FITNESS MYTHS and EXCUSES YOU CAN'T STAND!!!
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if I do not eat six small meals a day I will go into starvation mode...
I am converting fat into muscle....
I want to scream when I hear those two....
I used a barn analogy the other day to explain about metabolic slow down: Muscle is like horses. They do the work on the farm. Fat is like bags of grain. They feed the horses. If you reduce the amount of food coming in to your body without using the muscles, your body is going to take out some of the muscle so that it can safeguard its stored food. Sort of like having fewer horses eating those sacks of grain.
I know that's a huge oversimplification, but it provided an initial basic understanding of how things work.0 -
To those of you with "no time" commentary, are any of you full time working moms of small kids? Because seriously. Before kids I worked out 2hrs, 4 times a week. Now Im lucky to get 3x45minutes in. I truly dont have time to get the huge results from lots of time spent in the gym before I had my twins. Sure, I can prioritize gym over doing laundry and making my kids healthy meals, but that wont really help me in the clean undies and healthy kids dept either. I dont watch TV or mundane items like that either.
doesn't matter.
I have people tell me I can do what I do because I don't have kids. You're right I can and that's a choice I make- just like it was a choice to have kids... but guess what- I work a full time job- a part time job and I am a very serious dance student who travels 30 minutes each way to go to 7 PM classes every week PLUS my own time for practice- which is 1.5-2 hours 4-5 days a week.
That does not include my ACTUAL work out. I don't "find time" to work out. I MAKE time to work out. Because it's important to me.
That's the point- every one has time in the day they can spare to work out- it's just a matter of making it a priority.
Let me let all of you "I'm too busy" people in on a secret.... WE ALL HAVE 24 HOURS IN A DAY. I don't have ANY MORE TIME in a day than you do- I just plan my day and make it happen.
period. There is time- you just chose to not MAKE it happen.
Which is fine! I don't care- but don't complain that you don't have time- you're only telling ME that to make YOU feel better about yourself- so good job for tricking yourself. The rest of us really don't care if you are unhealthy and over weight or don't meet your body fat % goals or whatever it is you are massively unhappy about- it really really really doens't affect me at all.
But I'll let you in on a secret- we don't want to hear you complain about the results you didn't get... from the work you didn't do. It's insulting to those of us who find time to make it happen.0 -
Worst excuse I've ever heard was "I am a mother". News flash having children should be a reason to be fit, not an excuse to be unhealthy! This person proceeded to tell me once I was a mother I would understand and it will be all down hill from there. Come on.
I agree. People tell me when I have kids, I won't work our so much because I won't have time. I see kids at my CrossFit gym all the time. They sit and do their homework, play video games or, watch their parents live the example of a healthy life. When I have kids, the same will happen. I need to be here for them for as long as I can, which mean I need to be as healthy as I can possibly be.
Im making a frowning face. I cut back gym time when I became a mom. Dumping your kids in the play area for excessive amounts of time isnt being a mother. Note that I say excessive. "To be as healthy as I can possibly be" meaning tons of gym time isnt a reality of mothering. It involves spending time with your kids as well. I do work out, but I dont work out to my max potential. I dont want to be an absent mom. My kids dont do homework, and the last thing they need is to learn to sit in front of a tv. You make do with other activities, like chasing them around the playground or throwing them in the air.
I can see that. I'm not a mother, and I can't imagine how my life will change once I have a child. Nonetheless, I will find a way to stay healthy and get some fitness in, even it it's just a half hour jog in the morning. The point is, I've seen way too many of my friends affected by the death of a parent. I've see children scared to death when their parents have to have surgery for something that may not have happened living a healthy life style. I don't want to be that parent.
Now your second statement I can totally agree with! And thats how Ive taken it too. You still have to work out, you deal with it. Ive gotten over being depressed about the fact I cant work out as much as I want to. Good come back :-) My vow: Not to be a fat mom, so far, so good!
Thank you! I will never judge a mother for how she feels about the balance in her life. I wasn't able to work out until my youngest was a year old. I didn't have the time to do my taxes.
However, now I've figured out a plan to squeeze it in around everything else I need to do. It IS possible, even if it's not always ideal.0 -
ETA: Um....a pound = a pound. The amount it takes to make the pound is irrelevant
I really hope your are just joking. If you are being serious then I have to tell you that this is one of the most idiotic things I have ever heard. Weight is a function of density. Would you say that gold weighs more than feathers? 1 pound of gold = 1 pound of feathers correct? So why then do we say that gold weighs more than feathers? For the same reason that muscle weighs more than fat. It takes less fat to equal 1 pound then it does fat just like it takes less gold to get to one pound then it does feathers. By your logic everything weighs the same because 1 pound of X will weigh the same as 1 pound of Y.
Not when you're talking body image. If a lb of Fat took up 20 sq inches and a lb of muscle took up 8 sq inches. What would you rather have on your body?
I was responding to "By your logic everything weighs the same because 1 pound of X will weigh the same as 1 pound of Y."
A pound weighs a pound. 500 pounds weighs 500 pounds.
The amount of space they take up is density, not weight.0 -
"You have to do at least 45 min. of cardio 3x per week or you aren't getting any benefit." B.S. That just discourages people who can't do 45 min. of sustained exercise yet.
Just walking to the mailbox gives some benefit. A calorie burned is a calorie burned.
45 x 3 gives the maximum benefit for the least investment of time. Working out less will give less benefit and working out more will give more. 45 x 3 is just the point where the investment of time vs. benefit to cardio-vascular fitness begins to level off. Any exercise burns a few calories and that benefits weight loss, self image, mood, stamina, etc.0 -
"It's my genes" or "I have a thyroid issue". The later only bothers me when the person saying it can only name weight issues as a side effect of their "thyroid" problem. Oh, and people that don't understand how metabolism works.
The thyroid one kills me as I have a "thyroid issue" (hypothyroid) and, with medication to control it, good diet and exercise, I have been able to lose weight even after I quit smoking.
That's great for you but it isn't always the case. My hypothyroid affects more than my weight. I have the temp chnages, low libido, extreme exhaustion. I have to work much harder to lose weight which can be very disappointing. It affects the mental aspect when everyone around you is doing less and losing more! I am doing it, though. I am praying for my goiter to be miraculously healed and my thyroid to begin pumping correctly. I wouldn't mind a hyperthyroid for 6 months, Lord!! LOL0 -
"It's my genes" or "I have a thyroid issue". The later only bothers me when the person saying it can only name weight issues as a side effect of their "thyroid" problem. Oh, and people that don't understand how metabolism works.
The thyroid one kills me as I have a "thyroid issue" (hypothyroid) and, with medication to control it, good diet and exercise, I have been able to lose weight even after I quit smoking.
That's great for you but it isn't always the case. My hypothyroid affects more than my weight. I have the temp chnages, low libido, extreme exhaustion. I have to work much harder to lose weight which can be very disappointing. It affects the mental aspect when everyone around you is doing less and losing more! I am doing it, though. I am praying for my goiter to be miraculously healed and my thyroid to begin pumping correctly. I wouldn't mind a hyperthyroid for 6 months, Lord!! LOL
but you still try.
vs many other people who just brush it off as that's the way it is. It's not an excuse for you to not work. that's the difference.0 -
Myths/misconceptions
1) You can spot reduce fat. (for instance When someone complains about belly fat and the advice given is lots of sit ups! Argh)
2) the word toning. (Um no, you either grow muscle or you don't. There's no such thing as "toning")
3) only cardio burns fat and weight lifting is only for muscle building (hello! Weight lifting is one of the best things you can do for fat loss)
Excuses
1) I don't lift heavy because I don't want to bulk up (no, no, no, no and no!)
2) I have wrecked my diet today so there's no point working out and I may as well eat more (just no.)
3) I just don't get time in my day (BS, make time! Get up an hour earlier or swap out an hour of couch time for exercise)
4) a gym membership is too expensive (you don't have to join a gym!)
5) healthy food is more expensive (and eating take away every other night isn't? It just seems less expensive because it's spent hereand there, not in one go. And surprise surprise, you're hungry again an hour later. Besides, who can put a price on health?)0 -
To those of you with "no time" commentary, are any of you full time working moms of small kids? Because seriously. Before kids I worked out 2hrs, 4 times a week. Now Im lucky to get 3x45minutes in. I truly dont have time to get the huge results from lots of time spent in the gym before I had my twins. Sure, I can prioritize gym over doing laundry and making my kids healthy meals, but that wont really help me in the clean undies and healthy kids dept either. I dont watch TV or mundane items like that either.
doesn't matter.
I have people tell me I can do what I do because I don't have kids. You're right I can and that's a choice I make- just like it was a choice to have kids... but guess what- I work a full time job- a part time job and I am a very serious dance student who travels 30 minutes each way to go to 7 PM classes every week PLUS my own time for practice- which is 1.5-2 hours 4-5 days a week.
That does not include my ACTUAL work out. I don't "find time" to work out. I MAKE time to work out. Because it's important to me.
That's the point- every one has time in the day they can spare to work out- it's just a matter of making it a priority.
Let me let all of you "I'm too busy" people in on a secret.... WE ALL HAVE 24 HOURS IN A DAY. I don't have ANY MORE TIME in a day than you do- I just plan my day and make it happen.
period. There is time- you just chose to not MAKE it happen.
Which is fine! I don't care- but don't complain that you don't have time- you're only telling ME that to make YOU feel better about yourself- so good job for tricking yourself. The rest of us really don't care if you are unhealthy and over weight or don't meet your body fat % goals or whatever it is you are massively unhappy about- it really really really doens't affect me at all.
But I'll let you in on a secret- we don't want to hear you complain about the results you didn't get... from the work you didn't do. It's insulting to those of us who find time to make it happen.
This, this, this and more this! Could not have said it better myself.0 -
"I ran a mile today so I deserve this cheeseburger."
[/quote]
At last! I've found the motivation to run a mile. :bigsmile:0 -
ETA: Um....a pound = a pound. The amount it takes to make the pound is irrelevant
I really hope your are just joking. If you are being serious then I have to tell you that this is one of the most idiotic things I have ever heard. Weight is a function of density. Would you say that gold weighs more than feathers? 1 pound of gold = 1 pound of feathers correct? So why then do we say that gold weighs more than feathers? For the same reason that muscle weighs more than fat. It takes less fat to equal 1 pound then it does fat just like it takes less gold to get to one pound then it does feathers. By your logic everything weighs the same because 1 pound of X will weigh the same as 1 pound of Y.
Not when you're talking body image. If a lb of Fat took up 20 sq inches and a lb of muscle took up 8 sq inches. What would you rather have on your body?
I was responding to "By your logic everything weighs the same because 1 pound of X will weigh the same as 1 pound of Y."
A pound weighs a pound. 500 pounds weighs 500 pounds.
The amount of space they take up is density, not weight.
My bad, read it wrong. Thought is was amount of space, not amount.0 -
Myth: You are not a individual (special snowflake) with different medical requirements.
I believe you are. If your not a special snowflake how do you explain that God made you special or that your finger prints are different than everyone else in the world? The base formula is the same across the board (food Vs.Activity Vs. Sleep).0 -
"I'm too stressed to go to the gym." Excercise is probably one of the best things you can do for stress. -facepalm-
Some of the days I've had at the office have had me eagerly anticipating hitting the gym after I get off. I get out of the gym and feel SO much better. If I didn't have the gym to look forward to at the end of my workday I'd likely do something that people would regret.0 -
" I have an underactive thyroid so I CANT lose weight"
I DO have an underactive thyroid and I've lost 6 stone and maintained for 3 years......having a thyroid condition can make it more difficult but it does NOT mean that you cannot lose weight!0 -
Walking has no cardio value
Weight lifting will make you bulky0 -
:explode:I can't stand "muscle weighs more than fat" Drives me nuts. 1 pound = 1 pound regardless of what it is made of. Muscle is denser than fat so 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat!
Biggest pet peeve in excuses? "I'm scared" WTF is there to be scared of? Being fit, being thin, living longer?
But muscle does weigh more than fat. If you took the same volume of each, muscle would weigh more.
The response "No, muscle doesn't weigh more than fat because 1 lb = 1 lb" is a pet peeve of mine (which has nothing to do with fitness). Seriously, I can't decide if it's more rude, pretentious or ignorant.
Same here!!! You know what I meant!! The meaning is implied that the same volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat! It isn't literal, it is figurative!! FIGURE IT OUT and quit ranting about it!! LOL0 -
Best one yet I've heard:
I didn't work out because there was no parking space.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
That 1200 is a starvation level for absolutely everyone regardless of height and size, and activity levels. Jeez. i work in a hospital and there must be loads of negligent doctors putting gastric band patients on 600 cal a day diets . . . .
AMEN sister
but they would call any doctor putting any one on a diet with anything below 1200 a quack, only because they believe differently, including those who run MFP. IMO MFP has to say anything under 1200 is unhealthy so that they can't get sued if someone tries to starve themselves to death because MFP said they could eat 200 calories a day. 0 -
Ok the thing that drives me nuts..."Well who wants to live to be 90, and be in a nursing home? I would rather eat what I want, do what I want, and die young!" IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR 90 YEAR OLD SELF. IT'S ABOUT YOU, TODAY! DON'T YOU WANT TO FEEL BETTER, LOOK BETTER, LOVE LIFE, TODAY?!?! I sure do!!!!!
And if you live a healthy lifestyle, 90 will see you chilling on a beach somewhere, still enjoying and and maybe chasing your grand-kids around.
It's not about you at all! Lose for yourself but think about those around you. The people who will be taking care of the 90 yr old you or the 60 year old you who wasn't healthy! My dad died in November at 72. Before he died, we spent years battling knee problems. (He didn't squat, I suppose! :happy: ) Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney failure. My mom, also a diabetic and with COPD, struggled to keep him home. My sisters and I did all we could but have families too. It was much harder than it had to be if he had been healthier! That is what restarted me on this journey and 1 of my sisters as well. I don't want to do that to my kids. And I sure as hell don't want THEM picking my nursing home!!
Instead, I am choosing to get healthy and be that spry 90 year old lady who can get away with saying ANYTHING!! 
Added benefit - much better role model for my children to follow. 0 -
I actually heard this: "I can't squat because I have bad knees.... besides, it's not like i use that in my everyday life."
Uhmm.. excuse me? I've actually dislocated my knee three times now, and have had HUNDREDS of almost dislocations inbetween. My knee cracks and makes noise everytime I so much as go up stairs, and I have to go down stairs in a limp-like mannor because I can't go down them normally. I've gone to therapy just to learn to walk again, and therapy again after that to regain the little bit of strength I currently have.0 -
I can't stand "muscle weighs more than fat" Drives me nuts. 1 pound = 1 pound regardless of what it is made of. Muscle is denser than fat so 1 pound of muscle takes up less space than 1 pound of fat!
Biggest pet peeve in excuses? "I'm scared" WTF is there to be scared of? Being fit, being thin, living longer?
Pretty much anyone who says this is referring to the density of 1Lb of fat vs 1 Lb of muscle and muscle displacing fat by volume...I don't know anybody who actually believes 1 Lb of muscle actually weighs more than 1 Lb of fat. Do you really think there are all kinds of people thinking that 1 Lb isn't a 1 Lb?
At anyrate...I don't have time to exercise is the one excuse I can't stand, namely because I used to use it all of the time.
Also, some people do have bad knees and shouldn't squat...not a myth.
I followed a person on FB and she posted a big rant about how muscle does way more than fat. She was so tired of people saying that muscle does not weight more than fat. She even gave the example that a pound of titanium doesn't equal a pound of feathers. ( I seriusly wish I were kidding). I unliked her page after that....oh people!0 -
Re: "I don't want to live to be 100 anyway," I think the thing people don't think about is that the real worst-case-scenario from an unhealthy lifestyle isn't necessarily dying peacefully in your sleep at 75 instead of 95 or whatever, but having a massive stroke at 65 and then being permanently handicapped for the rest of your life and being unable to do anything about it. That's what I say whenever I hear that argument. In all likelihood, a poor lifestyle isn't just going to kill you painlessly overnight but earlier than you would have died anyway; it's going to cause YEARS of suffering and pain for you and your loved ones.
On a lighter note, I am going to lose my damn mind about the muscle vs fat thing. It seems PERFECTLY clear to me whenever anyone says "muscle weighs more than fat" that they are talking about volume. Unless you are intentionally reading it wrong, it's obvious when someone says this they mean that muscle is denser, so a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. I SERIOUSLY do not understand why people insist on assuming that people making that statement are ACTUALLY SAYING that if you put a pound of muscle and a pound of fat on a scale you'd get different readings when that has NEVER been the case anywhere in the history of weight loss forums, as far as I can tell.
Re: "I started working out last week and I've gained three pounds, it must be muscle!" - yes and no. It's not actually MUSCLE - like, you are not a superhero, you didn't gain three pounds of muscle fiber in a week and if you did I suspect bodybuilders would be beating your door down for your secret - but it is, most likely, a result of your muscles RETAINING water while they are repairing themselves from doing work that they are not used to doing. So that's not really an incorrect statement, just a confused one.0 -
"Cardio is the only way you'll devolop your abs & core."
I was told this by a 'personal trainer' at a gym I used to go to.0 -
Myth: You are not a individual (special snowflake) with different medical requirements.
I believe you are. If your not a special snowflake how do you explain that God made you special or that your finger prints are different than everyone else in the world? The base formula is the same across the board (food Vs.Activity Vs. Sleep).
Yep, when people say I'm not a special snowflake I say, yes YES I am, because my body does not work the same way yours does no matter what is SUPPOSED to happen. If our bodies were all working the same we'd all be fat or we'd all be skinny or we'd all have cancer, or no one would have cancer.0 -
You can lose 5 lbs a year just by sleeping on your tummy instead of your back or side.0
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1. I don't have time to work out
2. Oh you run? I can't run, it hurts my knees (I guess it makes sense if you have artificial knees!)
3. I barely eat anything!0 -
I don't have bad knees because I don't squat... I literally am genetically different knees and have had surgeries on both to correct them. I squat anyway and it's not my favorite.. I prefer deadlifting.
"Steroids are safe"0 -
The excuse, "I don't have time for exercise or to get fit", usually while they're sitting on the couch watching t.v. Really? You can't take 30-60 mins a day 4-5 times a week to get yourself in shape? I really don't get that excuse at all, and it's quite annoying.0
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Ironically I can't do squats because I actually have bad knees...but I don't let that stop me from trying to get fit (and yup on bad days going to the toilet is ooh so fun I wish I rope and pulley).
My pet peeves are these
1) people who think that there is only one way to exercise and if you're not doing it their way you wont get fit...way to be encouraging and supportive.
2) people who don't exercise because they don't like the gym...because you can't go outside and exercise? Whats wrong with walking, or jogging or hiking? Start somewhere even if it's parking the car farther away and walking 20min to work..ANYTHING to get you started. Start small build up.
3) Yoga isn't effective. If it's not effective either you're too advanced and should be stepping it up a notch or you're doing it wrong.0 -
My excuse used to be "I just hate to exercise".
The solution is to keep trying different things until you find something you enjoy, and you will stick with it.
I tried everything from gyms, to water aerobics, to the Curves system. I really hated it all.
Then I was invited by a group of great gals to join a boxercise class. LOVED IT!! I've since joined a gym that offers boxercise 4 times a week, and guess what? I'm there 4 times a week 0
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