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So. What's the worst weight loss myth?

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Replies

  • jessiferrrb
    jessiferrrb Posts: 1,758 Member
    Any of the fads/trends that are along the lines of do this one thing and you'll magically lose weight (IE sprinkle this stuff on your food, take this pill before you eat, drink this shake for breakfast, etc.). The myth that anything but actual hard work and effort will make you lose weight is just the worst.

    When I read "sprinkle this stuff on your food" I immediately thought of this powder the vet gave us once to put on our dog's food so that the cat poop in the litter box wouldn't taste good to him any more. Apparently, they're like gourmet tootsie rolls to labs.

    whoah! there's a powder for that? my dog NEEDS that. or maybe i NEED my dog to have that.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I was recently told that eating any more than 100g of protein a day would automatically turn to fat even while in a deficit.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    I have actually gotten e-mails the last couple of days discussing the Fingerprint diet and the Eye-color diet - no *kitten* - to go along with the blood-type diet...

    :|

    I have no words.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    I have actually gotten e-mails the last couple of days discussing the Fingerprint diet and the Eye-color diet - no *kitten* - to go along with the blood-type diet...

    :|

    I have no words.

    No kidding.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I tried to find the eye color diet as I want to know what I should eat as a green-eyed person, but was unsuccessful. Did find a bunch about how if you eat the right diet you can change the color of your eyes which is just, well, my new submission here!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Eating healthy is the only way to lose weight.
    Gluten free foods doing anything at all unless you have celiac disease.

    Food intolerance does exist. I've seen my wife doubled over in pain from gluten, and she is not celiac. I've also seen the same for her for potatoes, beans, milk and quite a few other things.

    That's one thing. There's a big myth that gluten makes people fat and that eating gluten free aids in weight loss though.

    Unfortunately, the diet industry and books like wheat belly screwed it for people who actually have issues. Because it gets over shadowed with BS.

    No No no no no.

    It's the best thing that happened for my wife. She has lots of options now where if the fad didn't happen, there would be a lot less choices for her.

    I see I was beaten to this comment.

    In some ways the GF fad is good but in others its a hindrance. People know more about what is GF (no, the whole wheat bread is not GF because it is whole wheat ;) LOL) but there are so many people who are doing a half-assed version of GF that it isn't taken that seriously anymore. KWIM? I had so many instances of well meaning friends telling me tales of the "glutenous" food one of their GF friends ate because it was a treat or it wasn't a lot. That part isn't helpful to celiacs...

    On the other hand, many gluten sensitive people do feel better just keeping their gluten intake low so I guess it does help.

    I just wish people who are not GF would stop saying they eat gluten free. No. You don't. You eat gluten-lite.

    A friend of mine actually stopped eating GF-treats made by others because more often than not, they were NOT fully GF. She also avoids gluten-free store-bought treats for the same reason. She spent far too much time at the ER to want to continue risking her health and people just don't seem to get it. Celiacs in her case means absolutely no gluten and not lifestyle-GF where a bit of gluten never hurt anyone...

    So true. I've been "glutened" by contaminated sugar bowls before. Right at Xmas too. Blah.
  • berrios96sean
    berrios96sean Posts: 8 Member
    Weight loss is simple be at a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week to lose one pound a week. That requires knowing your tdee though and any calculator online will serve and you find the actual amount through trial and error. And the guy that said cardio doesn't burn fat. The oxidative system is based on science and happens at rest and low to moderate excerise such as light boggling. The primary fuel for those workout are atp from fatty acids and glucose (carbs). Cardio does infact burnt fat but at low intesity for long periods of time.
  • berrios96sean
    berrios96sean Posts: 8 Member
    Jogging not boggling my apologies.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    edited January 2017
    Weight loss is simple be at a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week to lose one pound a week. That requires knowing your tdee though and any calculator online will serve and you find the actual amount through trial and error. And the guy that said cardio doesn't burn fat. The oxidative system is based on science and happens at rest and low to moderate excerise such as light boggling. The primary fuel for those workout are atp from fatty acids and glucose (carbs). Cardio does infact burnt fat but at low intesity for long periods of time.

    Well not knowing your tdee doesn't disprove or make 3500 calories is a deficit wrong or a myth. It just means you need to run calories to get actual data and adjust based on that. You can even start with a calculator. Hell, i know i maintain at 3000 calories and when i average 2500 a day, I lose 1 lb per week.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,319 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Weight loss is simple be at a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week to lose one pound a week. That requires knowing your tdee though and any calculator online will serve and you find the actual amount through trial and error. And the guy that said cardio doesn't burn fat. The oxidative system is based on science and happens at rest and low to moderate excerise such as light boggling. The primary fuel for those workout are atp from fatty acids and glucose (carbs). Cardio does infact burnt fat but at low intesity for long periods of time.

    Well not knowing your tdee doesn't disprove or make 3500 calories is a deficit wrong or a myth. It just means you need to run calories to get actual data and adjust based on that. You can even start with a calculator. Hell, i know i maintain at 3000 calories and when i average 2500 a day, I lose 1 lb per week.

    Pretty much this. Just because one does not know their TDEE exactly doesn't make the 3500 calories a pound a myth. It just makes it slightly more difficult to figure out. Having said that, but for a few outliers, the vast majority of people will be reasonably close to the TDEE number (assuming their input of their stats was correct) that they will see a loss using even the calculators out there.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Weight loss is simple be at a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week to lose one pound a week. That requires knowing your tdee though and any calculator online will serve and you find the actual amount through trial and error. And the guy that said cardio doesn't burn fat. The oxidative system is based on science and happens at rest and low to moderate excerise such as light boggling. The primary fuel for those workout are atp from fatty acids and glucose (carbs). Cardio does infact burnt fat but at low intesity for long periods of time.

    Well not knowing your tdee doesn't disprove or make 3500 calories is a deficit wrong or a myth. It just means you need to run calories to get actual data and adjust based on that. You can even start with a calculator. Hell, i know i maintain at 3000 calories and when i average 2500 a day, I lose 1 lb per week.

    Pretty much this. Just because one does not know their TDEE exactly doesn't make the 3500 calories a pound a myth. It just makes it slightly more difficult to figure out. Having said that, but for a few outliers, the vast majority of people will be reasonably close to the TDEE number (assuming their input of their stats was correct) that they will see a loss using even the calculators out there.

    That is what i found, too. Even though calculators general underestimate me by about 300 calories. But that could be that my daily life is more active than i expected.
  • Blood type diets and other gimmicky weight loss programs.
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    Blood type diets and other gimmicky weight loss programs.

    I have a photo of me somewhere that looks exactly like your profile photo :) I'm suspended over Auckland in mine.
  • berrios96sean
    berrios96sean Posts: 8 Member
    edited January 2017
    psulemon wrote:
    Well not knowing your tdee doesn't disprove or make 3500 calories is a deficit wrong or a myth. It just means you need to run calories to get actual data and adjust based on that. You can even start with a calculator. Hell, i know i maintain at 3000 calories and when i average 2500 a day, I lose 1 lb per week.

    If you look at my message I never stated it was a myth I was giving advice. You restated everything I originally said.
  • andrea4736
    andrea4736 Posts: 211 Member
    Anything to do with "waist trainers".
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
    psulemon wrote:
    Well not knowing your tdee doesn't disprove or make 3500 calories is a deficit wrong or a myth. It just means you need to run calories to get actual data and adjust based on that. You can even start with a calculator. Hell, i know i maintain at 3000 calories and when i average 2500 a day, I lose 1 lb per week.

    If you look at my message I never stated it was a myth I was giving advice. You restated everything I originally said.

    I'm sorry berrios, I don't like to pick on people's grammar, but I have to come to pselemon's defense. Your post is difficult to understand. I reread it just now, and still don't understand what you're trying to say.
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    annaskiski wrote: »
    psulemon wrote:
    Well not knowing your tdee doesn't disprove or make 3500 calories is a deficit wrong or a myth. It just means you need to run calories to get actual data and adjust based on that. You can even start with a calculator. Hell, i know i maintain at 3000 calories and when i average 2500 a day, I lose 1 lb per week.

    If you look at my message I never stated it was a myth I was giving advice. You restated everything I originally said.

    I'm sorry berrios, I don't like to pick on people's grammar, but I have to come to pselemon's defense. Your post is difficult to understand. I reread it just now, and still don't understand what you're trying to say.

    I think it's more a reading comprehension issue on his part...I don't think he read/understood the title of the thread, nor the fact that this is the debate section. :/
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    edited January 2017
    My vote is starvation mode. But there are so many good myths out there that are a hinderance to healthy weight loss that it might be fun to put them all in one place, argue about them and decide which is the worst of all.

    Since this IS the debate section, let me jump in with a different view on the discussion opener. IMO, if a poster is eating so little that they wonder if starvation mode is a factor in why the scales aren't moving, they mostly likely ARE eating too little to be healthy and shouldn't be advised to eat less.

    I'm in no way trying to argue that eating less will cause you to put on fat or muscle but when people stress their bodies by undereating and/or overexercising water retention/edema can follow.



  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    Carb and sugar addictions are real, trigger foods are real, eating disorders are real. Dietary religions are not.

    When I first read this I thought the poster meant that eating disorders are a myth (which would be offensive). But on rereading, it looks like he/she meant it without sarcasm, and that my attention should be focussed on "Dietary religions are not (real)".

    Agreed. It's interesting how emotionally attached we can get to our dietary beliefs, myself included.

  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    My vote is starvation mode. But there are so many good myths out there that are a hinderance to healthy weight loss that it might be fun to put them all in one place, argue about them and decide which is the worst of all.

    Since this IS the debate section, let me jump in with a different view on the discussion opener. IMO, if a poster is eating so little that they wonder if starvation mode is a factor in why the scales aren't moving, they mostly likely ARE eating too little to be healthy and shouldn't be advised to eat less.

    I'm in no way trying to argue that eating less will cause you to put on fat or muscle but when people stress their bodies by undereating and/or overexercising water retention/edema can follow.



    Or their tracking sucks. Ockham's Razor to the rescue.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    My vote is starvation mode. But there are so many good myths out there that are a hinderance to healthy weight loss that it might be fun to put them all in one place, argue about them and decide which is the worst of all.

    Since this IS the debate section, let me jump in with a different view on the discussion opener. IMO, if a poster is eating so little that they wonder if starvation mode is a factor in why the scales aren't moving, they mostly likely ARE eating too little to be healthy and shouldn't be advised to eat less.

    I'm in no way trying to argue that eating less will cause you to put on fat or muscle but when people stress their bodies by undereating and/or overexercising water retention/edema can follow.



    Or their tracking sucks. Ockham's Razor to the rescue.

    Right. We can only guess which problem they are having. But if we're looking for the simpler solution, I'd say that if they feel like they're starving, they're probably undereating.

  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    My vote is starvation mode. But there are so many good myths out there that are a hinderance to healthy weight loss that it might be fun to put them all in one place, argue about them and decide which is the worst of all.

    Since this IS the debate section, let me jump in with a different view on the discussion opener. IMO, if a poster is eating so little that they wonder if starvation mode is a factor in why the scales aren't moving, they mostly likely ARE eating too little to be healthy and shouldn't be advised to eat less.

    I'm in no way trying to argue that eating less will cause you to put on fat or muscle but when people stress their bodies by undereating and/or overexercising water retention/edema can follow.



    Or their tracking sucks. Ockham's Razor to the rescue.

    Right. We can only guess which problem they are having. But if we're looking for the simpler solution, I'd say that if they feel like they're starving, they're probably undereating.

    As someone who has run both moderate cuts and vlcd hellcuts: nope. I didn't even know what real hunger was until three weeks of cutting at 700 kcals/day as a 177 lbs. male.

    Most overweight people have godawful hunger signaling.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    If having had experience with vlcds personally gives us expert status, I'm up there with you. At 5'6" I made it to down to 98lbs once. Maybe that explains my own prejudice coming into the discussion. I'm more concerned about telling people who are worried that they are in starvation mode to eat less, than I am about telling someone who is eating at maintenance to ignore the scales and don't drop their calories any further. Most especially the young women who are looking to lose vanity pounds.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,319 Member
    My vote is starvation mode. But there are so many good myths out there that are a hinderance to healthy weight loss that it might be fun to put them all in one place, argue about them and decide which is the worst of all.

    Since this IS the debate section, let me jump in with a different view on the discussion opener. IMO, if a poster is eating so little that they wonder if starvation mode is a factor in why the scales aren't moving, they mostly likely ARE eating too little to be healthy and shouldn't be advised to eat less.

    I'm in no way trying to argue that eating less will cause you to put on fat or muscle but when people stress their bodies by undereating and/or overexercising water retention/edema can follow.



    Or their tracking sucks. Ockham's Razor to the rescue.

    Right. We can only guess which problem they are having. But if we're looking for the simpler solution, I'd say that if they feel like they're starving, they're probably undereating.

    As someone who has run both moderate cuts and vlcd hellcuts: nope. I didn't even know what real hunger was until three weeks of cutting at 700 kcals/day as a 177 lbs. male.

    Most overweight people have godawful hunger signaling.

    True that!
  • Misspinklift
    Misspinklift Posts: 384 Member
    Skip dinner. I hate how people say if you skip a meal you will lose weight. You won't.

    You will if you are in a calorie deficit. If I skip meals it is the first meal of the day since I usually don't like eating in the morning. If a person simply skips a meal with no thought about overall calories, they usually make it up with other meals or snacks.

    That might be true if there are tracking. But if they aren't tracking and do it everyday, it actually slow down your metabolism which makes it harder to lose weight.
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