Two doctors dispel 4 myths to weight loss
elsinora
Posts: 398 Member
Tammy Chang, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine, University of Michigan and Angie Wang, Resident, Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan say these are the four biggest myths to weight loss.
Interestingly, they're the ones perpetuated a lot on here. Just thought I'd link.
https://www.indy100.com/article/weight-loss-myths-four-common-mistakes-people-make-powered-by-misconceptions-7310806
Interestingly, they're the ones perpetuated a lot on here. Just thought I'd link.
https://www.indy100.com/article/weight-loss-myths-four-common-mistakes-people-make-powered-by-misconceptions-7310806
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Replies
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What's that BS about how 'physiologically, your body tries to stay the same weight'?11
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About 2 and 3:
That's because what they're linking to is based on percentage of weight lost. "Success" was determined by "lost 10% of their bodyweight". So someone who lost 9% and gained nothing back would be a "failure" while someone who lost 20% and regained 10% within the study time would be a success...7 -
stevencloser wrote: »About 2 and 3:
That's because what they're linking to is based on percentage of weight lost. "Success" was determined by "lost 10% of their bodyweight". So someone who lost 9% and gained nothing back would be a "failure" while someone who lost 20% and regained 10% within the study time would be a success...
It's a bit of a reductive suggestion of the science, in the sense that these were in controlled group's of obese patients, not just a range of people that only need to lose just a few pounds and some people 100 pounds. It also doesn't say that losing 20% and regaining would be a success - the study cites long term weight loss management — i.e. stablising, not putting back on.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3780395/
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I think that the person that wrote was bored or something.
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Your logical fallacy is "call to authority"
Approach everything with an analytical eye ..look for the parameters ...don't think well a doctor said so11 -
I just find it interesting because they cite peer reviewed medical studies and deal specialise in weight loss but so far no one is taking their opinion on board. I suppose that's why myths are perpetuated. I didn't once what my stance was on it — just linking and outlining what they are saying.
I'm a journalist/editor so being analytical is my job.7 -
I think it's interesting. And the 'it's better to lose slow and steady otherwise you'll gain it all back' myth is one that's thrown around here all the time when there is no evidence to support it.
I do think those Dr's must be terrible in bed if they think sex only lasts 6 minutes though.6 -
I'm not a Doctor or a Journalist but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night.
What they are saying are not myths IMO, except for #4 which I don't see being perpetuated on here at all. If anything, the sex myth gets shot down pretty quickly.
1-3 are usually answers to someone who may have trouble losing when when they do it Dr. Chang Wang's way.7 -
Myth 1 (Small changes in your diet or exercise will lead to large, long-term weight changes.) is misrepresented. "It just means you are not likely to meet your weight loss goals by just taking one less bite." No one says that.
Small changes add together over time into a big change. I'm eating essentially the same way I did and exercising exactly the same as I did and I've lost over 100 pounds. Multiple small changes sustained over time work.
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Myth 1 (Small changes in your diet or exercise will lead to large, long-term weight changes.) is misrepresented. "It just means you are not likely to meet your weight loss goals by just taking one less bite." No one says that.
Small changes add together over time into a big change. I'm eating essentially the same way I did and exercising exactly the same as I did and I've lost over 100 pounds. Multiple small changes sustained over time work.
Good catch I missed the " one less bite" thing. Yeah, that's absurd and definitely misrepresented.6 -
stevencloser wrote: »About 2 and 3:
That's because what they're linking to is based on percentage of weight lost. "Success" was determined by "lost 10% of their bodyweight". So someone who lost 9% and gained nothing back would be a "failure" while someone who lost 20% and regained 10% within the study time would be a success...
It's a bit of a reductive suggestion of the science, in the sense that these were in controlled group's of obese patients, not just a range of people that only need to lose just a few pounds and some people 100 pounds. It also doesn't say that losing 20% and regaining would be a success - the study cites long term weight loss management — i.e. stablising, not putting back on.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3780395/
If you're going by that, the slow group was best.
"No significant group differences were found in weight regain between 6 and 18 months (2.6, 1.8, and 1.3 kg, respectively, ps < 0.9). "
And staying at more than 10% loss sustained was the factor for "success".
"The FAST and MODERATE groups were 5.1 and 2.7 times more likely to achieve 10% weight losses at 18 months than the SLOW group."
No *kitten*. If I go at 300 km/h on the autobahn instead of 100, I'm more likely to be at an arbitrary place after an arbitrary time. Says nothing about whether it's the better way to get to the place.7 -
Weird how one small change of weighing out my food is the largest factor in my weight loss and maintenance. Maybe I should stop doing that one small thing since these 2 doctors say it won't work.15
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Man, talk about setting the bar low.4
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Hmmmmmm, there was a time EVERYONE believedthe earth was flat. IJS3
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I've been reading articles on best permanent weight loss information outside of mfp I learned a few things not mentioned in this read.
One was that counting calories really doesn't work as well as just looking at it as portion control and truly eating better foods.
But myth i read one in agreement.. that losing weight quick doesn't mean you'll gain it back faster as many PROFESS on here. To me it makes sense.. that slow long weightless for some.. could take too much will power and time so they give up. To lose it quick and get it done could really work for some. I think it is a personal choice.8 -
elisa123gal wrote: »I've been reading articles on best permanent weight loss information outside of mfp I learned a few things not mentioned in this read.
One was that counting calories really doesn't work as well as just looking at it as portion control and truly eating better foods.
But myth i read one in agreement.. that losing weight quick doesn't mean you'll gain it back faster as many PROFESS on here. To me it makes sense.. that slow long weightless for some.. could take too much will power and time so they give up. To lose it quick and get it done could really work for some. I think it is a personal choice.
Counting calories worked for me
But when you recognise the calories in each food you make better, more informed choices..you choose to pad out with low cal nutritious vegetables so you can 'spend' on other food that you want and not be hungry
I've never read on here that losing weight quick means you'll put it back on faster, just that losing weight quickly means you will lose more muscle than necessary, carries specific risks of gallstones and kidney issues if over 3.3 lbs per week, and that you have less time to learn better lifestyle habits or find your way to maintenance7 -
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elisa123gal wrote: »I've been reading articles on best permanent weight loss information outside of mfp I learned a few things not mentioned in this read.
One was that counting calories really doesn't work as well as just looking at it as portion control and truly eating better foods.
But myth i read one in agreement.. that losing weight quick doesn't mean you'll gain it back faster as many PROFESS on here. To me it makes sense.. that slow long weightless for some.. could take too much will power and time so they give up. To lose it quick and get it done could really work for some. I think it is a personal choice.
Not being able to do portion control is why most people are here to begin with. Eyeballing doesn't work and simply recalling amounts eaten is way off even in professional dieticians.
Thinking "I just want to get it done" is 1A material for not being able to maintain your lost weight. You need to be able to eat at maintenance, what teaches you proper amounts of food better, quickly starving yourself or longterm eating just slightly less than you'll be able to when you maintain? I could amputate my arm and lose weight immediately, that would teach me even less though. The people in that study all regained some of the weight they lost, the ones who went slowly regained the least.7 -
elisa123gal wrote: »I've been reading articles on best permanent weight loss information outside of mfp I learned a few things not mentioned in this read.
One was that counting calories really doesn't work as well as just looking at it as portion control and truly eating better foods.
But myth i read one in agreement.. that losing weight quick doesn't mean you'll gain it back faster as many PROFESS on here. To me it makes sense.. that slow long weightless for some.. could take too much will power and time so they give up. To lose it quick and get it done could really work for some. I think it is a personal choice.
Judging by what you've 'learned,' I think you would benefit from reading better sources.
- Calorie counting *is* the most reliable and accurate way of knowing how much you are consuming
- Classifying foods as better or worse is completely unnecessary in terms of weight loss
- I've never seen knowledgeable people here PROFESS that everyone who loses weight rapidly gains it back. What is said on here all the time is that rapid weight loss isn't healthy. There's a heavy price paid for doing it too quickly. Mainly in muscle loss along with the fat, and the real potential for heart and kidney damage, gallstones and hair loss to mention a few.8 -
...That were bored or something."your body wants to stay the same size"? How about small changes take too long to add up to the total of 3500 which is necessary to lose one pound, let alone a hundred pounds?
If they really are doctors they should tell the truth not Moe up fairytales for us poor ignorant commoners.4 -
I've never read on here that losing weight quick means you'll put it back on faster, just that losing weight quickly means you will lose more muscle than necessary, carries specific risks of gallstones and kidney issues if over 3.3 lbs per week, and that you have less time to learn better lifestyle habits or find your way to maintenance
You know, was going to make a long post, as I often do; but, some Sued0nimous person as usual pretty much said it all.
I especially want to highlight "and that you have less time to learn better lifestyle habits or find your way to maintenance", because, you know, most people on MFP are not part of a study that provides them with a "6-month lifestyle intervention followed by a 1-year extended care program"
Also it doesn't look to me like a blind randomised study where they assigned people to groups and gave them food to get results. I think they selected out of the results of the initial 1200 Cal a day intervention the ones who lost faster, medium, and slow.
So the taller, more obese participants who would lose faster at 1200 Cal and 10000 steps lost more and kept more of their loss as an absolute value (but also had an absolute value higher regain) at 18 months.
OK...3 -
Small changes don't make a difference? So walking 30 minutes a day instead of sitting isn't a big enough of a difference? Or sleeping and extra hour because one goes to be and extra hour early? Or how about using a 9" plate to eat off of versus a 13" plate if it's just a single serving?
Sometimes I find that general doctors are subjective on their approaches to nutrition and weight loss due to lack of education on it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Myths that worked for me (except that last one).
By the way, my favorite doctor joke: What do you call the person who graduates at the bottom of his class from medical school? "Doctor." To be fair, it's not entirely accurate, but it is also my favorite lawyer joke. And those two are at Michigan so it's not applicable.
The joke is flippant and irreverent, but science isn't a competition between degrees or intelligence. It's based on evidence. I'm not seeing any solid evidence in the article, though I will say I think there is more than one path to success. I agree with Stevencloser above in questioning the 10% loss standard for success. I'd like to see a study on long-term success (defined as those who reach a healthy body fat percentage and keep it there over a 5-10 year period). I'm at year 6.6 -
What's that BS about how 'physiologically, your body tries to stay the same weight'?
There is a lot of research about body set points, and of course as with any research, there are degrees of varying conclusions (of which those who believe in set points and those who don't will use the conclusions that suit their own point of view), but the research is interesting nonetheless.3 -
Seems to me like they're (willfully?)
- misunderstanding or misrepresenting what serious people who advocate those "myths" really say or mean (for the "small changes" one, and the "lose slowly" one), and/or
- treating rarely-emphasized things as major myths to be combatted (the sex one, the realistic goals one).
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