What works for you

jofjltncb6

"Eating 900 calories works for me"
"Skipping breakfast works for me"
"Eating two big meals a day works for me"

Jeez louise!

I skip breakfast and generally only eat two big meals a day.

Hmph...guess I'm doing it wrong.

:kicks rocks:

ETA: Time out. What are your credentials and where is your support for these two things being a bad idea? (Dagnabbit! I almost fell into the very trap she was warning us all about.)

dinosnopro

The point of this thread will soon be lost.....R.I.P. common sense.

CoderGal

For me, my body has an upper limit on muscle mass - at my peak, I can bench 30 pounds

What people don't understand is that the physiology and thermodynamics is exactly the same for everyone. The variables are in the results, but the process works for every living human being. People reject this idea, unfortunately. But, if everyone would get on board and understand this, it would be much easier to have a conversation about what to do in different situations. It's actually very simple. A lot of people get too hung up in details rather than step away. It's not about "what works for me" as much as it is about what generally works for all humans. Like calories in/out. It's very simple at a high level. There are some details, and there are variations in the results, which means I might be able to eat 2800 calories and you might have to eat 1600, but the physiology and science is identical for both of us.

jofjltncb6

The point of this thread will soon be lost.....R.I.P. common sense.

While her point is legit, did you overlook the fact that the examples she used were actually examples of and continuations of the very problem?

bcattoes

What people don't understand is that the physiology and thermodynamics is exactly the same for everyone. The variables are in the results, but the process works for every living human being. People reject this idea, unfortunately. But, if everyone would get on board and understand this, it would be much easier to have a conversation about what to do in different situations. It's actually very simple. A lot of people get too hung up in details rather than step away. It's not about "what works for me" as much as it is about what generally works for all humans. Like calories in/out. It's very simple at a high level. There are some details, and there are variations in the results, which means I might be able to eat 2800 calories and you might have to eat 1600, but the physiology and science is identical for both of us.

I doubt many people are talking physiology or thermodynamics when they speak of what works for them. They are more likely talking about how they make the physiology or thermodynamics of weight loss work for them. They are often talking about the psychology of weight loss. How they can successfully apply these undeniable rules in their life. We humans are emotional beings. Things like satiety and enjoyment matter.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

"Eating 900 calories works for me"
"Skipping breakfast works for me"
"Eating two big meals a day works for me"

Jeez louise!

Sooooo you're saying there's something wrong with skipping breakfast or eating just two big meals?



It's acceptable to me for someone to say "Not eating after 7 pm works for me because if I eat later I'll be tempted to eat more calories."

It's not acceptable to say "If I eat anything after 7 pm, even if I'm under my calorie goal, it will immediately be stored as fat. That's how my body works. Don't tell me about science, this is what works for me"

CoderGal

What people don't understand is that the physiology and thermodynamics is exactly the same for everyone. The variables are in the results, but the process works for every living human being. People reject this idea, unfortunately. But, if everyone would get on board and understand this, it would be much easier to have a conversation about what to do in different situations. It's actually very simple. A lot of people get too hung up in details rather than step away. It's not about "what works for me" as much as it is about what generally works for all humans. Like calories in/out. It's very simple at a high level. There are some details, and there are variations in the results, which means I might be able to eat 2800 calories and you might have to eat 1600, but the physiology and science is identical for both of us.

I doubt many people are talking physiology or thermodynamics when they speak of what works for them. They are more likely talking about how they make the physiology or thermodynamics of weight loss work for them. They are often talking about the psychology of weight loss. How they can successfully apply these undeniable rules in their life. We humans are emotional beings. Things like satiety and enjoyment matter.

I understand what you are saying. I think you give others too much credit. Based on what I read many other say, they truly think they are different.

People come onto this site with very little actual knowledge of what's going on. No big deal there. But, then they'll argue their point with no real basis except to say, "I'm just different. That doesn't work for me". But, they don't really know because they've only been at it for 6 weeks. And, then, a week later, I'll see them post a random post asking what TDEE is. LOL. I mean, it's good that they listen and start to slowly put the pieces together. But, why argue when you don't really know. And, if you know, then why are you asking? A case in point, they ask why they are stalling. A bunch of people tell them they might need to eat more than 1200 calories, and netting 600 a day. then they argue and say that they tried that and it didn't work. LOL. It's just funny, more than anything. And, a little sad.

Because they dropped down to x calories. Saw they gain (temporary) weight on x calories.. Tried x+y calories for a short period of time, saw that the gained (temporary) weight. Didn't question anything and deemed themselves knower of allz. I feel sorry for a few of my friends with metabolic diseases that go through this process, but give themselves more time. I've convinced a few irl friends to let me do scientific experiments on them lol. They all ended up being able to eat significantly more then they thought. One of them later cried and thanked me. They don't know that changing some of the variables can help them and they need to apply the right math for them and give it time, that's all.

Also because they have no idea how much they were eating before, do not have a food scale, and are terrible at estimating.

AndyLL180

I don't understand. If something is working, why would one change?

Because a lot of fads, dieting myths, and other pseudo-science ideas are 'working' for a short time but are not sustainable over the long term which means they really are not working.

This, and every other weight loss forum, is filled with posts from people complaining that their: 1200 cal diet or cleansing diet or juicing diet or their 6 200 calorie meal/day diet is no longer working.

The nice thing about MFP is you can go into the success forum and find page after page of people who successfully lost 75-150 pounds. When I read their stories I'm not seeing any of them championing any of the common fads or diet myths we see mentioned here every day. I see people that understood BMR, TDEE, proper calorie deficits and hard work.

EmmaKarney

"Eating 900 calories works for me"
"Skipping breakfast works for me"
"Eating two big meals a day works for me"

Jeez louise!

Sooooo you're saying there's something wrong with skipping breakfast or eating just two big meals?



It's acceptable to me for someone to say "Not eating after 7 pm works for me because if I eat later I'll be tempted to eat more calories."

It's not acceptable to say "If I eat anything after 7 pm, even if I'm under my calorie goal, it will immediately be stored as fat. That's how my body works. Don't tell me about science, this is what works for me"

Ok so bad examples. Should have just stuck with the 900 cals one

jofjltncb6

"Eating 900 calories works for me"
"Skipping breakfast works for me"
"Eating two big meals a day works for me"

Jeez louise!

Sooooo you're saying there's something wrong with skipping breakfast or eating just two big meals?



It's acceptable to me for someone to say "Not eating after 7 pm works for me because if I eat later I'll be tempted to eat more calories."

It's not acceptable to say "If I eat anything after 7 pm, even if I'm under my calorie goal, it will immediately be stored as fat. That's how my body works. Don't tell me about science, this is what works for me"

Ok so bad examples. Should have just stuck with the 900 cals one

Yay!

Okay, now with this correction, I am back to completely agreeing with OP.

Timshel_

I think there are more than enough people who genuinely like the advice and try different methods and combinations that others use. I also think that many of the same folks understand the basics of calories in/out, but might struggle with general terminology or some application. A lot of topics argue over smaller nuances compared to the basics, so there is a lot of confusion around.

Support and motivation abound though and that alone will help keep people at least trying to live a healthier life.