You guys really like to over complicate things.

tinyfitlauren

All I want is for this thread to stop being the first thread in the weight loss help section... :sad:

tootoop224

I see threads all the time on here with some crazy nonsense like "eat 6 small meals a day" or here's a funny one "gaining weight after I quit smoking" the list goes on though.

Smoking - You will not gain weight if you quit smoking unless you binge eat after quitting, that's all there is to it.

Losing weight is very easy - Just eat under your maintenance and do cardio, hell you don't even need to do cardio to burn fat, you can do it all through diet. I recommend you do some type of cardio though for your heart.

Gaining muscle - Eat over your maintenance by anywhere from 200-500 calories, while lifting 3-4x a week and you will gain muscle, unless you have super low testosterone levels.

Losing fat and gaining muscle - Lift while you lose weight. If you feel like you don't have enough muscle when you lose the fat, then eat at a low surplus like 200-300 calories over maintenance for a few months. Then cut fat again, it's really that simple.(just posted this last part in another thread)



You honestly don't even need to eat super clean foods like rice and chicken every meal to lose weight, Although it will probably make you feel better. I don't want people to be turned off from fitness and being healthy because of this stuff.

inb4 people with PHD's in broscience post

OP, Not sure why people discussing methods/strategies that have worked for them in losing or gaining weight bothers you. While it's true, the only way to lose weight is to eat at a deficit, there are many many ways, that help different people TO eat at a deficit. Same goes for eating at a surplus to gain. So, the rest of us choose to discuss and share these methods/strategies with each other. If you choose not to, maybe just avoid those threads?

ndj1979

People don't gain weight after quitting smoking, BECAUSE they quit smoking. They do it because when they get anxious, instead of grabbing a cigarette they get cravings. A lot of people also smoke a cigarette when they start to get hungry and the nicotine apparently curbs their appetite. When they no longer have this, they get hungrier, therefore eat more. It's not mass delusion and you're the messiah who knows best, it DOES happen to a large percentage of people. Is it a rule? NO. But it does happen.

People don't just "burn more than you eat" and lose weight. Some people DO have thyroid issues, hormonal imbalances, eating disorders and many other issues involved. That's why there are nutritionists, endocrinologists, doctors and a whole industry / medical community behind it.

Because of people like you that say "it's as easy as pie" just do 1 +1 and you'll get 2, people get discouraged, depressed and many worse things.

So get a clue, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. If I ate 2,000 calories and burned 1,500 calories. And you did exactly the same, we would NOT get the same results. (not even gonna get into the whole BMR TDEE and all that "complicated" stuff that you've just dismissed.)

ummm if you burn 500 cals and I burn 500 cals we will both lose weight...not really sure what the point is...

OMGeeeHorses

Just because the principle is simple doesn't mean the practice is easy. OP is right, and anyone can spend a hot minute on MFP and find hundreds of ridiculously over-complicated 'diet plans' people follow when all they need to do is eat at a moderate deficit, get their heart rate up, and pick up some heavy things.

Or, you know, whatever, they could stop eating all grains and replace it with organic raw kale powder, because DAMN IT I'M DIFFERENT.

So am I crazy for doing Semi-Paleo? O_O *can't give up my yogurt*

I wouldn't say crazy, I would say unnecessary. But things like that if you like them I say go for it.

Ha, mostly I just smashed every buzzword I see here into one diet....the "grain free meat free raw organic no-GMO or I'll get FAT AND DIE" plan.

My take is more that unless you have an allergy or intolerance, there's no need to cut out a food group. However, if that is how you choose to create a calorie deficit, and it works for you long term, more power to ya.

I just notice when I eat gluten free and more towards fruits, veggies and organic things. I feel a heck of a lot better. I mean I started this weight loss journey from Mcdonalds, Chinease food and Burger King daily. LOL so anything would seem better compared to that slop.

ndj1979

i am pretty much down with what OP is saying..

the only thing I would dispute is the losing fat and building muscle claim. Those two are pretty much directly opposed to one another..go gain muscle you have to eat over TDEE, to lose fat you have to eat under TDEE...

Now, you can lift to try to preserve as much muscle mass as possible, and lose fat...but the average to experienced lifter is not going to add muscle while in a cut...

WhoHa42

i am pretty much down with what OP is saying..

the only thing I would dispute is the losing fat and building muscle claim. Those two are pretty much directly opposed to one another..go gain muscle you have to eat over TDEE, to lose fat you have to eat under TDEE...

Now, you can lift to try to preserve as much muscle mass as possible, and lose fat...but the average to experienced lifter is not going to add muscle while in a cut...

Yeah a beginner and someone coming back from an injury are pretty much the only people that can gain muscle while cutting. Unless you have an extra something added in.

Edit: just reread OP and he didn't necessarily say you can gain muscle while losing fat, I think he just put them into the same paragraph

BeachIron

i am pretty much down with what OP is saying..

the only thing I would dispute is the losing fat and building muscle claim. Those two are pretty much directly opposed to one another..go gain muscle you have to eat over TDEE, to lose fat you have to eat under TDEE...

Now, you can lift to try to preserve as much muscle mass as possible, and lose fat...but the average to experienced lifter is not going to add muscle while in a cut...

^ First legitimate criticism of OP's post.

meadow_sage

I see threads all the time on here with some crazy nonsense like "eat 6 small meals a day" or here's a funny one "gaining weight after I quit smoking" the list goes on though.

Smoking - You will not gain weight if you quit smoking unless you binge eat after quitting, that's all there is to it.

Losing weight is very easy - Just eat under your maintenance and do cardio, hell you don't even need to do cardio to burn fat, you can do it all through diet. I recommend you do some type of cardio though for your heart.

Gaining muscle - Eat over your maintenance by anywhere from 200-500 calories, while lifting 3-4x a week and you will gain muscle, unless you have super low testosterone levels.

Losing fat and gaining muscle - Lift while you lose weight. If you feel like you don't have enough muscle when you lose the fat, then eat at a low surplus like 200-300 calories over maintenance for a few months. Then cut fat again, it's really that simple.(just posted this last part in another thread)



You honestly don't even need to eat super clean foods like rice and chicken every meal to lose weight, Although it will probably make you feel better. I don't want people to be turned off from fitness and being healthy because of this stuff.

inb4 people with PHD's in broscience post

Tips like eating six meals per day are very helpful, for multiple reasons. Sometimes people put too much relevance on such tips, like it's a magic solution but it is helpful. It helps keep the blood sugar level throughout the day...for a normal, healthy, young person this really doesn't have much relevance but as you grow older you will learn that things change. As far as smoking goes...all of these overcomplicated things that you think are irrelevant, will become more pertinent when you factor in the fact that yes, you may only gain weight if you binge (or just eat a little more often to compensate for the oral gratification that you previously had from smoking) but it's REAL. This tips and ideas that seem to annoy you are very helpful for people. I myself had to take the time to quit smoking and give some time to adjust to that before I took on changing my eating habits and increasing my fitness level. There are psychological aspects, not just physical but these things are interchangeable and impact each other. If you know what works for you and you don't need any suggestions or tips, then why bother reading anything in the forums.

One thing that I learned recently is that all of these people that keep saying eat more (who I thought were completely insane) were right in some cases. I kept failing at sticking to my calorie goals because I was pushing too hard. I did the whole TDEE - 20% thing this week and finally broke a plateau. So, yes it is due to the simple eat under maintenance but I wouldn't have started to lose weight again without taking what seemed to be bizarre advice. I'm not sure if I verbalized my message effectively but basically, if you don't need ideas, suggestions or tips then ignore it all....it does help some people.

hookilau

I knew this would be a hot topic, but didn't think it would get this heated in here. Anyway I just came back and read all the pages, seems like the majority are agreeing with me, and the ones who don't agree with my post, seem to be quoting my age instead of trying to prove me wrong.

Wrong. The ones that don't agree with you take issue with the fact that you seem to have everything all figured out in a neat little package....a neat little package that you and some others seem to fit, but what of the rest of us?

If you were a little longer in the tooth, you would know how wrong you are and be grateful for the good health you enjoy that allows you simple addition and subtraction to get you to your weight loss goals.

ndj1979

I really do not care for the attitude in the beginning comment. My father quit smoking and gained weight--yes he ate more but nicotine is an appetite suppressant. If you do not have that nicotine to control your appetite, you will eat more and gain weight. That is simple AND TRUE. I'm a PharmD. student and aren't going to spew things that aren't true.

Secondly, I thought people joined this site not to bash each other. I believe MANY of us on here have weight issues and are confused about how to lose it in a healthy way. So being such a crabapple about it doesn't help anyone. If you are such a pro and the rest of are losers, find a different site to share your heavenly wisdom with.

your fist point is exactly what the OP is saying..quitting smoking did not make you gain weight...eating too much after quitting made you gain...

Second point - spend more time on the threads..there are tons of people looking quick fixes, thermo nuclear metabolism burners (or whatever the hell they are called), cleanses, detoxes, and a whole gambit of quick fixes..when in fact all those people would benefit from eating less and working out more...unless of course you have some medical condition..

ndj1979

i am pretty much down with what OP is saying..

the only thing I would dispute is the losing fat and building muscle claim. Those two are pretty much directly opposed to one another..go gain muscle you have to eat over TDEE, to lose fat you have to eat under TDEE...

Now, you can lift to try to preserve as much muscle mass as possible, and lose fat...but the average to experienced lifter is not going to add muscle while in a cut...

Yeah a beginner and someone coming back from an injury are pretty much the only people that can gain muscle while cutting. Unless you have an extra something added in.

Edit: just reread OP and he didn't necessarily say you can gain muscle while losing fat, I think he just put them into the same paragraph

you might be right, maybe he did not phrase that right..but I read at as you can lose fat and gain muscle by lifting in a deficit....

ndj1979

i am pretty much down with what OP is saying..

the only thing I would dispute is the losing fat and building muscle claim. Those two are pretty much directly opposed to one another..go gain muscle you have to eat over TDEE, to lose fat you have to eat under TDEE...

Now, you can lift to try to preserve as much muscle mass as possible, and lose fat...but the average to experienced lifter is not going to add muscle while in a cut...

^ First legitimate criticism of OP's post.

where is the cauliflower????? bahahahahahahahaha

WhoHa42

I knew this would be a hot topic, but didn't think it would get this heated in here. Anyway I just came back and read all the pages, seems like the majority are agreeing with me, and the ones who don't agree with my post, seem to be quoting my age instead of trying to prove me wrong.

Wrong. The ones that don't agree with you take issue with the fact that you seem to have everything all figured out in a neat little package....a neat little package that you and some others seem to fit, but what of the rest of us?

If you were a little longer in the tooth, you would know how wrong you are and be grateful for the good health you enjoy that allows you simple addition and subtraction to get you to your weight loss goals.

He never said losing weight was easy, he said it was simple, which it is. If you have more calories than your body needs at the end of the day you gain weight, if you have less then you lose weight.

Edit: and claiming that the people that have made a change have had it easier in anyway is pretty dumb

PikaKnight

I knew this would be a hot topic, but didn't think it would get this heated in here. Anyway I just came back and read all the pages, seems like the majority are agreeing with me, and the ones who don't agree with my post, seem to be quoting my age instead of trying to prove me wrong.

Wrong. The ones that don't agree with you take issue with the fact that you seem to have everything all figured out in a neat little package....a neat little package that you and some others seem to fit, but what of the rest of us?

If you were a little longer in the tooth, you would know how wrong you are and be grateful for the good health you enjoy that allows you simple addition and subtraction to get you to your weight loss goals.

Myself and many others who are long in the tooth both in age and experience with dealing with weight issues and health, agree with the OP so....

Maybe it's YOU that has it wrong and you should stop focusing so much on age and rather on what the post is actually saying.

nomeejerome

I knew this would be a hot topic, but didn't think it would get this heated in here. Anyway I just came back and read all the pages, seems like the majority are agreeing with me, and the ones who don't agree with my post, seem to be quoting my age instead of trying to prove me wrong.

Wrong. The ones that don't agree with you take issue with the fact that you seem to have everything all figured out in a neat little package....a neat little package that you and some others seem to fit, but what of the rest of us?

If you were a little longer in the tooth, you would know how wrong you are and be grateful for the good health you enjoy that allows you simple addition and subtraction to get you to your weight loss goals.

I am a bit longer in the tooth and it sounds like you are a bit upset/angry and are missing the main point.

Achrya

I knew this would be a hot topic, but didn't think it would get this heated in here. Anyway I just came back and read all the pages, seems like the majority are agreeing with me, and the ones who don't agree with my post, seem to be quoting my age instead of trying to prove me wrong.

Wrong. The ones that don't agree with you take issue with the fact that you seem to have everything all figured out in a neat little package....a neat little package that you and some others seem to fit, but what of the rest of us?

If you were a little longer in the tooth, you would know how wrong you are and be grateful for the good health you enjoy that allows you simple addition and subtraction to get you to your weight loss goals.

Myself and many others who are long in the tooth both in age and experience with dealing with weight issues and health, agree with the OP so....

Maybe it's YOU that has it wrong and you should stop focusing so much on age and rather on what the post is actually saying.

Well you don't count.

Cause reasons.

Reasons that I suspect are something like "But the only argument I have is the OP is too young to be right and so if anyone older agrees I lose my argument!":sad: :sad: :sad:

WisiPls

I knew this would be a hot topic, but didn't think it would get this heated in here. Anyway I just came back and read all the pages, seems like the majority are agreeing with me, and the ones who don't agree with my post, seem to be quoting my age instead of trying to prove me wrong.

Wrong. The ones that don't agree with you take issue with the fact that you seem to have everything all figured out in a neat little package....a neat little package that you and some others seem to fit, but what of the rest of us?

If you were a little longer in the tooth, you would know how wrong you are and be grateful for the good health you enjoy that allows you simple addition and subtraction to get you to your weight loss goals.

Again, this thread has nothing to do with age. If you find your maintenance and then lower your calories, you WILL lose weight. You keep saying I'm wrong, but don't prove me wrong. I don't get it lol.

ndj1979

Ah, the arrogance of youth having all the answers. Like we haven't seen this many times before. Like we weren't in your shoes many years ago when we were the ones with all the answers. And in 30-40 years when you in our shoes and you know you won't have all the answers.

Time is the great equalizer. We've seen this play before.

Don't be hatin, OP is speaking the truth.

While everything is technically correct, there are a lot of nuances missing.

"Just eat under maintenance" would be a whole lot easier if we had a little plug we could attach to the nearest analysis machine and get the correct maintenance calories. A lot of thing affect the human metabolism. Quitting smoking could cause one's metabolism to slow down, as could hormonal imbalances, age, nutrition (or lack) or a myriad of other factors.

And, in reality, if all it took was a bit of education to lose weight, we wouldn't be in such a pickle as a nation. The diet industry wouldn't be a million dollar market. Dr. Oz would still be performing heart surgery. :laugh: There's so much emotion and motivation tied up into what we eat and how much we exercise that it's easy to plug a quick fix and have tons of followers flock to you…

And then to get shamed when you ask a "simple" or even "stupid" question … well, no wonder some people quit before they've begun.

there is a handy dandy machine called a scale that you can weigh yourself on and will give you an output reading of your weight....you then eat at a certain level..if you gain a little reduce...if you maintain for week or two guess what? You have found maintenance...oh, and if you lose that would be your cut level...

I believe this wiz banger of a gizmo runs on batteries too...

Tresiel

All I see are people making excuses for not eating at a deficit, bringing age into things and other random excuses omg it rained today so I cant lose weight. If you are of moderate to good health the formula applies to you. No one said it would be easy.

letmebangbro

All I see are people making excuses for not eating at a deficit, bringing age into things and other random excuses omg it rained today so I cant lose weight. If you are of moderate to good health the formula applies to you. No one said it would be easy.

I am "mirin" dat back.
Looking joocy.