the "do what works for you" advice

Even in this thread, someone disagrees. Everyone is a special snowflake whose body functions vastly different from the next special snow flake.

Honestly, this bothers me more than anything. Don't people realize that if their bodies are unique, then that means that no one can really help them.

It is an acceptance of futility, and ultimately, becomes the excuse for not even trying. The logic, in and of itself, is the perpetuation of the yo-yo dieters mentality.

I repudiate the basis of this post. The knowledge that I am different is empowering, not enervating. It's a reason for trying my own thing, not an excuse for giving up.

What works for me is logging everything I eat. Some people don't need to do that.
What works for me is switching up what I eat all the time or I get bored. Some people do better eating the same food every day.
What works for me is more weights than boring-*kitten* cardio. Some people don't like weights & do better with running.
What works for me is NOT telling most of my distant friends and family about my efforts. Some people need their family to succeed.
What works for me is nearly eliminating sugar & processed carbs. Some people can just eat less of those things without getting rid of them altogether.
What works for me is monogamy. Some people are happier with promiscuity.

I AM special. Just like everybody else.

I have to respectfully disagree. Not only are we not all the same, our bodies don't even respond the same way over the course of our lifetimes. What worked for me to change my body when I was 25 is not the same now that I'm 55. I have to keep mixing it up, and have had to learn to continue to try new things to find what works best for me.

And I don't believe that men's and women's bodies respond the same way to the same input. We are physiologicaly different.

I agree that eating less and moving more and building muscle is good for all of us, though, that has never been in doubt for me. But I have had to make some adaptations within that.

I repudiate the basis of this post. The knowledge that I am different is empowering, not enervating. It's a reason for trying my own thing, not an excuse for giving up.

Adapting the fundamental principles that hold true for all people such that it best suits your needs and goals is the art of leading a balanced and healthy life. That doesn't change the fact that those underlying principles exist and hold true for EVERYONE. Getting your diet and exercise just right isn't an easy task, it's something that takes work, and constant tweaking since your needs change over time.

The problem arises when you get someone who says, for example, 'well if I eat at night I can't lose weight, that's just how my body works'. That's blatantly untrue. Calories don't mysteriously become Uber-fat harbingers that don't get oxidized when you're in a deficit. Eating at night may screw with your diet and make you sleep like crap or be more likely to overeat, but the laws of thermodynamics still apply after 7PM.

By the same token, some things work that won't work for others, and claiming as much is erroneous. For some folks if they eat Paleo, they no longer need to count calories because they eat under maintenance naturally. Saying that calorie counting isn't needed on the diet would be incorrect though, because that doesn't apply to everyone. You can gain weight on ANY diet if you overeat. Paleo may affect satiety for some such that they don't need to limit intake, but that's not a fundamental rule for everyone.

Same thing goes for exercise. Figure out what works for you, but it doesn't change the fundamental fact that certain types of strain cause different types and degrees of muscle activation, or that exercise in general is good for overall health.

We're not that different.

My body works the same as your body which works the same as everyone else's on this site (with the only significant difference being people with legitimate health issues, like diabetes, etc.).

Sorry - I highly doubt this statement.

Yes; what about werewolves, who morph into an animal a few nights a month? How are their calorie needs different?

Great point! I'm glad someone *finally* brought this up. :flowerforyou:

we say that when we are tired of arguing with stupid. what else are we supposed to do when we are done banging our heads against a brick wall.

"do what works for you" is the new "lol bye"

QFT.

Adapting the fundamental principles that hold true for all people such that it best suits your needs and goals is the art of leading a balanced and healthy life. That doesn't change the fact that those underlying principles exist and hold true for EVERYONE. Getting your diet and exercise just right isn't an easy task, it's something that takes work, and constant tweaking since your needs change over time.

The problem arises when you get someone who says, for example, 'well if I eat at night I can't lose weight, that's just how my body works'. That's blatantly untrue. Calories don't mysteriously become Uber-fat harbingers that don't get oxidized when you're in a deficit. Eating at night may screw with your diet and make you sleep like crap or be more likely to overeat, but the laws of thermodynamics still apply after 7PM.

By the same token, some things work that won't work for others, and claiming as much is erroneous. For some folks if they eat Paleo, they no longer need to count calories because they eat under maintenance naturally. Saying that calorie counting isn't needed on the diet would be incorrect though, because that doesn't apply to everyone. You can gain weight on ANY diet if you overeat. Paleo may affect satiety for some such that they don't need to limit intake, but that's not a fundamental rule for everyone.

Same thing goes for exercise. Figure out what works for you, but it doesn't change the fundamental fact that certain types of strain cause different types and degrees of muscle activation, or that exercise in general is good for overall health.

We're not that different.

So true.

Perhaps those people that say "my body is differen"t are the ones who need excuses to justify a lack of sucess?

Love this so much. Yes, there are people who have medical conditions but apart from the we do essentially work the same. Absolutely fed up of some of the pseudo science or downright damaging advice too. Yes I'm being a grump hence why I was off the forums for months.