What drives you nuts on the main forums?

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  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    I have one last thought on this all:

    I often see, when someone says they want to go low carb, or paleo, or south beach, atkins, or, or or, numerous folks will ask WHY they want to limit themselves. Why would they want to eliminate foods.

    Why not? For some folks that does seem to be easier.

    Folks who are eating low carb, or paleo, or south beach or or or are said to be on a "diet" that's doomed to fail, and non sustainable.

    While folks who are measuring and counting are on a "lifestyle" that's maintainable, sustainable forever.

    I try to be open to any healthy sounding thing folks say they want to try (again, everyone's at a different place on this journey...) and for some, maybe eliminating "the whites" IS a sustainable lifestyle. It has been for me for the last 12 years!
    I could not imagine counting "forever" as some swear they will do, but can easily see myself keeping the whites out.

    Yet one (the whites) would be called "dieting" by some while counting and measuring but eating the types of food you want is not.

    We're all on a diet. The way we eat is a diet. Maybe it's a weight loss diet, or a diabetic diet, or a vegetarian diet, or a bulking diet...
    And maybe it's called Atkins, or South Beach.
    Maybe we do it 80/20. Maybe we always do it.
    But if we're trying to shed a few, or shape our bodies by eating a certain way, we're dieting.

    I just try to be supportive of folks where they are, and where they want to go, as long as it seems healthy. And, like everyone else here, I'd like my opinions to be considered valued, and treated with respect.

    cheers:drinker:

    I don't necessarily disagree with you.

    Let me just say that there is a difference between reasonably disagreeing and/or discussing a subject, such as the wisdom of cutting out food groups from a diet via paleo or another diet, and insulting people. If someone has a medical reason to cut out a particular food group, then I don't think you are going to find many people disagreeing with someone choosing to do that. To, however, claim that paleo is "the way humans should eat" in the way that it is portrayed by its primary proponents does not make sense to me. To go a step further and insult people, like me (males without shirts) because we do not agree that paleo is appropriate for general application, or because we follow IIFYM, or post shirtless pics, is no more acceptable than for anyone to say that women should shut up and not post their opinions.

    My own posts in her were mean to highlight this latter point. It makes no sense to attack someone for who they are. If you disagree with what someone says then criticize the message, not the messenger. That is the appropriate way to debate, and it is accepted as appropriate debate etiquette in universities, courts, and scientific publications the world over.

    As for lower carb diets in general, I think you will find that many of us shirtless males use them from time to time.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    I have one last thought on this all:

    I often see, when someone says they want to go low carb, or paleo, or south beach, atkins, or, or or, numerous folks will ask WHY they want to limit themselves. Why would they want to eliminate foods.

    Why not? For some folks that does seem to be easier.

    Folks who are eating low carb, or paleo, or south beach or or or are said to be on a "diet" that's doomed to fail, and non sustainable.

    While folks who are measuring and counting are on a "lifestyle" that's maintainable, sustainable forever.

    I try to be open to any healthy sounding thing folks say they want to try (again, everyone's at a different place on this journey...) and for some, maybe eliminating "the whites" IS a sustainable lifestyle. It has been for me for the last 12 years!
    I could not imagine counting "forever" as some swear they will do, but can easily see myself keeping the whites out.

    Yet one (the whites) would be called "dieting" by some while counting and measuring but eating the types of food you want is not.

    We're all on a diet. The way we eat is a diet. Maybe it's a weight loss diet, or a diabetic diet, or a vegetarian diet, or a bulking diet...
    And maybe it's called Atkins, or South Beach.
    Maybe we do it 80/20. Maybe we always do it.
    But if we're trying to shed a few, or shape our bodies by eating a certain way, we're dieting.

    I just try to be supportive of folks where they are, and where they want to go, as long as it seems healthy. And, like everyone else here, I'd like my opinions to be considered valued, and treated with respect.

    cheers:drinker:

    I don't necessarily disagree with you.

    Let me just say that there is a difference between reasonably disagreeing and/or discussing a subject, such as the wisdom of cutting out food groups from a diet via paleo or another diet, and insulting people. If someone has a medical reason to cut out a particular food group, then I don't think you are going to find many people disagreeing with someone choosing to do that. To, however, claim that paleo is "the way humans should eat" in the way that it is portrayed by its primary proponents does not make sense to me. To go a step further and insult people, like me (males without shirts) because we do not agree that paleo is appropriate for general application, or because we follow IIFYM, or post shirtless pics, is no more acceptable than for anyone to say that women should shut up and not post their opinions.

    My own posts in her were mean to highlight this latter point. It makes no sense to attack someone for who they are. If you disagree with what someone says then criticize the message, not the messenger. That is the appropriate way to debate, and it is accepted as appropriate debate etiquette in universities, courts, and scientific publications the world over.

    As for lower carb diets in general, I think you will find that many of us shirtless males use them from time to time.
    I get that you felt insulted, yet none was ever intended. But yes, it does highlight the dangers of generalizing. And, I see that you get that some of the comments on the boards have put other posters off. Though no one has claimed YOUR comments put them off as best I can see.

    But what if someone chooses to cut out something (a food group, or otherwise) because they believe it will be easier for them to sustain as a way of life. Mayhaps it will be. I cut out "the whites" 12 years ago and have never looked back, nor do I miss white bread, added sugar and beer (or the heavily processed foods that went bye bye with the whites). Or the 25lbs.

    Do I deserve insults and mocking? I didn't have a medical reason to do so. Yet when I have posted about it, usually I get donut gifs, and nom nom gifs and mocking comments. Not very accepting, actually, but meh, I have a thick skin. Many folks who are new posters here are frustrated and looking for support, not mocking gifs.

    As for me and the shirtless comments, since I was one of the women who made one: I do NOT discount what someone says because they have their shirt off, male or female, lol.

    I have, however, seen evidence of younger men (often shirtless) declaring that their way is THE way and that they know all about weight loss. Period. The one young man who most recently comes to mind told a 5'nothing girl wanting to lose 10LBS to eat more, not cut back on carbs (why not?) and then told her about his 1400 calorie breakfast. I replied that not everyone just counts to lose weight, many do cut down on simple carbs etc, and that the majority of us do not eat a 1400 calorie breakfast to lose weight. And wasn't he BULKING (something many folks have never heard of).
    He called my post "irrelevant" and essentially said I had no idea what I was talking about.
    The female poster was 5' tall and looking to lose a few pounds for school. She didn't ask how to become a body builder, or "lift heavy" or the like. But that was the advice she got.
    Would cutting back on calories, and cutting down on the simple carbs as she asked help? Sure wouldn't hurt.

    Dan of the roadmap has posted shirtless. Most women don't get bristled by his comments. I've never seen anyone bristled by yours, or SS. But again, you guys seem like mature, well reasoned posters, rather than 19 year olds who've just completed their first cut, which as successful and use a rather brusque, rather sarcastic posting style.
    And I will say that there are groups to which I belong where OTHER women in my age group have posted that they get tired of young men barreling through the forums proclaiming their wisdom about dieting without listening to what's being said or considering the circumstances of the poster, and declaring it "simple" (and even "easy"). And yes, often insulting folks along the way.
    I've not seen you or SS, or Dan or many others do that.

    Apologies if you felt I was insulting you. I did not intend to do so.

    Are you a 20 something? if so, you're quite mature in your posting style.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Options
    I have one last thought on this all:

    I often see, when someone says they want to go low carb, or paleo, or south beach, atkins, or, or or, numerous folks will ask WHY they want to limit themselves. Why would they want to eliminate foods.

    Why not? For some folks that does seem to be easier.

    Folks who are eating low carb, or paleo, or south beach or or or are said to be on a "diet" that's doomed to fail, and non sustainable.

    While folks who are measuring and counting are on a "lifestyle" that's maintainable, sustainable forever.

    I try to be open to any healthy sounding thing folks say they want to try (again, everyone's at a different place on this journey...) and for some, maybe eliminating "the whites" IS a sustainable lifestyle. It has been for me for the last 12 years!
    I could not imagine counting "forever" as some swear they will do, but can easily see myself keeping the whites out.

    Yet one (the whites) would be called "dieting" by some while counting and measuring but eating the types of food you want is not.

    We're all on a diet. The way we eat is a diet. Maybe it's a weight loss diet, or a diabetic diet, or a vegetarian diet, or a bulking diet...
    And maybe it's called Atkins, or South Beach.
    Maybe we do it 80/20. Maybe we always do it.
    But if we're trying to shed a few, or shape our bodies by eating a certain way, we're dieting.

    I just try to be supportive of folks where they are, and where they want to go, as long as it seems healthy. And, like everyone else here, I'd like my opinions to be considered valued, and treated with respect.

    cheers:drinker:

    I don't necessarily disagree with you.

    Let me just say that there is a difference between reasonably disagreeing and/or discussing a subject, such as the wisdom of cutting out food groups from a diet via paleo or another diet, and insulting people. If someone has a medical reason to cut out a particular food group, then I don't think you are going to find many people disagreeing with someone choosing to do that. To, however, claim that paleo is "the way humans should eat" in the way that it is portrayed by its primary proponents does not make sense to me. To go a step further and insult people, like me (males without shirts) because we do not agree that paleo is appropriate for general application, or because we follow IIFYM, or post shirtless pics, is no more acceptable than for anyone to say that women should shut up and not post their opinions.

    My own posts in her were mean to highlight this latter point. It makes no sense to attack someone for who they are. If you disagree with what someone says then criticize the message, not the messenger. That is the appropriate way to debate, and it is accepted as appropriate debate etiquette in universities, courts, and scientific publications the world over.

    As for lower carb diets in general, I think you will find that many of us shirtless males use them from time to time.
    I get that you felt insulted, yet none was ever intended. But yes, it does highlight the dangers of generalizing. And, I see that you get that some of the comments on the boards have put other posters off. Though no one has claimed YOUR comments put them off as best I can see.

    But what if someone chooses to cut out something (a food group, or otherwise) because they believe it will be easier for them to sustain as a way of life. Mayhaps it will be. I cut out "the whites" 12 years ago and have never looked back, nor do I miss white bread, added sugar and beer. Or the 25lbs.

    Do I deserve insults and mocking? I didn't have a medical reason to do so. Yet when I have posted about it, usually I get donut gifs, and nom nom gifs and mocking comments. Not very accepting, actually, but meh, I have a thick skin. Many folks who are new posters here are frustrated and looking for support, not mocking gifs.

    As for me and the shirtless comments, since I was one of the women who made one: I do NOT discount what someone says because they have their shirt off, male or female, lol.

    I have, however, seen evidence of younger men (often shirtless) declaring that their way is THE way and that they know all about weight loss. Period. The one young man who most recently comes to mind told a 5'nothing girl wanting to lose 10LBS to eat more, not cut back on carbs (why not?) and then told her about his 1400 calorie breakfast. I replied that not everyone just counts to lose weight, many do cut down on simple carbs etc, and that the majority of us do not eat a 1400 calorie breakfast to lose weight. And wasn't he BULKING (something many folks have never heard of).
    He called my post "irrelevant" and essentially said I had no idea what I was talking about.
    The female poster was 5' tall and looking to lose a few pounds for school. She didn't ask how to become a body builder, or "lift heavy" or the like. But that was the advice she got.
    Would cutting back on calories, and cutting down on the simple carbs as she asked help? Sure wouldn't hurt.

    Dan of the roadmap has posted shirtless. Most women don't get bristled by his comments. I've never seen anyone bristled by yours, or SS. But again, you guys seem like mature, well reasoned posters, rather than 19 year olds who've just completed their first cut, which as successful and use a rather brusque, rather sarcastic posting style.
    And I will say that there are groups to which I belong where OTHER women in my age group have posted that they get tired of young men barreling through the forums proclaiming their wisdom about dieting without listening to what's being said or considering the circumstances of the poster, and declaring it "simple" (and even "easy"). And yes, often insulting folks along the way.
    I've not seen you or SS, or Dan or many others do that.

    Apologies if you felt I was insulting you. I did not intend to do so.

    Are you a 20 something? if so, you're quite mature in your posting style.

    Again, I pretty much agree with you on these points. And yes, there are shirtless guys insulting people. And no, you do not deserve to be insulted for picking any particular diet. There are also older women venting their frustration on younger women trying to lose weight by accusing them of having EDs etc. There was a thread I was in yesterday where this was going on. A young woman with a closed diary asked for advice on how to drop from 140 pounds to 115. She was repeatedly accused of having anorexia and told that she was at an unhealthy weight. The point is that people can be *kitten* hats, and it doesn't matter whether they're male or female, older or younger, shirted or unshirted (okay not a word, but I'm going with it).

    I do think, however, that it is reasonable to discuss and debate diets on this website, and as long as it is done in a respectful manner, many people will gain knowledge from that process. Diets such as keto, paleo, IIFYM, clean eating, should all be vigorously and repeatedly debated. Do I put myself up as a model debater? No. I do on occasion get sick of being insulted (or get sick of seeing insulting generalizations) and respond in kind or with sarcastic comments (see above for an example). My apologies if my sarcasm was not taken in the manner in which it was honestly intended - to provide a mirror to earlier comments about young guys by using an example of older women. The less time we all spend time talking about the speakers and the more time we spend time talking about the subject matter, the better.

    And by the way, thank you (seriously) for even considering that I may be 20, as I'm turning 41 next month. You honestly just made my day.

    I'm looking forward to more debates in this forum as I think this has taken a productive turn.

    Good morning and have a great day!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    I have one last thought on this all:

    I often see, when someone says they want to go low carb, or paleo, or south beach, atkins, or, or or, numerous folks will ask WHY they want to limit themselves. Why would they want to eliminate foods.

    Why not? For some folks that does seem to be easier.

    Folks who are eating low carb, or paleo, or south beach or or or are said to be on a "diet" that's doomed to fail, and non sustainable.

    While folks who are measuring and counting are on a "lifestyle" that's maintainable, sustainable forever.

    I try to be open to any healthy sounding thing folks say they want to try (again, everyone's at a different place on this journey...) and for some, maybe eliminating "the whites" IS a sustainable lifestyle. It has been for me for the last 12 years!
    I could not imagine counting "forever" as some swear they will do, but can easily see myself keeping the whites out.

    Yet one (the whites) would be called "dieting" by some while counting and measuring but eating the types of food you want is not.

    We're all on a diet. The way we eat is a diet. Maybe it's a weight loss diet, or a diabetic diet, or a vegetarian diet, or a bulking diet...
    And maybe it's called Atkins, or South Beach.
    Maybe we do it 80/20. Maybe we always do it.
    But if we're trying to shed a few, or shape our bodies by eating a certain way, we're dieting.

    I just try to be supportive of folks where they are, and where they want to go, as long as it seems healthy. And, like everyone else here, I'd like my opinions to be considered valued, and treated with respect.

    cheers:drinker:

    I don't necessarily disagree with you.

    Let me just say that there is a difference between reasonably disagreeing and/or discussing a subject, such as the wisdom of cutting out food groups from a diet via paleo or another diet, and insulting people. If someone has a medical reason to cut out a particular food group, then I don't think you are going to find many people disagreeing with someone choosing to do that. To, however, claim that paleo is "the way humans should eat" in the way that it is portrayed by its primary proponents does not make sense to me. To go a step further and insult people, like me (males without shirts) because we do not agree that paleo is appropriate for general application, or because we follow IIFYM, or post shirtless pics, is no more acceptable than for anyone to say that women should shut up and not post their opinions.

    My own posts in her were mean to highlight this latter point. It makes no sense to attack someone for who they are. If you disagree with what someone says then criticize the message, not the messenger. That is the appropriate way to debate, and it is accepted as appropriate debate etiquette in universities, courts, and scientific publications the world over.

    As for lower carb diets in general, I think you will find that many of us shirtless males use them from time to time.
    I get that you felt insulted, yet none was ever intended. But yes, it does highlight the dangers of generalizing. And, I see that you get that some of the comments on the boards have put other posters off. Though no one has claimed YOUR comments put them off as best I can see.

    But what if someone chooses to cut out something (a food group, or otherwise) because they believe it will be easier for them to sustain as a way of life. Mayhaps it will be. I cut out "the whites" 12 years ago and have never looked back, nor do I miss white bread, added sugar and beer. Or the 25lbs.

    Do I deserve insults and mocking? I didn't have a medical reason to do so. Yet when I have posted about it, usually I get donut gifs, and nom nom gifs and mocking comments. Not very accepting, actually, but meh, I have a thick skin. Many folks who are new posters here are frustrated and looking for support, not mocking gifs.

    As for me and the shirtless comments, since I was one of the women who made one: I do NOT discount what someone says because they have their shirt off, male or female, lol.

    I have, however, seen evidence of younger men (often shirtless) declaring that their way is THE way and that they know all about weight loss. Period. The one young man who most recently comes to mind told a 5'nothing girl wanting to lose 10LBS to eat more, not cut back on carbs (why not?) and then told her about his 1400 calorie breakfast. I replied that not everyone just counts to lose weight, many do cut down on simple carbs etc, and that the majority of us do not eat a 1400 calorie breakfast to lose weight. And wasn't he BULKING (something many folks have never heard of).
    He called my post "irrelevant" and essentially said I had no idea what I was talking about.
    The female poster was 5' tall and looking to lose a few pounds for school. She didn't ask how to become a body builder, or "lift heavy" or the like. But that was the advice she got.
    Would cutting back on calories, and cutting down on the simple carbs as she asked help? Sure wouldn't hurt.

    Dan of the roadmap has posted shirtless. Most women don't get bristled by his comments. I've never seen anyone bristled by yours, or SS. But again, you guys seem like mature, well reasoned posters, rather than 19 year olds who've just completed their first cut, which as successful and use a rather brusque, rather sarcastic posting style.
    And I will say that there are groups to which I belong where OTHER women in my age group have posted that they get tired of young men barreling through the forums proclaiming their wisdom about dieting without listening to what's being said or considering the circumstances of the poster, and declaring it "simple" (and even "easy"). And yes, often insulting folks along the way.
    I've not seen you or SS, or Dan or many others do that.

    Apologies if you felt I was insulting you. I did not intend to do so.

    Are you a 20 something? if so, you're quite mature in your posting style.

    Again, I pretty much agree with you on these points. And yes, there are shirtless guys insulting people. And no, you do not deserve to be insulted for picking any particular diet. There are also older women venting their frustration on younger women trying to lose weight by accusing them of having EDs etc. There was a thread I was in yesterday where this was going on. A young woman with a closed diary asked for advice on how to drop from 140 pounds to 115. She was repeatedly accused of having anorexia and told that she was at an unhealthy weight. The point is that people can be *kitten* hats, and it doesn't matter whether they're male or female, older or younger, shirted or unshirted (okay not a word, but I'm going with it).

    I do think, however, that it is reasonable to discuss and debate diets on this website, and as long as it is done in a respectful manner, many people will gain knowledge from that process. Diets such as keto, paleo, IIFYM, clean eating, should all be vigorously and repeatedly debated. Do I put myself up as a model debater? No. I do on occasion get sick of being insulted (or get sick of seeing insulting generalizations) and respond in kind or with sarcastic comments (see above for an example). My apologies if my sarcasm was not taken in the manner in which it was honestly intended - to provide a mirror to earlier comments about young guys by using an example of older women. The less time we all spend time talking about the speakers and the more time we spend time talking about the subject matter, the better.

    And by the way, thank you (seriously) for even considering that I may be 20, as I'm turning 41 next month. You honestly just made my day.

    I'm looking forward to more debates in this forum as I think this has taken a productive turn.

    Good morning and have a great day!
    You do have a young looking back!

    Agreed on all counts.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Options
    I have one last thought on this all:

    I often see, when someone says they want to go low carb, or paleo, or south beach, atkins, or, or or, numerous folks will ask WHY they want to limit themselves. Why would they want to eliminate foods.

    Why not? For some folks that does seem to be easier.

    Folks who are eating low carb, or paleo, or south beach or or or are said to be on a "diet" that's doomed to fail, and non sustainable.

    While folks who are measuring and counting are on a "lifestyle" that's maintainable, sustainable forever.

    I try to be open to any healthy sounding thing folks say they want to try (again, everyone's at a different place on this journey...) and for some, maybe eliminating "the whites" IS a sustainable lifestyle. It has been for me for the last 12 years!
    I could not imagine counting "forever" as some swear they will do, but can easily see myself keeping the whites out.

    Yet one (the whites) would be called "dieting" by some while counting and measuring but eating the types of food you want is not.

    We're all on a diet. The way we eat is a diet. Maybe it's a weight loss diet, or a diabetic diet, or a vegetarian diet, or a bulking diet...
    And maybe it's called Atkins, or South Beach.
    Maybe we do it 80/20. Maybe we always do it.
    But if we're trying to shed a few, or shape our bodies by eating a certain way, we're dieting.

    I just try to be supportive of folks where they are, and where they want to go, as long as it seems healthy. And, like everyone else here, I'd like my opinions to be considered valued, and treated with respect.

    cheers:drinker:

    <3
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Options
    Oh! I have another one. People who complain about others debating fitness and nutrition on a fitness and nutrition website!

    Or, how about people complaining about fit and healthy people on a fitness and nutrition website.

    If only I was sick, seriously overweight, female and/or unhealthy my opinions would be much more valid. Then I would know everything, and be able to tell all the fit and healthy people what they are doing wrong.

    Debating, respectfully, is one thing. This (which I've seen on numerous occasions, and most of the responses are from guys) is a completely different one:

    OP: I've been having trouble losing weight due to my PCOS, so I figured I'd give LCHF/Paleo/gluten free a try. Where can I start? Does anyone have any good recipes?

    P1: You're just eating too much/lying about what you're tracking. You don't need to cut anything out. Everything in moderation.
    P2: Eat less, move more.
    P3: *Posts giant pic of donut*
    P4: *Posts pic of body builder eating 20 donuts*
    P5: It's not healthy to cut food groups out. You need carbs.
    P6: Don't do that. It's not sustainable, or healthy. If you don't have Celiac or a medical condition requiring you to do it, you're just going to fail.
    P7: I've lost 100lbs eating a donut every morning for breakfast! You don't need to cut out foods!
    *More pics of donuts and other heavily-refined simple carbs.*
    *More unsubstantiated claims that the OP is embarking on an unsustainable path, doomed to failure.*

    Pro tip - PCOS and hypothyroidism are two of the top most misdiagnosed disorders in women, and Celiac is one of the most misdiagnosed disorders in general, and it's a fight to get the right tests done to get a diagnosis in most cases. Not having a medical diagnosis in hand does not equate to not having a medical reason for doing something. In some cases, eliminating one or more food group is the way to figure out what's wrong, or further prove your case to your doctors. Or hell, simply because the standard American diet, IIFYM style, is the unsustainable path, and you've read that fat is more satiating, so you want to try it for yourself.

    Again, it's about context (and, in some cases, reading comprehension). Put yourself in the other person's shoes - they've tried the IIFYM way and it's not working for them, so they need to do something different. They've determined that switching to LCHF will help them adhere to their calorie count, and maybe eventually that Paleo helps them adhere to their macros and that they feel better not eating grains. If it works for them and doesn't inherently deprives them of various vital nutrients, why bash it?
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Options
    Oh! I have another one. People who complain about others debating fitness and nutrition on a fitness and nutrition website!

    Or, how about people complaining about fit and healthy people on a fitness and nutrition website.

    If only I was sick, seriously overweight, female and/or unhealthy my opinions would be much more valid. Then I would know everything, and be able to tell all the fit and healthy people what they are doing wrong.

    Debating, respectfully, is one thing. This (which I've seen on numerous occasions, and most of the responses are from guys) is a completely different one:

    OP: I've been having trouble losing weight due to my PCOS, so I figured I'd give LCHF/Paleo/gluten free a try. Where can I start? Does anyone have any good recipes?

    P1: You're just eating too much/lying about what you're tracking. You don't need to cut anything out. Everything in moderation.
    P2: Eat less, move more.
    P3: *Posts giant pic of donut*
    P4: *Posts pic of body builder eating 20 donuts*
    P5: It's not healthy to cut food groups out. You need carbs.
    P6: Don't do that. It's not sustainable, or healthy. If you don't have Celiac or a medical condition requiring you to do it, you're just going to fail.
    P7: I've lost 100lbs eating a donut every morning for breakfast! You don't need to cut out foods!
    *More pics of donuts and other heavily-refined simple carbs.*
    *More unsubstantiated claims that the OP is embarking on an unsustainable path, doomed to failure.*

    Pro tip - PCOS and hypothyroidism are two of the top most misdiagnosed disorders in women, and Celiac is one of the most misdiagnosed disorders in general, and it's a fight to get the right tests done to get a diagnosis in most cases. Not having a medical diagnosis in hand does not equate to not having a medical reason for doing something. In some cases, eliminating one or more food group is the way to figure out what's wrong, or further prove your case to your doctors. Or hell, simply because the standard American diet, IIFYM style, is the unsustainable path, and you've read that fat is more satiating, so you want to try it for yourself.

    Again, it's about context (and, in some cases, reading comprehension). Put yourself in the other person's shoes - they've tried the IIFYM way and it's not working for them, so they need to do something different. They've determined that switching to LCHF will help them adhere to their calorie count, and maybe eventually that Paleo helps them adhere to their macros and that they feel better not eating grains. If it works for them and doesn't inherently deprives them of various vital nutrients, why bash it?

    Please read the discussion above. Rather than reintroducing the discussion of which group is being the bigger *kitten* hat, be it males or females, it would be much more productive to focus on nutrition and fitness. I was truly hoping that we had already moved on to that.

    As for IIFYM, I don't think most people have a very good idea what it is and is not. And it certainly is not the "standard American diet." Yes, there are people saying that they eat at McDonald's every day (hint that really doesn't fit the description so well), and yes some people post pics of donuts (some light heartedly and perhaps some not so light heartedly, and often in response to statements that one should "NEVER" eat sweets, etc.), but in any serious discussion of IIFYM there is ALWAYS the caveat for specific medical conditions when discussing not cutting out food groups. Keep in mind, that gifs such as that are often used to illustrate the absurdity of saying that "you have to eat clean to have visible abs" or that "serious competitors don't eat donuts." The truth is that a "perfect" diet, however you want to define that, isn't necessary. There are plenty of good descriptions out there of what IIFYM is and they have been posted and linked to in these discussions numerous times. I'm happy to provide some if you would like me to, but in general, the idea is to eat a balanced diet with sufficient protein, fats, and fiber while using nutrient dense foods as around 80% of one's total diet and allowing a few calories (around 20%) for "treats." I tend to identify with the diet and the term because it describes quite well what I do. I have never been a potato chip or fast food type of guy but I do like beer, pizza and ice cream. I'm not going to judge another person's treat choices. The more I've gotten into it and studied some of the scientific backings for the approach, the more it has freed my mind to relax and enjoy my food and still enjoy objective success.

    Now, where I personally take issue with cutting out food groups is when it is advised that everyone try it out and "see how it works." It's as if to say that someone doesn't have any food issues but let's start restricting someone's diet anyway to see if we can find something wrong to "diagnose" that isn't really there. If you cut out any food for a while, then you're very likely going to have some gastric distress when you re-introduce it. I went through this before when I tried a low fat diet and started reintroducing more fat in my diet. It doesn't mean that I'm normally sensitive to fats. And frankly, some of the diets such as Paleo that I do take issue with, seem incredibly well suited for someone with a gluten sensitivity, for example. What I have argued, and will continue to argue, is that the anthropological framework for the Paleo diet, and the claim that "humans are meant to eat this way" are not valid. So I guess you could say that my "bashing" (if you wish to call it that) is context specific.

    Let me say one last thing in regard to gifs etc. from IIFYM folks. What any specific person says or does is not necessarily representative of the group. This goes as much for being male or female, as it does for following Paleo, IIFYM or "clean eating." I highly doubt that anyone in this thread wants to claim for themselves statements such as "You deserved to get cancer because your lifestyle choices" that my wife has received from certain MFP members. Interestingly enough, my first strike on MFP came because I tore into one of those *kitten* hats in a clean eating thread. Apparently, MFP allows people to be as cruel as they like in PMs but calling someone an "*kitten* hat" in the forums is a big no no.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    yeah, IIFYM is represented poorly on what people say here sometimes, then you look at diaries and most are 80/20 or similar. I personally have (or I should say have had) a very "all or nothing" attitude to health and fitness that I fight to overcome, and without IIFYM and calorie counting/MFP I would do fine for a while then go off the deep end on a binge every few weeks or so.

    This is fine when I am exercising, but when I stop exercising in the past I lose motivation for eating right and just eat more like I do during a binge. I don't feel this "all or none" behaivor is very healthy due to my own experiences and thought processes. I would prefer to not feel like "bad" foods are such a treat that I want to eat them all when I get a small taste.

    I find by just tracking what I eat, INCLUDING foods I want to eat to make nutrient goals and then not sweating a few calories here and there that may not be from ideal foods, I'm in a much better place than when I just strived to "eat clean".

    At no point in IIFYM do I strive to make a diet of crummy food fit some macro goal that I've chosen and say I'm doing anything "right".
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Or hell, simply because the standard American diet, IIFYM style, is the unsustainable path, and you've read that fat is more satiating, so you want to try it for yourself.

    Again, it's about context (and, in some cases, reading comprehension). Put yourself in the other person's shoes - they've tried the IIFYM way and it's not working for them, so they need to do something different. They've determined that switching to LCHF will help them adhere to their calorie count, and maybe eventually that Paleo helps them adhere to their macros and that they feel better not eating grains. If it works for them and doesn't inherently deprives them of various vital nutrients, why bash it?

    The standard American diet is not IIFYM.

    You do realize that people are IIFYM'ing of they low carb much of the time?
  • 366to266
    366to266 Posts: 473 Member
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    What drives me nuts on the main forums?

    I saw a woman yesterday being congratulated on her weight loss (It WAS impressive, I grant you) and then reading her food diary and finding that she lives almost entirely upon processed junk food. But because it's within her calorie limit, she's losing weight, so people are endorsing and praising her.

    I think there is more to this than losing weight -- if you lose your health at the same time, it wasn't worth doing!

    Her typical day was

    Breakfast - 2 slices white bread with jam and low fat spread or a bowl of cereal sprinkled with extra white sugar

    Lunch - a sugary yoghurt, and a bag of some kind of potato, wheat or corn based snack

    Dinner - a processed ready meal, followed by fruit, or some processed low fat diet junk dessert food

    Snacks - processed food like chocolate, chips, etc.

    The diet is dangerously low in protein, contained nothing that is alive or not long dead (such as fresh veg, fish or meat) and AFAIK, the only bit of "real" one-ingredient food she eats is the fruit, and that, as we know, isn't THAT healthy, either!

    And yet people will criticise me for being HF- LC!

    The other thing that annoys me is the number of people who have told me not to cut out any food group but eat everything in moderation, including sugar and wheat. If I could do that I would not have reached 366 pounds!
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    Options
    Or hell, simply because the standard American diet, IIFYM style, is the unsustainable path, and you've read that fat is more satiating, so you want to try it for yourself.

    Again, it's about context (and, in some cases, reading comprehension). Put yourself in the other person's shoes - they've tried the IIFYM way and it's not working for them, so they need to do something different. They've determined that switching to LCHF will help them adhere to their calorie count, and maybe eventually that Paleo helps them adhere to their macros and that they feel better not eating grains. If it works for them and doesn't inherently deprives them of various vital nutrients, why bash it?

    The standard American diet is not IIFYM.

    You do realize that people are IIFYM'ing of they low carb much of the time?

    I didn't think that I was saying IIFYM was necessarily SAD. I apologize if it came off that way. And yes, I understand that, technically speaking, anyone on MFP or any other site that's trying to stay within more than just their calorie goals is doing it in an IIFYM way, regardless of whether they're using another system (or no system) to guide their food choices. That's why I worded it as "the standard American diet, IIFYM style."

    The standard American diet, at least as I've always understood it, comes out with a macro spread of something like 250-300g of carbs, 50-70g of fat, and 50-75g of protein (based on the USDA food guides of a 55/30/15 ratio on the "good" end, and stats of 50/35/15 at the "bad" end). Even the stereotypical diet of McDonald's and Twinkies averages not far off from the USDA recommended ratios (the aforementioned "bad" end).

    Even on a good day, that's extraordinarily carb-heavy. I know I personally wasn't able to adhere to IIFYM eating that spread. I wanted to gnaw my arm off eating barely under maintenance. I also couldn't really break into LCHF until I dropped grains, forcing me to use other things as meal bases, even on lazy days. It was just too easy for me to blow my carb number out of the water from just eating a sandwich and a banana.

    That's what I was trying to refer to in the part you quoted - "just eating the way the USDA recommends (55/30/15) and staying within macros isn't working for me, so I'm going to try LCHF....LCHF isn't working, because I don't really have any other guideline, but I've found this framework that makes sense, doesn't deprive me of micronutrients, and can easily be adapted to LCHF, let's try it."

    If the above person has chosen to not eat McDonald's anymore, for whatever reason, does that really warrant people posting pictures of Big Macs, or telling them "don't bother, you'll just fail," and "everything in moderation," on a thread that only tangentially relates to their decision to use a certain framework for eating?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Even on a good day, that's extraordinarily carb-heavy. I know I personally wasn't able to adhere to IIFYM eating that spread

    Just as a point of clarification, that has to do with your macro targets and not IIFYM.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Options
    Or hell, simply because the standard American diet, IIFYM style, is the unsustainable path, and you've read that fat is more satiating, so you want to try it for yourself.

    Again, it's about context (and, in some cases, reading comprehension). Put yourself in the other person's shoes - they've tried the IIFYM way and it's not working for them, so they need to do something different. They've determined that switching to LCHF will help them adhere to their calorie count, and maybe eventually that Paleo helps them adhere to their macros and that they feel better not eating grains. If it works for them and doesn't inherently deprives them of various vital nutrients, why bash it?

    The standard American diet is not IIFYM.

    You do realize that people are IIFYM'ing of they low carb much of the time?

    I didn't think that I was saying IIFYM was necessarily SAD. I apologize if it came off that way. And yes, I understand that, technically speaking, anyone on MFP or any other site that's trying to stay within more than just their calorie goals is doing it in an IIFYM way, regardless of whether they're using another system (or no system) to guide their food choices. That's why I worded it as "the standard American diet, IIFYM style."

    The standard American diet, at least as I've always understood it, comes out with a macro spread of something like 250-300g of carbs, 50-70g of fat, and 50-75g of protein (based on the USDA food guides of a 55/30/15 ratio on the "good" end, and stats of 50/35/15 at the "bad" end). Even the stereotypical diet of McDonald's and Twinkies averages not far off from the USDA recommended ratios (the aforementioned "bad" end).

    Even on a good day, that's extraordinarily carb-heavy. I know I personally wasn't able to adhere to IIFYM eating that spread. I wanted to gnaw my arm off eating barely under maintenance. I also couldn't really break into LCHF until I dropped grains, forcing me to use other things as meal bases, even on lazy days. It was just too easy for me to blow my carb number out of the water from just eating a sandwich and a banana.

    That's what I was trying to refer to in the part you quoted - "just eating the way the USDA recommends (55/30/15) and staying within macros isn't working for me, so I'm going to try LCHF....LCHF isn't working, because I don't really have any other guideline, but I've found this framework that makes sense, doesn't deprive me of micronutrients, and can easily be adapted to LCHF, let's try it."

    If the above person has chosen to not eat McDonald's anymore, for whatever reason, does that really warrant people posting pictures of Big Macs, or telling them "don't bother, you'll just fail," and "everything in moderation," on a thread that only tangentially relates to their decision to use a certain framework for eating?

    Why are you assuming that the macros in a SAD are anything like IIFYM, or that the USDA recommendations are appropriate? I do not use them and I apply IIFYM. For IIFYM, you set your own macros based on your stats and goals and specific circumstances.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    Oh! I have another one. People who complain about others debating fitness and nutrition on a fitness and nutrition website!

    Or, how about people complaining about fit and healthy people on a fitness and nutrition website.

    If only I was sick, seriously overweight, female and/or unhealthy my opinions would be much more valid. Then I would know everything, and be able to tell all the fit and healthy people what they are doing wrong.

    Debating, respectfully, is one thing. This (which I've seen on numerous occasions, and most of the responses are from guys) is a completely different one:

    OP: I've been having trouble losing weight due to my PCOS, so I figured I'd give LCHF/Paleo/gluten free a try. Where can I start? Does anyone have any good recipes?

    P1: You're just eating too much/lying about what you're tracking. You don't need to cut anything out. Everything in moderation.
    P2: Eat less, move more.
    P3: *Posts giant pic of donut*
    P4: *Posts pic of body builder eating 20 donuts*
    P5: It's not healthy to cut food groups out. You need carbs.
    P6: Don't do that. It's not sustainable, or healthy. If you don't have Celiac or a medical condition requiring you to do it, you're just going to fail.
    P7: I've lost 100lbs eating a donut every morning for breakfast! You don't need to cut out foods!
    *More pics of donuts and other heavily-refined simple carbs.*
    *More unsubstantiated claims that the OP is embarking on an unsustainable path, doomed to failure.*

    Pro tip - PCOS and hypothyroidism are two of the top most misdiagnosed disorders in women, and Celiac is one of the most misdiagnosed disorders in general, and it's a fight to get the right tests done to get a diagnosis in most cases. Not having a medical diagnosis in hand does not equate to not having a medical reason for doing something. In some cases, eliminating one or more food group is the way to figure out what's wrong, or further prove your case to your doctors. Or hell, simply because the standard American diet, IIFYM style, is the unsustainable path, and you've read that fat is more satiating, so you want to try it for yourself.

    Again, it's about context (and, in some cases, reading comprehension). Put yourself in the other person's shoes - they've tried the IIFYM way and it's not working for them, so they need to do something different. They've determined that switching to LCHF will help them adhere to their calorie count, and maybe eventually that Paleo helps them adhere to their macros and that they feel better not eating grains. If it works for them and doesn't inherently deprives them of various vital nutrients, why bash it?

    Please read the discussion above. Rather than reintroducing the discussion of which group is being the bigger *kitten* hat, be it males or females, it would be much more productive to focus on nutrition and fitness. I was truly hoping that we had already moved on to that.

    As for IIFYM, I don't think most people have a very good idea what it is and is not. And it certainly is not the "standard American diet." Yes, there are people saying that they eat at McDonald's every day (hint that really doesn't fit the description so well), and yes some people post pics of donuts (some light heartedly and perhaps some not so light heartedly, and often in response to statements that one should "NEVER" eat sweets, etc.), but in any serious discussion of IIFYM there is ALWAYS the caveat for specific medical conditions when discussing not cutting out food groups. Keep in mind, that gifs such as that are often used to illustrate the absurdity of saying that "you have to eat clean to have visible abs" or that "serious competitors don't eat donuts." The truth is that a "perfect" diet, however you want to define that, isn't necessary. There are plenty of good descriptions out there of what IIFYM is and they have been posted and linked to in these discussions numerous times. I'm happy to provide some if you would like me to, but in general, the idea is to eat a balanced diet with sufficient protein, fats, and fiber while using nutrient dense foods as around 80% of one's total diet and allowing a few calories (around 20%) for "treats." I tend to identify with the diet and the term because it describes quite well what I do. I have never been a potato chip or fast food type of guy but I do like beer, pizza and ice cream. I'm not going to judge another person's treat choices. The more I've gotten into it and studied some of the scientific backings for the approach, the more it has freed my mind to relax and enjoy my food and still enjoy objective success.

    Now, where I personally take issue with cutting out food groups is when it is advised that everyone try it out and "see how it works." It's as if to say that someone doesn't have any food issues but let's start restricting someone's diet anyway to see if we can find something wrong to "diagnose" that isn't really there. If you cut out any food for a while, then you're very likely going to have some gastric distress when you re-introduce it. I went through this before when I tried a low fat diet and started reintroducing more fat in my diet. It doesn't mean that I'm normally sensitive to fats. And frankly, some of the diets such as Paleo that I do take issue with, seem incredibly well suited for someone with a gluten sensitivity, for example. What I have argued, and will continue to argue, is that the anthropological framework for the Paleo diet, and the claim that "humans are meant to eat this way" are not valid. So I guess you could say that my "bashing" (if you wish to call it that) is context specific.

    Let me say one last thing in regard to gifs etc. from IIFYM folks. What any specific person says or does is not necessarily representative of the group. This goes as much for being male or female, as it does for following Paleo, IIFYM or "clean eating." I highly doubt that anyone in this thread wants to claim for themselves statements such as "You deserved to get cancer because your lifestyle choices" that my wife has received from certain MFP members. Interestingly enough, my first strike on MFP came because I tore into one of those *kitten* hats in a clean eating thread. Apparently, MFP allows people to be as cruel as they like in PMs but calling someone an "*kitten* hat" in the forums is a big no no.

    I wasn't trying to bring up the discussion again of "who's the bigger asshat." It comes down to the polar opposite of the OP posting something rude or unhelpful, because the OP is doing something the responder doesn't agree with. It happens in all groups, and it's rarely actually productive.

    That said, the post I quoted struck a nerve, because it was being snarky to a discussion that wasn't about whether a genuine response that considered the poster's own issues and was trying to help, but rather was about the asshats who have a "I lost weight easily, so weight loss is easy for everyone. If it's not easy for you, then you're just being lazy" attitude and don't even take the time to consider the person's specific issues. If a particular way of eating works for you, great. Just keep in mind that what works for you doesn't work for everyone, and that changing weight isn't the only success marker (maintaining good health, or even simply adherence and ability to eat within the calorie allotment are important markers of success).

    I think the biggest issue with just about any eating framework is that the realities of it are often clouded by the people using their chosen one as a bat to beat people over the head with. The sane end of "clean eating" isn't that far off from any of the other whole-foods based frameworks, but its goal is lost because of the people like the one you encountered. Likewise, the realities of using Paleo as a framework is lost because of people who keep repeating the fallacy that the framework is supposed to exactly recreate our ancestors, and the sane IIFYM realities are lost because of the jerks using it as a bat and mocking the people who legitimately only have 1200-1400 calorie allotments, or who immediately attack the OP of a thread because they mentioned "eating clean" (which, to be honest, I see more than clean crusaders in an IIFYM post, and usually under the banner of "well, they do it to us!").

    That's one of the things that bugs me - people using things like IIFYM, "everything in moderation," and "it's all just math" (and Veg*nism, Paleo, or any other framework) as bats with which to beat other people over the head. If the thread is a discussion on the merits of the different concepts, then discuss it, but if it simply mentions a particular framework to provide context ("hey guys, know any good vegan substitutes for meat in lasagna?"), there's no need to start a debate or go on a "my way is better" tirade in that discussion.
  • kiramaniac
    kiramaniac Posts: 800 Member
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    What is IIFYM? I get that it means "If it Fits Your Macros". I'm sensing that there's more to it though.

    Is it just that you are hitting the macros that you define? For example, I target 70F - 25P - 5C; for carbs that's about 20g Carb a day. As long as I am selecting items that allow me to hit those targets, am I meeting IIFYM? Or does true IIFYM actually prescribe the macro targets? Is this an actual diet plan? (I'm seeing an IIFYM website).

    I just assumed it meant that you can eat whatever you want, provided it fits within your macro targets. So if I target 20 g carbs a day, a banana with 31 g carbs, wouldn't be a good "IIFYM" choice for my diet. But it would be fine for someone doing low fat - high carb diet, who targets 250 g carb per day.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    What is IIFYM? I get that it means "If it Fits Your Macros". I'm sensing that there's more to it though.

    Is it just that you are hitting the macros that you define? For example, I target 70F - 25P - 5C; for carbs that's about 20g Carb a day. As long as I am selecting items that allow me to hit those targets, am I meeting IIFYM? Or does true IIFYM actually prescribe the macro targets? Is this an actual diet plan? (I'm seeing an IIFYM website).

    I just assumed it meant that you can eat whatever you want, provided it fits within your macro targets. So if I target 20 g carbs a day, a banana with 31 g carbs, wouldn't be a good "IIFYM" choice for my diet. But it would be fine for someone doing low fat - high carb diet, who targets 250 g carb per day.

    IIFYM - is IF It Fits Your Macros. The IIFYM website has suggested macros but it is not IIFYM per se. You pick your own macros.

    The point is that you can eat whatever food you wish to, assuming you get appropriate nutrients and fiber.

    Your 70/25/5 (yours is percentages), so that would probably be 124/100/20 in grams example is the same as my current 50/160/130 (mine is in grams) in that we both try to hit them and try to hit them in a way that is satiating and presumably relatively nutrient dense.

    My macros allow me ice cream. Yours do not. It does not change the fact that we are both IIFYM'ing.


    Edited for typo and to clarify that I look at my macros in grams not percentages
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    I didn't think that I was saying IIFYM was necessarily SAD. I apologize if it came off that way. And yes, I understand that, technically speaking, anyone on MFP or any other site that's trying to stay within more than just their calorie goals is doing it in an IIFYM way, regardless of whether they're using another system (or no system) to guide their food choices. That's why I worded it as "the standard American diet, IIFYM style."

    The standard American diet, at least as I've always understood it, comes out with a macro spread of something like 250-300g of carbs, 50-70g of fat, and 50-75g of protein (based on the USDA food guides of a 55/30/15 ratio on the "good" end, and stats of 50/35/15 at the "bad" end). Even the stereotypical diet of McDonald's and Twinkies averages not far off from the USDA recommended ratios (the aforementioned "bad" end).

    Even on a good day, that's extraordinarily carb-heavy. I know I personally wasn't able to adhere to IIFYM eating that spread. I wanted to gnaw my arm off eating barely under maintenance. I also couldn't really break into LCHF until I dropped grains, forcing me to use other things as meal bases, even on lazy days. It was just too easy for me to blow my carb number out of the water from just eating a sandwich and a banana.

    That's what I was trying to refer to in the part you quoted - "just eating the way the USDA recommends (55/30/15) and staying within macros isn't working for me, so I'm going to try LCHF....LCHF isn't working, because I don't really have any other guideline, but I've found this framework that makes sense, doesn't deprive me of micronutrients, and can easily be adapted to LCHF, let's try it."

    If the above person has chosen to not eat McDonald's anymore, for whatever reason, does that really warrant people posting pictures of Big Macs, or telling them "don't bother, you'll just fail," and "everything in moderation," on a thread that only tangentially relates to their decision to use a certain framework for eating?

    Why are you assuming that the macros in a SAD are anything like IIFYM, or that the USDA recommendations are appropriate? I do not use them and I apply IIFYM. For IIFYM, you set your own macros based on your stats and goals and specific circumstances.

    I'm not, that's kind of my point.

    My understanding of IIFYM is along the lines of what this post says ( http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym )
    IIFYM literally means to hit your calorie and macronutrient targets by end of day choosing foods that you enjoy eating.
    [...]
    It is not a specific macro setting. There is a website out there that has the IIFYM label that includes a calorie calculation tool and unfortunately several people on MFP believe that doing "IIFYM" means eating those specific macros. This is false. IIFYM is a philosophy about food selection and and how body composition changes are a function of nutrient intake and energy balance rather than a function of individual food sources.

    As for what the macronutrient ratios should be depends on who you ask. The USDA, which most people will likely start with (in the form of the food pyramid or MyPlate) will end up with the spread I mentioned before, at first. Or something similar, such as MFP's numbers. A person then may change their macros based on the information they have acquired at the time. IIFYM, as done at iifym.com uses the Xg/pound of body mass method of determining protein and fat, which could be argued is a more appropriate spread for a person (and I wouldn't necessarily disagree). Some frameworks recommend a certain number of carbs, the Xg/lb for protein, and the rest as fat, and still adhere to the nature of IIFYM.

    Unless there's some other definition of IIFYM that I'm unaware of? If there is, then it further highlights my other point about the people that use a concept as a beating stick muddying the waters of the concept they claim to support.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Options
    I didn't think that I was saying IIFYM was necessarily SAD. I apologize if it came off that way. And yes, I understand that, technically speaking, anyone on MFP or any other site that's trying to stay within more than just their calorie goals is doing it in an IIFYM way, regardless of whether they're using another system (or no system) to guide their food choices. That's why I worded it as "the standard American diet, IIFYM style."

    The standard American diet, at least as I've always understood it, comes out with a macro spread of something like 250-300g of carbs, 50-70g of fat, and 50-75g of protein (based on the USDA food guides of a 55/30/15 ratio on the "good" end, and stats of 50/35/15 at the "bad" end). Even the stereotypical diet of McDonald's and Twinkies averages not far off from the USDA recommended ratios (the aforementioned "bad" end).

    Even on a good day, that's extraordinarily carb-heavy. I know I personally wasn't able to adhere to IIFYM eating that spread. I wanted to gnaw my arm off eating barely under maintenance. I also couldn't really break into LCHF until I dropped grains, forcing me to use other things as meal bases, even on lazy days. It was just too easy for me to blow my carb number out of the water from just eating a sandwich and a banana.

    That's what I was trying to refer to in the part you quoted - "just eating the way the USDA recommends (55/30/15) and staying within macros isn't working for me, so I'm going to try LCHF....LCHF isn't working, because I don't really have any other guideline, but I've found this framework that makes sense, doesn't deprive me of micronutrients, and can easily be adapted to LCHF, let's try it."

    If the above person has chosen to not eat McDonald's anymore, for whatever reason, does that really warrant people posting pictures of Big Macs, or telling them "don't bother, you'll just fail," and "everything in moderation," on a thread that only tangentially relates to their decision to use a certain framework for eating?

    Why are you assuming that the macros in a SAD are anything like IIFYM, or that the USDA recommendations are appropriate? I do not use them and I apply IIFYM. For IIFYM, you set your own macros based on your stats and goals and specific circumstances.

    I'm not, that's kind of my point.

    My understanding of IIFYM is along the lines of what this post says ( http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym )
    IIFYM literally means to hit your calorie and macronutrient targets by end of day choosing foods that you enjoy eating.
    [...]
    It is not a specific macro setting. There is a website out there that has the IIFYM label that includes a calorie calculation tool and unfortunately several people on MFP believe that doing "IIFYM" means eating those specific macros. This is false. IIFYM is a philosophy about food selection and and how body composition changes are a function of nutrient intake and energy balance rather than a function of individual food sources.

    As for what the macronutrient ratios should be depends on who you ask. The USDA, which most people will likely start with (in the form of the food pyramid or MyPlate) will end up with the spread I mentioned before, at first. Or something similar, such as MFP's numbers. A person then may change their macros based on the information they have acquired at the time. IIFYM, as done at iifym.com uses the Xg/pound of body mass method of determining protein and fat, which could be argued is a more appropriate spread for a person (and I wouldn't necessarily disagree). Some frameworks recommend a certain number of carbs, the Xg/lb for protein, and the rest as fat, and still adhere to the nature of IIFYM.

    Unless there's some other definition of IIFYM that I'm unaware of? If there is, then it further highlights my other point about the people that use a concept as a beating stick muddying the waters of the concept they claim to support.

    Honestly, I am lost as to what you were trying to say. Not being *****y here, but I really am confused as to the point you were making - I probably need more coffee.

    ETA: It seems as though you jumped from USDA to LCHF without the middle ground. I suppose that I would question whether the middle ground (more protein and fats and lower carbs but not low carb/high fats) would not be something for many people to try first.
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
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    Honestly, I am lost as to what you were trying to say. Not being *****y here, but I really am confused as to the point you were making - I probably need more coffee.

    ETA: It seems as though you jumped from USDA to LCHF without the middle ground. I suppose that I would question whether the middle ground (more protein and fats and lower carbs but not low carb/high fats) would not be something for many people to try first.

    You keep insisting that I'm saying the IIFYM == SAD. I'm trying to explain that I'm not saying that, but rather that someone can use IIFYM principles while still eating a diet based off the USDA recommendations (which is a 55/30/15 macro ratio) or even the stereotypical SAD diet (which comes out to 50/35/15).

    To be honest, I was about to give up, myself, if you mentioned again that I'm saying "IIFYM == SAD", because I'm not, and I've run out of ways to say such. =/

    :drinker: <-- virtual coffee :)

    ETA: The actual path that a person takes through dietary frameworks doesn't matter much. Some may be gradual, some may not be (I personally went from doing "healthy USDA" based to Primal, which is lower carb by nature, and lowered my carbs <100g from there), some may go from USDA to vegetarian (which generally isn't low carb without some effort). My point was "method A isn't working for me, let's try method B."
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Honestly, I am lost as to what you were trying to say. Not being *****y here, but I really am confused as to the point you were making - I probably need more coffee.

    You keep insisting that I'm saying the IIFYM == SAD. I'm trying to explain that I'm not saying that, but rather that someone can use IIFYM principles while still eating a diet based off the USDA recommendations (which is a 55/30/15 macro ratio) or even the stereotypical SAD diet (which comes out to 50/35/15).

    To be honest, I was about to give up, myself, if you mentioned again that I'm saying "IIFYM == SAD", because I'm not, and I've run out of ways to say such. =/

    :drinker: <-- virtual coffee :)

    I do not keep insisting that at all. I made a clarifying post. Sorry if you are getting so frustrated trying to get your point across. I though that having people clarify and understand what people are actually trying to say was a good thing rather than having all these rampant misunderstandings.

    And...yes they can use the USDA recommendations. I have no idea why they would personally, other than the fact that they are the USDA recommendations.