FITNESS MYTHS and EXCUSES YOU CAN'T STAND!!!

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  • nicarey19
    nicarey19 Posts: 126 Member
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    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!
  • HonoriaLucasta
    HonoriaLucasta Posts: 24 Member
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    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.
  • SlvrBluGoddess
    SlvrBluGoddess Posts: 239 Member
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    "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.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,783 Member
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    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.
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,285 Member
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    You can lose 5 lbs a year just by sleeping on your tummy instead of your back or side.
  • runningwild00
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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!
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    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"
  • GamerLady
    GamerLady Posts: 359 Member
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    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.
  • Jenneth79
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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.
  • successby50
    successby50 Posts: 27 Member
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    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 :)
  • LeahT84
    LeahT84 Posts: 202 Member
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    Brittaney,
    While I too share your exasperation with people who opt to not be fit and then complain about it. Please be careful how you throw around comments about pain. I do not do squats or lunges because I've had reconstructive surgery on my knee 4 times and the pain is excruciating. I work on exercises to continue to gain muscle strength, but your comment was hurtful. In this community I think we all need to try to stay a little more judgement free.

    At least someone else spotted this extremely insulting comment also. OP should really think before assuming everyone has the same capabilities as somebody else.

    I don't do squats YET, because I have arthritis in my knees and with as much weight as I have on me, it is excruciating... and YES, it even hurts to bed to sit on a chair or the toilet. Once I have more weight off, maybe there will be less stress on my knees and I will be able to do squats easier.

    Do not judge ALL people just because YOU find something easy or pain free. I work my *kitten* off in the gym 5-6 days a week and I am doing my best to get into a better place in my life, but it's people who are going to be judgmental that make others want to throw their hands up and quit. I don't want to be in the gym (or anywhere else) thinking that people are judging me for what I am and am not doing.

    The only excuses that should bother you are your own. Worry about you, not everyone else around you. It should matter to you what other people are doing if it isn't directly affecting your progress. Learn to bite your tongue and shut your mouth.
  • ICOZA7
    ICOZA7 Posts: 33 Member
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    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.
    This.
  • ccmccoy09
    ccmccoy09 Posts: 284 Member
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    "I hate eating vegetables/I'm a super picky eater"

    Really? I hate paying my bills, yet I still do it, because I am an adult, not a 5 year old

    I love this! "Wah. Healthy food is grrroooooosssss and bacon cheeseburgers are so delicious!" You know what is else is delicious? Cocaine (probably), but we don't do that because it's poison.

    My other favorite: "I need to lose weight before I can start going to the gym." Because there are no overweight people at the gym. OK.
  • nicarey19
    nicarey19 Posts: 126 Member
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    I just did a Sociology paper on low income and health. One of the things I focused on was healthy food. It is more expensive than "crappy" food. Especially if you live in a low income area where the grocery store has high costs than Smith's or another main grocery store. I have been there. I have bought a complete meal in a box for $2.00. That I could eat for a few days. I really think that starts with changing the way people have access to healthy foods. Also a gym membership is expensive, but outside is free. When I started running I could not afford even new shoes (I know I could have hurt myself, but I was already hurting myself being so overweight) so I used these old pair of tennis shoes. They were not very good, but my grandma was nice enough to buy me a new pair of running shoes for Christmas:) Also the time thing does kinda of drive me crazy while I understand it, it is hard for me to be sympathetic. I work 2 jobs. But I live 60 miles from both places of work. So I have over an hour commute in the morning and in the evening. It is about 2 hours and 15 mins just in a car. I do all my things in town during my lunch hour (if I dont have anything I run if it is a short run day or I lift). I get off work I go for a run, I drive home and I ride my 2 horses. Than I eat. Than I go to bed. I don't have kids so I can't speak to that, but I think a majority of people have time, just dont want to make it a priority and I understand that I was that way too.
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
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    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 nutrition

    hahah yep, i watch people drive around and around the parking lot until they get a closer one sometimes, hilarious
  • ccmccoy09
    ccmccoy09 Posts: 284 Member
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    Honestly I get the time and money arguments. The timing isn't always right to make a huge lifestyle change (whether it be fitness, moving, job related, etc). It really only bothers me when I KNOW the person does have both time and money, e.g. they're complaining about their weight 2 hours into happy hour. But really it comes down to this: you can have excuses or you can have results; not both.
  • disasterman
    disasterman Posts: 746 Member
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    ...
    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.

    ...

    THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I kept thinking this but was too lazy to write it. Whenever someone says "muscle weighs more than fat" I simply assume a parenthetical "for the same volume" instead of assuming that they don't know that 1=1.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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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.

    meal timing has nothing to do with metabolism...how is that for simple?
  • baptiste565
    baptiste565 Posts: 590 Member
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    cant work out for the rest of the week. the president from scandal has me so upset.
  • TigressPat
    TigressPat Posts: 722
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    And if you don't think you use it in everyday life, i'd like to know how you get on and off the toilet. :huh:

    a system of ropes and pulleys?

    The first thing I pictured was the episode of Family Guy when Peter asks to use Joe's bathroom :laugh:


    I get annoyed when I hear people say they're on birth control and they can't lose. I used to think that too but I know (and knew it at the time as well) that was just an excuse. I'm still on birth control and I've still lost 37 pounds. For some people if they have a bad reaction to it, perhaps it's the case but if you put your mind to it, workout, watch what you eat, you'll lose weight.

    this
    a good deal of the female population of child bearing age in North america is on some form of birth control.