bit odd (I keep it under wraps for the most part), I am so grateful to have found a community of people who get it. I would hate to see this forum become overrun with diet and weight-loss talk.

I feel the same way! I don't want diet and weight loss talk here.

Funny story-around 2003 I had a catalog from Collage sitting on my desk at work. The guy who sat behind me said something like "oh, damn my wife spends so much money ordering from that place!" I asked what instructors she liked and I brought in some VHS tapes I was not using for him to give to her.

[Garrie A.]

Keep it diet free, please.