A side thread off of the 5000 calorie day thread...

DavPul

You're making it sound like those people are so extraordinary and spend hours and hours in the gym. They're still normal people, they just have discipline and are consistently working hard while still enjoying life.

Some of those 'normal folks' you're talking about have trouble sticking with a diet precisely because it's so strict.

But please, continue talking about them like they're freaks of nature, it's helping your point.

All this right here. I spend 60 mins working out 3x per week and 15-30 mins working out on 3 other days. It's not exactly superhuman to get in 45 mins of exercise 6 days per week. I don't even run. So yes, please stop acting like people that get in shape are from a different planet or something. A lot of the "super shape" people have 'before' photos that would blow your mind with how out of shape they were when they began.

I ask you a counter question: Since it's known that most people fall off the diet wagon because it's too restrictive and they end up missing their favorite foods, what is so wrong with telling them that they can lose weight while continuing to eat things they enjoy? So many threads here are "OMGZ I BINGED THIS WEEKEND AND ATES A DONUT SO NOW I WANT TO GIVE UP." And we're like, "Meh, whats wrong with donuts, don't panic, eat your normal calorie deficit today and you'll be fine."

In one corner I see a bunch of people achieving incredible results without stressing out, having a good time, telling jokes, and making post after post trying to help people. In the other corner, I see a bunch of people stressing out about invisible nutritional boogeymen, panicking if they don't have access to "clean" foods, having anxiety attacks about eating a company functions and family holidays, and continually dropping from the site because they had two days of fast food so they quit everything.

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

ZoeLifts

The initial thread you are talking about was not 5,000 a day EVERY DAY. It was about one day, that's it.

That being said, how do you think most of these "ripped" people got the way they are today? In general, they started out on MFP just like you, wanting to lose weight, trying different approaches and "diets". Then guess what, they found what worked to get them "ripped" as they are today. They educated themselves, and a good portion of that was from what they learned on MFP from other "ripped" members that did the same thing before them.

I'm sorry, would you prefer a site full of people that have never achieved their goals? Exactly how would that work, learning from people that are NOT successful?

Edited to add: I use the term "ripped" only because that is what you are using, OP. But in any case, why not learn from the ones that are fit AND happy, not only with their results, but how they got there!

billsica

These people have a healthy relationship with food. They are not mindlessly eating. Also your going to say for the rest of your life you will never have ice cream, pizza, birthday cake? That one slice is going to derail your entire progress? If it fits in my macros, its fitting in my belly.

I'm not a supper ripped 6 pack, but I burned over 2,500 calories this past Sunday. That is a whole lot of ice burg lettuce.

Martucha123

in the original thread a girl asked for ideas for 5000 kcal day and got bashed immediatly
nobody is saying you should eat 5000 kcal of mcdonalds food every day
but don't go to thread like that saying, if you do eat 5000 you are a pig and end up bloted and sick

DontStopB_Leakin

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Yea, I'm with this guy.

ZoeLifts

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Yea, I'm with this guy.

I'm standing over here with Dave and Lea.

OOPS!

SweetestLibby

I'm going go out on a limb here and assume the OP's ticker isn't similar to mine.


Please, OP, keep telling me what I'm doing wrong. I obviously have no clue what I'm doing.

My thoughts exactly. I've managed to lose almost 100 pounds and keep it off (prior to MFP) and I had cake, cookies, icecream, and all the other junk food.

At 121 lbs and 17% body fat I don't have to spend endless hours a day in the gym.

Honestly, I had to stop calling foods "trigger" foods. That gives food power that it doesn't have. I am in charge of what I put in my mouth. I used to say that I couldn't keep ice cream in the house because I had to eat the whole thing. No I didn't. That's BS. I am perfectly capable of weighing out one or two servings (whatever fits in my day) and enjoying my treat. I'm not a victim to food. I make my choices.

You'll find that most of the people who encourage people to eat "dirty" follow more of an 80/20 plan. I aim to make 80% of my food choices healthy, whole, homecooked foods. But this still allows me to enjoy my favorite foods at the end of the day. Sure, I can't eat the same number of calories as a man who is on a bulk cycle, but that still leaves me plenty of room to get fast food once in a while or enjoy my favorite sweets.

Also, this! So much of this. Once I learned this I was able to lose weight, eat what I wanted, and actually break away from the binge/starve cycle of Yo-Yo diets.

Cliffslosinit

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Yea, I'm with this guy.

I'm standing over her with Dave and Lea.

I loved his whole statement!!

FootballGamer58

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Yea, I'm with this guy.

I'm standing over her with Dave and Lea.

are we just gonna start a party cause im standing with you guys

BikerGirlElaine

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Yea, I'm with this guy.

I'm standing over her with Dave and Lea.

Totally, totally, totally want to stand in this corner!

Krys_140

I think the message that gets lost is this:

You can eat ANYTHING as long as you PLAN for it within your calories.

The question that most often brings out the "I eat whatever I want" responses is usually coming from someone new to "dieting", who for whatever reason believes that they have to eat healthier in order to lose weight. They start off their new lifestyle by severely restricting their diet to things they may not enjoy, and eliminate things they have always loved eating, out of some misguided notion that this is the way it has to be.

And, the results of such a major change in habits are typically immediate success, followed fairly quickly by failure to continue following the new "diet" because it's too restrictive, too big of a change too quickly, and not nearly enjoyable enough to keep up. That's how you end up with "cheat days", "binges" and other backsliding.

Those of us who've had some measure of success by simply eating in moderation tend to want to spread the word that it can be done this way, and that it is much easier to keep up with because it requires a LOT less will power than a 100% change in diet would.

For those individuals who wish to eat healthier, I say there is nothing wrong with that. Just do it gradually. Changing your eating habits is just like changing any other habit. It requires practice, will power, and constant attention. If you change everything about how you eat, it requires that much more of all three, and is unsustainable for most people (not all people, but most).

SweetestLibby

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Yea, I'm with this guy.

I'm standing over her with Dave and Lea.

Totally, totally, totally want to stand in this corner!

Add another one to this corner! I'm going to stand with the people that have had AMAZING results without the craziness.

nexangelus

It is called being F L E X I B L E


And yes I condone eating high cals for a day a week cos I do it too...every 14 days or so I eat 3000 cals...and not necesarily just veg and meat and fruit. Because of such a high excess I get to eat whatever I choose also. I do not binge, I do not starve and I no longer have symptoms of my previous two EDs...if it works for you then try it, if not, don't do it.

Simples.

ArroganceInStep

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

I guess I'll stand next to the guy who's 12 years older than me and in far better shape...I'm bitter about it though

FootballGamer58

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Yea, I'm with this guy.

I'm standing over her with Dave and Lea.

Totally, totally, totally want to stand in this corner!

Add another one to this corner! I'm going to stand with the people that have had AMAZING results without the craziness.

How I imagine this party

_SusieQ_

And really, how is your post any different from the posts you are talking about? You are advocating for them to STOP telling people not to be afraid of food. So you are saying do things YOUR way. People have a right to their opinions. Intelligent people will read, research, try, fail, try again until they find what works for them. If you don't like what they are saying, then DON'T DO IT.

But I would rather listen to, and follow advice from those "ripped" people you are talking about then someone who hasn't shown progress or doesn't have any history of success to back up their posts.

PomegranatePriestess

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Yea, I'm with this guy.

I'm standing over her with Dave and Lea.

Totally, totally, totally want to stand in this corner!

Add another one to this corner! I'm going to stand with the people that have had AMAZING results without the craziness.

I am working my way into that corner, diligently, as my ticker shows.

cwolfman13

Most of the people you refer to eat nutritionally well most of the time...they try to make the point that sucking on celery sticks day in and day out isn't a life sustainable diet and that you can, in fact, incorporate what could be considered "junk" food from time to time and actually enjoy what you eat.

Also, many people have a very skewed view on what is "healthy" and actually go out of their way to avoid certain foods that are indeed very nutritionally dense, but also high calorie...high fat or whatever...they just conclude that it's high calorie so it must not be very good for you. That's why you get a lot of the, "what do you consider healthy" questions.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Do you really think all those fit people who eat "bad" food are genetically special snow flakes?

Or maybe it's okay for anyone to occasionally have "bad" food. Or maybe there's really no such thing as "bad" or "good" food. Even McDonald's hamburgers have protein and iron. Candy gives you energy. They serve Skittles at the aid stations for my husband's mountain bike racing. Pizza has protein, calcium, fiber, etc.

Now I agree that people shouldn't make others feel stupid but I see no harm in trying to educate others on the subject. How many people give up because they can't eat only "good" food? Would more people stick to their "diets" if they had more freedom? Or if they were "allowed" more convenient options?

nexangelus

I know which corner I want to stand in. How bout you?

Me too and I am with the crazy ones who eat icecream and peanut butter and chocolate and all the food : )