Biggest argument you get in with friends about diet

I agree with so many things on here that I can't quote or else I would run out of room.

People tell me to cut out carbs for a few weeks. HUH?!?!?!?!?

I had a neighbor of mine (who does fad diets) scream at me in the supermarket when she saw me buy a bag of pretzels. She yelled at me like she was my mother, and this was in front of a bunch of people.

I once had a small cupcake in my hand and someone said to me, "Do you really think you should be eating that?"

I have had people tell me to drink wine instead of beer, I'll lose weight that way. HUH?!?!?!? I love wine and I love beer, both have calories and need to be limited or cut out (I refuse to give up the few glasses of wine a week that I drink).

I try not to tell anyone I am doing anything because it just opens up reasons for people to be obnoxious and give unsolicited advice. People think it's ok to TELL you what to do, even strangers will make comments to people who are overweight.

It truly amazes me what people believe as far as diet is concerned, and by diet I mean lifestyle. I on the other hand just bite my tongue when people tell me what I should do or what they are doing or have done. Sometimes we have to pick our battles and if this battle is going to get me so frustrated then it's not worth it.

I sometimes hear, "Oh, you should try [insert fad diet here]! I know someone who's doing that and they've lost weight!"

I've lost over 120 lbs by eating sensibly and exercising. I think I've found what works for me, and it's not some BS fad diet.

Great post!

Ohhh and anything anyone tries to say about women lifting heavy other than "it will make you look freakin amazing"

Exactly, which leads me to the absurd thinking: People who call fat muscle. Muscle on women looks toned, lean, awesome but NOT BULKY.

I always, ALWAYS get into the "diets don't work"and "it's a LIFESTYLE" argument with people.

I'm starting not to care about what other people look or think like. After all, they are going to need their "a ha" moment" all on their own. It's going to be a picture, a comment, something....but not some lecture from me.

By far the biggest argument I get into with friends is how the vast majority of people fool themselves about how much they actually eat (total calories). I often hear- "I don't eat that much. I only eat one meal a day, blah, blah, blah." I can't help myself. I take the bait and ask, ok, tell me exactly what you ate today. I then explain that the one dinner meal at Cheesecake factory was over 2000 calories they give me a no way. I then tell them to log their calories for a few days to get some real feedback. I usually get a "I am not into fad diets," "calorie counting does not work in the long run," blah, blah, blah. I then tell them I am accustomed to dieting since I was a wrestler in grade and tried most everything (except steroids- although they are mighty tempting). When I am not calorie counting, my mind plays tricks with me and I think I am eating less calories than I am. Thus, by far the best lifelong method is to go back to calorie counting (carbs, fat, protein) when things are not going in the direction I want- i.e. fat percentage, strength increases, energy, sugar level, whatever. We need feedback. Anyone else deal with this from friends?

Exactly, unless you are some sort of savant/Rainman, you need to log your calories. Every time I've stopped, I've gained 5-7 lbs in a few months.

"I don't eat that much." Yeah, but what you DO eat is very rich calorically. That usually shuts them up.

I don't talk to my friends about it any more if I can help it, because lots of them are always trying the newest diet or "fat club" or just plain not interested. That's why I have MFP friends and the MFP forums.

This.

Meal timing doesn't matter and no one macro will make you fat.

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*

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.

Oh another one - "it's easy for you to lose weight and exercise" ......

ARGH, no it isn't! I wake up at 5 for work and do 12 hour days, do extra project work, still have to try and have a social life and have to monitor every calorie, log and get in a gym session everyday to be "ok". As soon as I don't, I put on weight. Every time. I just drag myself, even when I'm so tired I could sleep standing up!

Yeah, I have a 16month old daughter. I wait until my wife and daughter have gone to bed and then go to bed (most days) or we have to have left-overs or something in the crockpot for dinner so my daughter can eat on her schedule IF I go for a run after work which doesn't happen much during the winter (that's what the treadmill is for)

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.