the "do what works for you" advice

Fozzi43

Lifting heavy and doing squats with heavy weights have given me a better body than I've had in years..so I lifting.

Windy_

This gets thrown around a lot...

Should I eat back my exercise cals? Do what works for you.
Should I limit carbs? Do what works for you.
Should I get a HRM? Do what works for you.
Should I log my dinner if I just threw it up 10 minutes later? Do what works for you.
Should I break up with my BF who's cheating on me with my sister's dog? Do what works for you.


The science behind what causes weight loss, weight gain, muscle growth, strength increases, cardiovascular health, etc IS ALL THE SAME. My body works the same as your body which works the same as everyone else's on this site (with the only significant difference being people with legitimate health issues, like diabetes, etc.).

What varies, what falls under the "what works for you" umbrella is the method.

People need to sustain a healthy caloric deficit to lose weight. Period. That's the science part. The method is how you get there. Whole foods alone works. Prepared foods alone work. Diet with zumba works. Diet with 15 minutes of running works. Diet with 4 hours of cycling works. Diet with free weights works. Diet with weight machines works. Diet with 5lb weights works. Diet with 400lbs works. Eating back exercise cals works. Not eating them back works. Etc. There are dozens of ways to skin the cat... but what you're doing doesn't change (the skinning of the cat), it's the HOW that changes.

As a side note, it is worth mentioning that goals play a role in this too. The more specific your goals get, and the more "accomplished" you become towards those goals, then less wiggle room you may have in trying different methods. If you're at 8% BF and looking to add 5lbs of lean muscle, the treadmill probably isn't your best bet. So goals do play a role in this as well.

You mean I'm not a special snowflake and my body doesn't work differently than everybody elses?

KenosFeoh

My body works the same as your body which works the same as everyone else's on this site (with the only significant difference being people with legitimate health issues, like diabetes, etc.).

Sorry - I highly doubt this statement.

BamaBreezeNSaltAire

So you're saying I can't count my coke zero as water?

Do what works for you!

but...but...but...

HAHAHAHA!

jagh09

People want a quick fix and the easy answer. Many people don't want to hear "eat less, exercise more, sleep enough, take care of your body, plan your meals, weigh and measure, etc. etc. They want to know if they cut out all dairy, or sugar, or carbs, or anything with a face, they will magically lose 5 pounds a day!

But I do agree that people have to find what works for them, in order to find a system and a long-term lifestyle they can work within and be successful at this.

ArroganceInStep

My body works the same as your body which works the same as everyone else's on this site (with the only significant difference being people with legitimate health issues, like diabetes, etc.).

Sorry - I highly doubt this statement.

You can doubt all you like, it's the truth. We are FAR more similar as human beings than dissimilar.

TheRealJigsaw

Well said Jackson..

UsedToBeHusky

Wow! You make such an excellent point!

People definitely confuse the science with the method. At its core, creating a calorie deficit is the only way to lose. How you want to create that calorie deficit is entirely up to you.

Brilliant post!

UsedToBeHusky

My body works the same as your body which works the same as everyone else's on this site (with the only significant difference being people with legitimate health issues, like diabetes, etc.).

Sorry - I highly doubt this statement.

You can doubt all you like, it's the truth. We are FAR more similar as human beings than dissimilar.

This. We are all the same species of creature. Our body was meant to function in a very specific way. If it is not functioning that way, then something is wrong and it requires medical attention.

Sabine_Stroehm

Wow! You make such an excellent point!

People definitely confuse the science with the method. At its core, creating a calorie deficit is the only way to lose. How you want to create that calorie deficit is entirely up to you.

Brilliant post!

I like this statement. And then wonder why folks spend SO MUCH TIME on here mocking and berating others for HOW they choose to create the calorie deficit.

UsedToBeHusky

Even in this thread, someone disagrees. Everyone is a special snowflake whose body functions vastly different from the next special snow flake.

Honestly, this bothers me more than anything. Don't people realize that if their bodies are unique, then that means that no one can really help them.

It is an acceptance of futility, and ultimately, becomes the excuse for not even trying. The logic, in and of itself, is the perpetuation of the yo-yo dieters mentality.

jacksonpt

Wow! You make such an excellent point!

People definitely confuse the science with the method. At its core, creating a calorie deficit is the only way to lose. How you want to create that calorie deficit is entirely up to you.

Brilliant post!

I like this statement. And then wonder why folks spend SO MUCH TIME on here mocking and berating others for HOW they choose to create the calorie deficit.

From what I've seen, it's because some people talk in terms of ideals - what will give you the absolute most results for you exercise (or diet) dollar. No added benefit is overlooked. Other people simply want to see results, and don't much care if method A is .00005% more efficient at reaching a particular goal than method B.

This is what people argue about so often... matters of effectiveness and efficiency. It's not a question of what works, it's usually a question of what works best, which not everyone cares about, and even fewer people would actually benefit from.

firstsip

My body works the same as your body which works the same as everyone else's on this site (with the only significant difference being people with legitimate health issues, like diabetes, etc.).

Sorry - I highly doubt this statement.

Yes; what about werewolves, who morph into an animal a few nights a month? How are their calorie needs different?

DavPul

Amen!!! Love this post!

julesxo

Should I log my dinner if I just threw it up 10 minutes later? Do what works for you.
Should I break up with my BF who's cheating on me with my sister's dog? Do what works for you.

Love it.

I do agree though that people should stick to a method they are comfortable with, otherwise it will set them up for failure. Sometimes weight loss is a slow transition by slowly cutting out calories and increasing exercise and that is OK too. But yes, when it comes down to it, a calorie deficit is how you will lose weight.

cwolfman13

My body works the same as your body which works the same as everyone else's on this site (with the only significant difference being people with legitimate health issues, like diabetes, etc.).

Sorry - I highly doubt this statement.

You can doubt all you like, it's the truth. We are FAR more similar as human beings than dissimilar.

It's snowing in here!!!

Don't you know that we are unique little snowflakes.

MissJanet55

I have to respectfully disagree. Not only are we not all the same, our bodies don't even respond the same way over the course of our lifetimes. What worked for me to change my body when I was 25 is not the same now that I'm 55. I have to keep mixing it up, and have had to learn to continue to try new things to find what works best for me.

And I don't believe that men's and women's bodies respond the same way to the same input. We are physiologicaly different.

I agree that eating less and moving more and building muscle is good for all of us, though, that has never been in doubt for me. But I have had to make some adaptations within that.

My0WNinspiration

This gets thrown around a lot...

Should I eat back my exercise cals? Do what works for you.
Should I limit carbs? Do what works for you.
Should I get a HRM? Do what works for you.
Should I log my dinner if I just threw it up 10 minutes later? Do what works for you.
Should I break up with my BF who's cheating on me with my sister's dog? Do what works for you.


The science behind what causes weight loss, weight gain, muscle growth, strength increases, cardiovascular health, etc IS ALL THE SAME. My body works the same as your body which works the same as everyone else's on this site (with the only significant difference being people with legitimate health issues, like diabetes, etc.).

What varies, what falls under the "what works for you" umbrella is the method.

People need to sustain a healthy caloric deficit to lose weight. Period. That's the science part. The method is how you get there. Whole foods alone works. Prepared foods alone work. Diet with zumba works. Diet with 15 minutes of running works. Diet with 4 hours of cycling works. Diet with free weights works. Diet with weight machines works. Diet with 5lb weights works. Diet with 400lbs works. Eating back exercise cals works. Not eating them back works. Etc. There are dozens of ways to skin the cat... but what you're doing doesn't change (the skinning of the cat), it's the HOW that changes.

As a side note, it is worth mentioning that goals play a role in this too. The more specific your goals get, and the more "accomplished" you become towards those goals, then less wiggle room you may have in trying different methods. If you're at 8% BF and looking to add 5lbs of lean muscle, the treadmill probably isn't your best bet. So goals do play a role in this as well.

Jackson, I know the point you're trying to make and I agree with it but you need to be careful with your generalizations. Not everybodys' bodies work in the same way. We all have varying degrees of insulin sensitivity for instance. We all have different levels and distribution of alpha and beta receptors. Between men and women there are generalized differences that apply in terms of hormone levels and such. All of this affects the science behind what we do in terms of gaining/losing weight. While in highly generalized terms there are commonalities, you can't discount the wide variations in how genetics seriously impacts our metabolic processes. These differences are a big part of why what works for one person does not work for another (there are of course psychological reasons as well).

So I do agree with you that at the end of the day, insulin does the same thing in all of us (although to widely varying degrees) and at the end it's about calories in and calories out. But don't get too blinded to the real differences that do directly impact the science behind all of this as well.

Agree with this

UsedToBeHusky

I have to respectfully disagree. Not only are we not all the same, our bodies don't even respond the same way over the course of our lifetimes. What worked for me to change my body when I was 25 is not the same now that I'm 55. I have to keep mixing it up, and have had to learn to continue to try new things to find what works best for me.

And I don't believe that men's and women's bodies respond the same way to the same input. We are physiologicaly different.

I agree that eating less and moving more and building muscle is good for all of us, though, that has never been in doubt for me. But I have had to make some adaptations within that.

You are talking about external factors as if it is definitive. When I was 25, my body worked much the same as yours did at 25. When I am 55, my body will work much the same as yours does at 55. And as far as the differences between men and women, you are talking about hormones. Yes, testosterone is different than estrogen, but it does not change the fact that creating a calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight. Again, you are confusing the science with the method. You have to use different methods than a 25-year old man to create a calorie deficit, but either way a calorie deficit will cause you both to lose weight.

VorJoshigan

When it comes to listening to people on the internet, you should do what works for you.