Should MFP setup lifestyle advise from professionals?
Replies
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cynical much?I think they should. At least feature top loser and have comments from a board of dietitians, psychologists, personal trainers on topics like: "People who lost 100+ pounds and Kept It Off For At Least 2 Years".
I think there is a lot of misinformation out there on MFP and in general about diet and weight loss. A feature like this without any agenda could really contribute to helping people change their lives rather than being the 95% that just end up putting the weight back on.
Also, I think it would be helpful to examine major diet programs out there and get professionals opinions on the effectiveness of those plans. I guess most people who lost weight and kept it off just decided to do it and not follow any type of diet plan. I would love to see some "objective" information on this.
But then how would you keep subscribers on here, in order to get bigger ad sales from?
The infamous 1200 cal diet almost always causes weight loss for at least 2-3 weeks even if your metabolism is already jacked up.
That's enough time to be hooked on the nice food database features, enjoy the forums, and so you stick around when you stop losing.
Now you ask on the forums, get advice to eat more, you do, you keep losing, and you've stuck around and are a useful statistic to sell to advertisers.0 -
I think MFP should take a stand on some of the basics that you mention. Many websites do. A lot of people come here and do need help and the blogs and just too scattered. And most people don't have time to sort through them. They pick a diet or plan often and then fail.
A little guidance on basics couldn't hurt, things that most pros would agree on like....
1. an exercise program and log the
2. do do crazy or fad diets. (almost all reputable pros would agree)
3. log your calories and food.
4. get support from people around you.
quite a few more could be added. done right this could be awesome and could help those people that often get discouraged.I think they should. At least feature top loser and have comments from a board of dietitians, psychologists, personal trainers on topics like: "People who lost 100+ pounds and Kept It Off For At Least 2 Years".
I think there is a lot of misinformation out there on MFP and in general about diet and weight loss. A feature like this without any agenda could really contribute to helping people change their lives rather than being the 95% that just end up putting the weight back on.
Also, I think it would be helpful to examine major diet programs out there and get professionals opinions on the effectiveness of those plans. I guess most people who lost weight and kept it off just decided to do it and not follow any type of diet plan. I would love to see some "objective" information on this.
I am not a professional and I can't really be "objective" but I can tell my story. I failed at every diet out there for 15 years. I've had a dream of being fit since I was 19. I ran marathons, ultra marathons, lifted weights, did martial arts, hiked, biked, back backed, and worked out hard for over 30 years and still managed to stay over weight and finally obese. I finally obtained my goal at age 50. I am glad I didn't give up. I am the leanest and most fit I've ever been in my life and I'm still maintaining at almost age 52.
Mainly I learned you can't out exercise over eating. I didn't think I was eating to much but I didn't realize how small I was under all that fat. hint: if you are short you are probably small under all that, WAY smaller than you think you are.
Also diets don't work. Anything that has "good" food vs "bad" food sets you up for failure.
Eat what you like within your calorie budget. Eat mostly healthy. If you eat junk food, try to pick one thing healthy and get it to stick, then one more, then one more. Trying to make all the changes all at once is too much for most people to handle.
That is all.
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Well said. It kinda goes back to the old saying "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". Do the research, spend some time reading and assimilating and you can learn to separate the wheat from the chaff yourself.Honestly, it really isn't hard to figure out the basics of weight management or body recomposition, but it does require a little diligence on the part of the MFP'er and some understanding of basic science (namely, knowing the difference between an opinion and scientifically-supported evidence). Best part about that is that it's FREE. Going through this process, while somewhat time-consuming, improves your own knowledge base and improves your ability to assimilate more information in the future since you have that solid basis of understanding already under your belt.
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Self-education trumps being told what to do any day.
A lot of junk circulates in the MFP forums - myths, broscience, half-truths, hysteria/phobia, fad diets, MLM scams, "magic pill" supplements, etc. There are also a few very informed/educated individuals who graciously take the time to educate and help members here with solid information while expecting nothing but a "thank you" in return. Each of us is responsible for our own journey and it's up to each of us whether we want to put forth the effort to read, study and learn or just continue to walk around in the dark blindly bumping into walls. If anybody is thinking "I don't have the TIME to do all that reading and learning stuff", my response would be, "They how/why would a panel of pro-bono dieticians, psychologists and personal trainers have the time to serve here as an advisory panel, do research and answer questions for FREE?".
I can think of several reasons why MFP wouldn't/couldn't put together a professional panel to spoon-feed people here. One of the most compelling is legal liability. MFP (and this proposed pro-bono panel) would have no desire to endure the inevitable lawsuits that would come from dispensing that kind of advice. Every member of the panel would be potentially endangering their practice and MFP would be potentially endangering the very existence of this site.0 -
What works for some wont work for others.
Its not about the food you eat, its about the motivation you have.
No one can give you motivation to change your lifestyle, you have to be prepared to change it - and want it.
18 year olds wanting to exist on 600 cals or look like Arnie arent doing it for health, they are motivated by peer pressure.
40 year olds who want to drop weight want to live longer after health issues, lifestyle changes or the realisation that its great to feel fit.
Plus, why would the site change what they already know. The way to make money is to get volunteers to work for nothing and the advertisements to pay the wages. Unless you have an ad blocker, Im sure there are a million and one ads on this site, all changing every time you post something or click something.
There is no philanthropy here, just a desire to make money.0 -
cynical much?
But then how would you keep subscribers on here, in order to get bigger ad sales from?
The infamous 1200 cal diet almost always causes weight loss for at least 2-3 weeks even if your metabolism is already jacked up.
That's enough time to be hooked on the nice food database features, enjoy the forums, and so you stick around when you stop losing.
Now you ask on the forums, get advice to eat more, you do, you keep losing, and you've stuck around and are a useful statistic to sell to advertisers.
Even though it's free to you and me, it has costs, and profit is desired. Cynical, or understand completely what's going on.
Subscriber numbers is what gets advertisers, and I've been seeing a much bigger variety of some big names too.
And if you can distinguish between active and in-active subscribers, how often they log in (you've logged in for 250 days isn't just for you and your friends list of course) and how long they've been here, how many posts they make as to how active they are, with posts allowing more targeted ads. Oh yeah, there are some great stats for sale.
Now, would people stick around long if for instance, the daily goal was never created below your BMR, and your weight loss probably was held at 2lb or less depending on amount to lose right from the start?
No way. Get that big 5lb drop in first week, even though it's almost all water weight. Just dropped calories, you'll get another big loss the next week.
Now are you sticking around, seems to be working.
What if the 3rd week was only 1 lb. 4-6 weeks was .75 lbs, 7-12 was .5 lbs, and you kept eating less and exercising more, and loss stopped finally too.
Would you stick around asking what was going wrong - or take off somewhere else? You've made friends too, gotten hooked.
No, you'll be around. Every once in a while I'll see a person comment about being here 6-9 months with no loss. And despite good info being given to them 6-9 months ago, they stay even with the aggravation.0 -
I think MFP should take a stand on some of the basics that you mention. Many websites do. A lot of people come here and do need help and the blogs and just too scattered. And most people don't have time to sort through them. They pick a diet or plan often and then fail.
A little guidance on basics couldn't hurt, things that most pros would agree on like....
1. an exercise program and log the
2. do do crazy or fad diets. (almost all reputable pros would agree)
3. log your calories and food.
4. get support from people around you.
quite a few more could be added. done right this could be awesome and could help those people that often get discouraged.
But most of those things are covered in the stickies for each category.
Even the confusing concept of eating back exercise calories is covered in detail explaining how MFP works.
Now, some of their setup could improve understanding more, rather than lending to confusion.
But true as others have mentioned, as soon as you start linking to articles for medical or nutritional advice, the disclaimers would no longer apply.0 -
I think the problem is that so much information ISN'T objective, it's subjective. I recently talked to a RD who told me I shouldn't eat as many eggs as I do. I don't believe that information but that is WIDELY accepted in the "professional" community. I don't think this would work unfortunately.
This is true. I'm a RD and I agree with this message.
Eggs rule.
As an adult with an egg allergy, I have to disagree with this statement.0 -
I think MFP should take a stand on some of the basics that you mention. Many websites do. A lot of people come here and do need help and the blogs and just too scattered. And most people don't have time to sort through them. They pick a diet or plan often and then fail.
A little guidance on basics couldn't hurt, things that most pros would agree on like....
1. an exercise program and log the
2. do do crazy or fad diets. (almost all reputable pros would agree)
3. log your calories and food.
4. get support from people around you.
quite a few more could be added. done right this could be awesome and could help those people that often get discouraged.
MFP is popular and useful to so many precisely because it DOESN'T do these things. Any user can customize their experience here based on their own goals. They can design their own fitness and weight management programs.
The default weight loss programs on MFP works very well if you use it as designed also especially for newbies. All it requires is diligence with weighing and measuring your food and some common sense about your exercise routines.
To me, the reason I continue to use this site is because of its flexibility and ability to be used any way I need. Example? I lost 42 lbs following MFP recommendations along with my own added fitness program. After becoming pregnant, I now use MFP as a way to keep my pregnancy weight gain under control, track my calcium, iron, and fat intake, and to make sure I continue to get enough nutrition during this time.
Frankly, anyone who has a long-term goal of managing their weight and who is not willing to put in the time to educate themselves is most likely going to fail no matter what program they're on.0 -
I'm a member of DiabeticConnect and they have RD's and other professionals on the site that answers the community's questions to the best of their knowledge. It's a free site too. But then again, I also see a lot of "consult your doctor" replies.0
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Frankly, anyone who has a long-term goal of managing their weight and who is not willing to put in the time to educate themselves is most likely going to fail no matter what program they're on.
Agreed. I like this site how it is now because of the flexibility and differing opinions. No just one perspective is ever absolutely correct! It's part of the fun for me, personally.0 -
MFP kindly sets up this site for free. Makes improvements regularly. Has volunteer moderators to keep the most egregious trash out. I think it's fine to suggest things you believe would make the site better -- and they have a message board specifically for suggestions.
However, the tone of your notes makes it sound like you think they owe you additional things. I think it's your responsibility to weed through free advice, to check it against reliable sources, join the groups with people who have experience with your issues, pay attention to which posters make reasonable suggestions and can back them up with links to additional, credible information, to find other sources to supplement MFP when necessary and to pay back others on the site who have helped by posting useful content.
P.S. You could invite a professional here.
^^this0 -
Well said. It kinda goes back to the old saying "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". Do the research, spend some time reading and assimilating and you can learn to separate the wheat from the chaff yourself.Honestly, it really isn't hard to figure out the basics of weight management or body recomposition, but it does require a little diligence on the part of the MFP'er and some understanding of basic science (namely, knowing the difference between an opinion and scientifically-supported evidence). Best part about that is that it's FREE. Going through this process, while somewhat time-consuming, improves your own knowledge base and improves your ability to assimilate more information in the future since you have that solid basis of understanding already under your belt.
....
Self-education trumps being told what to do any day.
A lot of junk circulates in the MFP forums - myths, broscience, half-truths, hysteria/phobia, fad diets, MLM scams, "magic pill" supplements, etc. There are also a few very informed/educated individuals who graciously take the time to educate and help members here with solid information while expecting nothing but a "thank you" in return. Each of us is responsible for our own journey and it's up to each of us whether we want to put forth the effort to read, study and learn or just continue to walk around in the dark blindly bumping into walls. If anybody is thinking "I don't have the TIME to do all that reading and learning stuff", my response would be, "They how/why would a panel of pro-bono dieticians, psychologists and personal trainers have the time to serve here as an advisory panel, do research and answer questions for FREE?".
I can think of several reasons why MFP wouldn't/couldn't put together a professional panel to spoon-feed people here. One of the most compelling is legal liability. MFP (and this proposed pro-bono panel) would have no desire to endure the inevitable lawsuits that would come from dispensing that kind of advice. Every member of the panel would be potentially endangering their practice and MFP would be potentially endangering the very existence of this site.
^^and this!0 -
There are enough "Professionals" handing out bad advice on here already0
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1)@heyBales, I completely agree that their 1st priority is business/keeping their site running. However, that doesn't mean they are going around trying to keep people fat. There are plenty of people who hit their goal weight and stay on here to help maintain. You also assume that the majority of users are in the forums... which they aren't. Most people just use the phone app for tracking cals and nothing more. They use general guidelines and let users tweak the values BECAUSE EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT and then they do their best to maintain a good platform for people to use. Success =/= Corrupt.
2)Having used the forums for a bit, i can definitely say that I've seen maaaaaaaaaany professionals and their information is usually conflicting and often wrong. Earlier this year, one of my summer classes was half-full of personal trainers and the crap that I heard from them was laughable at best. Not to mention that there are a lot of studies that are skewed to present one idea and they therefore directly oppose another study. This has gone on forever and I don't foresee MFP as being the one to finally lay down the final decision and end all questions because there will always be exceptions and people who think differently. Your best plan is to get some general concepts and figure out what works best for you.0 -
I think MFP should take a stand on some of the basics that you mention. Many websites do. A lot of people come here and do need help and the blogs and just too scattered. And most people don't have time to sort through them. They pick a diet or plan often and then fail.
A little guidance on basics couldn't hurt, things that most pros would agree on like....
1. an exercise program and log the
2. do do crazy or fad diets. (almost all reputable pros would agree)
3. log your calories and food.
4. get support from people around you.
quite a few more could be added. done right this could be awesome and could help those people that often get discouraged.
No offense, but I think you're being a bit naive. All professionals have an agenda, because they are people, and all people have an agenda. You seem to be under the impression that there is a "right way" to go about diet and fitness that everyone can agree on. That's not the case. There are many ways for people to get in shape. Every member of MFP has several different diet and exercise options that will work equally well for them. I'm constantly amused by the back and forth arguing between the various diet and exercise factions on this site over which way is the One True Way and how the other side is going to die fat and full of cancer. Both sides can cite numerous "peer reviewed studies" that prove their claims.
Professionals disagree on the One True Way just as much as we do. Hell, they are the ones publishing the research that we lob like grenades in the forums. And by definition being professional means they get paid, and anybody that gets paid definitely has an agenda to promote their beliefs/books/video/practice.0 -
Well said. It kinda goes back to the old saying "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". Do the research, spend some time reading and assimilating and you can learn to separate the wheat from the chaff yourself.
Self-education trumps being told what to do any day.
Are you sure that's the saying? Because I'm pretty sure now it's "Give a man a fish and you're doling out welfare; teach a man to fish and you're a ****ing socialist."0 -
If it would still be free. Yes . If not, I can research lifestyle advice online and get it for free elsewhere
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I am convinced that the only thing professionals agree on is "don't eat less than 1200 calories a day without the guidance of a physician". And the site already warns of that when your food log shows less than 1200.
So, you would have the professionals disagreeing on here, how helpful would that be? Then there would be some politics behind the scenes and some of them would leave and say the hell with this, and then there would be just one philosophy promoted and supported here.0 -
I think you may have missed the point of crowdsourced content...I think they should. At least feature top loser and have comments from a board of dietitians, psychologists, personal trainers on topics like: "People who lost 100+ pounds and Kept It Off For At Least 2 Years".
I think there is a lot of misinformation out there on MFP and in general about diet and weight loss. A feature like this without any agenda could really contribute to helping people change their lives rather than being the 95% that just end up putting the weight back on.
Also, I think it would be helpful to examine major diet programs out there and get professionals opinions on the effectiveness of those plans. I guess most people who lost weight and kept it off just decided to do it and not follow any type of diet plan. I would love to see some "objective" information on this.
I actually do belong to such a site, offered through my employer's wellness program. Tons of articles, one-on-one coaching calls available, blogs written by professionals, food and activity trackers, a forum, the works. It's dull, uninspiring, and vaguely reminiscent of a trip to the doctor's office. I joined it about the same time I joined mfp. Guess which one I actually use?0 -
I still think this is a good idea in some form or another. It is very easy to try to rip apart a good idea. But executed in a careful manner keeping in spirit with the MFP "culture" it could be done well. Everyone has agendas to be sure, but does that mean it can't be done. I don't think so. Doing independent research can lead you to all kinds of conclusions depending on what you read. What I am hoping for is MFP pros to try to be objective as possible and only keep the people here in mind, not their own adverstizing wallets.I think MFP should take a stand on some of the basics that you mention. Many websites do. A lot of people come here and do need help and the blogs and just too scattered. And most people don't have time to sort through them. They pick a diet or plan often and then fail.
A little guidance on basics couldn't hurt, things that most pros would agree on like....
1. an exercise program and log the
2. do do crazy or fad diets. (almost all reputable pros would agree)
3. log your calories and food.
4. get support from people around you.
quite a few more could be added. done right this could be awesome and could help those people that often get discouraged.
No offense, but I think you're being a bit naive. All professionals have an agenda, because they are people, and all people have an agenda. You seem to be under the impression that there is a "right way" to go about diet and fitness that everyone can agree on. That's not the case. There are many ways for people to get in shape. Every member of MFP has several different diet and exercise options that will work equally well for them. I'm constantly amused by the back and forth arguing between the various diet and exercise factions on this site over which way is the One True Way and how the other side is going to die fat and full of cancer. Both sides can cite numerous "peer reviewed studies" that prove their claims.
Professionals disagree on the One True Way just as much as we do. Hell, they are the ones publishing the research that we lob like grenades in the forums. And by definition being professional means they get paid, and anybody that gets paid definitely has an agenda to promote their beliefs/books/video/practice.0 -
Really? The most successful business owners I know have service in mind first. With this philosophy those are businesses that succeed the most. Sure some succeed without that. But those that try to serve their clients out of a desire to be the best they can be are the ones who do best. I don't know the owners of MFP, but at this time I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Have a little faith in humanity. I've been around the block too and have been in the position to see companies managed both ways and it always starts from the top.What works for some wont work for others.
Its not about the food you eat, its about the motivation you have.
No one can give you motivation to change your lifestyle, you have to be prepared to change it - and want it.
18 year olds wanting to exist on 600 cals or look like Arnie arent doing it for health, they are motivated by peer pressure.
40 year olds who want to drop weight want to live longer after health issues, lifestyle changes or the realisation that its great to feel fit.
Plus, why would the site change what they already know. The way to make money is to get volunteers to work for nothing and the advertisements to pay the wages. Unless you have an ad blocker, Im sure there are a million and one ads on this site, all changing every time you post something or click something.
There is no philanthropy here, just a desire to make money.0 -
Sounds like you have no idea what it takes to run a successful business.What works for some wont work for others.
Its not about the food you eat, its about the motivation you have.
No one can give you motivation to change your lifestyle, you have to be prepared to change it - and want it.
18 year olds wanting to exist on 600 cals or look like Arnie arent doing it for health, they are motivated by peer pressure.
40 year olds who want to drop weight want to live longer after health issues, lifestyle changes or the realisation that its great to feel fit.
Plus, why would the site change what they already know. The way to make money is to get volunteers to work for nothing and the advertisements to pay the wages. Unless you have an ad blocker, Im sure there are a million and one ads on this site, all changing every time you post something or click something.
There is no philanthropy here, just a desire to make money.0 -
There's probably a site out there that already does this.....for a monthly fee. I bet if you were researching right now instead of "taking a stand" on a free website (thank you Mike) it would be much more productive.0
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I think the problem is that so much information ISN'T objective, it's subjective. I recently talked to a RD who told me I shouldn't eat as many eggs as I do. I don't believe that information but that is WIDELY accepted in the "professional" community. I don't think this would work unfortunately.
This is true. I'm a RD and I agree with this message.
Eggs rule.
Depends on your body - I eat eggs and my cholesterol level SKYROCKETS - no eggs for me0 -
You could be right. But I could be right. You don't know what is in the managements head. I have not seen anything that would indicate that money is their #1 priority. In fact, I would like to see a mission statement from them.
Do you think doing all they could to help people would really lower the number of people visiting the site? Come on. Honestly, you argument just sounds plain stupid to me and not very many successful businesses would operate in this way. Even if they do all the can to help people to lose weight and did take my recommendations I guess the subscribers would only increase due to the buzz about how awesome the site would have become assuming the weight losses occur that you think they are afraid of. I doubt there will ever be a shortage of people trying to get fit and lose weight.cynical much?
But then how would you keep subscribers on here, in order to get bigger ad sales from?
The infamous 1200 cal diet almost always causes weight loss for at least 2-3 weeks even if your metabolism is already jacked up.
That's enough time to be hooked on the nice food database features, enjoy the forums, and so you stick around when you stop losing.
Now you ask on the forums, get advice to eat more, you do, you keep losing, and you've stuck around and are a useful statistic to sell to advertisers.
Even though it's free to you and me, it has costs, and profit is desired. Cynical, or understand completely what's going on.
Subscriber numbers is what gets advertisers, and I've been seeing a much bigger variety of some big names too.
And if you can distinguish between active and in-active subscribers, how often they log in (you've logged in for 250 days isn't just for you and your friends list of course) and how long they've been here, how many posts they make as to how active they are, with posts allowing more targeted ads. Oh yeah, there are some great stats for sale.
Now, would people stick around long if for instance, the daily goal was never created below your BMR, and your weight loss probably was held at 2lb or less depending on amount to lose right from the start?
No way. Get that big 5lb drop in first week, even though it's almost all water weight. Just dropped calories, you'll get another big loss the next week.
Now are you sticking around, seems to be working.
What if the 3rd week was only 1 lb. 4-6 weeks was .75 lbs, 7-12 was .5 lbs, and you kept eating less and exercising more, and loss stopped finally too.
Would you stick around asking what was going wrong - or take off somewhere else? You've made friends too, gotten hooked.
No, you'll be around. Every once in a while I'll see a person comment about being here 6-9 months with no loss. And despite good info being given to them 6-9 months ago, they stay even with the aggravation.0 -
I came to this site.........one because it is free and it helps me log my food and exercise. I've met alot of people. I am an adult and I make my own decisions. I like to read other opinions and take it for what it is worth. If I think it will help I try it......(do not do weird ideas) . But overall I think people on here are very helpful. If I wanted a professional I'd go pay for one. Be thankful this is a free site with lots to offer. We are all different............so having professionals on here..........to go to.......for one they don't know my history so why would I ask them. There are alot of professionals on here who give there opinion and I'm thankful for that. Again I take suggestions and decide myself. Just my 2 cents worth.0
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But it would not have to be done like your other crappy site. It could be done in a way that goes along with what MFP already does, just augmenting it.
I think one of the problems here is that most people can envision something like that now. It all depends on the presentation. It could be done in a way that would not take away from the original site at all.
I think you may have missed the point of crowdsourced content...I think they should. At least feature top loser and have comments from a board of dietitians, psychologists, personal trainers on topics like: "People who lost 100+ pounds and Kept It Off For At Least 2 Years".
I think there is a lot of misinformation out there on MFP and in general about diet and weight loss. A feature like this without any agenda could really contribute to helping people change their lives rather than being the 95% that just end up putting the weight back on.
Also, I think it would be helpful to examine major diet programs out there and get professionals opinions on the effectiveness of those plans. I guess most people who lost weight and kept it off just decided to do it and not follow any type of diet plan. I would love to see some "objective" information on this.
I actually do belong to such a site, offered through my employer's wellness program. Tons of articles, one-on-one coaching calls available, blogs written by professionals, food and activity trackers, a forum, the works. It's dull, uninspiring, and vaguely reminiscent of a trip to the doctor's office. I joined it about the same time I joined mfp. Guess which one I actually use?0 -
Okay. I hear you. But I still say it could be done in a way that in keeping with the spirit of the site. It would be just another resource, and a very good resource, to go to. that's all. what's so bad about that?
I sent the link to this thread to them and they already told me that it is something that they are currently considering.I came to this site.........one because it is free and it helps me log my food and exercise. I've met alot of people. I am an adult and I make my own decisions. I like to read other opinions and take it for what it is worth. If I think it will help I try it......(do not do weird ideas) . But overall I think people on here are very helpful. If I wanted a professional I'd go pay for one. Be thankful this is a free site with lots to offer. We are all different............so having professionals on here..........to go to.......for one they don't know my history so why would I ask them. There are alot of professionals on here who give there opinion and I'm thankful for that. Again I take suggestions and decide myself. Just my 2 cents worth.0 -
Frankly, anyone who has a long-term goal of managing their weight and who is not willing to put in the time to educate themselves is most likely going to fail no matter what program they're on.
Thank you! exactly this.. Problem when you have the 'professionals' on here is that they have no problem advertising their business, pushing their pills or personal training or books or whatever else they do. I didn't sign up to be spammed by these people trying to sell me something. Lately the number of people sending me 'friend' requests to push their **** has been very high and seems it's climbing weekly.
So many people can't be bothered to think for themselves and are here just looking for someone to tell them exactly what to do - even if that thing is to eat 1200 cal a day when they are over 200lbs, over 5 feet tall and under 50.. I actually saw one of these 'professionals' say ...You can't ever eat too little, if you aren't losing weight you should eat LESS... not even a thought to the other stats of the person. Just because someone calls themselves a professional does not mean they know anything about what's right for YOU.0 -
I disagree. Done right it could be just another tool for the people here to use. And it could be an awesome tool. Rather than just pick an idea apart why not think of how something like this could be effective or useful?1)@heyBales, I completely agree that their 1st priority is business/keeping their site running. However, that doesn't mean they are going around trying to keep people fat. There are plenty of people who hit their goal weight and stay on here to help maintain. You also assume that the majority of users are in the forums... which they aren't. Most people just use the phone app for tracking cals and nothing more. They use general guidelines and let users tweak the values BECAUSE EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT and then they do their best to maintain a good platform for people to use. Success =/= Corrupt.
2)Having used the forums for a bit, i can definitely say that I've seen maaaaaaaaaany professionals and their information is usually conflicting and often wrong. Earlier this year, one of my summer classes was half-full of personal trainers and the crap that I heard from them was laughable at best. Not to mention that there are a lot of studies that are skewed to present one idea and they therefore directly oppose another study. This has gone on forever and I don't foresee MFP as being the one to finally lay down the final decision and end all questions because there will always be exceptions and people who think differently. Your best plan is to get some general concepts and figure out what works best for you.0
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