Really just tired of the lies....

Has anyone else noticed that the more controversial (and therefore usually most active) threads on these forums are the ones where people insist on speaking in absolutes and pushing their beliefs on everyone else? Are people on MFP really so ignorant or arrogant that they believe the only way to accomplish the goals that we have in common is their way and no other? The age old adage "there's more than one way to skin a cat" applies to so many things in life and indeed applies to fitness and health goals. If there's one thing I've learned over the many years that I've been educating myself on fitness and diet it's that the body remains a mysterious and marvelous machine. It is such a complex meshing of systems that to try and make any universal statement about any of the complex processes in the body is futile at best.

Indeed I've learned that when it comes to fitness and diet, the people to avoid most diligently are those that tell you they've found *THE* answer and this is it. Those hocking their latest fitness contraption always tell you how great and revolutionary it is and point to the "wasted time and effort" involved in their competitors equipment. Those pushing the latest diet approach always seem to be telling us how other diet programs are flawed and will never work. I run from these stories like the plague.

Yet here on MFP, where the very site itself promotes a balanced approach to improving our diet and developing a lifestyle of fitness, we still have the people that insist on pushing their approach that worked for them as *THE* end-all be-all holy grail of solutions to diet and fitness. For some reason these people cannot find room in their mind to understand that many approaches work, each and every single one has their own advantages and disadvantages, and no one answer applies to all of us universally.

So without further ado, here's my list of the lies I'm tired of hearing:

1. Your not serious about strength training if you're not doing squats and dead lifts -> Not true, I know a few professional personal trainers and strength trainers who never use either in their workout plans and they have some clients that are very impressive. Personally, I've had a solid focus for the last year and a half on strength and mass building and without doing a single deadlift and with squats only a very tiny portion of my workout plan I've got some awesome results.

2. You must eat clean to get down to a low Body Fat % and develop a 6-pack -> Hogwash. I've never eaten clean a day in my life. I enjoy processed foods, foods with chemicals, foods made with white flour, and even fast food. Yet here I sit with 9.7% bodyfat and a respectable six pack that's easily visible.

3. Your need to drink plain water to hydrate properly -> Oh gawd, that dammed water debate. No I can drink my crystal light, Aquafina flavor splash, Coke Zero, Gatorade and milk and somehow I have no problem remaining fully hydrated.

4. Carbs make you fat, sugars make you fat, xxxx makes you fat. You have to give them up to get thin -> Again, complete crap. I've not given up ANY FOOD in my lifestyle change and yet I'm at the 9.7% Bodyfat I mentioned above. Instead learning to eat in moderation and balance has been my key. Low Carb/No Carb diets do work, sure. So do diets like mine that let you eat whatever you want as long as you follow the plan.

I'm sure I could go on with a few hundred examples but I think most get the point. Educate yourselves. When you insist that your way is the only proper way to do things and that anyone not doing it your way is foolish, it is you who ultimately looks the fool. If anyone on this forum tells you in no uncertain terms that *this* is the only way then I'd be very skeptical of what they're telling you. Share your experiences, offer tips that helped you, but drop the arrogance that makes you believe you've found the magic solution that everyone should follow and which makes you judge those that have not chosen your path as sadly unaware of the horrible choices they're making. Instead be aware that many are well aware of the choices you've made and have instead made choices that have worked for them. Stop insisting they're doing it wrong or thinking of them as ignorant fools for not following your directions.
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Replies

  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    The problem with saying 'educate yourselves' is that everyone assumes that's what they're doing. Something like 'seek peer-reviewed articles from reputable journals with high impact factors' or 'read text books' would probably be better. Or even 'avoid taking what you read at a dot-com to be gospel' and 'if someone is selling something they're probably at least 50% full of ****'.
  • popzork
    popzork Posts: 78 Member
    I agree 100% with what you are saying. I continue to read peoples' stories on what has worked for them, simply because I can't find what works for me yet. Still seeking the answer for my body. Unfortunately, not many people (that I have seen here) seem to be having my stuggles.

    Not looking for a magic pill. Just the formula that my body needs to achieve my goals!!

    Thanks for the post.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,421 Member
    Good post, OP. Very true, and proseletizing seldom works in anything human.

    But a good One Trick Pony thread is entertaining, you have to admit.
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    I like your thoughts.... what works for one person won't always work for the next. I totally agree on not giving up anything entirely. I have no intention of going without chocolate and desserts the rest of my life.... it will take longer to reach my goals but I will reach them and be much happier in the long run!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    The one thing I've noticed lately is that some poeple talk in ideals... as in the best most effective/most efficient way to reach your goals ignoring all other factors, while other people just want something that will work and that they can sustain.

    That difference is rarely stated, and almost always missed in the forums. Sure, recommendation A may be 1% more effective, but there's only about 3 people on this site that will benefit from that 1%.

    More people need to realize that it's about the effort, not the method for 90% of us. What we choose to do is far less important than how hard we try at it. Someone going all out at on a circuit of weight machines is probably going to see better results than someone half-assing it with free weights.

    At the end of the day... bust your *kitten* in your workouts and eat right. Period. End of conversation. If you want to eat organic whole foods, have at it. If you want lean cuisine, fine. If you like zumba, great. Want to squat a truck? Go for it.
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
    The problem with saying 'educate yourselves' is that everyone assumes that's what they're doing. Something like 'seek peer-reviewed articles from reputable journals with high impact factors' or 'read text books' would probably be better. Or even 'avoid taking what you read at a dot-com to be gospel' and 'if someone is selling something they're probably at least 50% full of ****'.

    Yep I understand what you mean, I guess I should have been more clear. When I say educate yourself, I mean it in terms of opening your mind to the possibility that there are other realities beside your own. That other people may just be wired differently than you. Another way of putting it, consider opposing viewpoints and accept them for what they are.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
    The problem with saying 'educate yourselves' is that everyone assumes that's what they're doing. Something like 'seek peer-reviewed articles from reputable journals with high impact factors' or 'read text books' would probably be better. Or even 'avoid taking what you read at a dot-com to be gospel' and 'if someone is selling something they're probably at least 50% full of ****'.

    I agree with the OP's post and I agree with this ^^^

    If you've tried and failed repeatedly, like me, educating yourself is important. But, am I actually educating myself or gathering misinformation? It's hard to know the difference sometimes. To your point about strength training - I was already sure that I needed to do that when I started on MFP. It isn't something I've ever done in the past. But the debate on MFP and elsewhere about what it is, how it should be done, etc, was completely overwhelming to me almost to the point of paralysis and thinking whatever I was doing was not 'the right way.' I still don't really know for sure. When I get to goal weight, I guess I'll know if what I've been doing is effective.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member

    More people need to realize that it's about the effort, not the method for 90% of us. What we choose to do is far less important than how hard we try at it.

    SERIOUSLY!

    How do you change your body? Force it to adapt. Challenge yourself. Whatever you decide to do, do it like you mean it.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Excellent post by the OP and 100% true. Far too much silliness and myth propagation about diet and exercise.
    ...If you've tried and failed repeatedly, like me, educating yourself is important. But, am I actually educating myself or gathering misinformation? It's hard to know the difference sometimes. To your point about strength training - I was already sure that I needed to do that when I started on MFP. It isn't something I've ever done in the past. But the debate on MFP and elsewhere about what it is, how it should be done, etc, was completely overwhelming to me almost to the point of paralysis and thinking whatever I was doing was not 'the right way.' I still don't really know for sure. When I get to goal weight, I guess I'll know if what I've been doing is effective.
    Here are a couple good articles for you to read about training which are very relevant to this thread:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/how-detail-oriented-do-you-need-to-be.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fundamental-principles-versus-minor-details.html
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member

    I really appreciate your response, I just read both articles.

    My confusion/paralysis has come from all the reading I've done that, to summarize, says if I'm not strength training with barbells, and including certain key exercises, I'm not doing it right. I don't have access to barbells at my cheapo gym and have no space to put some in my house. Right now, switching gyms is not going to work based on price/distance. So I've improvised using a combination of bodyweight exercise, compound exercises at the gym with the heaviest dumbbells I can manage, and certain machines. And even as I think I see my butt and other parts of me shaping up, I can't escape the thought I'm doing it wrong and will be disappointed when I reach goal, or that I'm not adding any 'functional strength.' I think I'll wait to worry about that when I reach goal and can evaluate my results. At the very least, maybe I am preserving lean body mass as I go. :flowerforyou:
  • BBehnke84
    BBehnke84 Posts: 537 Member
    Has anyone else noticed that the more controversial (and therefore usually most active) threads on these forums are the ones where people insist on speaking in absolutes and pushing their beliefs on everyone else? Are people on MFP really so ignorant or arrogant that they believe the only way to accomplish the goals that we have in common is their way and no other? The age old adage "there's more than one way to skin a cat" applies to so many things in life and indeed applies to fitness and health goals. If there's one thing I've learned over the many years that I've been educating myself on fitness and diet it's that the body remains a mysterious and marvelous machine. It is such a complex meshing of systems that to try and make any universal statement about any of the complex processes in the body is futile at best.

    Indeed I've learned that when it comes to fitness and diet, the people to avoid most diligently are those that tell you they've found *THE* answer and this is it. Those hocking their latest fitness contraption always tell you how great and revolutionary it is and point to the "wasted time and effort" involved in their competitors equipment. Those pushing the latest diet approach always seem to be telling us how other diet programs are flawed and will never work. I run from these stories like the plague.

    Yet here on MFP, where the very site itself promotes a balanced approach to improving our diet and developing a lifestyle of fitness, we still have the people that insist on pushing their approach that worked for them as *THE* end-all be-all holy grail of solutions to diet and fitness. For some reason these people cannot find room in their mind to understand that many approaches work, each and every single one has their own advantages and disadvantages, and no one answer applies to all of us universally.

    So without further ado, here's my list of the lies I'm tired of hearing:

    1. Your not serious about strength training if you're not doing squats and dead lifts -> Not true, I know a few professional personal trainers and strength trainers who never use either in their workout plans and they have some clients that are very impressive. Personally, I've had a solid focus for the last year and a half on strength and mass building and without doing a single deadlift and with squats only a very tiny portion of my workout plan I've got some awesome results.

    2. You must eat clean to get down to a low Body Fat % and develop a 6-pack -> Hogwash. I've never eaten clean a day in my life. I enjoy processed foods, foods with chemicals, foods made with white flour, and even fast food. Yet here I sit with 9.7% bodyfat and a respectable six pack that's easily visible.

    3. Your need to drink plain water to hydrate properly -> Oh gawd, that dammed water debate. No I can drink my crystal light, Aquafina flavor splash, Coke Zero, Gatorade and milk and somehow I have no problem remaining fully hydrated.

    4. Carbs make you fat, sugars make you fat, xxxx makes you fat. You have to give them up to get thin -> Again, complete crap. I've not given up ANY FOOD in my lifestyle change and yet I'm at the 9.7% Bodyfat I mentioned above. Instead learning to eat in moderation and balance has been my key. Low Carb/No Carb diets do work, sure. So do diets like mine that let you eat whatever you want as long as you follow the plan.

    I'm sure I could go on with a few hundred examples but I think most get the point. Educate yourselves. When you insist that your way is the only proper way to do things and that anyone not doing it your way is foolish, it is you who ultimately looks the fool. If anyone on this forum tells you in no uncertain terms that *this* is the only way then I'd be very skeptical of what they're telling you. Share your experiences, offer tips that helped you, but drop the arrogance that makes you believe you've found the magic solution that everyone should follow and which makes you judge those that have not chosen your path as sadly unaware of the horrible choices they're making. Instead be aware that many are well aware of the choices you've made and have instead made choices that have worked for them. Stop insisting they're doing it wrong or thinking of them as ignorant fools for not following your directions.

    Very good post, I agree with you mostly. I believe there's not just a cookie cutter approach for everyone on how to get certain results (correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that's basically what you're saying), some things work for people better then others. The tricky part is finding something that does work for you and that you can stick with, I think consistency is the key to everything. If you can't stick to something then you are just wasting your time
  • This has been one of my favorite sites recently....

    http://psychologyofeating.com/blog/ipe-blog/


    It really is about doing your own research and working with what resonates with you. Pay attention to your body's signals and be prepared to go with the flow and accept regular change to make it work for you....

    The basics are generally the same....clean, simple and all in moderation....it is constant retraining...
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,421 Member

    I really appreciate your response, I just read both articles.

    My confusion/paralysis has come from all the reading I've done that, to summarize, says if I'm not strength training with barbells, and including certain key exercises, I'm not doing it right. I don't have access to barbells at my cheapo gym and have no space to put some in my house. Right now, switching gyms is not going to work based on price/distance. So I've improvised using a combination of bodyweight exercise, compound exercises at the gym with the heaviest dumbbells I can manage, and certain machines. And even as I think I see my butt and other parts of me shaping up, I can't escape the thought I'm doing it wrong and will be disappointed when I reach goal, or that I'm not adding any 'functional strength.' I think I'll wait to worry about that when I reach goal and can evaluate my results. At the very least, maybe I am preserving lean body mass as I go. :flowerforyou:

    This is so well said, and I think worth discussion. We all have issues to deal with - and they are as myriad as the number of people on the planet.

    Unfortunately, human nature has caused us all to think, "My way is The Way."

    Add to that the fact that (at least n the U.S.) psychology and pharmaceutical companies want us to believe we are damaged or imperfect in some way. That couldn't be further from the truth. We are all made to be the absolute best and most amazing creatures ever created. We are meant to shine and pounce. Rawr. There is no "wrong" and there are very few "rights".

    There is no such thing as "Failure" ..only "Success, delayed."
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    Points well made, but the ones you're speaking to won't listen. They never do. Good stuff all the same.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    The thing that really sucks is every one is different. And in the end, it needs to work for a lifetime.
  • Not that I don't necessarily agree, but if you're tired of it, stop reading it. There are many threads on here that I know to bypass based on the title, or they get nasty as I read, so I stop reading. You can only be responsible for what works for you, and if other people want to believe crap, that's on them. Letting yourself get frustrated by closed mindedness is probably a waste of your time.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    Has anyone else noticed that the more controversial (and therefore usually most active) threads on these forums are the ones where people insist on speaking in absolutes and pushing their beliefs on everyone else? Are people on MFP really so ignorant or arrogant that they believe the only way to accomplish the goals that we have in common is their way and no other? The age old adage "there's more than one way to skin a cat" applies to so many things in life and indeed applies to fitness and health goals. If there's one thing I've learned over the many years that I've been educating myself on fitness and diet it's that the body remains a mysterious and marvelous machine. It is such a complex meshing of systems that to try and make any universal statement about any of the complex processes in the body is futile at best.

    Indeed I've learned that when it comes to fitness and diet, the people to avoid most diligently are those that tell you they've found *THE* answer and this is it. Those hocking their latest fitness contraption always tell you how great and revolutionary it is and point to the "wasted time and effort" involved in their competitors equipment. Those pushing the latest diet approach always seem to be telling us how other diet programs are flawed and will never work. I run from these stories like the plague.

    Yet here on MFP, where the very site itself promotes a balanced approach to improving our diet and developing a lifestyle of fitness, we still have the people that insist on pushing their approach that worked for them as *THE* end-all be-all holy grail of solutions to diet and fitness. For some reason these people cannot find room in their mind to understand that many approaches work, each and every single one has their own advantages and disadvantages, and no one answer applies to all of us universally.

    So without further ado, here's my list of the lies I'm tired of hearing:

    1. Your not serious about strength training if you're not doing squats and dead lifts -> Not true, I know a few professional personal trainers and strength trainers who never use either in their workout plans and they have some clients that are very impressive. Personally, I've had a solid focus for the last year and a half on strength and mass building and without doing a single deadlift and with squats only a very tiny portion of my workout plan I've got some awesome results.

    2. You must eat clean to get down to a low Body Fat % and develop a 6-pack -> Hogwash. I've never eaten clean a day in my life. I enjoy processed foods, foods with chemicals, foods made with white flour, and even fast food. Yet here I sit with 9.7% bodyfat and a respectable six pack that's easily visible.

    3. Your need to drink plain water to hydrate properly -> Oh gawd, that dammed water debate. No I can drink my crystal light, Aquafina flavor splash, Coke Zero, Gatorade and milk and somehow I have no problem remaining fully hydrated.

    4. Carbs make you fat, sugars make you fat, xxxx makes you fat. You have to give them up to get thin -> Again, complete crap. I've not given up ANY FOOD in my lifestyle change and yet I'm at the 9.7% Bodyfat I mentioned above. Instead learning to eat in moderation and balance has been my key. Low Carb/No Carb diets do work, sure. So do diets like mine that let you eat whatever you want as long as you follow the plan.

    I'm sure I could go on with a few hundred examples but I think most get the point. Educate yourselves. When you insist that your way is the only proper way to do things and that anyone not doing it your way is foolish, it is you who ultimately looks the fool. If anyone on this forum tells you in no uncertain terms that *this* is the only way then I'd be very skeptical of what they're telling you. Share your experiences, offer tips that helped you, but drop the arrogance that makes you believe you've found the magic solution that everyone should follow and which makes you judge those that have not chosen your path as sadly unaware of the horrible choices they're making. Instead be aware that many are well aware of the choices you've made and have instead made choices that have worked for them. Stop insisting they're doing it wrong or thinking of them as ignorant fools for not following your directions.


    You expect me to read all that? Are you Mark Twain or Shakespeare?
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    You expect me to read all that? Are you Mark Twain or Shakespeare?

    Were we expecting too much?
  • kimberliiw
    kimberliiw Posts: 242 Member
    I'm so on board with you on this, I can't believe all the absolutist posts. Life isn't like that and weight loss isn't like that. I'm not a clean eater either, but that's not to say that clean eating doesn't work for others or eating a diet of sea urchins and green beans.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    For me, after reading all the different opinions on weight loss on the forum and what is supposed to work; .i'm sticking with mfp settings and that is that..and it is working. I get a good laugh at people who get angry about those who are not lifting heavy and all the eating more to weigh less stuff...and the lifting heavy eating more theory..and the stick to 1200 gang. makes my head spin. haha. Then there are the extreme px90 exercisers...and 30 day shredders. For sure.. many ways to skin that cat. :)
  • _KATzMeow
    _KATzMeow Posts: 336 Member
    Don't read them then, problem solved!
  • GRINWITHIN
    GRINWITHIN Posts: 26 Member
    I am so glad to hear that you can still build strength without squats. I have so many problems with my bum foot, last time I did squats I was in an ankle brace for nearly a month and still feeling it. I am looking for alternative exercises to build strength that keep pressure off my stupid foot. :D

    I lost over 100 pounds the first time around and never ate 100% clean. I get so mad at myself for making excuses and gaining it all back. I did it before, I can do it again. I do try to have at least 1 meal a day that is clean, I am not big into fast food but I will NEVER give up my favorite food - Pizza and my favorite drink... martinis. As I say... all in moderation. In fact, if you look at my food diary you will see I lost weight while having my martinis. I even had a bite of Carvel ice cream cake at the nieces birthday party (no I didn't track it... got in so late but I knew I would be OK... the scale proved it. So much for the carbs/sugars rule.

    For my metabolism, I keep 4 16 oz water bottles in my fridge on the shelf and I try to drink all of them (and sometimes use crystal light or Emergen-C, etc.). The flavoring does not make a difference but I find I am less likely to retain water when I get the non-carbonated in. Trust me, I am a Coke Cherry Zero freak, that's what get's me through the day. If I do not drink the non-carbonated water and just the diet soda, I tend to retain water and my metabolism slows. So long as I do my 8 glasses of non-carbonated, I can drink as much diet soda as I want without retaining water and getting bloated. I am sure this is is a funky "Jen problem", maybe it's age because it is a problem I noticed over the past year... who knows.

    I think that there is no "one size fits all" diet program. The secret is eat less and exercise more.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Has anyone else noticed that the more controversial (and therefore usually most active) threads on these forums are the ones where people insist on speaking in absolutes and pushing their beliefs on everyone else? Are people on MFP really so ignorant or arrogant that they believe the only way to accomplish the goals that we have in common is their way and no other? The age old adage "there's more than one way to skin a cat" applies to so many things in life and indeed applies to fitness and health goals. If there's one thing I've learned over the many years that I've been educating myself on fitness and diet it's that the body remains a mysterious and marvelous machine. It is such a complex meshing of systems that to try and make any universal statement about any of the complex processes in the body is futile at best.

    Indeed I've learned that when it comes to fitness and diet, the people to avoid most diligently are those that tell you they've found *THE* answer and this is it. Those hocking their latest fitness contraption always tell you how great and revolutionary it is and point to the "wasted time and effort" involved in their competitors equipment. Those pushing the latest diet approach always seem to be telling us how other diet programs are flawed and will never work. I run from these stories like the plague.

    Yet here on MFP, where the very site itself promotes a balanced approach to improving our diet and developing a lifestyle of fitness, we still have the people that insist on pushing their approach that worked for them as *THE* end-all be-all holy grail of solutions to diet and fitness. For some reason these people cannot find room in their mind to understand that many approaches work, each and every single one has their own advantages and disadvantages, and no one answer applies to all of us universally.

    So without further ado, here's my list of the lies I'm tired of hearing:

    1. Your not serious about strength training if you're not doing squats and dead lifts -> Not true, I know a few professional personal trainers and strength trainers who never use either in their workout plans and they have some clients that are very impressive. Personally, I've had a solid focus for the last year and a half on strength and mass building and without doing a single deadlift and with squats only a very tiny portion of my workout plan I've got some awesome results.

    2. You must eat clean to get down to a low Body Fat % and develop a 6-pack -> Hogwash. I've never eaten clean a day in my life. I enjoy processed foods, foods with chemicals, foods made with white flour, and even fast food. Yet here I sit with 9.7% bodyfat and a respectable six pack that's easily visible.

    3. Your need to drink plain water to hydrate properly -> Oh gawd, that dammed water debate. No I can drink my crystal light, Aquafina flavor splash, Coke Zero, Gatorade and milk and somehow I have no problem remaining fully hydrated.

    4. Carbs make you fat, sugars make you fat, xxxx makes you fat. You have to give them up to get thin -> Again, complete crap. I've not given up ANY FOOD in my lifestyle change and yet I'm at the 9.7% Bodyfat I mentioned above. Instead learning to eat in moderation and balance has been my key. Low Carb/No Carb diets do work, sure. So do diets like mine that let you eat whatever you want as long as you follow the plan.

    I'm sure I could go on with a few hundred examples but I think most get the point. Educate yourselves. When you insist that your way is the only proper way to do things and that anyone not doing it your way is foolish, it is you who ultimately looks the fool. If anyone on this forum tells you in no uncertain terms that *this* is the only way then I'd be very skeptical of what they're telling you. Share your experiences, offer tips that helped you, but drop the arrogance that makes you believe you've found the magic solution that everyone should follow and which makes you judge those that have not chosen your path as sadly unaware of the horrible choices they're making. Instead be aware that many are well aware of the choices you've made and have instead made choices that have worked for them. Stop insisting they're doing it wrong or thinking of them as ignorant fools for not following your directions.

    Totally agree, good post.
  • nanainkent
    nanainkent Posts: 350 Member
    Best Post I have read since I joined MFP. Agree 1000% But unfortunatly the ppl who think thier way is the only way will not recognize themselves in this thread. They will think you are talking about the other guy, not them.
  • wendybird5
    wendybird5 Posts: 577 Member
    Awesome post and so true. I've noticed the same thing online and with people I've met during my own weight loss journey. Yet I still managed to lose a lot of weight by eating in moderation and not by cutting out everything completely as others said I'd have to do.

    I always think it's great when people find whatever helps them lose weight, but when they suddenly decide everyone has to do it the same, I just don't get it. I know what worked for me wouldn't necessarily work for a lot of my friends so if they ask advice, I just tell them what I did and then encourage them to experiment and find something that works for them. It's great if people want to share what works for them, but the moment they start making judgement calls on others for not doing it the same way, I completely tune them out.
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
    Carbs DO make you fat.
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    The one thing I've noticed lately is that some poeple talk in ideals... as in the best most effective/most efficient way to reach your goals ignoring all other factors, while other people just want something that will work and that they can sustain.

    That difference is rarely stated, and almost always missed in the forums. Sure, recommendation A may be 1% more effective, but there's only about 3 people on this site that will benefit from that 1%.

    More people need to realize that it's about the effort, not the method for 90% of us. What we choose to do is far less important than how hard we try at it. Someone going all out at on a circuit of weight machines is probably going to see better results than someone half-assing it with free weights.

    At the end of the day... bust your *kitten* in your workouts and eat right. Period. End of conversation. If you want to eat organic whole foods, have at it. If you want lean cuisine, fine. If you like zumba, great. Want to squat a truck? Go for it.

    indeed!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Carbs DO make you fat.

    :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:
  • OP..... !!
    ...You are just awesome. Great post!!!! :):happy:
  • MissPeppers
    MissPeppers Posts: 302 Member
    OP, I totally agree. The problem out there is that so many are spreading s**t and it's sometimes difficult to sort it out. I've read a lot on bodyrecomposition.com and it's a great free site - along with Berkhan's leangains.com - his last post http://www.leangains.com/2013/01/consequence-and-clarity.html says a lot what you do and more...