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What commonly given MFP Forum advice do you personally disagree with?

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  • BrettWithPKU
    BrettWithPKU Posts: 575 Member
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    I have to admit first off that I have not read the whole thread, so I apologize if this has been brought up before. Chances are, since I am a bit of a contrarian on the subject to begin with, that it has not.

    The advice that never makes sense to me is that "you should weigh yourself at the same time every day and under the same conditions".

    I don't necessarily believe that's a bad thing - but I do disagree that it actually substantially matters in any way.

    Throughout so many threads, the advice to people to settle down because fluctuations happen and that time lines matter to be able to see trends that overcome those fluctuations is spot on. The explanations about fluctuations help to show the complexity of the issue. Your fat loss over time has to be 6-8 weeks or more, even with an aggressive weight loss goal of 2 pounds per week - even longer with a more modest goal. Since fluctuations can be double that 2 pounds or more every day - and depend on many factors - what difference does it make when during a given fluctuation you weigh yourself? You may not even know which direction your fluctuation for that day is going.

    It is virtually impossible to actually create the same conditions from one day to the next. Your weight is composed of several components that are all changing at different rates and in different directions. The only component that is even close to changing in the same direction at the same rate is fat - which even then is going to be influenced by several factors. Your metabolism is different day to day, your food intake and energy burning changes day to day and so does your stress and hormone levels. Your digestion rate, if not constant also affects things. We use long-term data to make the calculus of many variables look like algebra or arithmetic. That long time frame (the longer the better) isolates all that noise, making the trend line appear linear.

    Since your goal is fat loss over time, the variation between weight in a given day is meaningless when compared with the trend.

    tl/dr: I disagree that a consistent weigh-in time every day means anything.


    ....Putting on my shield now.

    2 things, and really, neither of them are necessarily disagreements.

    1. You SHOULD control significant factors that are within your power to control. Best example I can think of is the difference between weighing naked vs. weighing with two pounds of clothing on. Be consistent. (In terms of time of day, I'd suggest to not weigh in immediately after a meal--give it an hour or two.)
    2. Have a plan for dealing with fluctuations. Most importantly, recognize that fluctuations will happen no matter what. If these fluctuations get you worked up emotionally, then you shouldn't weigh daily; try once a week or longer.
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,216 Member
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    MikePTY wrote: »
    I think in general, body recomposition is pushed too often on the boards as kind of a one size fits all answer to "I want to lose weight and gain muscle" posts. It's not that I don't believe that body recomp exists, it's that I don't think it's the best solution for everyone, especially if they have significant amount of fat to lose first.

    I think when most people post here that they are looking to "gain muscle", when you dig deeper, they are actually more focused on getting stronger/fitter and looking more muscular/in shape. To accomplish that, they don't necessarily need to add weight in muscle mass. Strength training will help make them stronger and maintain the muscle they currently have, and losing weight will reveal the muscle, making them look more muscular.

    Most people with this goal would be better off focusing on weight loss at a reasonable deficit, rather than the slow and difficult process of body recomp. If they get closer to their goals, and find that they still aren't getting the desired results, then body recomp could be a solution, but it shouldn't be the first option for everyone.

    I agree. I also see it commonly pushed for even skinny dudes who want to gain significant mass. Sometimes I think people forget that not everybody who comes to MFP is on the heavy side of the spectrum and have a reason for being here other than losing weight or even maintaining.