Living the Lifestyle - Thurs 10/13

Calvin2008Brian

Everyone says it, but just how do you do it? How do you take the guidelines of the WW program and turn them into a lifestyle you can live every day...from now on? That is what we are here to explore. Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Newbie? Join in! Veteran? Join in! Your thoughts may be just what someone else needs to hear.

Monday –- Podkey (Bob)
Tuesday -- Misterhub (Greg)
Wednesday -- Beachwoman2006 (Cindy)
Thursday -- Calvin2008 (Brian)
Friday -- Al_Howard (Al)


Today's Topic: nutrition myths we've loved and loathed. Here's a quick read to kick start the conversation

Everyone here probably knows better (or, at least, knows they should know better), but do you still find yourself drawn in by these (and other) nutrition myths?

Are there nutrition myths other than those in the article you'd like to see banned from your world?

Have you ever fallen hard for any particular nutrition/diet myth?

leeless511

I dislike all the nutritional myths out there, I really never bought into them, but then again, I am always highly suspicious of anything advertised/promoted on TV, internet, flyers etc. The leading indicator of bad nutritional information is when it is tied to buying something as a result of the study findings. When I consume this information, my brain goes to...this is a means for a company to sell me something, that is in it to make a profit/sell goods. I have this attitude even with non-nutrition products from reputable companies. I know all of them are in business to make money and thus may not consider "watching out for me" as a #1 priority. I don't have an issue with companies selling there wares for a profit and I certainly am a consumer of products but I think at some young age my Dad put the idea of "be cautious" into my head. I've tempered how he felt about it but still proceed with caution and do the research as well as I can before "buying in." Time usually will tell a new or different story over and over again.

DavidKuhnsSr

I'm a skeptic about most things I read or see. The illogic of many nutrition fads does tend to bother me, especially when they impact me directly - why does my church have to ensure half of the cookies are gluten free?

I have seen a lot of "sound" advice come down over the years. Eggs are good, then they're bad, then they're good again.The same with milk. I try to use my what-did-grandma-do? filter. She cooked with fresh ingrediants, including lots of fruits and vegetables. She also ate eggs and fat - she cooked with lard and bacon fat, for heaven's sake. She lived a healthy, active life until she passed away at 97. I am careful about how much I eat and I stay away from processed, packaged crap, but otherwise ignore most food advice I see.

misterhub

Like David, I am a skeptic about just about every fact I am fed (pun intended). I do a lot of reading, across multiple sources, before I accept a proposed fact - realizing there may be information that comes to light at a later time. We can only work with the data we have.

Rachel0778

I'm trying to think of what nutrition myth I've fallen into. My Mom hated cooking and fell into the "non-fat" fad pretty hardcore so I grew up on a lot of low fat diet processed food, which I'm sure did not help my weight issues later in life.

As an adult, I've never restricted any macros, bought any shakes, or joined any diet programs other than weight watchers. I taught myself how to cook in grad school because I could no longer afford the pre-processed, pre-made food my mom would feed me (potatoes, frozen chicken thighs, and frozen veggies fit into a graduate student budget much more easily than Healthy Choice steamers).

I like David's idea of using the rule "what did grandma do". My great-grandma's all lived into their 90s and ate home cooked meals from whole foods and that is what I try to do as well.

podkey

Yeah having spent decades in science and scientific research and participated in peer reviewed study using flax oil I am the consummate skeptic. It is traditional to limit studies to one variable but that rarely "tells the whole story". Case in point is "evïl sugar". Yes too much of many things including sugar isn't a good thing and is one factor in the development of adult onset diabetes. Having said that when we throw in the additional variable of activity (beyond the 10,000 step level anyway) it has been noted that the blood sugar spiking reduces daily and after 3 days in a row "disappears" after consuming foods including carbs and sugars.
In the days before insulin was available they walked diabetics holding their arms to help with blood sugar levels in addition to some dietary changes.

Oh and I feel your angst about eggs Dave. I honestly don't know what if any effects they have on my hereditary higher cholesterol levels. I don't tolerate statins so eat a sensible diet and move more. I take a middle of the road look at it and consume one whole egg in my omelet daily.
Yeah the whole "gluten free" thing has gone nutso. When it was discounted by the original researcher himself they then threw in a bunch of foods including cabbage and broccoli as culprits. Uh folks have known for centuries that they may be sensitive to cruciferous veggies of the cabbage family and?? I do have one friend who for whatever reason has settled down her innards by limiting "gluten". I say whatever works for you and you alone in a balanced way go for it.

beachwoman2006

I haven't read the article yet (will go back and do that later).

The "organic" food craze drives me crazy. Basically I think it's just a way to charge me more for the same food. And don't get me started on the whole gluten thing. It seems like half my friends are now gluten-sensitive.

Like David and some others I kind of go with the grandma thing -- except in my case, it's my dad. The man ate at least 2-3 eggs, bacon and/or sausage, biscuits or toast with butter, and coffee with sugar and full-fat milk almost every morning. Some times he smothered the whole thing with "sawmill" gravy. NEVER had high blood pressure. NEVER had high cholesterol. And was NEVER gluten-sensitive.

All you have to do is watch Dr. Oz to get your full dose of nutritional mumbo-jumbo.

88olds

Not a nutrition myth but my favorite weight loss myth was- 20 min a day, 3X per week. And for that you get the body of the Nordictrack fitness model who obviously works out as a full time job.

I was amazed at how much weight loss misinformation I had internalized from advertising.

goldenfrisbee

I don't listen to any of it. If I was to grasp on to any of the myriad studies out there, I'm sure that a few months later I could find something to contradict it. I think eating the outside rows of the grocery store is primarily the best way to go.

gadgetgirlIL

I got suckered into the eating fat makes you fat thinking in the '90s. Eating all those boxes of Snackwell cookies did nothing positive for my waistline.

MICHGOLFER2

I don't know where it came from, but I thought if I ate healthy foods I would continue to be healthy. No, I ate healthy foods all the way to obesity. Portion control is important even with the healthy stuff.

countcurt

I was carb-phobic for years. It took me a really long time to realize that there is nothing inherently wrong with carbs. It just takes more calories worth to satisfy me and the high glycemic index makes me hungry more quickly after eating them.

minimyzeme

Short answer: no. My 'problem' may have included that I didn't read or wasn't drawn in by any nutrition info in my past life (and very little in my current life). My mom was a good cook and I was lucky to grow up eating wholesome, relatively healthy food. I liked it. Any deviation from that as I grew older and went out on my own was my doing. The whole time I was getting bigger, I only 'dieted' once (South Beach, did not sustain it). Honestly, I never made time for reading or focusing on nutrition info. I don't do much more than that now. I have limited time for outside interests and while I'm committed to losing / maintaining a lower weight, reading nutrition info is not how I spend my time.

Calvin2008Brian

Super busy day yesterday, followed by 4 hours of driving. Ugh. I never had a chance to chime in here.

The myth I've fallen hard for, and the one I'd like to cast out, is that fitness/activity can cure poor nutrition choices. I started to say this is "not exactly a nutrition myth," but then caught myself. It totally is.