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What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?
Replies
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I don't know how unpopular those are, but here they are:
- I don't think we should eat many small meals (to keep our sugar levels etc.)
- I am very skeptical about how much protein we really need (I don't have a definite answer though)
- I think cake is a cake, wether is paleo, keto, vegan..you name it
- I am skeptical about all supplements
- I think it's better to have a real sugar once in a while then artificial sweeteners
- I don't think that the water intake is that big issue as represented46 -
I don't think it's all about CICO.
I think there is good food and bad food, and I think what you eat matters.49 -
Tried30UserNames wrote: »I don't think it's all about CICO.
I think there is good food and bad food, and I think what you eat matters.
I agree with your part about the good foods and bad foods, but CICO is real, and backed by science, but I believe that people don't realize that eating bad foods and processed foods leads to your body not functioning properly, therefore lowering calories out unknowlingly, making it seem as though CI doesn't equal CO.31 -
I believe in good foods and bad foods, good carbs and bad carbs, good fats and bad fats.
I am pro GE/GMO labeling
I think artificial sweeteners are fine
I think WLS is sometimes the best option
I think if you have an obese child you are a poor parent48 -
This is fun, so I have to add to my post.
I think that everybody has to eat less/move more to lose weight, even if they are depressed, disabled, divorced, poor, a parent, hard working or hardly working.
I think that cookies, cake, ice cream and desserts should be eaten as occasional treats, so there is no need for "low cal" or "healthier" versions.
I hate the idea of healthy/unhealthy fat/carbs.
I resent the way structured eating somehow gets translated into self deprivation and lack of enjoyment. For me, having a semi-set meal plan gives me the opportunity to enjoy all kinds of foods without worrying about regaining.
I dislike when people don't or won't grasp the difference between simple and easy, between process and method, between necessary and effective action.23 -
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.
I love this post! I work out for extra calories the way a trained monkey dresses in a red uniform and dances for spare change just to get a few monkey snacks. Do I want a margarita? Why yes, indeed, I want one so much, I will run a 5K for it! Fitness and muscles are just a very, very nice byproduct.59 -
The only unpopular opinion about health and fitness is: "It's easy".19
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826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.56 -
WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Even if someone has hit menopause, they will lose weight if they burn 2,000 calories and consume 1,500 (consistently, over time).44 -
WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Menopause or not, you still will lose weight if you eat 1500 calories, and burn 2000 calories.30 -
coreyreichle wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Menopause or not, you still will lose weight if you eat 1500 calories, and burn 2000 calories.
Perhaps. You will lose fat. But not necessarily weight. Menopause plays all kinds of fun games with your hormones.36 -
I'm around people all day long that blame their weight problems on a slow metabolism, no time to exercise or cook.
My view would be very unpopular to them. I 100% believe eat less move more and make time.32 -
The concept of intuitive eating. The idea that we are somehow supposed to know when to start or stop eating to maintain a subjective weight is entirely absurd. The endless threads of people leaving MFP and starting up again give a small degree of insight into this.
Expecting people to manage a checkbook without balancing is a little more plausible because once your expenses overtake your income, the consequences are immediate and direct. There are no such immediate consequences in weight management.
So calorie counting - not very popular, but by far the most logical and efficient means to manage weight.42 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Menopause or not, you still will lose weight if you eat 1500 calories, and burn 2000 calories.
Perhaps. You will lose fat. But not necessarily weight. Menopause plays all kinds of fun games with your hormones.
I can only assume you mixed up "fat" and "weight" in the sentence?11 -
coreyreichle wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Menopause or not, you still will lose weight if you eat 1500 calories, and burn 2000 calories.
You REALLY have no idea what women's hormones do to our bodies, do you love? Decreased estrogen, slower metabolism, affects our ability to metabolize sugars, bone density declines, and SO MUCH MORE...all medical facts.
From the Mayo Clinic:
"The hormonal changes of menopause make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs."
But apparently both my GP and my OB/GYN don't know what they are talking about, either. It's not as simple as CICO once you cross 40. It's so much more complicated now that our hormones are shutting down. That's science, friend.
Fun Fact: Men have the same problem, they are now starting to call it MANopause. Just wait.47 -
The concept of intuitive eating. The idea that we are somehow supposed to know when to start or stop eating to maintain a subjective weight is entirely absurd. The endless threads of people leaving MFP and starting up again give a small degree of insight into this.
Expecting people to manage a checkbook without balancing is a little more plausible because once your expenses overtake your income, the consequences are immediate and direct. There are no such immediate consequences in weight management.
So calorie counting - not very popular, but by far the most logical and efficient means to manage weight.
While I don't disagree with your last statement. I lost weight through intuitive eating. In fact, I maintained a healthy weight for about 40 years through intuitive eating and it was only when I stopped eating intuitively that I got fat for the first time. Went back to it and lost back down to a healthy weight.
I never balance my checkbook either. But seriously, who uses checks nowadays?14 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Menopause or not, you still will lose weight if you eat 1500 calories, and burn 2000 calories.
Perhaps. You will lose fat. But not necessarily weight. Menopause plays all kinds of fun games with your hormones.
I can only assume you mixed up "fat" and "weight" in the sentence?
?? No. If eating at a deficit (eat 1500, burn 2000) you will lose fat, but if in menopause you may not lose weight.8 -
What would cause you to lose fat and not weight?4
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »The concept of intuitive eating. The idea that we are somehow supposed to know when to start or stop eating to maintain a subjective weight is entirely absurd. The endless threads of people leaving MFP and starting up again give a small degree of insight into this.
Expecting people to manage a checkbook without balancing is a little more plausible because once your expenses overtake your income, the consequences are immediate and direct. There are no such immediate consequences in weight management.
So calorie counting - not very popular, but by far the most logical and efficient means to manage weight.
While I don't disagree with your last statement. I lost weight through intuitive eating. In fact, I maintained a healthy weight for about 40 years through intuitive eating and it was only when I stopped eating intuitively that I got fat for the first time. Went back to it and lost back down to a healthy weight.
I never balance my checkbook either. But seriously, who uses checks nowadays?
I did the same, but it was largely through my calorie output that established my deficit/maintenance. Some people do this naturally, the same manner that a small percentage handle finances without any awareness, but to extend this to a population? That's what I find absurd.3 -
WayTooHonest wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Menopause or not, you still will lose weight if you eat 1500 calories, and burn 2000 calories.
You REALLY have no idea what women's hormones do to our bodies, do you love? Decreased estrogen, slower metabolism, affects our ability to metabolize sugars...all medical facts.
From the Mayo Clinic:
"The hormonal changes of menopause make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs."
But apparently both my GP and my OB/GYN don't know what they are talking about, either. It's not as simple as CICO once you cross 40. It's so much more complicated now that our hormones are shutting down. That's science, friend.
Fun Fact: Men have the same problem, they are now starting to call it MANopause. Just wait.
Fat loss is as simple as CI<CO in menopause. But it may also be harder. Hormones regulate so much regarding hunger and metabolism. Your BMR may lower meaning that CO is lowered and you now have to eat less than before to lose. That doesn't negate CI<CO. Still if you consume less than your CO you will lose fat. But you may also gain and lose water weight constantly which makes it very hard to even know if you are losing fat.
Determining your CO is usually what makes losing during menopause harder. And the hormone swings. Sometimes it's like having PMS, including all the cravings, for weeks at a time or several times a month.21 -
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What would cause you to lose fat and not weight?
Water. I'm just about through with menopause now but in the worst of it I once gained 7.3 lbs overnight while eating a deficit. So while I may have lost 1/2 lb or so of fat for the week, I was still gaining weight. It's very frustrating.28 -
myheartsabattleground wrote: »I believe WLS is cheating.
I have issues with WLS as well, but it has a large amount of research to support its efficacy (although I don't think the research has looked closely enough at long-term effects).
Saying WLS is "cheating" is equivalent to saying that coronary angioplasty is "cheating", back surgery is "cheating", etc.
12 -
What would cause you to lose fat and not weight?
Hormonal shifts commonly result in increased water weight. Biological systems abhor drastic changes and defend against this by cells taking on additional water to act as a defensive measure and protect the body - center mass in particular. This has a nominal impact on metabolism though.11 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Menopause or not, you still will lose weight if you eat 1500 calories, and burn 2000 calories.
You REALLY have no idea what women's hormones do to our bodies, do you love? Decreased estrogen, slower metabolism, affects our ability to metabolize sugars...all medical facts.
From the Mayo Clinic:
"The hormonal changes of menopause make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs."
But apparently both my GP and my OB/GYN don't know what they are talking about, either. It's not as simple as CICO once you cross 40. It's so much more complicated now that our hormones are shutting down. That's science, friend.
Fun Fact: Men have the same problem, they are now starting to call it MANopause. Just wait.
Fat loss is as simple as CI<CO in menopause. But it may also be harder. Hormones regulate so much regarding hunger and metabolism. Your BMR may lower meaning that CO is lowered and you now have to eat less than before to lose. That doesn't negate CI<CO. Still if you consume less than your CO you will lose fat. But you may also gain and lose water weight constantly which makes it very hard to even know if you are losing fat.
Determining your CO is usually what makes losing during menopause harder. And the hormone swings. Sometimes it's like having PMS, including all the cravings, for weeks at a time or several times a month.
I agree with everything you're saying EXCEPT for saying that CICO will guarantee fat loss.....
I thought you were saying you may have trouble during menopause because you may be catabolizing muscle and not able to lower your fat because of your hormones being out of whack. If you're losing fat, at some point, you will lose the weight once the water weight comes off....4 -
WayTooHonest wrote: »
I get that menopause changes things, and it no doubt does, but it doesn't keep your weight steady while losing fat.....4 -
Here's a good one: exercise is only for fitness, and anyone who doesn't agree is doing it wrong.15
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Menopause or not, you still will lose weight if you eat 1500 calories, and burn 2000 calories.
You REALLY have no idea what women's hormones do to our bodies, do you love? Decreased estrogen, slower metabolism, affects our ability to metabolize sugars...all medical facts.
From the Mayo Clinic:
"The hormonal changes of menopause make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs."
But apparently both my GP and my OB/GYN don't know what they are talking about, either. It's not as simple as CICO once you cross 40. It's so much more complicated now that our hormones are shutting down. That's science, friend.
Fun Fact: Men have the same problem, they are now starting to call it MANopause. Just wait.
Fat loss is as simple as CI<CO in menopause. But it may also be harder. Hormones regulate so much regarding hunger and metabolism. Your BMR may lower meaning that CO is lowered and you now have to eat less than before to lose. That doesn't negate CI<CO. Still if you consume less than your CO you will lose fat. But you may also gain and lose water weight constantly which makes it very hard to even know if you are losing fat.
Determining your CO is usually what makes losing during menopause harder. And the hormone swings. Sometimes it's like having PMS, including all the cravings, for weeks at a time or several times a month.
I agree with everything you're saying EXCEPT for saying that CICO will guarantee fat loss.....
I thought you were saying you may have trouble during menopause because you may be catabolizing muscle and not able to lower your fat because of your hormones being out of whack. If you're losing fat, at some point, you will lose the weight once the water weight comes off....
Yes, eventually. But if you are shooting for a small deficit to preserve muscle that loss can be a long time coming.6 -
WayTooHonest wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »WayTooHonest wrote: »826_Midazaslam wrote: »Blaming your metabolism is such a cop-out.
Nothing drives me crazier than someone telling me they can't lose ANY weight because their metabolism is too slow. It's simple, CICO. Yes there are cellular differences in how your body metabolizes things, but at the end of the day, if you burn 2000 calories and only put in 1500, you're going to lose weight. Your metabolism is not some magical thing that defies the laws of thermodynamics.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA you obviously haven't hit menopause yet.
Menopause or not, you still will lose weight if you eat 1500 calories, and burn 2000 calories.
You REALLY have no idea what women's hormones do to our bodies, do you love? Decreased estrogen, slower metabolism, affects our ability to metabolize sugars, bone density declines, and SO MUCH MORE...all medical facts.
From the Mayo Clinic:
"The hormonal changes of menopause make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs."
But apparently both my GP and my OB/GYN don't know what they are talking about, either. It's not as simple as CICO once you cross 40. It's so much more complicated now that our hormones are shutting down. That's science, friend.
Fun Fact: Men have the same problem, they are now starting to call it MANopause. Just wait.
That quote is about the differences in where fat is stored on the body. That is clearly related to hormones. But you seem to be arguing that a menopausal body can store energy even when in a deficit. What is the source for that?18 -
The concept of intuitive eating. The idea that we are somehow supposed to know when to start or stop eating to maintain a subjective weight is entirely absurd. The endless threads of people leaving MFP and starting up again give a small degree of insight into this.
Expecting people to manage a checkbook without balancing is a little more plausible because once your expenses overtake your income, the consequences are immediate and direct. There are no such immediate consequences in weight management.
I love this. I do think there are alternatives to calorie counting that work, but they aren't intuitive eating and require some kind of monitoring.
Sure, some people don't have to think about it, perhaps, but they didn't get fat.8
This discussion has been closed.
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