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What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?
Replies
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It doesn't even have to be a "can't". My preferred aesthetic involves having more body fat than you would expect of someone who runs several times a week. No one in a million years would guess I work out because even the most brutal twice a week weight lifting routine (which I don't do, I prefer the body weight kind which doesn't build muscles as efficiently) would not have a chance of showing results under my preferred amount of body fat. I will likely never look it because I don't want to look it. Not my thing.
Binge watching Game of Thrones with my friends is therapeutic by the way. Stress reduction and social interactions are just as important as exercise for health. A positive outlook on life and less bitterness and judgement can also affect a person's health. There is more to health than looking a certain way, and there is only so much one would be able to tell about a person from one picture.16 -
canadianlbs wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Being healthy should be a priority, as opposed to binge watching Game of Thrones, long sessions of video games, etc. This may be another one of my unpopular heath and fitness opinions.
i notice most people who hold opinions like that usually go straight to the most belittling assumptions they can think up about what their targets are 'prioritizing' over 'fitness'. it keeps things nicely polarized, i suppose, but i find it boring. the lines of so-called battle are so clearly drawn nothing interesting or new ever gets said.
me, i get fluffy by binge-reading iris murdoch and eating gummy bears while arguing over the interwebz about whether or not mark rippetoe is a twit
Heh, I agree with what you said, and also went through a binge reading Iris Murdoch stage.5 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Heh, I agree with what you said, and also went through a binge reading Iris Murdoch stage.
mafia. i get myself into an online mafia game every couple of months, and my trainer just rolls his eyes and flips pages back in his book to reset me to several-cycles-ago.
he knows it's going to be two or three weeks before i'll thinking of anything else.4 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »It's unpopular to say that you exercise for calories, many often feel the goal would be superior if it's done for fitness. I exercise for calories and I don't mind not being superior. Fitness and enjoyment are just pleasant side effects.
Many would discourage eating when not hungry. I don't find anything wrong with that. If my calories are accounted for, you bet your boots I'm going to eat hedonically and enjoy every single bite without the least bit of guilt, and I don't consider it to be an unhealthy relationship with food. I think it's perfectly normal to eat for the sole purpose of enjoying food as long as it's not detrimental to the weight loss process as a whole.
Many people would consider going very low on calories after a high calorie day to be detrimental and something that could fuel a binge and restrict mentality. I'm not afraid of these tactics because I've never had an eating disorder and it's all calculated, planned, and relatively anxiety-free. I do it as a "naturally thin people mimicking" strategy not as a punishment. The way you mentally approach such a practice makes all the difference.
If a high protein diet is not sustainable I feel it's perfectly okay to eat as much protein as is reasonably manageable. I feel for some people "high protein" is the new "low carb" (which was the new "low fat"), that is, a rigid panic inducing requirement for weight loss with no middle ground. A person's goals don't need to be identical to everyone else's, so if slightly higher muscle loss (the difference is not even that large) is an acceptable tradeoff for someone, then so be it.
I don't believe that crash dieting is always bad. I'm very careful when I voice this opinion and I don't voice it often because it may be mistaken for promoting crash dieting for everyone, but there are cases where I believe it could be okay.
I don't think people "need" to lift any more than they "need" to run. It's perfectly okay to not enjoy lifting and you're not inferior if you don't.
Yes, I like using the treadmill. Sue me.
Yes, yes, yes all over the place. Eat when hungry and if that is not until 11am and your food parade is delayed, so be it. The process of weight loss, eating and living through it all with sanity and to continue doing it is so highly individual that it's about like your fingerprint; yours is yours. I hate fat discrimination - that comes from fat people. I don't see it in MFP (I love this about it) but I have seen it and I have found myself doing it before I realized what it was. My unpopular opinion is that weight gain and loss are not tied to the clock, it's tied to my intake and output, regardless of the time. Having a late dinner does not cause me to gain weight.
I also observe the slender species and I find they don't hold themselves to all of the crazy rules and mantras that are put to the more plump species, and I feel mainly perpetuated by them (us). Yes, the slender eat what they'd like - and then generally account for it by adding in some exercise, cutting back for a couple days, etc. They are not guilt ridden over food and not ashamed to be excited to see a chocolate cake. They just....live. Their lives. Food and movement are a part of their life but don't rule it. They have a natural rhythm that is not a fixed number on a scale, not a fixation with food and not an obsession either. I have my issues, I have some obsession and that is part of what my life is - and I aim to incorporate as much of the mentality of slender people as I can because attitude is as much a part of it as anything else. Observing others has helped me relax and be more at peace with myself and how exciting chocolate cake is.7 -
100catscrazy wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Being healthy should be a priority, as opposed to binge watching Game of Thrones, long sessions of video games, etc. This may be another one of my unpopular heath and fitness opinions.
Yeah well, some of us can't. Tell that to the tumor resting on my adrenal gland buster. I'm sure he'll listen. I've named Chris after my ex husband cause they're both a pain in my *kitten*.
There are a lot of folks out there sporting invisible illnesses like me. They are doing the best they can just to get by. You don't know what is going on with other people. I look "dumpy" af. You don't know what I'm going through. So jump off that high horse.
Sincerely hope you find some solutions to your issues. You know though that the vast majority of people who are overweight/dumpy are that way due to too much eating and/or not enough movement?
I do have a pretty high horse when it comes to eating right and movement as I think it's extremely important for all of us. I had personal experience with this when I contracted a serious bacterial blood infection. Was in the hospital for 7 days and had a nurse administer IV antibiotics at home for a month. As I recovered, 4 medical professionals that were treating me said the majority of people that came in the hospital like I did left in a body bag or had strokes, kidney failure, etc as a result of the infection. They said the prime reason I came out fine (along with the grace of God) was I was a normal weight and have included some movement for most of my life.
It is a big deal.6 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Stress reduction and social interactions are just as important as exercise for health. A positive outlook on life and less bitterness and judgement can also affect a person's health. There is more to health than looking a certain way, and there is only so much one would be able to tell about a person from one picture.
i was thinking about exactly this too. where i work, the elevator has one of those annoying 'tv' things that banner-scroll 'news' underneath advertisements. i'm in that elevator at least ten times a day, and in a given day i see five or six different 'studies' that 'show' either doing or not doing x or y is either going to give you [insert !!!oh-noesies!!! Thing] when you're 70, or won't give it to you.
it's churnalism and trivia-science mostly, of course. but i've been thinking for months about the [my word for it] groundwater effect that this has on people in its own right. we're so hectored and nagged and nannie-scolded at every turn by information like this, that it probably does seep into most people's mental water table and cause the very overthinking and stress that it implies we're morally 'obliged' to keep out of our lives now in order to not be a burden to our so-called community when we get old.
i'm a bit of an armchair sociologist, so it's been interesting to watch the fashion in focus shifting around over the much-longer term. i have this sense that the purely-physical seam is pretty close to being mined out, as far as providing society at large with things to gossip against their neighbours about. it's sort of funny for me to see definite signs that it's now starting to move in the search for new things to make 'discoveries' about. and that's takign it in the direction of mental-and-social-health turf. so it's circling back on its own self, because it's focusing a lot more on how many friends you have and how happy you are, and a lot less on how many minutes you spend at a certain heart rate.
so come a day, i can actually see a society in which being a miserable judgmental schmuck and/or keeping constant moral score on the lives of other people is not only a social sin in its own right because it's going to make your brain atrophy. the people who compounded that in their youth by going out of their way to 'maintain' their health are really going to catch extra hell because they went and extended their physical shelf-life far past the lifespan of their cognitive health.
i kid. sort of kind of. in a satirical actually-serious sense. people in my genetic line live a LONG time. their brains, not necessarily as many years.6 -
^^ i think the tl;dr of all that is that sometimes it's not so much that a person's opinion is 'unpopular' to me. i just think their criteria are way way too narrow and monochrome.5
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Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »StealthHealth wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »PrincessTinyheart wrote: »ladyhusker39 wrote: »I have the very unpopular opinion that a person's family, friends, job, schedule, income, geographic location, age, height, dietary restrictions and every other lame excuse is not why they can't lose weight.
I swear the majority of the comments I see from people somehow revolve around why everything in the world is causing them to be overweight - except that they eat more than they burn.
My mother swears that the only reason I was able to lose 55 lbs. is because I don't have children and therefore have all the time in the world to devote to losing weight. She thinks that, if you have kids, you default to eating a lot of crap and not moving very much, and this is what ALL people with children are faced with ALL THE TIME and can NEVER change their lifestyle.
The same thing with “dadbod” advocates. If you are a dad and love your children, then you must spend all of your free time with your children and can’t possibly be expected to take care of yourself. As if sacrificing your own wellness is benefitting your family. Most dads I know have plenty of time to watch their favorite Netflix programs, play golf, attend sporting events, manage a fantasy football team, take long lunches at work, etc., it is just a matter of prioritizing what matters.
It seemed to be the dad bod thing was started/fueled by some insecure sorority girl blogger. Googled and think this is the article.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/dad-bod
Dad bod: "I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time."
But, to me, those three guys in the picture:- Don't look old enough to be dads
- Don't look like they ever go to the gym
<shrugs>There are some things I just don't understand and I'm fine with that.
I think the picture for the article was associated with this line: "The dad bod is a new trend and fraternity boys everywhere seem to be rejoicing." I guess it is considered a dadbod if you are dumpy, regardless of if it results from neglecting yourself to take care of kids or from eating a lot of pizza/chicken wings/cheeseburgers and drinking a lot of beer in college...
dumpy???? wow body shame much.
you know there are lots who like that look or prefer it to something else.
and again who says they are neglecting themselves...dad bod doesn't mean they don't follow a fitness regime it just means they don't care to get down to a certain BF%...
I've been a gym member for years and have 2 20 something sons. I know what a 20 something that doesn't have a fitness regime looks like and those guys in the picture don't Maybe they bop in the university rec center for a few sets of curls before the weekend and to ogle the coeds but that's about it.
Also a couple of my unpopular thoughts on health and fitness:
Embracing the "dad bod" is embracing mediocrity
Commenting on pictures posted on the internet (i.e. the guys in the picture look dumpy, plus size models, models that look too thin, etc) is not body shaming. These individuals are choosing to put their pictures out in public, expecting some reaction. Too bad if it's not the one they hope for.
I don't agree with this. There are many reasons someone may choose that look. They may prefer that look and find themselves attractive like that. They could be realistic about their priorities, expectations, where they want to focus their attention, and what they are willing to live with. Their partner may find it attractive. Their athletic interests could be elsewhere and not tied to aesthetics....etc. No single body shape defines mediocrity.
Following the CDC recommended 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, and 2 strength training sessions a week targeting major muscle groups, along with not overeating will improve most guys health and get them away from the dad bod look.
Being healthy should be a priority, as opposed to binge watching Game of Thrones, long sessions of video games, etc. This may be another one of my unpopular heath and fitness opinions.
Right, because every non-athletic person is binge watching game of thrones, while drinking a 12 pack of beer , and eating cheetos by the handful..
Sterotype much????19 -
Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »StealthHealth wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »PrincessTinyheart wrote: »ladyhusker39 wrote: »I have the very unpopular opinion that a person's family, friends, job, schedule, income, geographic location, age, height, dietary restrictions and every other lame excuse is not why they can't lose weight.
I swear the majority of the comments I see from people somehow revolve around why everything in the world is causing them to be overweight - except that they eat more than they burn.
My mother swears that the only reason I was able to lose 55 lbs. is because I don't have children and therefore have all the time in the world to devote to losing weight. She thinks that, if you have kids, you default to eating a lot of crap and not moving very much, and this is what ALL people with children are faced with ALL THE TIME and can NEVER change their lifestyle.
The same thing with “dadbod” advocates. If you are a dad and love your children, then you must spend all of your free time with your children and can’t possibly be expected to take care of yourself. As if sacrificing your own wellness is benefitting your family. Most dads I know have plenty of time to watch their favorite Netflix programs, play golf, attend sporting events, manage a fantasy football team, take long lunches at work, etc., it is just a matter of prioritizing what matters.
It seemed to be the dad bod thing was started/fueled by some insecure sorority girl blogger. Googled and think this is the article.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/dad-bod
Dad bod: "I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time."
But, to me, those three guys in the picture:- Don't look old enough to be dads
- Don't look like they ever go to the gym
<shrugs>There are some things I just don't understand and I'm fine with that.
I think the picture for the article was associated with this line: "The dad bod is a new trend and fraternity boys everywhere seem to be rejoicing." I guess it is considered a dadbod if you are dumpy, regardless of if it results from neglecting yourself to take care of kids or from eating a lot of pizza/chicken wings/cheeseburgers and drinking a lot of beer in college...
dumpy???? wow body shame much.
you know there are lots who like that look or prefer it to something else.
and again who says they are neglecting themselves...dad bod doesn't mean they don't follow a fitness regime it just means they don't care to get down to a certain BF%...
I've been a gym member for years and have 2 20 something sons. I know what a 20 something that doesn't have a fitness regime looks like and those guys in the picture don't Maybe they bop in the university rec center for a few sets of curls before the weekend and to ogle the coeds but that's about it.
Also a couple of my unpopular thoughts on health and fitness:
Embracing the "dad bod" is embracing mediocrity
Commenting on pictures posted on the internet (i.e. the guys in the picture look dumpy, plus size models, models that look too thin, etc) is not body shaming. These individuals are choosing to put their pictures out in public, expecting some reaction. Too bad if it's not the one they hope for.
I don't agree with this. There are many reasons someone may choose that look. They may prefer that look and find themselves attractive like that. They could be realistic about their priorities, expectations, where they want to focus their attention, and what they are willing to live with. Their partner may find it attractive. Their athletic interests could be elsewhere and not tied to aesthetics....etc. No single body shape defines mediocrity.
Following the CDC recommended 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, and 2 strength training sessions a week targeting major muscle groups, along with not overeating will improve most guys health and get them away from the dad bod look.
Being healthy should be a priority, as opposed to binge watching Game of Thrones, long sessions of video games, etc. This may be another one of my unpopular heath and fitness opinions.
Right, because every non-athletic person is binge watching game of thrones, while drinking a 12 pack of beer , and eating cheetos by the handful..
Sterotype much????
You don't have to be athletic to not have a dad bod.
Bit of walking, sone resistance work and reasonable diet will go a long way in avoiding dad bod.7 -
The_Enginerd wrote: »
Or the misconception that spending time with your children and exercise/physical activity are somehow mutually exclusive...Bry_Lander wrote: »PrincessTinyheart wrote: »ladyhusker39 wrote: »I have the very unpopular opinion that a person's family, friends, job, schedule, income, geographic location, age, height, dietary restrictions and every other lame excuse is not why they can't lose weight.
I swear the majority of the comments I see from people somehow revolve around why everything in the world is causing them to be overweight - except that they eat more than they burn.
My mother swears that the only reason I was able to lose 55 lbs. is because I don't have children and therefore have all the time in the world to devote to losing weight. She thinks that, if you have kids, you default to eating a lot of crap and not moving very much, and this is what ALL people with children are faced with ALL THE TIME and can NEVER change their lifestyle.
The same thing with “dadbod” advocates. If you are a dad and love your children, then you must spend all of your free time with your children and can’t possibly be expected to take care of yourself. As if sacrificing your own wellness is benefitting your family. Most dads I know have plenty of time to watch their favorite Netflix programs, play golf, attend sporting events, manage a fantasy football team, take long lunches at work, etc., it is just a matter of prioritizing what matters.
I'd prefer for parents, use stroller's that has their child facing them; eye contact/interaction's very important! Otherwise how's that count, as spending quality time; with your child?11 -
WayTooHonest wrote: »
Actually, it's probably lectins.9 -
theresejesu wrote: »Actually, it's probably lectins.
are lectins another word for leprechauns? because they sound kind of like it.
"the lectin leprechauns came overnight and cleaned up the m&ms mess". if they're just some kind of hormone or micronutrient, i don't think i want to know.
8 -
canadianlbs wrote: »theresejesu wrote: »Actually, it's probably lectins.
are lectins another word for leprechauns? because they sound kind of like it.
"the lectin leprechauns came overnight and cleaned up the m&ms mess". if they're just some kind of hormone or micronutrient, i don't think i want to know.
I googled out of curiosity and found this: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-lectins
It looked pretty interesting, until right down near the bottom, where I found:The “Blood Type Diet” is based on how our blood cells react with lectins in foods.
In all honesty, I'm no expert. I may never have heard of lectins before today, but bringing up the Blood Type diet pretty much sets my 'woo alarm' screaming.16 -
canadianlbs wrote: »theresejesu wrote: »Actually, it's probably lectins.
are lectins another word for leprechauns? because they sound kind of like it.
I have come to believe that it was lectins on the grassy knoll.17 -
Joking aside, this is pretty decent on the lectins thing, as well as showing a possible source (I believe Mercola is all over lectins (or the alleged horrors of them) these days):
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/04/the-next-gluten/523686/
Me, I think some lentil stew or even a salad with some fresh tomatoes is probably not actually unhealthy or at the root of the current obesity epidemic. Nor is the fact we eat clementines in December (I do, anyway!).8 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »canadianlbs wrote: »theresejesu wrote: »Actually, it's probably lectins.
are lectins another word for leprechauns? because they sound kind of like it.
I have come to believe that it was lectins on the grassy knoll.
Hannibalectins. Source of everything evil. <nods>25 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Joking aside, this is pretty decent on the lectins thing, as well as showing a possible source (I believe Mercola is all over lectins (or the alleged horrors of them) these days):
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/04/the-next-gluten/523686/
Me, I think some lentil stew or even a salad with some fresh tomatoes is probably not actually unhealthy or at the root of the current obesity epidemic. Nor is the fact we eat clementines in December (I do, anyway!).
I think bread and grains, soy and corn are probably the worst. Problem is they are ubiquitous in most prepared foods and very hard to get away from, even in meat and dairy products as these make up the feed these animaks are given, so the offending lectins get into the end product. Pastured products are the only way to avoid them as much as possible in meat and dairy. Also why farmed fish should be avoided as well.
Sourdough bread manages to destroy most the lectins due to fermentation, though not perfect, it's far better than other forms of bread in this regard.
There are also supplements that help block the undesirable lectins and keep them in your gut. I've used Lectin Lock with very good results (as seen with vastly improved insulin response and low blood sugar levels), but there is one I tried almost identical to that one, but had pepsin in it..... pepsin was a really big mistake. It causes silent reflux, and believe me, no one wants that.32 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Hannibalectins. Source of everything evil. <nods>
now there's an mfp diary you don't want to read.
*never seen that movie. never want to. i just want to go back to the nice friendly leprechaun thing*
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Chef_Barbell wrote: »kristikitter wrote: »I can't get enough of this thread:P
- I think a lot of the female bodies that are lauded as 'fit' are actually very distasteful - especially in the UK, the Middleton sisters (ugh) are held up as the pinnacle of health/beauty, when in fact one of them is a skinny waif and the other is completely devoid of curves and quite mannishly built.
- And on the other end of the spectrum, the big *kitten* phenomenon is horrid. I don't want a gigantic behind, it looks false and ridiculous.
- I think there will be a proven link one day with aspartame and gall stones... of course, people are free to drink litres of diet soda but I think they'll pay for it later down the line.
- Not enough emphasis is put on "moderation in everything, everything in moderation."
Lol bless your heart.
Insightful.7 -
Packerjohn wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »StealthHealth wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Bry_Lander wrote: »PrincessTinyheart wrote: »ladyhusker39 wrote: »I have the very unpopular opinion that a person's family, friends, job, schedule, income, geographic location, age, height, dietary restrictions and every other lame excuse is not why they can't lose weight.
I swear the majority of the comments I see from people somehow revolve around why everything in the world is causing them to be overweight - except that they eat more than they burn.
My mother swears that the only reason I was able to lose 55 lbs. is because I don't have children and therefore have all the time in the world to devote to losing weight. She thinks that, if you have kids, you default to eating a lot of crap and not moving very much, and this is what ALL people with children are faced with ALL THE TIME and can NEVER change their lifestyle.
The same thing with “dadbod” advocates. If you are a dad and love your children, then you must spend all of your free time with your children and can’t possibly be expected to take care of yourself. As if sacrificing your own wellness is benefitting your family. Most dads I know have plenty of time to watch their favorite Netflix programs, play golf, attend sporting events, manage a fantasy football team, take long lunches at work, etc., it is just a matter of prioritizing what matters.
It seemed to be the dad bod thing was started/fueled by some insecure sorority girl blogger. Googled and think this is the article.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/dad-bod
Dad bod: "I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time."
But, to me, those three guys in the picture:- Don't look old enough to be dads
- Don't look like they ever go to the gym
<shrugs>There are some things I just don't understand and I'm fine with that.
I think the picture for the article was associated with this line: "The dad bod is a new trend and fraternity boys everywhere seem to be rejoicing." I guess it is considered a dadbod if you are dumpy, regardless of if it results from neglecting yourself to take care of kids or from eating a lot of pizza/chicken wings/cheeseburgers and drinking a lot of beer in college...
dumpy???? wow body shame much.
you know there are lots who like that look or prefer it to something else.
and again who says they are neglecting themselves...dad bod doesn't mean they don't follow a fitness regime it just means they don't care to get down to a certain BF%...
I've been a gym member for years and have 2 20 something sons. I know what a 20 something that doesn't have a fitness regime looks like and those guys in the picture don't Maybe they bop in the university rec center for a few sets of curls before the weekend and to ogle the coeds but that's about it.
Also a couple of my unpopular thoughts on health and fitness:
Embracing the "dad bod" is embracing mediocrity
Commenting on pictures posted on the internet (i.e. the guys in the picture look dumpy, plus size models, models that look too thin, etc) is not body shaming. These individuals are choosing to put their pictures out in public, expecting some reaction. Too bad if it's not the one they hope for.
I don't agree with this. There are many reasons someone may choose that look. They may prefer that look and find themselves attractive like that. They could be realistic about their priorities, expectations, where they want to focus their attention, and what they are willing to live with. Their partner may find it attractive. Their athletic interests could be elsewhere and not tied to aesthetics....etc. No single body shape defines mediocrity.
Following the CDC recommended 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, and 2 strength training sessions a week targeting major muscle groups, along with not overeating will improve most guys health and get them away from the dad bod look.
Being healthy should be a priority, as opposed to binge watching Game of Thrones, long sessions of video games, etc. This may be another one of my unpopular heath and fitness opinions.
This is the only part that matters.
Make note of the man in my profile picture. He weighs 250 lbs and got that way by skipping just the bolded part of your quoted CDC advice.
OH, and he's me, 2 years and 20 lbs back.
7
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