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You're not "special"

Posts: 49,148 Member
edited January 28 in Health and Weight Loss
What I am saying here is that unless one is suffering from a health issue or a reaction to certain foods, then eating a calorie deficit is what one needs to do to lose weight.

Not some special diet, supplement, concoction, shake, meal timing, carb manipulation, etc. All of them have one thing in common when trying to get one to lose weight.......................less calorie intake vs calories burned.

Don't think that you're NOT going to be the one who regains after getting off some special diet. 90% plus do and odds aren't in your favor.
Some will say that they have control though. Apparently people have control over their money and spending, yet the majority of people still live paycheck to paycheck or are just scrapping by.

What's the point here?

You don't NEED to spend extra money on carefully thought out diet plans that were concocted to make money for the seller.
Just eat less and move a little more.

That's not to say you can't enhance your body with exercise, but it just boils down to calorie in/calories out when it comes to actual weight loss.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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Replies

  • Posts: 1,826 Member
    But... my mommy says I'm special...








    ps, I agree. Just thought I should throw that in there.
  • Posts: 853 Member
    makes sense to me :wink:
  • Posts: 2,159 Member
    Agree if I get one more person trying to hook me on shakeology... :noway: I even told one, "Sorry, I don't do fads". They actually tried to give me a lecture on why it wasn't a fad... :grumble:
  • Posts: 258 Member
    Very well written... I needed to read this. Thank you:flowerforyou:
  • Posts: 1,205
    :drinker:

    Here, here!
  • Posts: 93 Member
    soap box anyone lol:laugh:

    your right though:drinker:
  • Posts: 1,543 Member
    Tis true. Learning this has made my life so much easier.
  • Posts: 16,913 Member
    Here here!
  • Posts: 176 Member
    I totally agree with this. I was once told by trainer that based on my blood type I should eat more carbs. Oddly enough when I eat carbs I gain weight and feel terrible. I think I will use my own brain thanks. But yeah, not special.
  • Posts: 28 Member
    --I agree wholeheartedly with this post but....
    People don't want to hear this though.
    It's much easier to believe going on a fad diet will get them the body they've always wanted.
  • Posts: 183 Member
    I have noticed how disappointed people are when I tell them I lost weight by eating less and exercising more. I know they wanted me to tell them some magic diet I went on. They also don't like it when I say it took me 3 years to lose 40 pounds. They want to lose 40 pounds in 4 months.
  • Posts: 1,186
    But...But...Nevermind... * Pours her "fat flush" water down the drain... * :sad:
  • Posts: 1,084 Member
    There are 2 sides to the deficit equation: calories in and calories out. I agree with this. We have direct control over calories in. That's the simple side of the equation. But we also have control over the calories out side. Directly via exercise. Indirectly via our diet. I believe there are diets that enhance metabolic efficiency. I think this is where all the controversy sets in. Which diet does maximize metabolic efficiency? Keto, Paleo, Slow Carb, Twinkie, Macros, IF, MFP etc., etc., etc... That argument could and will go on forever.

    But I think your most important point is long term viability of a particular dietary approach for each individual. Trying something whacky and losing a bunch of weight is great. Gaining it all back because that diet is not sustainable for the individual is not great. Each individual should identify an approach that they think they can sustain long term and start with that. Make some adjustments along the way. You may not lose weight as fast as you would like, but when you do get to your goal weight, the transition will be simple and sustainable. Slow and steady wins this race.

    Thank you for this excellent thread.

    Tom
  • Posts: 257 Member
    I have noticed how disappointed people are when I tell them I lost weight by eating less and exercising more. I know they wanted me to tell them some magic diet I went on. They also don't like it when I say it took me 3 years to lose 40 pounds. They want to lose 40 pounds in 4 months.

    ^^ This! I'm 3 lbs from goal (almost 40 lbs gone total) and so many of my FB friends are doing Herbalife and dropping the same in 1/4 of the time it took me. I don't want to see them fail, but I don't think they will sustain their weightloss. Counting calories teaches us how to have a good relationship with food, even if we go through a phase of calorie obsession.
  • Posts: 5 Member
    This is so true.
  • Posts: 604 Member
    Pssh, speak for yourself. I'm incredibly special!
  • Posts: 75 Member
    But... my mommy says I'm special...








    ps, I agree. Just thought I should throw that in there.

    :drinker: on that one
  • Posts: 588 Member
    love! :flowerforyou:
  • Posts: 2,475 Member
    So true. I'm tired of seeing people on these forums give advice like "Well for ME, mfp wasn't working. I HAVE to cut out sugar to lose weight. Try cutting sugar out of your diet!" Again, unless you have a special medical condition, you don't HAVE to cut out anything to lose. And are you going to just never eat sugar again for the rest of your life?

    And the scams you have to pay for are even worse.
  • Posts: 325 Member
    Well said!
  • Posts: 243 Member
    Come on man, you know all you need to do to lose weight is throw some cucumbers and fruit in water, add a little mint, and drink. The weight just falls off!!!
  • Posts: 1,826 Member
    I have noticed how disappointed people are when I tell them I lost weight by eating less and exercising more. I know they wanted me to tell them some magic diet I went on. They also don't like it when I say it took me 3 years to lose 40 pounds. They want to lose 40 pounds in 4 months.

    I hate that too, so I started telling everybody that I lost weight by masturbating more. Nobody can be disappointed with that answer.
  • Posts: 4,404 Member
    *like*

    Some will say that they have control though. Apparently people have control over their money and spending, yet the majority of people still live paycheck to paycheck or are just scrapping by.
    I know this is not the entire point of your post, but I'd like to add that saving money (or getting out of debt) and weight loss have very similar qualities. Both usually require small daily actions combined with long-term goals and commitment.
  • Posts: 1,890 Member
    Yep.

    7396232.png
  • Posts: 3,469 Member
    Took me wasting my money at Jenny Craig to learn that lesson. I lost 60 pounds...then gained it all back and more.

    A person has to cultivate a good relationship with food..... to learn what is in it and what we can expect our bodies to do with it. And people have to expend energy to use that food. Do those 2 things and your body will reward you.
  • Posts: 1,100 Member
    It is this simple, and many people here know this and calories in vs: calories out is what works.

    However, we are all "special". The basic premise (in vs: out) works for most of us, but we have to discover our own path to follow that will lead us to accomplish our goals and help us continue leading a more healthy life style when we get to where we want to be to maintain our new, healthy way of living. We need to look at this as a new way of living and try not to revert back to bad habits when we reach our goals. Not an easy thing to do, as statistics show us.

    Best of luck to all of the special people here!
  • Posts: 1,683 Member
    Fad dieting nearly killed me.

    Low fat blew out my gallbladder. It was suggested by my sister, the doctor. "Stay under 20 grams of fat." Yeah.

    Low carb made me insane. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :huh:

    Meridia (RX weight loss pill) caused my heart to flutter around and put me in the hospital with an endocrine system crash.

    Orlistat: RX name of Alli, caused me to have caustic, burny liqui-poos. No spank you. :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway:

    ViSalis Shakes (loaded with Splenda) gave me migraines for months until a good physician's assistant diagnosed the problem.

    Now I just eat right, journal my food and exercise. I should write a book.
  • Posts: 1,890 Member
    *like*

    I know this is not the entire point of your post, but I'd like to add that saving money (or getting out of debt) and weight loss have very similar qualities. Both usually require small daily actions combined with long-term goals and commitment.

    And this, TOTALLY. When I got my home in order and my finances in order and my life in order, I was also able to start losing weight. Go figure!

    7396232.png
  • Posts: 1,683 Member

    And this, TOTALLY. When I got my home in order and my finances in order and my life in order, I was also able to start losing weight. Go figure!

    7396232.png

    Me, too. On Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace, we paid off $151,000 in 17 months. Amazing. It taught me to slow down and see the big picture.
  • Posts: 349 Member
    Yer momma's special.
This discussion has been closed.