The most common mistake women make!

katschi

I'm loving your posts lately, Dan, even if you do come equipped with a penis. :drinker:

lol thanks you made me choke on my coffee.

You're welcome! :bigsmile:

On topic ... until I found MFP, I'd never heard of eating back exercise calories. I think it's liberating to adopt a new strategy and to leave starvation diets behind and go about losing fat sensibly. I still find myself resistant at times but what that boils down to is my IMPATIENCE for results, however short term they are. I'm working hard on changing this. The past 2 days, I've eaten back the majority of the exercise calories.
It feels good to eat and I hope this helps me avoid my almost weekly bingeing episodes which usually are triggered by a feeling of deprivation.

Thanks for the brotherly love.

myofibril

The most common mistake men make!

Ok people I decided to write this one for the men as they seem to make this mistake all to often as well as some women, but more so the men.
1) When they join regardless of how much they weigh or their stats they instantly go for that golden 1200 cal/day minimum.
2) They workout as much as possible and eat as little as possible.
3) They totally starve the body for fuel and nutrition this way and either have 0 weight loss or have a great start until the body adapts and then stops them dead in their tracks.

Now I know what you are thinking, less in + more out = greater fat loss and to some extent that is true until you factor in the bigger picture here. I also know that there are the naysayers who have lost lots of weight doing just that, well here is a news flash for those men I bet you may have lost fat but the bulk of what you lost is the muscle boys, slowing the metabolic rate down to a snails pace. Now I can sit here and preach all day long about diet and advice but I am not going to do so in this post, short and sweet I will give you the condensed version in an analogy that is deadly accurate and gives you a crystal clear overall picture.

Think of it like driving a car, you have a limited amount of gas before the car starts to break down. The calories or fuel that mfp gives you will get you to your destination driving at 80 mph. Now think of exercise as getting you there at 120 mph but not stopping for fuel means that the tires get worn down faster, the car will break down easier and in the end will explode. The body is the car, the calories are the fuel, the tires are your muscle without proper fuel they break down and in the end the body feeds off itself. The point of the exercise is to increase the metabolic rate (the speed at which you can safely drive) not to burn off the fuel (calories).

Cardio burns fuel off in the short term, weight training raises the overall metabolic rate and increases your fat loss but neither will do you any good if you are not fueling the body right. All that hard work, sweat, tears in the mirror when you are not seeing results are because you are your own worst enemy. Work with your body and not against it. You can choose to be a prius or a "insert fav exotic or muscle car here", does not matter which, but the "fav exotic or muscle car" is a lot more fun and that is the one who feeds their body right and rips down the road of fat loss blowing right by you like you are standing still

---

I have rewritten the original OP swapping references to the feminine to the masculine.

Does anyone still find it offensive or sexist? You do? Well, you have waaaaaaay too much time on your hands.

Unlike me. Who had the time to rewrite the article. Errrrrrrrr....

baisleac

I guess I'm in the 10% of women on this site NOT offended.

Not offended. I was actually shocked at how few calories MFP "allowed" me; lost very little while I did my own research, then bumped it up to the average BMR for my height/weight and started losing a pound a week.

I know more women who have weight "problems" who eat very little or skip meals altogether.

This sounds like my mother... I have tried to get her to count calories because I want her to see the numbers. She eats incredibly healthy food, just SO little of it.

Dry toast (sandwich thin) and yogurt for breakfast. Veggies only for snacks. A sandwich for lunch, again using sandwich thins and low-fat cheese, low-fat mayo, etc. Then wild rice (or other whole grain), 3 oz of protein, and some steamed veggies for dinner.

She's eaten this way for years! On the surface it looks healthy. She's 5'7" and weighs over 200 lbs. She's eaten this way for years and slowed her metabolism to next to nothing. On the rare occasions she "splurges", holidays and such, her body holds on to everything.

Newfiedan

I asked this on another one of your threads, what makes you an expert; most of your threads are just repeats of what others have said and some of the information you “give” is just plain wrong. I see you have lost 13 pounds, and your profile gives no indication you have any expertise in the health or weight loss fields.

I do love the irony of a man telling women what they are doing wrong.

13 pounds lost on here, 27 lost overall, I do not profess to be an expert, I do know what has worked for me and many around me. I trained extensively in high school and university as an amateur body builder in an attempt to put on more muscle and by and large I did make gains towards that without the use of drugs, but it was not until I had a talk with a good friend who is now a nutritionist and goes against the grain with common advice that I managed to put it all together to work as well as it has for me and my friends. I am no expert as I have said numerous times, I just simply learned what works. If you feel what I have said is wrong then that is your prerogative. I say if I am wrong then why do I succeed and do so very easily. My docs are amazed that I have managed to miraculously cure 2 long standing health issues that I have had and have managed to gain both muscle and lose weight at the same time.

Cathy92

There was nothing wrong with your post. I didn't find it at all offensive. I found it interesting whoever wrote it. I aim for 1200 a day, but sometimes eat over and rarely under.

Newfiedan

The most common mistake men make!

Ok people I decided to write this one for the men as they seem to make this mistake all to often as well as some women, but more so the men.
1) When they join regardless of how much they weigh or their stats they instantly go for that golden 1200 cal/day minimum.
2) They workout as much as possible and eat as little as possible.
3) They totally starve the body for fuel and nutrition this way and either have 0 weight loss or have a great start until the body adapts and then stops them dead in their tracks.

Now I know what you are thinking, less in + more out = greater fat loss and to some extent that is true until you factor in the bigger picture here. I also know that there are the naysayers who have lost lots of weight doing just that, well here is a news flash for those men I bet you may have lost fat but the bulk of what you lost is the muscle boys, slowing the metabolic rate down to a snails pace. Now I can sit here and preach all day long about diet and advice but I am not going to do so in this post, short and sweet I will give you the condensed version in an analogy that is deadly accurate and gives you a crystal clear overall picture.

Think of it like driving a car, you have a limited amount of gas before the car starts to break down. The calories or fuel that mfp gives you will get you to your destination driving at 80 mph. Now think of exercise as getting you there at 120 mph but not stopping for fuel means that the tires get worn down faster, the car will break down easier and in the end will explode. The body is the car, the calories are the fuel, the tires are your muscle without proper fuel they break down and in the end the body feeds off itself. The point of the exercise is to increase the metabolic rate (the speed at which you can safely drive) not to burn off the fuel (calories).

Cardio burns fuel off in the short term, weight training raises the overall metabolic rate and increases your fat loss but neither will do you any good if you are not fueling the body right. All that hard work, sweat, tears in the mirror when you are not seeing results are because you are your own worst enemy. Work with your body and not against it. You can choose to be a prius or a "insert fav exotic or muscle car here", does not matter which, but the "fav exotic or muscle car" is a lot more fun and that is the one who feeds their body right and rips down the road of fat loss blowing right by you like you are standing still

---

I have rewritten the original OP swapping references to the feminine to the masculine.

Does anyone still find it offensive or sexist? You do? Well, you have waaaaaaay too much time on your hands.

Unlike me. Who had the time to rewrite the article. Errrrrrrrr....

lol I like it.

shulaw

was never offended by the origional post infact it answered a question i was asking a friend about the other day, though yes im on 1,200 but thats what it recomended when i first started on here, and to be honest im finding it difficult to get to them im not starving myself nor am i going hungray just never quite seem to manage to eat all the claories recomended ....i exercise doing both cardio and strength but thanks for answering one of the big questions that was on my mind and sorry for my ramble

Newfiedan

We are all here for a common goal which is to get healthy, be that weight gain or weight loss, no need to apologize for what is your opinion. I respect people more for sticking to their guns right or wrong.

shreddingit

gburkhart2

On topic ... until I found MFP, I'd never heard of eating back exercise calories. I think it's liberating to adopt a new strategy and to leave starvation diets behind and go about losing fat sensibly. I still find myself resistant at times but what that boils down to is my IMPATIENCE for results, however short term they are. I'm working hard on changing this. The past 2 days, I've eaten back the majority of the exercise calories.
It feels good to eat and I hope this helps me avoid my almost weekly bingeing episodes which usually are triggered by a feeling of deprivation.

This seriously has to be one of the most well thought out, concise - yet all encompassing and real things I've ever read on here. I love it!

chauncyrenayCHANGED

I'm a man and I find this to be poorly worded and yes offensive to go out of your way for no apparent reason to single out women! If you disagree that is fine but it makes your comments no less offensive. It's just too bad you do not seem willing to concede that point.

Agree. Very well said!
Personally, I don't take offense to this because I don't feel that it applies to me. But I do think that it should have been worded differently. Obviously your intentions weren't to offend women, but it is the fact that you wrote the words without even seeing how offensive someone could take them. This is what the "offended" women are talking about. Just sayin.

Newfiedan

On topic ... until I found MFP, I'd never heard of eating back exercise calories. I think it's liberating to adopt a new strategy and to leave starvation diets behind and go about losing fat sensibly. I still find myself resistant at times but what that boils down to is my IMPATIENCE for results, however short term they are. I'm working hard on changing this. The past 2 days, I've eaten back the majority of the exercise calories.
It feels good to eat and I hope this helps me avoid my almost weekly bingeing episodes which usually are triggered by a feeling of deprivation.

This seriously has to be one of the most well thought out, concise - yet all encompassing and real things I've ever read on here. I love it!

agreed.

imgonnadoit123

I'm a man and I find this to be poorly worded and yes offensive to go out of your way for no apparent reason to single out women! If you disagree that is fine but it makes your comments no less offensive. It's just too bad you do not seem willing to concede that point.

Agree. Very well said!
Personally, I don't take offense to this because I don't feel that it applies to me. But I do think that it should have been worded differently. Obviously your intentions weren't to offend women, but it is the fact that you wrote the words without even seeing how offensive someone could take them. This is what the "offended" women are talking about. Just sayin.

I agree. Also want to point out that I made my comment only after reading every post from the OP. I was looking for some englightment on his part. Merely mentioning that you didn't intend to offend is a start but a better thing to say is "yes I can see how others might be offended" That's all. it is not an admission that you're a terrible person. It's just trying to be more socially conscious.

Newfiedan

I am an empathetic person by nature but a straight shooter and yes I fully admit that at times I type or think faster than my thoughts will allow me to correct things. I was a little frustrated when I wrote it after getting about 30 emails from women asking for advice and looking time and again and seeing the common pitfalls made. So i will apologize and admit that I could have worded it differently.

Candiceg13

I am an empathetic person by nature but a straight shooter and yes I fully admit that at times I type or think faster than my thoughts will allow me to correct things. I was a little frustrated when I wrote it after getting about 30 emails from women asking for advice and looking time and again and seeing the common pitfalls made. So i will apologize and admit that I could have worded it differently.

I must have missed the offensiveness.... I enjoyed the articlel!!!!

And last time I checked I am a woman...wait.....yep the right parts are still there!!!!! :bigsmile:

And Newfiedan..... I do "Fear the Fuzzy"!!!!! My friend sent that pic to me and said "this has u all over it!"

I have actually read a few of your posts, and I appreciate the info you are providing... And if someone found it offensive, I really dont think the intention was to spend time posting rude and offensive commentary masked as helpful information!!!!

Laugh, and enjoy life before its over!!!!

Newfiedan

its funny one of my friends on here dared me to post on women's sex drive, lol according to how much this stirred the pot I am tempted.

Rubie81

MFP set my goal at 1200 and I'm usually going going over by 100-300 calories. I'm not one of those heavy duty exercise buffs either. I do a bit of strength training and some cardio. I have been seeing results so far and I am very happy. What makes me happy is that what I am doing now is something that I can continue doing in the future without feeling deprived. I am constantly beside myself when I see people closing their diaries at 900 calories or *gasp* even 700 calories.
And for the record, I was not offended. I have seen other posts here that were way more offensive.

FearAnLoathing

You sexist evil man,Where are the tar an feathers?!!! Were gonna have ourselves a lynching!


Ok j/k

I read your post didnt find it at all offensive,it went in one ear and out the other since I feel ive found my grove that works for me.
Its good you are trying to help people out.
everyone that was so worked up its really not a big deal.if you find it offensive click the back button its pretty easy.
And really they are just words , words only have the power we give them.
:flowerforyou:

fteale

I CBA to read all of this but got to page 2.

Hmmm. I think what the OP is fundamentally missing is that MOST men exercise to build muscle and look ripped. MOST women want to lose weight. Not just on here, pretty much universally. Therefore our fitness goals are completely different, so trying to say that WOMEN get it wrong is just being narrow minded.

I eat 1200 cals a day because I am small-build and close to my ideal weight, so losing weight is actually very very hard for me. The members of my family who manage to maintain a healthy weight eat probably 1000 cals or less a day ( I have tried calorie matching them and I just can't do it), we all have very small frames. I also put on muscle like a man, so doing weights....not such a good look for me. I am not really aiming for bull-*kitten* as this season's image. No offence to any lesbians out there.

Newfiedan

if you are worried about bulking up then go lighter weight higher rep to tone and define as opposed to build. Bulk muscle or bigger muscles are fine for those who are aiming for that but weight training does not need to be associated with that. A good metabolic resistance training routine with light weight will be more beneficial for the fat loss for women with smaller frames and less weight to lose than those of us who have more weight to lose.

taletreader

If you go offended then I am sorry, you took it personally and it was not intended as an attack it was intended to be an eye opener, which usually means that you are or have made these mistakes and are not ready to admit it.. I am not out to criticize or put anyone down I am out to educate people. What you should be offended by is society as a whole who through misinformation has done more harm to us as a whole.

Well, you can be right (which for the record I think you are) and still come across as a condescending, preachy, self-important and self-appointed, er, not-very-nice person. I don't know you from Adam, and your writing is all I have to go by for forming an opinion. If I feel the desire to educate a group I don't belong to and a fortiori don't know from the inside, I'll be a HELL of a lot more careful in my phrasing and open to the suggestion that, hey, I may be overlooking a few things here. Especially if no one appointed me to edumacate those poor benighted beings.

I recommend you take a hard look at yourself and examine your motives for not focussing on people, regardless of sex, who make these mistakes (plenty of women don't, plenty of men do -- and it doesn't matter which percentage is larger) but instead singling out women. Maybe a little bit of feeling that women, as a whole, are less capable of making good choices, huh?

123nikki123

This girl is not offended perhaps more enlightened! Thank you for sharing:flowerforyou:

katmmcd

If nothing else, your post definitely got people talking. I agree with the information in your original post. I used to find myself in the same "trap", eating as little as possible and working out, and either losing weight slowly, or feeling miserable all of the time. And eventually I would quit the program. Now I eat between 1500 - 1700 calories per day, and make sure I work out on most days, and I lose weight at a reasonable rate of 1-1.5 pounds per week.

I wasn't offended at all by your post.....I think much of it is true for my female friends. I don't recall my male friends that are dieting as having the same issue. I don't think your comments were sexist...but rather your observations based on your experiences with your female friends and family.

girlinahat

firstly, can I say that I thought what you said was an excellent summation of where a lot of the women who post on this site seem to be perhaps going wrong. My only criticism would be that you suggest that we 'choose' 1200 calories as a goal when in fact for the most part MFP has made that decision.

secondly - you're a newfie? Explains a lot...............odd bunch.......:flowerforyou:

Dawntodusk

You make good points. I'd just like to point that not all women make this mistake. I am a woman and have never done anything remotely resembling what you describe.

ajbeans

I recommend you take a hard look at yourself and examine your motives for not focussing on people, regardless of sex, who make these mistakes (plenty of women don't, plenty of men do -- and it doesn't matter which percentage is larger) but instead singling out women. Maybe a little bit of feeling that women, as a whole, are less capable of making good choices, huh?

Or maybe, just maybe, YOU are looking for reasons to be offended. That last sentence is completely absurd. NOWHERE in his post did he insinuate any such thing. He saw a trend among many women. He posted about it. BIG WHOOP. I'll ask it again: if I, as a woman, had posted this same thread, would you be all up in arms about how sexist I was being? Doubt it. You're only offended because he's a man, and Heaven forbid a man should ever notice anything about a woman that isn't all sunshine and lollipops. He was offering advice for a problem that he sees rampant in this community. Guess what? I see the same problem. And I see it a heck of a lot more with women than with guys.

Take a look in the mirror yourself. Maybe you'll be able to find that chip on your shoulder so you can brush it off.

littlemissanguissette

I only read the first page, but I do agree with the OP. I have to eat 1600 calories a day or my body will go into starvation mode, and then it's pointless to even try losing weight because I'm just screwing my body up.

I think those offended by this post are the ones who are defensive about it because they do this. And it may work for them, but it will not work long term - you'll completely screw up your metabolism.

Strength training and cardio, build those muscles so they can help you burn those calories and the fat.

taletreader

I think those offended by this post are the ones who are defensive about it because they do this.

This is not necessarily true, as the numerous reasoned and measured objections attest. If you had read them, you'd know this.

taletreader

Or maybe, just maybe, YOU are looking for reasons to be offended. That last sentence is completely absurd. NOWHERE in his post did he insinuate any such thing. He saw a trend among many women. He posted about it. BIG WHOOP. I'll ask it again: if I, as a woman, had posted this same thread, would you be all up in arms about how sexist I was being? Doubt it.

A woman who'd have posted the same would also have kinda overlooked the obvious -- it's about the behaviour, not the gender. But at least she wouldn't have been quite as condescending. Plus, there have been any number of men here who have overdone dieting and hit plateaus -- they tend to not quite suffer as much for it, male metabolism helping.

But it matters who says what. Sorry, mansplainers just make my skin crawl, and being a woman (who incidentally does not eat minimal calories, so isn't even in the targetted group), I am entitled to resent that.

Now it isn't a crime to offend me. Minimal harm done. No anger, no sound, no fury... this here is just electrons on a screen after all.

Newfiedan

it certainly got people talking which is good, how they take it good or bad is up to them.