Name one misconception you had which posting on MFP has cleared up.

PeachyCarol

I thought this might be fun... but please! No bickering!!! I want to show what a great learning tool MFP can be. If you learned multiple things, just make a different post, so we have quick reads. TLDR's would be boring, I think.

I learned that I didn't know what simple and complex carbohydrates really were. My apple that I thought was complex? Simple. That white bread? Complex.

Alyssa_Is_LosingIt

That a food scale would't help me lose weight.

Turns out it's the best health-related purchase I've ever made. $14 well spent.

DeguelloTex

I thought MFP was a fitness site, but threads about fitness and losing weight get nuked while the confessions thread continues unabated. That misconception has definitely been cleared up.

blankiefinder

That using a food scale and logging accurately were difficult and obsessive. Instead, it's easy and fast. Who knew?

Ninkyou

That I had to eat next to nothing consisting of "rabbit food" (AKA salads) to lose weight and that the foods I love were "bad" for me.

As it turns out, there's no bad foods. Food is just food. Food has calories. Calories are a unit of energy. The human body needs calories to exist.

riderfangal

That I could only eat 1200 calories if I wanted to lose weight . Turns out I can eat about 1500 and if I move more I can eat more!!

barbecuesauce

Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »

That a food scale would't help me lose weight.

Turns out it's the best health-related purchase I've ever made. $14 well spent.

Right?

And that I would have to eat no more than 1200 calories to lose weight. My doctor told me that one.

PAV8888

That I didn't get fat because I stayed up late and ate right before going to bed.

Dnarules

I thought you had to eat 1200 calories to lose. I know some do, but I learned I could eat more and still lose.

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Dnarules

Oh, and I have learned a lot about HRMs and when they are, and are not, useful.

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LiftAllThePizzas

I had bought into the low-carb crap. Glad I figured that one out.

Azexas

I thought I had eliminate entire food groups. Now I realize I can have anything I want as long as I am focusing on moderation and keeping in mind my calories/macros.

snickerscharlie

That cleanses are a waste of perfectly good toilet paper.

4rtistry

DeguelloTex wrote: »

I thought MFP was a fitness site, but threads about fitness and losing weight get nuked while the confessions thread continues unabated. That misconception has definitely been cleared up.

This, for one. But the forums in general are a bit disheartening. I used to spend time on the bodybuilding.com forums, but eventually left because I got tired of the attitudes of superiority toward people were less informed (the casual misogyny didn't help either). I thought this place would be better, but it really isn't. I guess I was just expecting more positivity. That one's mostly on me.

SimoneBee12

I learnt that a cup isn't always the same weight. I've been here since I was young and naive, and as a baker, cups are everything, so I never really thought about it. Now I know there can be a massive difference in a 1 cup serving measured and 1 cup serving weighed.

ETA: I don't actually use cups for anything anymore, except as tiny bowls when cooking.

TheVirgoddess

That I had to change everything about the way I ate to lose weight and be healthy.

VioletRojo

That I could know how many calories I was consuming by eyeballing. I had no idea! Weighing everything makes so much sense.

strong_curves

You have to exercise to lose weight.

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TheVirgoddess

That there were "good" foods and "bad" foods.

dennie24

That cardio is required for weight loss.

LolaKarwowski

That I don't have to starve myself to look the way that I want (actually, starving myself would never help me reach my goal!!). Lifting heavy and eating right is what works best for me. Never could of figured that out on my own. Even after hours and hours of research, I still come back to MFP for clarification.

daniwilford

Starvation mode was real as in sometimes you need to eat more to lose weight. Actually CICO will produce weight loss.

whmscll

That if you eat a lower calorie rate for a while your metabolism will slow and you will stop losing weight; therefore you have to have cheat meals/days to keep your metabolism going. Aka "starvation mode."

rushfive

I learned that I did not have to eat only certain foods (salads) and I did not have to give up the foods I enjoy. (ribeye). Snacks (sweets) are still ok.
Moderation was a Huge help for me.

slaite1

I thought their were intelligent, rational people in the world.

MFP has completely cured me of this misconception

PeachyCarol

That muscle cannot be gained in a calorie deficit (except under some very specific and limited conditions, and even then, the gains are small).