Living the Lifestyle (LTL) Monday, April 10th
RedSassyPants
Posts: 412 Member
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 -- RedSassyPants
Tuesday -- 88olds
Wednesday -- goldenfrisbee
Thursday -- imastar2
Friday -- Al_Howard
Today's topic: Diet/Fitness Myths
We have all heard them, and most of us, have probably believed one or two.
Somewhere, somehow, we have been told fitness or diet "facts" only to find out they are NOT true.
What are some of your favorites?
Monday -- RedSassyPants
Tuesday -- 88olds
Wednesday -- goldenfrisbee
Thursday -- imastar2
Friday -- Al_Howard
Today's topic: Diet/Fitness Myths
We have all heard them, and most of us, have probably believed one or two.
Somewhere, somehow, we have been told fitness or diet "facts" only to find out they are NOT true.
What are some of your favorites?
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Replies
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I have a whole bunch! I guess I am gullible. LOL
Here are some of my favorite
1) Fat turns into muscle : Ok, I never believed that, but I love that one
2) You can actually lose fat. NOT TRUE. We are born with fat cells. They grow/Expand and shrink etc. Only way to get rid of them is Surgery.
3) Fat free cheese tastes like regular cheese (NOT EVEN CLOSE)
4) you can use spaghetti squash instead of pasta and not know the difference. WRONG. I KNOW0 -
1) Snackwell cookies won't make you fat because they are low in fat. NOT TRUE. Excess calories make you fat.
2) Women can't lose weight after age 50. NOT TRUE. I lost 50 pounds after I turned 50. However, it is true that changes in hormone status results in where fat prefers to be stored. All the extra pounds now go straight to my waist instead of my thighs when I was younger.
3) You will run faster when you lose weight. MAYBE. In my case I returned to running about 10 years later after a 40 pound regain/50 pound loss. Even though I weigh less now than when I ran in my 40's, I'm slower. Joint issues during those intervening years combined with the loss of aerobic capacity with aging were not counteracted by weighing 10 pounds less. :-(
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I've heard several of the ones already mentioned -- especially the ones about fat-free cheese and spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is just that. Squash! As far as fat-free cheese, I would rather eat the plastic in which it's wrapped
But one of my favorites is the whole "drinking water will make you lose weight". No. It. Won't. While water IS good for you, it won't help you lose weight any more than any other liquid. Unless, of course, you're replacing high-calorie things like soft drinks, juices, smoothies, etc with water. That has nothing to do with the fact that you're drinking water. It has to do with the fact that you're NOT drink the high-calorie drinks and are therefore reducing your caloric intake.
And you don't want me to get started on the whole, "you may not be hungry, you may be thirsty" thing. BAER Trust me. I know the difference between hunger and thirst and I would like to think that most people do.
But one of my favorites is -- "I worked out this week and gained weight. Why?" Response: "Because you built up muscle and muscle weighs more than fat". No. It. Does. Not. Muscle is more dense (denser?) so it takes up less space; but it takes a while to gain a pound of muscle. It's not done in a week. It's more likely that the gain is due to the muscles retaining water to heal themselves.
As far as the "women can't lose weight after age 50" -- I was 54 when I rejoined WW the last time. I was 56 when I reached goal in 2004. Was it easy? No. Did it take me longer to lose 55 pounds (and another 15 after reaching goal) than it did for me to lose 100 pounds the first time around? Absolutely. Will it take me longer to lose 22 pounds this time around at the age of 69 than it did for me to lose 70 pounds? Maybe. I have no way of predicting the future. Only time will tell.
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I love the one about working out and then seeing a gain at the scale, and thinking it is muscle growth. Nope. It is water retention.1
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beachwoman2006 wrote: »But one of my favorites is the whole "drinking water will make you lose weight".
Depends on how far you have to walk to the bathroom!
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gadgetgirlIL wrote: »beachwoman2006 wrote: »But one of my favorites is the whole "drinking water will make you lose weight".
Depends on how far you have to walk to the bathroom!
True...or if you really have to pee bad you might end of running there.0 -
How about ww charges points for smoothies because the blender does so much of the digestice work that you don't burn as many calories/ rev you metabolism as much (take your pick!).1
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How about eat all your points or your metabolism will slow down because you go into starvation mode.2
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I read a great article that started with:
Unless you can defy the laws of physics 1 pound of muscle and 1 pound of fat weigh the same thing. LOVED IT.
It went on to say that 1 pound of muscle in the size of a tangerine where as 1 pound of fat is the size of a grapefruit. Thought that was cool too.
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You all have mentioned all my favorites
How about this one?
Two weeks without a loss means person has hit a plateau! Person claims they are doing EVERYTHING right ibut just can't lose.myth is that they are doing everything right! LOL
NEWBIES really believe WL is linear and they should lose one, two or three pounds every week!1 -
Jimb376mfp wrote: »
NEWBIES really believe WL is linear and they should lose one, two or three pounds every week!
I may not believe it, but I sure wish it was true
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linmueller wrote: »How about eat all your points or your metabolism will slow down because you go into starvation mode.
That's a great one! Lots of arguments were started over that one, which typically resulted in lots of flouncing.0 -
RedSassyPants wrote: »linmueller wrote: »How about eat all your points or your metabolism will slow down because you go into starvation mode.
That's a great one! Lots of arguments were started over that one, which typically resulted in lots of flouncing.
I had a leader tell my once to eat them. Used the analogy of a car needing gas. BAER!!!0 -
When I was following WW exclusively, I would eat them sometimes... and I would not eat them other times. Depended on a multiple of things. I guess some people have to be told to eat on a "diet" because otherwise they think they have to starve themselves. It was hard for me to learn that it was ok to eat. LOL
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What I really LOVED when hearing a leader tell people they should always eat ALL their points was the fact that I started with a WW program that gave us a range of points. We were told that we could eat anywhere WITHIN that range -- some days more and some days less. So that's how it was one day and the next day the program changed and that was no longer true. Of course some of us only got 18 points a day. Then the program changed and we were told to never eat less than 20 points a day. And then I think it went to 26. And now I have absolutely no clue what it is.
I don't know how I could have forgotten about the "starvation mode" myth!0 -
Yup starvation mode was my favorite too.0
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I often read or hear of people who thing they won't lose weight because they don't like to exercise. Maybe it's all in the definition but I lost the majority of my weight just by eating less. Reminds me of the GOADie phrase that 'Weight loss happens in the kitchen; toning happens in the gym.' All's I can say is it's worked for me.0
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RedSassyPants wrote: »I read a great article that started with:
Unless you can defy the laws of physics 1 pound of muscle and 1 pound of fat weigh the same thing. LOVED IT.
It went on to say that 1 pound of muscle in the size of a tangerine where as 1 pound of fat is the size of a grapefruit. Thought that was cool too.
My WW Mtg Leader addressed the muscle weighs more than fat like this.
Imagine muscle as unpopped kernels of popcorn. You know they are hard and small. Then think if that same amount of kernels was POPPPED, that is FAT! One takes up a lot more space!
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@beachwoman2006 I have the same issue with the GHGs. One day they are so important, heart health for oils etc., and the next, not even mentioned!
@minimyzeme , I lost 85 w/o any exercise except parking further out and taking a lap or 2 around the store. BUT I lost lots of inches when I hit the gym! Guess it all depends on the goal. On the other hand, it drives me crazy when people say the need to work out because they splurged. A friend just posted a pic of a canoli and a large, choc covered cake ball with the caption 'these were worth the 250 burpees' she had to do. I doubt that wiped it out but whatever
And @Jimb376mfp , I love the popcorn analogy! Great picture! Just grateful I can 'unpop' my fat cells easier then I can unpop a corn kernal 0 -
I can't think of any new ones right now but I have enjoyed reading all of the above post. Maybe I can think of some and come back.0
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@linmueller , good distinction. I could still stand to lose a few inches but I just don't see myself joining a gym. Actually, I did several years ago (pre-WW) but the half-hour travel time each way proved more than I wanted to do. It's hard enough for me to make that commitment with home exercise but it's more stubbornness and procrastination on my part than anything else.1
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I think I've heard them all. Bite my tongue in the meetings whenever they come up. People don't really want the truth.1
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Some old favorites already listed, so I'll stick with "Nothing changes when you lose weight."
So not true. My life changed dramatically. I'm not saying it suddenly became wine and roses, and fairy tale happy ending. But everything, EVERYTHING has changed. Every relationship, every situation, every daily activity. Some for the better, some not. But I don't think a single thing -- including me -- was unaffected.1 -
I'm also avoiding the gym/exercise @minimyzeme . I just don't want to do it. And so far, my inner toddler is winning.
That said, I did decide to get back to the gym recently. I even started reading a book on habits, with going to the gym being the first one I would work on. But, before I took a step in the door, I broke a toe! Crazy what some people will do to not have to exercise lol. 1 -
@MurpleCat I've been guilty of using that phrase; but what I mean when I say is that nothing changes as far as your eating habits when you lose weight. I came to realize early on that I will be doing this in some form for the rest of my life.
There is no finish line (quote for an old-time GOADie).1
This discussion has been closed.