Biggest argument you get in with friends about diet

nilbogger

Probably the weight loss/maintenance tidbit I argue about with people the most is "Don't eat after X pm because your metabolism shuts down at night and you won't burn the fat." Like, really? All your body functions just slow down as bedtime approaches and then completely stop while you're asleep? You don't use calories to breathe, toss and turn, pump blood through your body, etc? OK.

I know not eating after a certain time does work for some people, but it has nothing to do with your body just shutting down.

Edit: I also get annoyed when people say fruit is just as bad for you as, say, a candy bar because of all the sugar.

Holly_Roman_Empire

Friends say it's about what foods you eat, and I say it's about calories (while I eat a french fry). lol

Kestrel45

"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!

THIS. I can't stand that either!!! People say, "oh, it's all exercise. Just exercise, that's all that matters." Rubbish. It' a mathematical formula. Caloric deficit. That's it. You can be running 10 miles a day and eating 5000 calories, you're gonna gain weight. Plus being HEALTHY requires clean eating. If you just wanna lose weight, go ahead and eat crap and you'll destroy your health in the process.

Gah. anyway we have to be happy we know what's right for our bodies.

LiftAllThePizzas

Plus being HEALTHY requires clean eating.

No it doesn't.

Flabulousss

One friend gets angry about me losing weight because I'm "a stick." Actually, I was almost overweight. Maybe my legs are sticks no matter what (because they're weird--or that's my composition,) but you can't argue with a beer belly and bat wings. We obviously just have different standards of what's normal. If I'm a stick then overweight must be "a little homely." I don't buy into American standards of normalcy. And if nobody ever lost any weight then we'd all just keep on growing! Nothing wrong with keeping things in check.

I also get yelled at for containing my olive oil consumption--something I love--because "it's healthy!" That doesn't mean it doesn't pack a calorie punch. Same with fruit juice. Or avocados. Any high-calorie healthy food can help you get fat if you're inhaling it. But my words fall on deaf ears. I wont even tell anyone I'm doing 5:2. God forbid if you don't eat constantly you're gonna die. "That's what exercise is for" my friend tells me, while I try to explain that people vastly overestimate how much they burn. I'm not even sure how these conversations get started. lol I'm pretty reserved when it comes to discussing my diet.

mizzmax

I can testify that when I do not calorie count, I begin to gain weight. I went back to Calorie counting last week and lost 3.6 lbs.! You are so right: People are not realistic of how many calories come in a meal....Cheesecake factory is the worst! Also, people are not mindful of when you go to a restaurant, the portions are double. I always respect the responses of an athlete because they know nutrition. Yes, the friends are very much in denial!

samammay

"There are only like 170 calories in these Cocoa Krispies".

Yes, and a serving is 1/2 cup. That bowl there has 9 servings in it.

Loulady

I don't.

jonnythan

I don't get into arguments. My success if obvious; if people have questions, they ask and I answer. If people don't ask, then I keep my mouth shut.

TheRealParisLove

"You look fine! You don't need to watch what you eat!"

Gah! I hate that one. Obviously, looking good is a big reason why many people watch what they eat, but that isn't the ONLY reason why I pay attention to my diet.

I've got two hundred mile rides coming up over the next two weekends. My body needs to be in top shape to complete those rides, which means watching what I eat.

TheRealParisLove

Plus being HEALTHY requires clean eating.

No it doesn't.

At some point, yes it does. Young people can get away with a lot abuse of their bodies. But once a person hits their late 20's if they don't clean up their diet, they will be facing lifestyle problems like hypertension and high cholesterol. Which is more expensive, eating crap in your 20's and 30's and taking drugs from your 40's on or just eating healthy the whole time?

I know thin/fit athletes that have to take statins and high blood pressure medications in their 40's due to dietary abuse in their 20's and 30's. It's kind of like gravity, a poor diet effects all people and the results are predictable.

bcattoes

Breakfast. Everyone keeps telling me how important it is and that I really need to eat it.

jonnythan

Plus being HEALTHY requires clean eating.

No it doesn't.

At some point, yes it does. Young people can get away with a lot abuse of their bodies. But once a person hits their late 20's if they don't clean up their diet, they will be facing lifestyle problems like hypertension and high cholesterol. Which is more expensive, eating crap in your 20's and 30's and taking drugs from your 40's on or just eating healthy the whole time?

I know thin/fit athletes that have to take statins and high blood pressure medications in their 40's due to dietary abuse in their 20's and 30's. It's kind of like gravity, a poor diet effects all people and the results are predictable.

This is 100% false nonsense and you should not say it anymore.

LiftAllThePizzas

I don't get into arguments. My success if obvious; if people have questions, they ask and I answer. If people don't ask, then I keep my mouth shut.

I never got so big that it didn't hide under my clothes, so people just assume I'm "naturally skinny" because they're oblivious to the fact that while they sit on the couch watching 40 hours a week of TV and shoveling chips down their throat and complaining that they have a 'slow metabolism," I go do fun things that burn lots of calories.

LiftAllThePizzas

Plus being HEALTHY requires clean eating.

No it doesn't.

At some point, yes it does. Young people can get away with a lot abuse of their bodies. But once a person hits their late 20's if they don't clean up their diet, they will be facing lifestyle problems like hypertension and high cholesterol. Which is more expensive, eating crap in your 20's and 30's and taking drugs from your 40's on or just eating healthy the whole time?

I know thin/fit athletes that have to take statins and high blood pressure medications in their 40's due to dietary abuse in their 20's and 30's. It's kind of like gravity, a poor diet effects all people and the results are predictable.

I'm about to turn 44 and none of that is happening. Please stop lying to people and trying to scare them into your diseased mentality toward food.

jonnythan

I don't get into arguments. My success if obvious; if people have questions, they ask and I answer. If people don't ask, then I keep my mouth shut.

I never got so big that it didn't hide under my clothes, so people just assume I'm "naturally skinny" because they're oblivious to the fact that while they sit on the couch watching 40 hours a week of TV and shoveling chips down their throat and complaining that they have a 'slow metabolism," I go do fun things that burn lots of calories.

Some obese coworkers were having a "discussion" about weight loss a few months ago. I wasn't involved. One of them pointed at me and said something to the effect of "Jon's naturally skinny, he has a fast metabolism."

At that point I turned around and told them that I used to be over 60 pounds heavier than I am now.

At first they didn't believe me. Then they, predictably, asked me what my "secret" was, especially since they knew I eat things like Pop-Tart ice cream sandwiches. I told them I control my calorie intake and exercise regularly. They seemed disappointed. Go figure.

linalovekitty

I have a friend who basically started chain smoking & taking ephedrine to curb her appetite, yet she talks like she is the Dali Lama of diet & exercise. She has no concept of calories & put her husband on a "fat free diet" that included fat free versions of every junk food they make, of which he eats an endless amount of bc she tells him its "fat free" so he can chow all he wants. He has basically gained weight since he started.

ive told her a million times fat free doesnt mean calorie free.

MzManiak

I don't argue with anyone about diet. If they ask what I'm doing, I tell them. If they want advice, I give it. If they make dumb comments, whatever, they can believe what they want and when I get to where I'm going, they can be left dumbfounded for all I care.

Most people would prefer to believe that it all must come naturally. I've had 3 kids and got back in shape (for the most part, still working on it!) but instead of thinking I've worked hard for it... they want to think it's just in my genes or something. (Even my sister... who, hello? Shares the same genes as I do, no? lol)

skinnyinnotime

I rarely get involved in these 'conversations' with people as I find them irritating to say the least.

But I am tired of being told I'm 'lucky' and 'don't need to workout'.

faithbabe21

I get that, I'll go out with my friends to the bar and order a volka water and my friends will nag me to get a real drink, or if were getting food and I get a salad or something, they just don't get what it's like to live in my body everyday, it's exhausting and I want to feel better about myself.