Biggest argument you get in with friends about diet
patentguru
Posts: 312 Member
By far the biggest argument I get into with friends is how the vast majority of people fool themselves about how much they actually eat (total calories). I often hear- "I don't eat that much. I only eat one meal a day, blah, blah, blah." I can't help myself. I take the bait and ask, ok, tell me exactly what you ate today. I then explain that the one dinner meal at Cheesecake factory was over 2000 calories they give me a no way. I then tell them to log their calories for a few days to get some real feedback. I usually get a "I am not into fad diets," "calorie counting does not work in the long run," blah, blah, blah. I then tell them I am accustomed to dieting since I was a wrestler in grade and tried most everything (except steroids- although they are mighty tempting). When I am not calorie counting, my mind plays tricks with me and I think I am eating less calories than I am. Thus, by far the best lifelong method is to go back to calorie counting (carbs, fat, protein) when things are not going in the direction I want- i.e. fat percentage, strength increases, energy, sugar level, whatever. We need feedback. Anyone else deal with this from friends?
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I get the no way is there that many calories in .... from most people. The one that really gets me and its not really an argument, just a dumb question, is "well, where can you go out eat" :noway: To which I can respond, anywhere I want.0
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The biggest argument I get into is when people try to tell me that I don't "need" to be eating at a calorie deficit because I look "fine" the way that I am.
I never said that I was "fat." I simply have a goal to reduce my body fat percentage to the level of female athletes, and all of a sudden friends and family think I am "starving" myself. Yeah. Starving. I am 5'5" tall and I average 1621 calories each day. I eat 5 meals a day. I am not "starving." I will not look gaunt or skinny. Why? Because I'm weight training to keep my lean muscle mass. Now if I get to 95 pounds (I'm closer to 140 now) then you have a reason to whine at me. Until then, get your nose out of my business, stop hating, stop being jealous because you are satisfied with 25% body fat and let me get the body that I want.0 -
Exactly! My cardiologist sent me to a nutritionist and she told me she could not help me. I had been trying for 9 months to lose weight and not losing anything. The nutritionist told me I was eating healthy and doing all of the right things except 1 apple a day over my calorie limit could keep me from losing weight. That is when I started using myfitnesspal and have lost about 25 pounds since September. You do not realize how much you eat without weighing, counting and logging all of the food that you eat.
It doesn't happen over night either. I try to share this information with anyone that I can to help them.0 -
1. Biggest argument from female friends is that "I don't need to lose weight" "I'm fine the way I am" bullS.... Especially since they're all UK size 4-8 (US size 0-4) and at the time I was 250lbs and wearing tents as clothes. I still get it now
2. From people that persist (I don't ask) how they don't eat much and are really healthy but "diet and exercise" don't work but then when you outline how many calories they're consuming, say I'm wrong
3. People on here- losing 2lbs a week is "soooooo unhealthy" . Unless you're slim, underweight or an athlete - that's utter rubbish.0 -
"It's not what you eat, it's how much exercise you do!"
That one sets me off on one every time!
I know I wouldn't continue to lose weight if I had my old eating habits no matter how much exercise I did!0 -
That intermittent fasting doesn't mean that you are starving yourself. I actually am a very clean food eater and get completely grossed out by what people choose to consume. I keep that to myself though and am silently disgusted except when it comes to my kids. Most people do not wish to be aware of what they are consuming and how it got to their plate I like to see exactly what I am eating so no sauces and mixed up food for me. It makes it a bummer to go out but I feed my body well and I feel much better consuming this kind of food. The biggest difference is making my own food. I was never a cook before, but I know exactly what I am consuming when eating my own home made food. It is hard to change my hubbys go to foods, it is a slow process but it is changing. I like to feed my kids real clean food too since it will serve them and their future development.0
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1. Biggest argument from female friends is that "I don't need to lose weight" "I'm fine the way I am" bullS.... Especially since they're all UK size 4-8 (US size 0-4) and at the time I was 250lbs and wearing tents as clothes. I still get it now
^^^^ OHhh I hate this!!!0 -
Oh another one - "it's easy for you to lose weight and exercise" ......
ARGH, no it isn't! I wake up at 5 for work and do 12 hour days, do extra project work, still have to try and have a social life and have to monitor every calorie, log and get in a gym session everyday to be "ok". As soon as I don't, I put on weight. Every time. I just drag myself, even when I'm so tired I could sleep standing up!0 -
Oh another one - "it's easy for you to lose weight and exercise" ......
ARGH, no it isn't! I wake up at 5 for work and do 12 hour days, do extra project work, still have to try and have a social life and have to monitor every calorie, log and get in a gym session everyday to be "ok". As soon as I don't, I put on weight. Every time. I just drag myself, even when I'm so tired I could sleep standing up!
I can't stand that one either. NO it is not easy. It's called discipline.0 -
1. Biggest argument from female friends is that "I don't need to lose weight" "I'm fine the way I am" bullS.... Especially since they're all UK size 4-8 (US size 0-4) and at the time I was 250lbs and wearing tents as clothes. I still get it now
^^^^ OHhh I hate this!!!
I have to agree with this too, and i'm short (5'3") and 210lbs! I've already had to tell them several times I'm not in denial. It's like they want me to stay large and unhappy! :grumble:0 -
"You've lost weight!!! What are you doing that for?!? You looked fine the way you were!" Ok....so I don't look fine the way I am now? I'm doing this the healthy proper way with diet and exercise! I'm losing weight because I want to be healthy-never a good enough answer, "You weren't healthy before?" "Did you have issues? Did a doctor tell you to lose weight?" Now I just smile when someone notices, and shrug and walk away when asked why. It's not worth the argument. I love getting the 'How did you do it?' from from friends who are trying to lose weight too quickly by under eating. They act like they desparately want advice and then just scoff and say their way is better, it's soo much faster. Yup, that's why I'm seeing results and you're not.0
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This might tick some people off, because they might agree with my friends, but: carbs are bad for you, not just the white bread and refined sugar carbs, but ABSOLUTELY ALL carbs.
I'm not very confrontational, so I would rather back down than to start a big fight over something that's pretty trivial in the long run. But it does tick me off a little because really, not all carbs are created equal. I get that it's smart to limit the amount of white flour and refined sugars in your diet, but some people don't even eat whole grains or fruit! I guess that's fine if it works for them, but carbs are an essential source of energy, and I think those of my friends who won't even look at a carb would be well advised to not paint all carbs with one brush. Just saying.0 -
I often hear the opposite from fairly skinny people "Well, I ate loads today..."I often hear- "I don't eat that much. I only eat one meal a day, blah, blah, blah."
Ask them what they ate and add it up and it turns out it's 1000 calories or something - usually less than I would eat when I'm trying to lose weight.0 -
That I can't drink 10 - 15 beers with them any more.
2 is enough.0 -
I often hear the opposite from fairly skinny people "Well, I ate loads today..."I often hear- "I don't eat that much. I only eat one meal a day, blah, blah, blah."
Ask them what they ate and add it up and it turns out it's 1000 calories or something - usually less than I would eat when I'm trying to lose weight.
That's also true yet I never see them eat anything .....0 -
this one, so true. when i was losing at 1400+ kcal a day, my friend who ate 800 a day and purged it all anyway, said i was on a high calorie diet. what?"You've lost weight!!! What are you doing that for?!? You looked fine the way you were!" Ok....so I don't look fine the way I am now? I'm doing this the healthy proper way with diet and exercise! I'm losing weight because I want to be healthy-never a good enough answer, "You weren't healthy before?" "Did you have issues? Did a doctor tell you to lose weight?" Now I just smile when someone notices, and shrug and walk away when asked why. It's not worth the argument. I love getting the 'How did you do it?' from from friends who are trying to lose weight too quickly by under eating. They act like they desparately want advice and then just scoff and say their way is better, it's soo much faster. Yup, that's why I'm seeing results and you're not.0 -
I get the no way is there that many calories in .... from most people. The one that really gets me and its not really an argument, just a dumb question, is "well, where can you go out eat" :noway: To which I can respond, anywhere I want.
That is my response as well. I eat what I want, just not the quantity I want. If I want to eat more, I burn more calories that day.0 -
That I can't drink 10 - 15 beers with them any more.
2 is enough.
Hey not true- 15 miller lites is only 1500 calories! The monks invented beer as a meal replacement and it works quite well. I have had a few Friday or Saturday liquid dinners.0 -
I sometimes hear, "Oh, you should try [insert fad diet here]! I know someone who's doing that and they've lost weight!"
I've lost over 120 lbs by eating sensibly and exercising. I think I've found what works for me, and it's not some BS fad diet.0 -
The biggest argument I get into is when my friends decide they want to 'eat healthy' and all they eat are special K bars, weight watchers crisps etc and think that's healthy. I always say it's full of empty carbs and little nutrition what's wrong with eating real food but they just say 'yeah but it's only got 99 calories in' they just don't understand.0
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I often hear the opposite from fairly skinny people "Well, I ate loads today..."I often hear- "I don't eat that much. I only eat one meal a day, blah, blah, blah."
Ask them what they ate and add it up and it turns out it's 1000 calories or something - usually less than I would eat when I'm trying to lose weight.
Hahaha
This!0 -
I don't talk to my friends about it any more if I can help it, because lots of them are always trying the newest diet or "fat club" or just plain not interested. That's why I have MFP friends and the MFP forums.0
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"You've lost weight!!! What are you doing that for?!? You looked fine the way you were!" Ok....so I don't look fine the way I am now? I'm doing this the healthy proper way with diet and exercise! I'm losing weight because I want to be healthy-never a good enough answer, "You weren't healthy before?" "Did you have issues? Did a doctor tell you to lose weight?" Now I just smile when someone notices, and shrug and walk away when asked why. It's not worth the argument. I love getting the 'How did you do it?' from from friends who are trying to lose weight too quickly by under eating. They act like they desparately want advice and then just scoff and say their way is better, it's soo much faster. Yup, that's why I'm seeing results and you're not.
YUP!! Exactly! Then they are ordering fries smothered in gravy and a burger the next day for lunch and having chips and chocolate bars for snacks...They just don't get it.0 -
1. Biggest argument from female friends is that "I don't need to lose weight" "I'm fine the way I am" bullS.... Especially since they're all UK size 4-8 (US size 0-4) and at the time I was 250lbs and wearing tents as clothes. I still get it now
Yeah, when a friend tells me that, I'm likely to reply with "I can just about fit your jeans on my ARM. Shut up."0 -
The biggest argument I get into is when my friends decide they want to 'eat healthy' and all they eat are special K bars, weight watchers crisps etc and think that's healthy. I always say it's full of empty carbs and little nutrition what's wrong with eating real food but they just say 'yeah but it's only got 99 calories in' they just don't understand.
Or it is fat free!
Oh, or it all natural, since it was sweetened with honey. But whenever someone tries to shove all natural at me, I just point out that arsenic is all natural, as well. I mostly eat clean, but the idea that something is good for you just because it is natural is ridiculous. I know plenty of overweight vegetarians and vegans and I have seen what they eat, so it isn't some fluke medical condition.0 -
The biggest one I get into is that "yes, you DO need to eat in order to lose weight..." Eating one meal of chicken sticks and tater tots while supplementing with tons of glasses of [green tea/coffee/water/insert "healthy" drink here] does not give you enough Calories for your body to continue to operate, so yes, you feel like crap!0
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The biggest argument I get into is when my friends decide they want to 'eat healthy' and all they eat are special K bars, weight watchers crisps etc and think that's healthy. I always say it's full of empty carbs and little nutrition what's wrong with eating real food but they just say 'yeah but it's only got 99 calories in' they just don't understand.
Or it is fat free!
Oh, or it all natural, since it was sweetened with honey. But whenever someone tries to shove all natural at me, I just point out that arsenic is all natural, as well. I mostly eat clean, but the idea that something is good for you just because it is natural is ridiculous. I know plenty of overweight vegetarians and vegans and I have seen what they eat, so it isn't some fluke medical condition.
To be fair, I LOVE those Special K bars when I don't have time for breakfast (slept in, for example) and need something on the way out the door
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"You've lost weight!!! What are you doing that for?!? You looked fine the way you were!" Ok....so I don't look fine the way I am now? I'm doing this the healthy proper way with diet and exercise! I'm losing weight because I want to be healthy-never a good enough answer, "You weren't healthy before?" "Did you have issues? Did a doctor tell you to lose weight?" Now I just smile when someone notices, and shrug and walk away when asked why. It's not worth the argument. I love getting the 'How did you do it?' from from friends who are trying to lose weight too quickly by under eating. They act like they desparately want advice and then just scoff and say their way is better, it's soo much faster. Yup, that's why I'm seeing results and you're not.
I get this from my friends too. When I share with them the MFP site and how its help me get my eating back under control from the holidays and lost 8 pounds in the 30 days I've been logging on....They tell me "but you were fine, you didn't need to loose weight." My response is "I've let myself get to 155 pounds and at 5'3" a BMI of 28 is not good." Diabetes is very prevalent in my family and that's one of the main reasons I exercise and eat healthy. Looking good in my clothes and feeling awesome from all this energy is just a wonderful added bonus.
Some people just don't want to listen because they don't want to put in the work to change their lifestyle. Mostly, I just keep it to myself and only talk to people I know really want to listen to some good advice. I don't claim to know it all, but the prrof is in the pudding.0 -
The biggest argument I get into is when my friends decide they want to 'eat healthy' and all they eat are special K bars, weight watchers crisps etc and think that's healthy. I always say it's full of empty carbs and little nutrition what's wrong with eating real food but they just say 'yeah but it's only got 99 calories in' they just don't understand.
I have a friend/gym buddy who is doing WW and has a lot of their snacks, processed food etc. Every time I go to her house (we'd usually go out to lunch after gym on Saturdays, but shower and pick up her husband at her house first) she'll offer me those snacks saying how great they are. She's also taken to offering me candy and other junk (I need to work on my will power against everything).
But, the biggest thing that we "argue" about is how much I eat. At one point I was eating back calories (now TDEE-%), so she couldn't understand how I could have two slices of pizza for lunch and for dinner needed to eat higher calories to hit my goal. She's on WW, and she's on the lowest points possible because she's short (she probably still has 40lbs to lose), and she refuses to eat back exercise points. She just glares at me or will say something, but I just kind of shrug and don't respond because I'm not going to change her mind (she's been dieting for years and years so obviously knows more than me) and it's not worth the argument.0 -
I don't talk to my friends about it any more if I can help it, because lots of them are always trying the newest diet or "fat club" or just plain not interested. That's why I have MFP friends and the MFP forums.
So true. I am starting to head down the same road as I make like minded friends on MFP.0
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