The Skinny Rules
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Bob Harper's Skinny Rules are the stuff yo-yo dieting is made of.0
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Ok I'm going to drop this question like it is hot, but before I go, it's kind of ridiculous to judge the book from what are essentially just the chapter titles. There are explanations and exceptions about all the rules in the book, so please at least read first...This is just like a banned books debate at the library...sigh
Personally I'm incredibly annoyed at all of the negativity and some false information people are putting on your post. I'm studying health and wellness and a lot of these are things they say in MANY things from many scientific studies. Sorry.
I would loooove to know what false information people are spouting. Outside of the skinny rules.
The part where thermodynamics rules weight loss or that you can still be healthy and lose weight by enjoying things in moderation? Maybe the part about not going to bed hungry because weight loss and learning sustainable habits isn't hard enough, let's add ways to punish yourself along the way.
On that note, OP. You posted on a public forum about a book with dieting nonsense in it. If you choose to do those things and are willing to do them for the rest of your life, go crazy. More power to you. People are merely making a statement that most of the things in the list are unnecessary both for health and for weight loss.0 -
Here's some rules that will actually get you where you want to be (a friend of mine, Trog, posted this)
1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.
pretty much that.
...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:
the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
Seriously.
Can I change my answer to this? ^This.0 -
Ok I'm going to drop this question like it is hot, but before I go, it's kind of ridiculous to judge the book from what are essentially just the chapter titles. There are explanations and exceptions about all the rules in the book, so please at least read first...This is just like a banned books debate at the library...sigh
Personally I'm incredibly annoyed at all of the negativity and some false information people are putting on your post. I'm studying health and wellness and a lot of these are things they say in MANY things from many scientific studies. Sorry.
Please provide links to the studies0 -
OP don't take the comments personally. The comments are about the Silly Rules.0
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You are ridiculous
Please, do explain.
Yes, I'd like to hear your explanation as well. How is common sense "ridiculous?"
What *I* find ridiculous is someone espousing "skinny" over "healthy." You know, like the title of the book...0 -
Ok I'm going to drop this question like it is hot, but before I go, it's kind of ridiculous to judge the book from what are essentially just the chapter titles. There are explanations and exceptions about all the rules in the book, so please at least read first...This is just like a banned books debate at the library...sigh
Personally I'm incredibly annoyed at all of the negativity and some false information people are putting on your post. I'm studying health and wellness and a lot of these are things they say in MANY things from many scientific studies. Sorry.
Please provide links to the studies
They will take awhile to look up because they were written by "they" and IME that's an elusive bunch to wrangle up on google.0 -
OP don't take the comments personally. The comments are about the Silly Rules.
Good point, sorry.0 -
OP don't take the comments personally. The comments are about the Silly Rules.
Good point, sorry.
We all want you to succeed. That's why people are posting things like make lifestyle changes, meal timing doesn't matter, you can still eat carbs and lose weight, etc. My diet is 50% carbs and I'm losing weight (I'm a vegetarian).
Please read the sexy pants link. I think I provided some other links, check those out too.
You have to do stuff that will last the rest of your life. Fads like this are why there's yo-yo dieting. People do the fad, get to their goal, go back to how they were eating because they didn't learn portion control.
I ate 3/4 a pint of Talenti the other day, still losing weight.
You can enjoy the food you eat, live your life and not get hangry (not saying you are, but if I had to follow those rules I would be!).
Also, while you are making these changes you still have to live your life. There will be birthdays, holidays, parties, etc. You should be able to enjoy those as well. If you go over one day it's not going to ruin all your progress.
I started lifting heavy 8 weeks ago, partly so I could eat more...I am 5'5", 37 yo and eat about 2000 calories a day. Losing weight.
Good luck!0 -
OP don't take the comments personally. The comments are about the Silly Rules.
Good point, sorry.
We all want you to succeed. That's why people are posting things like make lifestyle changes, meal timing doesn't matter, you can still eat carbs and lose weight, etc. My diet is 50% carbs and I'm losing weight (I'm a vegetarian).
Please read the sexy pants link. I think I provided some other links, check those out too.
You have to do stuff that will last the rest of your life. Fads like this are why there's yo-yo dieting. People do the fad, get to their goal, go back to how they were eating because they didn't learn portion control.
I ate 3/4 a pint of Talenti the other day, still losing weight.
You can enjoy the food you eat, live your life and not get hangry (not saying you are, but if I had to follow those rules I would be!).
Also, while you are making these changes you still have to live your life. There will be birthdays, holidays, parties, etc. You should be able to enjoy those as well. If you go over one day it's not going to ruin all your progress.
I started lifting heavy 8 weeks ago, partly so I could eat more...I am 5'5", 37 yo and eat about 2000 calories a day. Losing weight.
Good luck!
This is exactly what I was trying to say and I apologize profusely if it didn't come through.
Read the links that graceisjinxed posted, set your MFP goals. Eat up to your goal. Find a really fun way to get active. Be active. Eat back your exercise calories.
As you get a little more experienced in how to satiate yourself on your allotted calories, look at what you are doing over the week. Are there any patterns? Any weak points? Are you getting enough protein and fat? MFP tracks some micronutrients. How are you doing on those? Incorporate resistance exercises to protect your muscle if you haven't already.
Eat a balanced diet
Get enough sleep
Be active
Figure out the right mix of these things and you'll be able to meet your fitness goals now and forever. It's not all that hard for most people.0 -
Ezekiel bread is sold in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Did you look there? Sometimes the brand is called "Food for Life" too.
Yes, it's in the health food freezer section. Food for Life is the brand name. Ezekiel is one of the types of bread they sell. SOOO yummy.0 -
I go by my own rules. My advice? Take the rules that work for you and make them your own. As long as you live your life by someone else's rules, you are setting yourself up for failure. MHO of course.0
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If you struggle to cook at home, I've found this book to be a lifesaver:
http://www.amazon.com/Fix-Freeze-Feast-Delicious-Money-Saving/dp/1603427260/
I don't like many of the recipes, but the guidelines in the book can help you adapt many of the recipes you currently enjoy to bulk cooking. I cook on Sunday and then mostly reheat during the week.
I eat these refrigerator oatmeals and bacon every day for breakfast: http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal
I put the bacon in a casserole pan when I was roasting a chicken and then put two each into tinfoil packets and threw them in the freezer. I grab an oatmeal and a bacon pack each morning on my way out the door. I wrap the bacon in paper towels and heat it for 30 seconds in the office microwave.0 -
Fish is animal, is flesh, is meat.I'm confused. Rule 7 & 12 contradict each other. If I had a "meatless" day, what may I for dinner that has zero carbs and is meatless?
Eggs or fish would be my guess.
Fish is not always considered meat - for example, in Catholic church during Lent, you're not supposed to eat meat on Fridays, but fish is allowed. Some "vegetarians" forgo meat - i.e. chicken, red meat, pork, etc - but will still eat fish. It depends on what Bob's definition of "meat" is in the sense of the book. I don't have the book, so obviously I don't have access to what he's defining meat as - just looking at the rules as posted. No need to be condescending.
is poultry meat then? you know since it has it's own section in the grocery stores.
Fish / Poultry / Meat
All a form of meat to me.
All these diets are confusing.
I'll stick to be an omnivore or flexitarian - I hear that's the new game in town these days!0 -
http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-06/10/13/enhanced/webdr08/anigif_enhanced-buzz-19386-1402423064-8.gif
It's funny because it starts out saying that dieting is surrounded by confusion. And then proceeds to add many many rules which the sheer number of is confusing and overwhelming enough but then when you read them there is more confusion.
Case in point rule Rule #3: Eat protein at every meal, making some kind of fish your go-to protein as often as you can. Take your weight and divide it by two—that’s more or less how much protein you should be eating in grams every day.
The first bolded part confuses me because back in the day I lost 51 lbs on Somercise while separating my foods. I did not have protein at every meal because that diet allowed for carbs but not at the same time you ate meat. I'm not advocating that plan over this one just pointing that one can absolutely lose wieght while NOT eating protein at every meal because I've done it.
The second bolded part flies in the face of everything new I've read about how much protein the body needs. Maybe someone can clear this up for me. Not that necessary though if you don't have time since the first part being OPPOSITE to my experience kind of negates the whole rule for me altogether.
There are many other parts that don't match my experience such as BOTH times I lost weight in the past and this current THIRD time I never went to bed hungry. When I hear "go to bed hungry" it sounds like an outdated punishment for bad toddlers and children who have misbehaved and who's parents are not very evolved. I don't plan to put that into use for myself, as I feel I don't require punishment for my current weight circumstances.
I would never have my toddlers go to sleep hungry. I like to sleep.
My understanding of protein is 82% of your total body weight in grams, or 1 gram per pound of your lean body weight. These formulas would be the same at 18% body fat.0 -
Fish is animal, is flesh, is meat.I'm confused. Rule 7 & 12 contradict each other. If I had a "meatless" day, what may I for dinner that has zero carbs and is meatless?
Eggs or fish would be my guess.
Fish is not always considered meat - for example, in Catholic church during Lent, you're not supposed to eat meat on Fridays, but fish is allowed. Some "vegetarians" forgo meat - i.e. chicken, red meat, pork, etc - but will still eat fish. It depends on what Bob's definition of "meat" is in the sense of the book. I don't have the book, so obviously I don't have access to what he's defining meat as - just looking at the rules as posted. No need to be condescending.
is poultry meat then? you know since it has it's own section in the grocery stores.
Fish / Poultry / Meat
All a form of meat to me.
All these diets are confusing.
I'll stick to be an omnivore or flexitarian - I hear that's the new game in town these days!
Flexitarians are supposed to eat 1500 calories a day. I would lose all my muscle mass.0 -
Simmer down select negative people on this thread. I only use the rules as guidelines. I had a piece of toast before bed last night. I DO WHAT I WANT. It was just useful to get me started and reset my eating habits to something more healthy. Not sure why using these rules should be so upsetting to others. Even if I did choose to restrict carbs and go to bed hungry, it doesn't harm you, and it is healthier than eating a bag of Cheetos before bed. Has it occurred to you that reading the skinny rules was my first step in research? I then went on to read "In Defense of Food" and continue to read different views on health and nutrition. It's awfully arrogant to make such big assumptions based on one brief post. Also, if you read the book, a lot of the rules are flexible or expanded upon.
In Defense of Food has issues too - that whole concept of edible food like substances.
I tried to gain weight in order to gain muscle earlier this spring. I had to eat over my maintenance calorie goal EVERYDAY. It kind of sucked and I wasn't very good at it. Palatability became really important to me. There really aren't edible food-like substances.
There are nutrient-dense foods. There are fresh foods. There are palatable foods. Some foods are high on all three of these scales. Some are lower on some. It doesn't mean that you avoid anything - after all, frozen green beans are probably healthier than fresh. Everything has a place, except the foods you personally don't like.
Yes, you are going to want to limit the number of Cheetos you eat while you are on a diet. However, if you ever decide that you want to gain muscle mass, have at them (once you've met your macro and micro nutrient goals)!0 -
Fish is animal, is flesh, is meat.I'm confused. Rule 7 & 12 contradict each other. If I had a "meatless" day, what may I for dinner that has zero carbs and is meatless?
Eggs or fish would be my guess.
Fish is not always considered meat - for example, in Catholic church during Lent, you're not supposed to eat meat on Fridays, but fish is allowed. Some "vegetarians" forgo meat - i.e. chicken, red meat, pork, etc - but will still eat fish. It depends on what Bob's definition of "meat" is in the sense of the book. I don't have the book, so obviously I don't have access to what he's defining meat as - just looking at the rules as posted. No need to be condescending.
is poultry meat then? you know since it has it's own section in the grocery stores.
Fish / Poultry / Meat
All a form of meat to me.
All these diets are confusing.
I'll stick to be an omnivore or flexitarian - I hear that's the new game in town these days!
Flexitarians are supposed to eat 1500 calories a day. I would lose all my muscle mass.
I'm out then - 1500 - I can eat that in one meal. I require more food than that!0 -
This is what you are looking for...also have it with cinnamon raisin.
Stater Bros. here in California has it in the bread aisle.
eta. Capitalization0 -
Found the rules posted online:
RULE 1: Drink a Large Glass of Water before Every Meal – No Excuses!
RULE 2: Don’t Drink Your Calories
RULE 3: Eat Protein Every Meal – or Stay Hungry and Grouchy
RULE 4: Slash Your Intake of Refined Flours and Grains
RULE 5: Eat 30 to 50 Grams of Fiber a Day
RULE 6: Eat Apples and Berries Every Single Day – Every Single Day!
RULE 7: No Carbs after Lunch
RULE 8: Learn to Read Food Labels So You Know What You Are Eating
RULE 9: Step Guessing About Portion Size and Get It Right – for Good!
RULE 10: No More Added Sweeteners, Including Artificial Ones
RULES 11: Get Rid of Those White Potatoes
RULE 12: Make One Day a Week Meatless
RULE 13: Get Rid of Fast Foods and Fried Foods
RULE 14: Eat a Real Breakfast
RULE 15: Make Your Own Food and Eat at Least Ten Meals a Week at Home
RULE 16: Banish High-Salt Foods
RULE 17: Eat Your Vegetables – Just Do It!
RULE 18: Go to Bed Hungry
RULE 19: Sleep Right
RULE 20: Plan One Splurge Meal a Week
Disagree with no carbs after lunch (my lunch is carb-less). Go to bed hungry he means don't eat after dinner? Which is fine. Everything else lines up with what I do.
Can't agree with all of these (especially #7, 11 & 18), but all of the others are great if you are looking for a lifestyle change and not just another diet. These are pretty much how I've accomplished my goals. I can't agree more with #9 - Definitely get a food scale if you don't already use one. I think RULE 21 should be - Have a support system! It can be difficult to do it alone, but the more people you have cheering you on the more likely you will stick with it. Add me for support! I log every day. Best of luck to you!0
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