Stupidest diet myths/tips you have ever heard.

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  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
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    I haven't done any work in like two hours because I can't stop reading this post! Keep 'em coming :)
  • joseph9
    joseph9 Posts: 328 Member
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    It's one thing to say it weighs more BY VOLUME. But if it's not qualified with that statement it is flat wrong. Most people say it without including the 'by volume' part, which IS wrong.

    IMHO, that statement is itself a myth.

    1) When someone says "muscle weighs more than fat", the units are undefined. I don't know of any scientific or linguistic principle which implies that "muscle weighs more than fat" should be interpreted as "a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat." To the contrary, the "principle of charity" would suggest that we should interpret an undefined term in the way that we know the speaker intended it.

    2) It would be preferable if people defined their units more often, but it's not actually grammatically required.

    3) As an example, Google the joke "Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?" Now google "Which weighs more, feathers or bricks?" Ask yourself why the second joke never comes up.

    4) Lastly, if undefined terms are really literally wrong, then it's incorrect to say that "a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat." You haven't defined whether you mean a force-pound or a mass-pound, or whether they are being weighed under the same conditions. If I choose to interpret the statement perversely rather than charitably, a pound of muscle can weigh less, more, or the same as a pound of fat.

    ETA: If you wanted to argue that your statement is neither true nor false because it's undefined, I guess I could see that, but I don't see any basis to argue that it's "flat wrong."
  • acfkaren
    acfkaren Posts: 60 Member
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    Head is hurting from the muscles and fat...............

    Back to the myths please! They are truly funny :laugh:
  • Teliooo
    Teliooo Posts: 725 Member
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    Head is hurting from the muscles and fat...............

    Back to the myths please! They are truly funny :laugh:

    If you eat whilst standing up, you will harm your body and it will be harder to burn the calories.
  • joseph9
    joseph9 Posts: 328 Member
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    I'm not sure there are any myths. IMHO, almost all diets work if you do them. Probably the only myth is "you can't lose weight by doing X," at least so long as X leads to a calorie deficit.

    IMHO, the biggest logical error is "I knew some guy who did Diet X, and he gained the weight back, so Diet X doesn't work." 90%+ of all dieters on all diets gain the weight back.
  • nanodot
    nanodot Posts: 154 Member
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    You can't build muscle on a calorie deficit.. Really? I've been eating at a calorie deficit for most of this year and I can sure as sh** lift heavier weights.. I've also lost 18 pounds.
    Totally agree with this... I've lost 117 lbs (on a 1200 calorie diet). I had almost no muscle tone when I started, and have MUCH larger and stronger muscles now... I get that it's probably because I had so little muscle to begin with, but some people CAN build muscle on a deficit!!

    Nope, you can just actually see the muscle after losing the fat

    Yeah i dont think you can build muscle at a dificit, although thats my opinion. Im simply thinking about it in this way: Muscle burns more calories than fat and therefore needs more calories to stay intact..? any opinions?

    By that logic everyone would lose all their muscle before fat? I don't care what people think I know what I've experienced. I can lift weights that are twice what I could in January. I have been weight training. I can do squats and lunges until I'm bored (without weights - they're in some of my videos).. so IMO this is just false. I'm also a science major and I've taken various biochemistry courses.. very little is set in stone.. this probably has a lot to do with genetics and diet

    I am currently on a cut, and I'm gaining strength but not building muscle. The strength gains are minimal, but they are still gains. Building new muscle tissue comes from:

    1. Calorie surplus
    2. Being morbidly obese and using fat stores as energy (calories) to build minimal tissue.
    3. Beginner lifting (newbie gains) or returning to weight training after a long break. (Also minimal gains)
    4. Steroids

    Period.

    ^^ THIS... 100%


    Of course your body can operate at a deficit and build muscle at the same time. You do need some fat to burn, but kids in Boot camp do it all the time, and they aren't morbidly obese. If you give your body an imperative to build muscle, It will burn fat to build muscle. The body is smart and adaptable.

    I remember watching some PBS show about people pretending to be settlers from the 1800's, actually farming by hand and building cabins and stuff. This one guy was ordinary-American-plump-and-wimpy at the start of the show. By the end of the show (12 weeks?) he was RIPPED with muscle, skinny, and actually starting to worry about starving to death because he was a lousy farmer. But he sure built muscle in a deficit.

    1. You cannot compare kids to an adult. Kids grow new tissue.

    2. Once again, you don't know the details of what he ate, what he did as a wanna-be farmer, and his body stats. Also being ripped doesn't mean he built muscle. He might have had minimal gains but he burned the fat off his body so it appeared he had built alot of mass.

    Please just stop.

    Sigh. You are unable to process multiple examples of factual data that are contrary to your position. So I will stop, for you. *sadface*
  • ahinescapron
    ahinescapron Posts: 351 Member
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    Someone once told me not to eat anything but fruit before 3pm...wtf?
  • joseph9
    joseph9 Posts: 328 Member
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    Remembered on. It's a myth that drinking a gallon of cold water burns significant Calories. It burns about 8, but because of a math error, some people will estimate the burn at about 8,000.
  • PB67
    PB67 Posts: 376
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    Sigh. You are unable to process multiple examples of factual data that are contrary to your position. So I will stop, for you. *sadface*

    Sigh, you are unable to differentiate anecdotal claims based on a TV show from actual data. So please stop talking.
  • doughnutwretch
    doughnutwretch Posts: 498 Member
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    You can't build muscle on a calorie deficit.. Really? I've been eating at a calorie deficit for most of this year and I can sure as sh** lift heavier weights.. I've also lost 18 pounds.
    Totally agree with this... I've lost 117 lbs (on a 1200 calorie diet). I had almost no muscle tone when I started, and have MUCH larger and stronger muscles now... I get that it's probably because I had so little muscle to begin with, but some people CAN build muscle on a deficit!!

    Nope, you can just actually see the muscle after losing the fat

    Yeah i dont think you can build muscle at a dificit, although thats my opinion. Im simply thinking about it in this way: Muscle burns more calories than fat and therefore needs more calories to stay intact..? any opinions?

    By that logic everyone would lose all their muscle before fat? I don't care what people think I know what I've experienced. I can lift weights that are twice what I could in January. I have been weight training. I can do squats and lunges until I'm bored (without weights - they're in some of my videos).. so IMO this is just false. I'm also a science major and I've taken various biochemistry courses.. very little is set in stone.. this probably has a lot to do with genetics and diet

    I am currently on a cut, and I'm gaining strength but not building muscle. The strength gains are minimal, but they are still gains. Building new muscle tissue comes from:

    1. Calorie surplus
    2. Being morbidly obese and using fat stores as energy (calories) to build minimal tissue.
    3. Beginner lifting (newbie gains) or returning to weight training after a long break. (Also minimal gains)
    4. Steroids

    Period.

    ^^ THIS... 100%


    Of course your body can operate at a deficit and build muscle at the same time. You do need some fat to burn, but kids in Boot camp do it all the time, and they aren't morbidly obese. If you give your body an imperative to build muscle, It will burn fat to build muscle. The body is smart and adaptable.

    I remember watching some PBS show about people pretending to be settlers from the 1800's, actually farming by hand and building cabins and stuff. This one guy was ordinary-American-plump-and-wimpy at the start of the show. By the end of the show (12 weeks?) he was RIPPED with muscle, skinny, and actually starting to worry about starving to death because he was a lousy farmer. But he sure built muscle in a deficit.

    1. You cannot compare kids to an adult. Kids grow new tissue.

    2. Once again, you don't know the details of what he ate, what he did as a wanna-be farmer, and his body stats. Also being ripped doesn't mean he built muscle. He might have had minimal gains but he burned the fat off his body so it appeared he had built alot of mass.

    Please just stop.

    Sigh. You are unable to process multiple examples of factual data that are contrary to your position. So I will stop, for you. *sadface*

    A show on PBS about pretend settlers is factual data?
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Page 11 and I haven't been Beaker rick rolled once. Why do I even bother?
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    Sigh. You are unable to process multiple examples of factual data that are contrary to your position. So I will stop, for you. *sadface*

    Sigh. You are using examples that don't actually disprove his point.

    Being able to lift more doesn't mean you have gained muscle, it just means you're stronger.

    Using someone being 'ripped' as proof they gained muscle is also incorrect. I am very overweight, but have a lot of muscle mass. If I lose a bunch of weight, chances are EXTREMELY high that I didn't gain much if any muscle, folks can just see it better.

    And then there are the agreement that people new to lifting or who are very overweight can gain muscle in a deficit, just not as much as if they were in a surplus.
  • Yovocheko
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    Worst Dieting Tips:
    Depleting your body of the recommended daily nutrients.


    Best Diet: Find daily calorie needs and allow less calorie intake, energy expenditure > energy intake - and make sure your balance of nutrients is as follows:

    Carbs are needed daily- you store roughly 2000 calories worth in your body at all times (any more intake of carbs is pooped away or is turned to fat), when depleted -> hunger strikes (why they suggest eating every 3 to 4 hours); carbs also are your main energy source for immediate energy needs (running from a scary bear); fiber is a carb, but your body can't digest it; eat 50-60% a day

    Proteins are needed daily- protein builds new cells, also protein is the back up when your body needs immediate energy; 9 needed proteins only come from food; eat 10-15% a day

    Fats are needed daily- fat cushions, as well as is a fuel source when you don't need immediate bursts of energy ,fat also allows for the absorption of Vitamin D, which is the Vitamin needed to absorb calcium; only danger is making sure you eat the right fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) vs. the "bad" fats (saturated and trans); eat 30-35% a day

    You also need minerals, vitamins, and water to allow all of this to be processed/absorbed
  • nanodot
    nanodot Posts: 154 Member
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    Sigh. You are unable to process multiple examples of factual data that are contrary to your position. So I will stop, for you. *sadface*

    Sigh, you are unable to differentiate anecdotal claims based on a TV show from actual data. So please stop talking.

    You know, that is a good point. So, how about my personal experience of gaining muscle and strength while losing weight? And the experiences of several others who have offered data in this thread?

    You guys have a very limited view of how the body works. .It is a very adaptable machine. It's like you think muscle is some magic substance that you can only get by working out while overeating. By that logic, we should be unable to heal injuries while dieting.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Sigh. You are unable to process multiple examples of factual data that are contrary to your position. So I will stop, for you. *sadface*

    Sigh, you are unable to differentiate anecdotal claims based on a TV show from actual data. So please stop talking.

    You know, that is a good point. So, how about my personal experience of gaining muscle and strength while losing weight? And the experiences of several others who have offered data in this thread?

    You guys have a very limited view of how the body works. .It is a very adaptable machine. It's like you think muscle is some magic substance that you can only get by working out while overeating. By that logic, we should be unable to heal injuries while dieting.

    Hey biochemist, the plural of anecdote is not statistic.
  • doughnutwretch
    doughnutwretch Posts: 498 Member
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    Sigh. You are unable to process multiple examples of factual data that are contrary to your position. So I will stop, for you. *sadface*

    Sigh, you are unable to differentiate anecdotal claims based on a TV show from actual data. So please stop talking.

    You know, that is a good point. So, how about my personal experience of gaining muscle and strength while losing weight? And the experiences of several others who have offered data in this thread?

    You guys have a very limited view of how the body works. .It is a very adaptable machine. It's like you think muscle is some magic substance that you can only get by working out while overeating. By that logic, we should be unable to heal injuries while dieting.

    Hey biochemist, the plural of anecdote is not statistic.

    You just made my day :)
  • jchester71
    jchester71 Posts: 124 Member
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    anything other than calories in/calories out impacts weight loss/gain.
  • nanodot
    nanodot Posts: 154 Member
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    Sigh. You are unable to process multiple examples of factual data that are contrary to your position. So I will stop, for you. *sadface*

    Sigh, you are unable to differentiate anecdotal claims based on a TV show from actual data. So please stop talking.

    You know, that is a good point. So, how about my personal experience of gaining muscle and strength while losing weight? And the experiences of several others who have offered data in this thread?

    You guys have a very limited view of how the body works. .It is a very adaptable machine. It's like you think muscle is some magic substance that you can only get by working out while overeating. By that logic, we should be unable to heal injuries while dieting.

    Hey biochemist, the plural of anecdote is not statistic.

    Correct. But it only takes one contrary example to disprove a scientific hypothesis.

    Hypothesis: You cannot gain muscle in a calorie deficit.

    Data: I did. She did. So did all those people over there.

    Hypothesis: Dis-proven.
  • Teliooo
    Teliooo Posts: 725 Member
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    Ha, actually the best one I heard was from Oprah. You should only eat a 300 cal or less breakfast.
  • Yovocheko
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    You can't build muscle on a calorie deficit.. Really? I've been eating at a calorie deficit for most of this year and I can sure as sh** lift heavier weights.. I've also lost 18 pounds.
    Totally agree with this... I've lost 117 lbs (on a 1200 calorie diet). I had almost no muscle tone when I started, and have MUCH larger and stronger muscles now... I get that it's probably because I had so little muscle to begin with, but some people CAN build muscle on a deficit!!

    Nope, you can just actually see the muscle after losing the fat

    Yeah i dont think you can build muscle at a dificit, although thats my opinion. Im simply thinking about it in this way: Muscle burns more calories than fat and therefore needs more calories to stay intact..? any opinions?

    By that logic everyone would lose all their muscle before fat? I don't care what people think I know what I've experienced. I can lift weights that are twice what I could in January. I have been weight training. I can do squats and lunges until I'm bored (without weights - they're in some of my videos).. so IMO this is just false. I'm also a science major and I've taken various biochemistry courses.. very little is set in stone.. this probably has a lot to do with genetics and diet

    I am currently on a cut, and I'm gaining strength but not building muscle. The strength gains are minimal, but they are still gains. Building new muscle tissue comes from:

    1. Calorie surplus
    2. Being morbidly obese and using fat stores as energy (calories) to build minimal tissue.
    3. Beginner lifting (newbie gains) or returning to weight training after a long break. (Also minimal gains)
    4. Steroids

    Period.

    ^^ THIS... 100%


    Of course your body can operate at a deficit and build muscle at the same time. You do need some fat to burn, but kids in Boot camp do it all the time, and they aren't morbidly obese. If you give your body an imperative to build muscle, It will burn fat to build muscle. The body is smart and adaptable.

    I remember watching some PBS show about people pretending to be settlers from the 1800's, actually farming by hand and building cabins and stuff. This one guy was ordinary-American-plump-and-wimpy at the start of the show. By the end of the show (12 weeks?) he was RIPPED with muscle, skinny, and actually starting to worry about starving to death because he was a lousy farmer. But he sure built muscle in a deficit.

    1. You cannot compare kids to an adult. Kids grow new tissue.

    2. Once again, you don't know the details of what he ate, what he did as a wanna-be farmer, and his body stats. Also being ripped doesn't mean he built muscle. He might have had minimal gains but he burned the fat off his body so it appeared he had built alot of mass.

    Please just stop.

    Sigh. You are unable to process multiple examples of factual data that are contrary to your position. So I will stop, for you. *sadface*

    A show on PBS about pretend settlers is factual data?




    Also: this is somewhat true, muscle hypertrophy (size) will occur with strength training, as well as weight loss = a perfect combination! losing fat while increasing muscle size! its not that you are making the muscle more "dense" aka gaining muscle weight, its that you are breaking apart muscle fibers and rebuilding them slowly -> also, you are improving the nerves to your muscles (what scientists call motor neuron pathways) so the more you lift, the higher activation of these nerves that will help you to recruit more muscles to lift! basically your brain and muscles are getting together to recruit more muscle fibers to lift a heavier weight! its not only in muscle building, but nerve pathway activation. However, do note that since you are breaking apart all of the muscle you do need more protein in your diet to build the tissue back.

    Another note -> don't discredit overweight peoples strength -> carrying that much weight on your body will build strength (i.e. who will be stronger between 2 - 150Ib people; person walking around with only their 150 Ibs. or the other person walking around with the 150Ibs plus their 50Ibs backpack)