pseudo science and weight loss BS

saraht131
saraht131 Posts: 86
in Health and Weight Loss
What's some of the most ridiculous pseudo science stuff you've heard/read/believed about weight loss, nutrition and exercise?

The egg yolks being bad for your cholesterol is one that springs to mind.
That you can turn your fat into muscle.
Eating fat makes you fat.
That you can "tone up" without losing fat.
Eating sugar makes your blood acidic and can erode your vital organs.

I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them!
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Replies

  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    I've got a friend that thinks if he buys the most expensive protein shakes and power bars, he can build muscle without lifting heavy. He's a 6' 2" 145 lb mountain of muscle. Don't dare tell him he might be wrong though. He made his boyfriend some grilled beets for dinner recently and he puked it all up. His words were, 'it must have been too healthy for him'. I couldn't help myself and busted out laughing. Man, I don't care how healthy beets are, they're still nasty.
  • saraht131
    saraht131 Posts: 86
    Oh yes, I often puke up the healthiest of foods! :-p
    Grilled beets? Oh man. *boke*
  • miranda_mom
    miranda_mom Posts: 873 Member
    I've got a friend that thinks if he buys the most expensive protein shakes and power bars, he can build muscle without lifting heavy. He's a 6' 2" 145 lb mountain of muscle. Don't dare tell him he might be wrong though. He made his boyfriend some grilled beets for dinner recently and he puked it all up. His words were, 'it must have been too healthy for him'. I couldn't help myself and busted out laughing. Man, I don't care how healthy beets are, they're still nasty.

    I think I'm going to throw up now. That's disgusting!

    I would add the idea that fat can be "flushed out" by eating something specific.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    What's some of the most ridiculous pseudo science stuff you've heard/read/believed about weight loss, nutrition and exercise?

    The egg yolks being bad for your cholesterol is one that springs to mind.
    That you can turn your fat into muscle.
    Eating fat makes you fat.
    That you can "tone up" without losing fat.
    Eating sugar makes your blood acidic and can erode your vital organs.

    I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them!

    Here are some:

    Eating carbs makes you fat.
    Eating past 8pm (insert time here) makes you fat.
    Eating breakfast kickstarts your metabolism
    Eating frequently increases your metabolism
    Drinking juices removes toxins from your system
    You must drink protein immediately after your workout or your muscles will fall off.
    Skipping meals slows down your metabolism
    Short term fasting (intra-day or single day) puts you in starvation mode
  • Kennkaru
    Kennkaru Posts: 210 Member
    ...that great one about eating after 9 p.m. magically making you fat.
  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
    You can lose weight by getting rid of toxins via.... colonoscopy. :noway:
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Coffee just came out my nose when I read, 'or your muscles will fall off'.
  • ariant23
    ariant23 Posts: 161 Member
    Abstaining from any one (or multiple) specific foods will make you svelte and sexy
    high-fructose corn syrup is evil
    "toxins" can be flushed from your body by drinking obscene amounts of water
    -- corollary: you must drink eight 8oz glasses of pure water a day, the inclusion of any flavor in that water negates its hydrating abilities

    it's because the average person can't handle the basic concept of move more, eat less. :-/

    ETA: I can't believe I forgot my corollary to the first one: Eating one specific food will magically "melt the fat away"
    and yes that "blood type" thing is beyond reproach. I can't believe the people that are willing to try that, and feel sad that no one taught them to identify a snake oil salesman.
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    What's some of the most ridiculous pseudo science stuff you've heard/read/believed about weight loss, nutrition and exercise?

    The egg yolks being bad for your cholesterol is one that springs to mind.
    That you can turn your fat into muscle.
    Eating fat makes you fat.
    That you can "tone up" without losing fat.
    Eating sugar makes your blood acidic and can erode your vital organs.

    I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them!

    Here are some:

    Eating carbs makes you fat.
    Eating past 8pm (insert time here) makes you fat.
    Eating breakfast kickstarts your metabolism
    Eating frequently increases your metabolism
    Drinking juices removes toxins from your system
    You must drink protein immediately after your workout or your muscles will fall off.
    Skipping meals slows down your metabolism
    Short term fasting (intra-day or single day) puts you in starvation mode

    All of these!!!!

    My favorite catch-all which isn't really pseudo-science but plain BS.
    "I do XX exercise and eat YY therefore that is the only way that everyone should live."
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    The blood type diet and bodywraps have to be my two most common facepalms.
  • saraht131
    saraht131 Posts: 86
    That's another thing that grates on me. Toxins. That you need to "detox". That's what your kidneys are for and those highly evolved organs are much more effective in removing "toxins" than you eating nothing but spinach juice and wheatgrass shots for a week!

    What toxins do people expect to get rid of?! The whole thing is a complete myth! Nothing but a multi billion dollar industry exploiting people who will believe whatever you tell them.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    The blood type diet and bodywraps have to be my two most common facepalms.

    ^ These are great ones too. LOLBloodtype diet.

    Steve Troutman found a facial recognition diet, it's linked to his Pareto article I believe. Hilarious stuff.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    "toxins" can be flushed from your body by drinking obscene amounts of water
    -- corollary: you must drink eight 8oz glasses of pure water a day, the inclusion of any flavor in that water negates its hydrating abilities
    And many people say that if you drink only 64 ounces of pure water, you will be dehydrated.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    cleanses & detox
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
    Aspartame is a huge conspiracy in which the FDA were paid off to turn a blind eye to the fact that it gives you cancer and causes you to gain weight.
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
    Bananas make you fat
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
    Zaggora pants, fat suits will sweat you skinny.

    I you just lie on a toning table it's as good as going for a run or lifting weights, similar for vibration plates.

    Those slender-tone thingies that you stick on your stomach will give you a 6 pack.
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    bump for later
  • Arthemise1
    Arthemise1 Posts: 365 Member
    "If I can do it, everyone else can too."

    Excuse me, not everyone's body is built the same way, so don't presume to know what my body is capable of.
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    You can lose weight by getting rid of toxins via.... colonoscopy. :noway:
    Tried that... every good time starts with dulcolax, miralax and gatoraide. Let the good times roll.
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
    "Cleanses" and "detoxing" drive me nuts!
  • ariant23
    ariant23 Posts: 161 Member
    deleted because i'm a moron.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    The blood type diet and bodywraps have to be my two most common facepalms.

    ^ These are great ones too. LOLBloodtype diet.

    Steve Troutman found a facial recognition diet, it's linked to his Pareto article I believe. Hilarious stuff.

    Haha, yeah I read that the other day. Steve Troutman is da bomb. I pretty much think you can put any random string of words together, tag "diet" on the end and sell it.
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    Drinking diet soda makes you fat and/or is toxic.

    So it had nothing to do with the sweets and the huge platefuls of food I ate... it was just my Dr Pepper Zero that was to blame :sad:
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Aspartame is a huge conspiracy in which the FDA were paid off to turn a blind eye to the fact that it gives you cancer and causes you to gain weight.

    Actually, this is what we're talking about. This is pseudo-science and fear mongering. Aspartame has helped millions (if not billions) of diabetics control their blood sugar while still enjoying semi-regular food. It's also helped people like me lose weight by switching from regular to diet soda.
    ?
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    "Everybody's different," is one that drives me nuts. Everybody is the exact same species genetically, barring a serious medical condition we are all exactly the same.

    And related to that, Somatotypes also drive me nuts, since the "science" behind them was completely made up with absolutely no basis in reality.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    How about:

    "I eat no more than 800 calories a day, I am not hungry, and I never eat my exercise calories back! I've already lost 37 lbs. this week, so It's working for me! Everybody is different, and every time I lose weight this is the way I do it, BTW, I do NOT have an ED"

    :laugh:
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
    Aspartame is a huge conspiracy in which the FDA were paid off to turn a blind eye to the fact that it gives you cancer and causes you to gain weight.

    Actually, this is what we're talking about. This is pseudo-science and fear mongering. Aspartame has helped millions (if not billions) of diabetics control their blood sugar while still enjoying semi-regular food. It's also helped people like me lose weight by switching from regular to diet soda.

    I know it's pseudo-science and fear mongering. This post is a list of things that the contributors consider pseudo-science.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Coffee just came out my nose when I read, 'or your muscles will fall off'.

    Expelling coffee through your nostrils is an excellent method of cleansing. Congratulations! I bet you just lost 3 lbs!
  • ShellyKay67
    ShellyKay67 Posts: 489 Member
    I've got a friend that thinks if he buys the most expensive protein shakes and power bars, he can build muscle without lifting heavy. He's a 6' 2" 145 lb mountain of muscle. Don't dare tell him he might be wrong though. He made his boyfriend some grilled beets for dinner recently and he puked it all up. His words were, 'it must have been too healthy for him'. I couldn't help myself and busted out laughing. Man, I don't care how healthy beets are, they're still nasty.
    That is the one thing i can honestly say i HATE......BEETS! YUCK!~ Those purple pickled ones...NASTY!!!!! I've tried to like them or see if my tastes have changed on them, but NOPE, still YUCK!! lol

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