Biggest argument you get in with friends about diet

I have never been overweight. Yes, my weight has crept up over the years, and I haven't done as well as I'd have liked in almost a year on MFP for various reasons, including an injury, but 101.5, 19% fat for a 5'2" woman my age ain't bad.

Despite this, some severely overweight or obese people close to me keep insisting I should be doing it their (repeatedly and obviously unsuccessful) way. ideally, I:

--Do not eat all day long. I end up getting hungrier and eating more. I have been experimenting with IF some days.

--Avoid eating trigger foods, such as things with butter and sugar. I only end up wanting more. I personally CANNOT eat a little of everything and stick to my goals, notwithstanding what my obese friends and acquaintances tell me.

--Rely on a small repertoire of meals whose calorie content is known.

I also have to adhere to a regime if I'm seriously trying to lose weight. My margin for error is too low not to.

I do not argue, but the ones I would love to argue about are, you can wash all the starch off of rice then you don't need to worry, I only eat healthy vegetables so I don't need to worry about it ( candied yams, yeah right), and counting a hot dog as a protien.

I get the " It takes too much work to log my calories" complaint a lot. Really? It takes me about 30 seconds.


But mostly, my biggest issue is ANY meal replacement shake plan. UUUUGH!!!! Eat REAL EFFING FOOD!!!! You're not learning anything about how your body uses food, and how you are going to survive if you DO make it to maintenance. Even worse are the ones that will eat ONLY shakes because they're "so full and not hungry". That's what, 800 cals in a day of processed garbage? Say good by to your metabolism.

Ahem. Sorry.. *end rant*

There's nothing wrong with meal replacement shakes every now and then. Once or twice a year, for a week I'll have two replacement shakes a day, followed by a meal in the evening. I do it because it makes dieting a no-brainer. It works for me.

"It's not what you eat, it's how much exercise you do!"

That one sets me off on one every time!
I know I wouldn't continue to lose weight if I had my old eating habits no matter how much exercise I did!

This one pisses me off, too! I hit my mid-weight goal just by cutting calories and not exercising. Granted, I know I needed to exercise to get the real body I want, but dammit you CAN lost weight just by changing how much you eat!

Usually the biggest argument I've gotten into was "a calorie is just a calorie and it doesn't matter what kind of food it comes from." I disagree and have plenty of research to support why the foods you eat impact your weight loss and overall health far beyond calories. That really bothers some people, lol. But I'm not interested in arguing anymore. Wastes time I could be out exercising, cooking, or doing a hundred other more productive things.

"A calorie is a calorie" is simplistic, but if most people ate reasonably well while creating a calorie deficit they'd do fine.

A lot of the time it seems that people are getting caught up with details as an excuse. For example, the obsession with inaccurate calorie burn estimates from devices. If you eat food whose calorie content is known, weigh it and come in a little under to account for overstatement of calories in food (which is allowed by law), you should lose weight. Exercise is gravy, so to speak (although good for your general health).

And do not get me started on the idea of eating your calories back. You stick to your program, if you are losing in a crazy way (which is usually not happening when people discuss this) so .... you eat more and see how you do. It's not that hard.

Calorie reduction, some exercise, a scale, and a means of estimating body composition are all that are necessary, plus your attention.

"Just one night out isn't going to hurt..."

It takes me 7 days after that to recover from the alcohol induced weight gain. No thanks! And of course all the helpful hints like not eating after 7pm, drinking grapefruit juice before meals, wearing garbage bags when I run to make myself sweat more, and my personal favorite-alli or sensa.

And then most of them are on phentermine based weight loss drugs so they are always trying to share. Bless their hearts, no thanks!

When people who want to lose weight but refuse to do the work necessary to make it happen say to me "You're so lucky. You're thin." I make them the offer to spend a week with me and eat what I eat and do what I do and then tell me how lucky I am. No one ever takes me up on it.

well lets see...

I low carb..... gasp...that's bad for your heart.... but being 200 lbs overweight isn't????? no point in trying to show them studies that show low carbing properly leads to healthier heart levels....... sighs....

I drink diet coke.... GASP????? that stuff makes you gain weight... it's full of cancer causing agents.... it's just EVILLLLLLLLLLL:mad:

I don't work out...... what??????????? I'm basically lazy by nature.... so I keep moving all day instead of having to sweat and feel exhausted for part of it.......

DANCE SO YOU CAN FLY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The whole "what are you talking about...you don't need to lose weight,...you're already skinny....you have nothing to worry about"

I don't have that much to lose really, probably about 10 lbs. I'm already at a seemingly "healthy" weight....but I am not exactly "healthy" at this weight.

I have hypertension and diabetes runs in my family. I do have the hypoglycemia issues my father had before he developed it. I need to watch out for sodium and sugar.

So when I'm out to eat with friends or coworkers see what I bring for lunch I often get asked "are you on a diet or something?"

I hate having to explain myself.

We all have excuses for why we don't eat well, and we are all entitled to days where we need to pig out. But I can't stand hearing people justify their lifestyles with "I can't" or "I just don't have the time."

Yes, you do.

I used to say that too, and then I realized--just like everything else--that [lack of] time is not the root of all evil. Kids, no kids. Hard job, easy job. Underweight, overweight, or average. No need to convince ME why changing your lifestyle and eating habits is or isn't happening.