Top 10 MFP community falsehoods

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Replies

  • verycarrie79
    verycarrie79 Posts: 3
    Nicely written! Good job!
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    Excellent post - nicely done!

    Also - can we have the references listed in the Harvard style, if you don't mind... :wink:

    Interesting and though-provoking.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    i am down with everything you are saying except four ...I dont really see how you can build muscle in a 500 calorie deficit. My understanding is that you need energy to build muscle, and while in a calorie deficit, you are also in an energy deficit. Other than that, I love this post...so much BS on the threads...
    Agreed, you can't gain muscle from nothing, Also, once people get to an intermediate and advanced level, strength will plummet in a deficit.
  • glin23
    glin23 Posts: 460 Member
    nice work
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Cliffs?

    Tl;dr I'm going to simplify this whole diet and fitness thing by writing an entire freaking essay that's got some truths but just about as many flaws.

    Thanks! Sounds about right.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    Fantastic post. There is a lot of good information here.
  • zumbalinda22
    zumbalinda22 Posts: 182 Member
    Bump.
  • FourIsCompany
    FourIsCompany Posts: 269 Member
    I hope that in some small way I can help push the group back in that direction and away from the "I know better than everyone, listen to me!!!" theme that we currently seem to have. And yes, I do recognize the irony in that statement, as I'm about to list out a bunch of things that I know to be correct in spite of the trends.

    It's good that you see the irony because that was my very first thought...
    I have far too many references to list.

    That's too bad.
    The keys to success are applying the knowledge you gain to your own plan, and adjusting based on your personal results.

    Wait... I agree with this statement of yours, but it sounds completely contrary to your list of "falsehoods". What I've learned and done and what has worked for me in my weight loss is contrary to many of the "truths" on your list. I strongly agree with some of the statements you've made and strongly disagree with others. But to make 10 blanket statements, as if they apply to everyone, and then tell everyone to apply and adjust based on THEIR knowledge and THEIR personal results, is, yet again, pretty ironic.

    Interesting read, though. :smile:
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Cliffs?

    Tl;dr I'm going to simplify this whole diet and fitness thing by writing an entire freaking essay that's got some truths but just about as many flaws.
    ^this

    +2
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    References please. :flowerforyou:
  • kikih64
    kikih64 Posts: 349 Member
    The keys to success are applying the knowledge you gain to your own plan, and adjusting based on your personal results.


    Yes, I am a science experiment!!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Cliffs?

    Tl;dr I'm going to simplify this whole diet and fitness thing by writing an entire freaking essay that's got some truths but just about as many flaws.
    "And I base all my conclusions on the premise that everyone is just like me."

    Sorry OP, in order to gain muscle on a deficit one needs to be fat enough that their fat cells can supply the excess energy needed to build muscle. But keep dreaming that you are building so much muscle because of strength increases, if that's what keeps you adhering to your workouts.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    2 months on MFP... you must know everything.
  • MiloBloom83
    MiloBloom83 Posts: 2,724 Member
    Are we getting paid by the word for forum posts now? Did I miss a memo?
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    Oh.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    Going gluten-free doesn't mean losing money/spending more money/whatever. You don't have to go out and buy gluten-free alternatives. My 2 cents anyway.
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
    The biggest falsehoods are "I'm experiencing X, therefore X is the truth for everyone" followed closely by "that doesn't apply to me, we are all different".

    The balance is not in either statement.

    Yes, plateaus are a phenomenon mostly generated by improper adherence and inconsistency in diet and/or exercise. But they are very much a real experience - people do see weight loss plateau and stop and the reasons vary. It seems that you make the assumption that one just "needs to stick to the plan" and everything will be resolved. Except this clearly ignores the simple fact the adherence (you have problems with "discipline"?) is a multi-faceted element that touches on emotional and physiological interactions. Why do binges occur? Why is adherence hard? Why do most diets fail?
    "You have no discipline" is not only patently false but not helpful. Inconsistent discipline in most things is a fact of life as priorities change or get impacted by external influences - how well one adjusts to them matters.

    Eat more to lose weight actually works for many people if it reduces cravings and increases adherence and provides sufficient energy to perform. Your rapid loss project is not the way everyone needs or wants to go. I'm quite comfortable at my very slow recomp as I eat food I enjoy. And that enjoyment is part of the lifestyle I want to life. I would not stick to it long term if I was eating 1200. Adherence and satisfaction can be key long term elements for many.
    The same goes for people who swear that even for obese people, a specific number of lbs per week is the maximum "healthy" rate of loss. There is no science to support that exact number. There *is* science to support the limit of roughly 6% of your body's fat mass per week as an upper limit on the rate of fat loss.

    Actually not true. There are a lot of possible complications due to rapid weight loss - from pituitary damage to gall stones. Nutritional needs are a lot harder to meet at larger cuts. When we see people on the boards complaining of hair loss or other medical issues due to hard cuts, it is incorrect to tell then there isn't medical reasons to increase calories.

    As to the 6% number, that science is based on a weak interpretation of studies from the 50s. Would suggest you review the source of that one.
    Another good example is the "your problem is that you are addicted to the scale" argument. Preposterous. There is nothing wrong with weighing yourself every 5 minutes if you want to. All data is good data.

    Misses out on the psychological aspect of weighing oneself all the time. Obsessing over weight can result in adherence problems. That you don't doesn't mean others don't.
    Your metabolism is not by default faster or slower than everyone else's. It just isn't. Your level of physical activity, your diet, your current state of and/or history of obesity, and your overall size and frame do affect your metabolism. But yours is going to be pretty much the same as someone else with the same background and stats. As with all things, there is some variation within those groups, but it's not a significant amount.

    Metabolic variation exist and are significant. We are just beginning to understand this.
    Suggested start ... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2581785/
    Variations can be well above/below 20% estimated although LBM weight remains the largest indicator of change.
    footnote - Adaptive Thermogenesis

    AT itself is not a falsehood. I already have 10 of those on my list, but AT deserves a mention on this list because it *is* a real thing that gets manipulated and otherwise falsified quite often. People will see the effects of AT and call it something else. Or, they will think that they have done irreparable damage to their bodies because of the effects of AT. Adaptive Thermogenesis is, when simplified, a reduction in overall body temperature.

    Already dealt with this in an entire thread - AT has a variety of other elements which you are chosing to ignore.

    Overall you have some great info but I suggest temperance in that your experience or method might not suit everyone.

    Why are we not friends?

    I agree with this completely.
  • smcpherson001
    smcpherson001 Posts: 3
    Very well written and expressed! Thanks for this dose of reality amongst the blather!
  • mommabenefield
    mommabenefield Posts: 1,329 Member
    E3ZQBDX.gif

    thank-you.gif

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    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMfT2V1qLJk7____qBOGXRm0iTxwur_5TviNqSkJShHW4yntCa




    Sorry, i just thought all of these served a purpose in here :devil:
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Like!!!
  • smcpherson001
    smcpherson001 Posts: 3
    You're right - it doesn't have to be expensive. But for most people who choose to go GF, then try to find GF replacements for the foods they will no longer eat, such as bread and pasta. And those items are ridiculously expensive. So if people who choose GF would just learn to live without the bread and the pasta, it's not expensive at all.
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
    Beautiful! Love it! Thanks for posting this.
  • Jess1caLe
    Jess1caLe Posts: 31 Member
    Bump for a good read.
  • prettyface55
    prettyface55 Posts: 508 Member
    Grreat info!

    Can someone please message me and tell me what does "BUMP" mean when said here in the forum!
  • TwoPointZero
    TwoPointZero Posts: 187 Member
    I would quibble with some of the details (which, given that you are an engineer, shouldn't bother you a bit . . .), but, overall, nice post. :)
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    You're right - it doesn't have to be expensive. But for most people who choose to go GF, then try to find GF replacements for the foods they will no longer eat, such as bread and pasta. And those items are ridiculously expensive. So if people who choose GF would just learn to live without the bread and the pasta, it's not expensive at all.

    I do not buy the alternatives. I don't need pasta and bread to live :P So maybe I am a minority, but I don't spend any more money than I was before I went GF.
  • healthyplans
    healthyplans Posts: 134 Member
    bump!! Want to read it later when I can really think about it all!! But from what I could tell, I agree!! Well said!!
  • jclark0523
    jclark0523 Posts: 47 Member

    5.) I have a slow Metabolism

    Your metabolism is not by default faster or slower than everyone else's.

    This is so true. I recently had my metabolism tested professionally. I always thought I had a slow metabolism. Turns out mine is 3% faster than normal.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Cliffs?

    Tl;dr I'm going to simplify this whole diet and fitness thing by writing an entire freaking essay that's got some truths but just about as many flaws.
    "And I base all my conclusions on the premise that everyone is just like me."

    Sorry OP, in order to gain muscle on a deficit one needs to be fat enough that their fat cells can supply the excess energy needed to build muscle. But keep dreaming that you are building so much muscle because of strength increases, if that's what keeps you adhering to your workouts.

    Yup.
  • twenty20tunnelvision
    twenty20tunnelvision Posts: 43 Member
    I loved this. I thought it was very well written. My problem is this: If the people you are trying to help, would read... this wouldn't be needed. None the less, it was a good read. :flowerforyou:

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