Weight Loss Myths

♥jewel♥

When I was much younger, and considering joining a gym, the guy who was trying to sign me up told me that it was ok to eat junk food before going to the gym, because "the last thing you eat, is the first calories you burn".

What myths/stories etc have you been told about losing weight.

live2smyle

The biggest myth story that I was ever told and unfortunatly lived by most of my life was...."Eat less you will lose more"

I can tell you I can go over a week on one hotdog and live. That was right before I started MFP. Thank God my friend was like WTF?? Kelly you CAN eat and lose weight.

KristenAnn711

This isnt a myth but a question..

Okay people who are anorexic, don't eat, or eat verrrry little. Sooo how is it that they become skeletons? Everything I've read says that when you don't eat for a certain amount of time your body actually stops you from losing weight and feeds itself on what you've stored. Not that I want to be anorexic or anything, but I'm just wondering how that happens.

RILEYRED

YOU DON'T NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT, YOU STILL HAVE A PRETTY FACE!!!!!!!!!:( : :mad:

MissJennaBelle

This isnt a myth but a question..

Okay people who are anorexic, don't eat, or eat verrrry little. Sooo how is it that they become skeletons? Everything I've read says that when you don't eat for a certain amount of time your body actually stops you from losing weight and feeds itself on what you've stored. Not that I want to be anorexic or anything, but I'm just wondering how that happens.

I have also wondered about this too! Maybe it's to the point where the body has fed itself on everything it once stored!?

Achoooo

"Muscle weighs more than fat"


A pound of muscle and a pound of fat are still, both a pound. Muscle is more dense, so it takes up less space, you look better and more toned. You might weigh more if you are putting on muscle, sure. But it does not weigh more in that sense.

Here's just one example: http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/muscle-to-fat.html

Onesnap

That eating diet foods, 100 calorie packs, and diet soda is the right way to loose weight. Actually, the chemicals and fake sugar just make you have MAJOR cravings later on and over-do it later in the day. Also, people who drink diet soda every day gain 10 lbs during the course of a year on average.

marthamae813

Your body Will store fat at first when you stop eating or just eat a little but after a while it will use up that fat for energy and stuff. Thats why they get so skinny and become so unhealthy. I think lol

JellyJaks

This isnt a myth but a question..

Okay people who are anorexic, don't eat, or eat verrrry little. Sooo how is it that they become skeletons? Everything I've read says that when you don't eat for a certain amount of time your body actually stops you from losing weight and feeds itself on what you've stored. Not that I want to be anorexic or anything, but I'm just wondering how that happens.

I'm just speculating here but I think it depends on how long someone is starving themselves. Eventually, your body won't have any more stored fat. It will start breaking down your muscle tissue and everything else it can in an effort to stay alive.

So far as the OP, I was a vegetarian for a while. Not as a moral issue but as a "read the labels to see what I'm actually ingesting" issue. I've since put meat back into my diet but my parents were terrible with the things they said. "You're going to die without meat" "God gave us dominion over the animals so we could eat them" "Why can't you just eat around the chicken so I don't have to make something special for you" The list of stupid things they said was never ending.

reese66

This isnt a myth but a question..

Okay people who are anorexic, don't eat, or eat verrrry little. Sooo how is it that they become skeletons? Everything I've read says that when you don't eat for a certain amount of time your body actually stops you from losing weight and feeds itself on what you've stored. Not that I want to be anorexic or anything, but I'm just wondering how that happens.

I have also wondered about this too! Maybe it's to the point where the body has fed itself on everything it once stored!?

Exactly, the body will it's self until there is nothing left that's if you don't die from something else first...

LeonaB17

When I was in my early teens "Fat free" was all the rage. I thought as long as it didn't have fat in it - it was fair game. So I ate candy, soda, bagels, fat free frozen yogurt - you name it. Boy was that wrong!

igor11

That eating diet foods, 100 calorie packs, and diet soda is the right way to loose weight. Actually, the chemicals and fake sugar just make you have MAJOR cravings later on and over-do it later in the day. Also, people who drink diet soda every day gain 10 lbs during the course of a year on average.

I had no clue about the diet soda thing. hmmm, makes me wonder.

mom2threeQTs

This isnt a myth but a question..

Okay people who are anorexic, don't eat, or eat verrrry little. Sooo how is it that they become skeletons? Everything I've read says that when you don't eat for a certain amount of time your body actually stops you from losing weight and feeds itself on what you've stored. Not that I want to be anorexic or anything, but I'm just wondering how that happens.

I'm sure one will eventually lose weight if he/she does not eat at all. Think of the photos and commercials with people in impoverished countries-- we don't see any over-weight people in them. I'm sure no one wants to look skeletal with a swollen belly, yet people are purposely starving themselves to get that way. It's sick the unhealthy relationship we develop with food, while people in other countries just wish they could eat.

I do think that the body enters survival mode and clings onto the fat as long as it can, but eventually something has got to give.

SHBoss1673

This isnt a myth but a question..

Okay people who are anorexic, don't eat, or eat verrrry little. Sooo how is it that they become skeletons? Everything I've read says that when you don't eat for a certain amount of time your body actually stops you from losing weight and feeds itself on what you've stored. Not that I want to be anorexic or anything, but I'm just wondering how that happens.

is this a serious question or are you messing with us?

if it's serious then I'll answer it.

Behavior_Modification

This isnt a myth but a question..

Okay people who are anorexic, don't eat, or eat verrrry little. Sooo how is it that they become skeletons? Everything I've read says that when you don't eat for a certain amount of time your body actually stops you from losing weight and feeds itself on what you've stored. Not that I want to be anorexic or anything, but I'm just wondering how that happens.

You're absolutely right about the body feeding itself on what is stored. But what do you think it attacks after it runs out of stored fuel? Your muscles.

immacookie

When I was in my early teens "Fat free" was all the rage. I thought as long as it didn't have fat in it - it was fair game. So I ate candy, soda, bagels, fat free frozen yogurt - you name it. Boy was that wrong!

Agreed... and also the "100 calorie packs".... 100 calories of crap is still crap!

I also never understood some of the WW system... I understand how the points "used" to be calculated... but a whole bag of microwave popcorn? Really?

DeBlue

Advertisers see all dieters as gullible. Anything that promises EASY or QUICK or EFFORTLESS should be suspect. Like the processed white flour no nutrition snacks and the sugar free sodas. All spike blood sugar so we just want to eat more of this stuff.

Hey! Think this is their evil plan?

taso42_DELETED

"You shouldn't eat late at night" is common one that I wish would die already.

JoyousRen

I hate the "less fat is better" one. UGH! You have to eat fat to live. OH! Or that women shouldn't life heavy weights because they will get bulky. I was told that I should never lift over 15lbs or I'll start to look like a man. :explode:

ganesha303

I was told that I should never lift over 15lbs or I'll start to look like a man.

My wife still believes this one...

Achoooo

That eating diet foods, 100 calorie packs, and diet soda is the right way to loose weight. Actually, the chemicals and fake sugar just make you have MAJOR cravings later on and over-do it later in the day. Also, people who drink diet soda every day gain 10 lbs during the course of a year on average.

I had no clue about the diet soda thing. hmmm, makes me wonder.

I don't think it is true for everyone, if this were the case I'd have gained over a 160 pounds since high school graduation, which is not true, not even close! I am not saying it's good for you... or that it can't cause gain... but I don't think it's such a black and white matter for everyone either.