The main forum

Sajyana

I haven't looked through the main forum before because I wasn't interested in hearing the same old eat less, move more information I've been listening to for almost 40 years.

In all honesty I was shocked at just how dreadfully people can treat someone who is trying to improve their health and lifestyle. Especially if you start to talk about restricting sugar. I've been around the block enough times to know that not everyone on the planet is full of peace and goodwill but people come to the forums for support while they are making changes and they subjected to a barrage of attacks and derision.

I commend Gale in continuing to provide support and information while under attack. Many times personal attack.

Thank you all for providing a space where people who benefit from low carb eating can feel safer and supported.

pope705

I find that attitude prevalent in the general public too you tell people you are eating a meal of chicken breast and veggies and you get praised for willpower and told how healthy it is. You mention you are low-carbine or avoiding grains and suddenly that same meal becomes one that will kill you from lack of nutrients! Very frustrating!

FIT_Goat

I will sometimes post in the main forums. I try not to get sucked in to defending my understanding though. Sometimes, the best response is no response at all. Do I want people to have complete information? Yes, and that is why I try an point them here. There's little point on trying to educate people on the main boards.

I try to remember that, for many, it is a defensive reaction to something they fear because they believe they don't have the willpower to do the same thing. They desperately don't want it to be true, because it would mean they did all that hard work on the wrong goal.. It's like an alcoholic trying to argue that he doesn't need to stop drinking, he just needs to cut back gradually.

icrushit

Unfortunately the main forums can be a terrible place, and increasingly so. I learned a lot there, and came across some great people there, but the 'one true gospel'/ know-it-all approach that some take there, I find a big turn off. I would echo the sentiment that it's great to have a place here where things low-carb can be discussed without the ridicule/ vitriol it seems to espouse elsewhere.

In fact I would go so far to say that after a while here, finding likeminded and open groups are probably the way to go forum-wise, but unfortunately MFP does not seem to think so, and most groups are almost invisible now with successive site changes, and to be honest I wonder how anyone finds this group for example, at all.

FIT_Goat

We've had something like 700 new members join this group since January. So, people are finding it. But, we're very fortunate. As one of the largest groups, we get prime billing when people click on the popular groups list. I have no idea how people find smaller, but already established, groups. The forums really should be broken down into more detailed areas.

Of course, such an idea is heretical to the "MFP Way." There is only one way to lose weight. You just count your calories and keep them under your [arbitrary] goal. Having different areas would imply that there may be different ways to lose weight, and not just the one true way.

Foamroller

I can't help but notice that it's the same 10-30 names that post pro-sugary "I lost x amount of weight eating chocolate or icecream" in ALL the "help, I want to cut down on sugar"-type threads. Sometimes the first 5-6 post are like that in only 15 mins after OP. Which is not logical, cause whenever it suits them, they cry for "randomized, controlled medical studies" but when it suits them their N=1 is suddenly a triumphant argument in the case for continued sugar consumption...

I'm astonished at the tenacity and willingness of these (same individuals, different accounts ?) people to not only state their negative opinion when someone WANTS to change their life. It's also somewhat amusing that many of those statements come not just once in a while, but EVERY day, sometimes multiple times per day over several threads.
I'm a moderation kind of girl, because I believe it to be a good middle path when trying to change myself. But some of these threads become just ridiculous and very often rude. (Some of the OP also look like complete trolling, but who knows...)

The utmost funny thing is that in the "Gaining weight section" some of these same nicknames advise people to "eat starchy foods" or "empty calories" in order to gain weight...

I wonder, how seemingly busy people like ph.d students and others really have time to spend what must amount to hours every day to scour the forum for sugar related threads, state their opinion and reply to those.

Sure, some are most certainly people who just don't have any better, productive way of spending their life than trolling on forums. Some are possibly people who just wants to feel they are "right" at everything. But possibly there are also people who have an economic stake here as well.

Why else would they spend copious amount of time to tell people they are wrong or even stupid to try reduce sugar intake ?

I'm generally put off by conspiratorial schemes. But let's not be naive. There are lots of money to be lost if the general population suddenly reduce consuming highly refined sugary products or starchy foods. Not just the food industry. All the big pharma that manufacture diabetes or other starch related diseases are to earn a lot of money in the near future from people getting ill because they eat food that works counterproductive to our metabolism and the fragile hormonal balance needed.

Do the numbers game. If I were more of a cynic, I'd invest in those companies, right now...

Edit: Because of all the ridiculing bro-science in general forum on MFP, I've actually stopped using it as a channel of nutritional value. Every time I stop by, I'm thinking "wasting time".

baconslave

Sajyana wrote: »

I haven't looked through the main forum before because I wasn't interested in hearing the same old eat less, move more information I've been listening to for almost 40 years.

In all honesty I was shocked at just how dreadfully people can treat someone who is trying to improve their health and lifestyle. Especially if you start to talk about restricting sugar. I've been around the block enough times to know that not everyone on the planet is full of peace and goodwill but people come to the forums for support while they are making changes and they subjected to a barrage of attacks and derision.

I commend Gale in continuing to provide support and information while under attack. Many times personal attack.

Thank you all for providing a space where people who benefit from low carb eating can feel safer and supported.

Foamroller wrote: »

I can't help but notice that it's the same 10-30 names that post pro-sugary "I lost x amount of weight eating chocolate or icecream" in ALL the "help, I want to cut down on sugar"-type threads. Sometimes the first 5-6 post are like that in only 15 mins after OP. Which is not logical, cause whenever it suits them, they cry for "randomized, controlled medical studies" but when it suits them their N=1 is suddenly a triumphant argument in the case for continued sugar consumption...

I'm astonished at the tenacity and willingness of these (same individuals, different accounts ?) people to not only state their negative opinion when someone WANTS to change their life. It's also somewhat amusing that many of those statements come not just once in a while, but EVERY day, sometimes multiple times per day over several threads.
I'm a moderation kind of girl, because I believe it to be a good middle path when trying to change myself. But some of these threads become just ridiculous and very often rude. (Some of the OP also look like complete trolling, but who knows...)

The utmost funny thing is that in the "Gaining weight section" some of these same nicknames advise people to "eat starchy foods" or "empty calories" in order to gain weight...

I wonder, how seemingly busy people like ph.d students and others really have time to spend what must amount to hours every day to scour the forum for sugar related threads, state their opinion and reply to those.

Sure, some are most certainly people who just don't have any better, productive way of spending their life than trolling on forums. Some are possibly people who just wants to feel they are "right" at everything. But possibly there are also people who have an economic stake here as well.

Why else would they spend copious amount of time to tell people they are wrong or even stupid to try reduce sugar intake ?

I'm generally put off by conspiratorial schemes. But let's not be naive. There are lots of money to be lost if the general population suddenly reduce consuming highly refined sugary products or starchy foods. Not just the food industry. All the big pharma that manufacture diabetes or other starch related diseases are to earn a lot of money in the near future from people getting ill because they eat food that works counterproductive to our metabolism and the fragile hormonal balance needed.

Do the numbers game. If I were more of a cynic, I'd invest in those companies, right now...

Edit: Because of all the ridiculing bro-science in general forum on MFP, I've actually stopped using it as a channel of nutritional value. Every time I stop by, I'm thinking "wasting time".

And THAT is why I call it the Litterbox. All you have to do is scratch, and you find something nasty. I don't bother going there much any more. It's more than a bit like banging your head on a wall. Except the wall has spikes on it.

Social media and forums have people who post who are paid by companies or organizations to get people thinking of or talking about their interest or product. It's true. That's their job. Some are so good at it that you never even notice their nudging. I'm not certain of percentages, but it does happen. It happens on Facebook, and I would bet (and win) that it happens on MFP.

I've really only stayed here to help the minority. It otherwise isn'isn't worth the aggravation of dealing with the horsecrap. I don't get paid, except in satisfaction, when my participation helps other people succeed. Low-carbers (and Paleo and clean eaters too) deserve a haven from haters and deserve good information.

The CICO Propaganda Brigade stays out of here thankfully.

GaleHawkins

I agree with all of the above. Sadly so many new people land on the dark side and often one of the few that makes it the dark side will just blow them away in such a crude manner.

Being an old guy turning 64 next month and never really have been sensitive to peer pressure in my life I try to buffer the attacks on the new ones. Actually I think it as cooled down a bit. Some thought they could shut me down apparently at first. Sadly from some of the posts one can understand they are bullies with little to no grasp of dieting science. Management told me they were concerned about the abuse of new members. The investors look for increasing numbers of people using the site.

As was mentioned this kind of acting is common on many open forums, FB etc.

softblondechick

The sad thing is those surgery people will be back up, until they recognize their addiction to Sugar and wheat.

I have been dragging my feet on change. I fully admit to wheat and sugar addiction. I am weaning myself off, and realize how much simpler cooking, shopping and meal planning is, salads, veggies, meat. I failed at dieting before, with denial of food, and staying to low fat diets. Not having energy to workout.

It would be an interesting study on eating habits of obese people, post surgery. As an indicator of longitudinal success. Same with those "biggest loser" contestants.

sbom1

FIT_Goat wrote: »

We've had something like 700 new members join this group since January. So, people are finding it. But, we're very fortunate. As one of the largest groups, we get prime billing when people click on the popular groups list. I have no idea how people find smaller, but already established, groups. The forums really should be broken down into more detailed areas.

(*)

Yes, I just found this group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1494-reddit-keto

Dragonwolf

I've now gone as far as installing an extension for Chrome called Stylish and removed the entire sidebar from the main dashboard page, and all of the forum sections except groups. So now, I don't even see that stuff.

For a while, I was going to it to point people to various groups, but I find myself wasting more time as I get sucked into the crap people say about it. When people start accusing OPs of "torturing" their kids by keeping the whole family on a particular, nutritionally sound framework (because heaven forbid parents discourage eating cake and candy and chips!), I find it very hard to keep my mouth shut. After I wasted an entire morning on it, I said enough was enough. I'm out of the Litterbox entirely.

I feel kind of bad that it means I'll no longer be able to help people find the groups and warn them about certain users, but I can't do that, anyway, if I'm getting tied up in the bull.

GaleHawkins

Actually a ton of stuff about dieting that is new to me gets mentioned on the main forum that I then google. Sadly if I post there is not way to subscribe to that thread and follow it like on 99% of web sites.

cindytw

I can't go on there anymore, I get too easily turned into argue mode! Not because I care what they think, but I feel like they shouldn't be attacking people and with that snide disrespect!! I have taken to just private messaging folks instead. I was too late on one, she deactivated before I could, I am sure after the "sh^&" storm started!

But right after I wrote this I was just kind of vegging out and posting on mild forums. Nothing big. Now I just got into it on a thing I thought would be easy, and well, ARGUMENT time! lol