FITNESS MYTHS and EXCUSES YOU CAN'T STAND!!!
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Yes! This is it exactly! I was extremely fit in my 20s, but having a series of miscarriages and then having three kids in less than three years really left me very overweight and out of shape. That may sound like excuses to some of you, but stress and emotional turmoil take a lot out of a person, and if you don't prioritize yourself, well, they can just keep taking. And they did. Then, of course, I had three kids under the age of three. That was a very busy time in my life, and my husband was working 12-16 hour days, and I literally had no time to myself. I could have ditched housework to exercise, but I didn't. I could have shipped my kids off to a babysitter, but I didn't. That's because of my priorities.
As my kids got older, I was still busy. I was working full-time (I'm self-employed) and home schooling. You want to talk busy? I was (and am) busy. My husband still works 12 hour days. Finally, though, I realized that *I* needed to make myself a priority. *I* needed to change for *me*. Once I made myself a priority, it became a lot easier to get that hour or so of exercise in everyday, and wow, do I feel good about myself. I'm still fat, but hey, I didn't gain weight overnight, and I'm sure as heck not going to lose it overnight.
You might all see those as excuses, but you see, I don't owe you excuses. I wasn't a priority in my own life. Now I am. It's really, truly just as simple as that. And once your friends, acquaintances or family members make themselves a priority, you're only going to hear "excuses." Maybe instead of judging you could try supporting them and letting them know how worthy they really are of being a priority.
I had two kids in two years and have total empathy for where you are. There is WAY TOO MUCH mom-blaming about any single one of the choices we make or do not make as a parent and as a person. You can help somebody see that they are a priority. You can share your experience and help them understand how they can make do-able changes. But let's not judge them for not being able to tackle a task that seems overwhelming or scary to them.0 -
One big myth I can't stand is this nonsense that people dieting should start strength training because it will build muscle and raise their metabolism,
While there are a lot of good reasons to always strength train, it is a form of fitness every bit as important as cardio fitness, that sentence combines two myths, making it nonsensical. Yet so many people believe this and say this.
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
- The raise of your metabolism is slight. Very slight. Unless they keep very detailed records, even guys gaining several pounds of muscle per bulking cycle will not see a noticable increase in their metabolism. Muscle increases your metabolism at about 5 cal/lb, meaning it would take 20 lbs of muscle gain just to increase your metabolism 100 cal/day (which is a lot of blatantly obvious gain, 20 lbs of steak is quite a pile of meat). If you keep your calorie intake exactly the same, that 100 cal/day shift will have you gaining 0.2 lb/wk slower, or losing 0.2 lb/wk faster, a virtually imperceptable change at the scale.
The idea that you should strength train while losing weight to build muscle and increase your metabolism is a load of hooey.
You strenght train while losing to preserve your existing muscle mass so that most of your weight loss is fat loss, not muscle loss. If you are losing a lot of muscle as you lose weight, you aren't changing your body composition, which is the real goal for people, not weight loss.0 -
The volume difference for muscle and fat is severaly overstated.
Both take up about as much space as water. Muscle a little less, fat a little more. All those pictures that are made showing a comparison are a ridiculous overexaggeration. 5 lb of muscle is slightly smaller than 5 lb of fat. 5 lb of water (5 pint glasses full of water) is a reasonably decent approximation for both.
Muscle weighs 1.06 g/mL
Water weighs 1.00 g/mL
Fat weighs 0.92 g/mL
The bigger difference is how they are depositied in the body. Muscle tends to be spread over a much larger area, whereas fat accumulates in big glops in relatively small areas.
15% is pretty significant. a 41.5" waist is 15% bigger than a 36" waist. Sure it looks small in g/ml, but it's still 15%0 -
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
This is actually the myth. You sure as hell can build muscle while EATING a calorie deficit. The nice thing is, my body goes to fat to make up the deficit.
Skinny people can't build muscle while in a deficit. Fat people can.0 -
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
This is actually the myth. You sure as hell can build muscle while EATING a calorie deficit. The nice thing is, my body goes to fat to make up the deficit.
Skinny people can't build muscle while in a deficit. Fat people can.
Good luck with that.0 -
One big myth I can't stand is this nonsense that people dieting should start strength training because it will build muscle and raise their metabolism,
The idea that you should strength train while losing weight to build muscle and increase your metabolism is a load of hooey.
no- it's true- you can lose fat and build muscle.0 -
ETA: As far as the excuses/myths, they exist because people need to believe they are true. A person has to be truly ready to make a lifestyle change, whether it be quitting smoking, getting healthier, etc. Until they get to that point, they will make excuses. Instead of blasting them for their excuses, how about realizing that they just aren't ready to change, and no amount of belittling or pushing will change their minds.
Yes! This is it exactly! I was extremely fit in my 20s, but having a series of miscarriages and then having three kids in less than three years really left me very overweight and out of shape. That may sound like excuses to some of you, but stress and emotional turmoil take a lot out of a person, and if you don't prioritize yourself, well, they can just keep taking. And they did. Then, of course, I had three kids under the age of three. That was a very busy time in my life, and my husband was working 12-16 hour days, and I literally had no time to myself. I could have ditched housework to exercise, but I didn't. I could have shipped my kids off to a babysitter, but I didn't. That's because of my priorities.
As my kids got older, I was still busy. I was working full-time (I'm self-employed) and home schooling. You want to talk busy? I was (and am) busy. My husband still works 12 hour days. Finally, though, I realized that *I* needed to make myself a priority. *I* needed to change for *me*. Once I made myself a priority, it became a lot easier to get that hour or so of exercise in everyday, and wow, do I feel good about myself. I'm still fat, but hey, I didn't gain weight overnight, and I'm sure as heck not going to lose it overnight.
You might all see those as excuses, but you see, I don't owe you excuses. I wasn't a priority in my own life. Now I am. It's really, truly just as simple as that. And once your friends, acquaintances or family members make themselves a priority, you're only going to hear "excuses." Maybe instead of judging you could try supporting them and letting them know how worthy they really are of being a priority.
explaining how you got to where you are today is different than excusing it.
The thing is, I don't HAVE to excuse it. No one owes an explanation for their fitness/dietary choices to anyone but their doctor; therefore, they don't have to make excuses. They may feel like they need to, but that doesn't mean they owe it. I can guarantee 5 years ago when I had three kids between 2 and 5 that I'd have laughed at one of you telling me I should be working out an hour or two a day. I truly didn't have the inclination to carve out that time -- what would I have skipped? Child care? House cleaning? My work? No. None of those things were things I could just gloss over and ignore just so I could "look good." It wasn't until I realized I needed to get in shape to also *feel* good about myself that it became a priority -- well, that and the fact that my kids are now 7 - 10 years old and I really do have a little more independent time.
What I'm mostly trying to say is that instead of judging people, take a step back, empathize with them (and I mean truly empathize that not everyone is at the same place in life) and then either help them find solutions and realize that they really are worth that extra effort, or just walk away.0 -
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
This is actually the myth. You sure as hell can build muscle while EATING a calorie deficit. The nice thing is, my body goes to fat to make up the deficit.
Skinny people can't build muscle while in a deficit. Fat people can.
Good luck with that.
I've had excellent luck with it. I've put on 15 lbs of muscle in the last 16 months while eating a caloric deficit almost the entire time.
It takes 2 things to build muscle: protein and energy. After working the muscle, and making sure to have enough protein in my diet, all we need to add is enough energy (obtained from calories) to increase muscle. If my food does not provide enough calories, I'm not out of luck. I have loads of excess calories stored in fat. My body can go break down some fat to get energy, and use that energy to build the muscle.
As you get less and less fat, there are diminishing returns on this though.
The point you seem to be missing is that my body saved the caloric surplus over the years in my fat. so while I may be EATING a caloric deficit, there's plenty of calories found in body fat to more than adequately make up that deficit.0 -
The volume difference for muscle and fat is severaly overstated.
Both take up about as much space as water. Muscle a little less, fat a little more. All those pictures that are made showing a comparison are a ridiculous overexaggeration. 5 lb of muscle is slightly smaller than 5 lb of fat. 5 lb of water (5 pint glasses full of water) is a reasonably decent approximation for both.
Muscle weighs 1.06 g/mL
Water weighs 1.00 g/mL
Fat weighs 0.92 g/mL
The bigger difference is how they are depositied in the body. Muscle tends to be spread over a much larger area, whereas fat accumulates in big glops in relatively small areas.
15% is pretty significant. a 41.5" waist is 15% bigger than a 36" waist. Sure it looks small in g/ml, but it's still 15%
No. Volume =/= circumference.
Say for exple we have a 94 cubic inch sphere (muscle, 100*1/1.06) and a 108 cubic inch sphere (fat, 100*1/0.92).
The muscle sphere has a radius of 8.31 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 52.2"
The fat sphere has a radius of 9.00 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 56.5"
A 15% difference in spherical volume is only a 8.3% difference circular circumference.0 -
The volume difference for muscle and fat is severaly overstated.
Both take up about as much space as water. Muscle a little less, fat a little more. All those pictures that are made showing a comparison are a ridiculous overexaggeration. 5 lb of muscle is slightly smaller than 5 lb of fat. 5 lb of water (5 pint glasses full of water) is a reasonably decent approximation for both.
Muscle weighs 1.06 g/mL
Water weighs 1.00 g/mL
Fat weighs 0.92 g/mL
The bigger difference is how they are depositied in the body. Muscle tends to be spread over a much larger area, whereas fat accumulates in big glops in relatively small areas.
15% is pretty significant. a 41.5" waist is 15% bigger than a 36" waist. Sure it looks small in g/ml, but it's still 15%
No. Volume =/= circumference.
Say for exple we have a 94 cubic inch sphere (muscle, 100*1/1.06) and a 108 cubic inch sphere (fat, 100*1/0.92).
The muscle sphere has a radius of 8.31 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 52.2"
The fat sphere has a radius of 9.00 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 56.5"
A 15% difference in spherical volume is only a 8.3% difference circular circumference.
Not claiming volume = circumference. demonstrating the significance of 15%. only that.
I'm just using an example that would resonate with most people. 1.06 g/ml v .92 g/ml is pretty meaningless to most people (gosh it's only like .16g), but 15% is 15%, and the waist size example puts 15% into terms that would really click with a lot of people here.0 -
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
This is actually the myth. You sure as hell can build muscle while EATING a calorie deficit. The nice thing is, my body goes to fat to make up the deficit.
Skinny people can't build muscle while in a deficit. Fat people can.
Exactly. I'm eating a deficit, and right now I'm losing 2-4 lbs a week and my muscle is getting ripped. I'm so much stronger today than I was 2 months ago. At work, where I lift people all day long (as a nurse) even the clients can tell how much stronger I've gotten. So yes, fat people, extremely obese people like me, can build muscle while losing weight. Don't be a hater!0 -
I can't stand a lot of excuses now that I'm on the right path, and they are all the ones I used to make. No time, no money, too hard, feel like I don't fit in, etc. The worst though is "I'll start on Monday." NO! Start today. There's no better time to start than right now. You might slip up here or there, but waiting til Monday just puts you that much more behind. START TODAY!
but I can't say that. I have to say, "oh good for you!" because then I look like a fitness snob if I say anything else.0 -
eating fat makes you fat
if a girl lifts she will bulk up
a calorie is just a calorie
What is a calories besides a unit used to measure energy?0 -
The volume difference for muscle and fat is severaly overstated.
Both take up about as much space as water. Muscle a little less, fat a little more. All those pictures that are made showing a comparison are a ridiculous overexaggeration. 5 lb of muscle is slightly smaller than 5 lb of fat. 5 lb of water (5 pint glasses full of water) is a reasonably decent approximation for both.
Muscle weighs 1.06 g/mL
Water weighs 1.00 g/mL
Fat weighs 0.92 g/mL
The bigger difference is how they are depositied in the body. Muscle tends to be spread over a much larger area, whereas fat accumulates in big glops in relatively small areas.
15% is pretty significant. a 41.5" waist is 15% bigger than a 36" waist. Sure it looks small in g/ml, but it's still 15%
No. Volume =/= circumference.
Say for exple we have a 94 cubic inch sphere (muscle, 100*1/1.06) and a 108 cubic inch sphere (fat, 100*1/0.92).
The muscle sphere has a radius of 8.31 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 52.2"
The fat sphere has a radius of 9.00 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 56.5"
A 15% difference in spherical volume is only a 8.3% difference circular circumference.
Not claiming volume = circumference. demonstrating the significance of 15%. only that.
I'm just using an example that would resonate with most people. 1.06 g/ml v .92 g/ml is pretty meaningless to most people (gosh it's only like .16g), but 15% is 15%, and the waist size example puts 15% into terms that would really click with a lot of people here.
But you picked an example where a 15% difference has a much more visual impact, than what is actually true.0 -
My favorite myth is: going to the gym still counts if you dont post it on facebook. that's just silly. of course it doesnt count.0
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The volume difference for muscle and fat is severaly overstated.
Both take up about as much space as water. Muscle a little less, fat a little more. All those pictures that are made showing a comparison are a ridiculous overexaggeration. 5 lb of muscle is slightly smaller than 5 lb of fat. 5 lb of water (5 pint glasses full of water) is a reasonably decent approximation for both.
Muscle weighs 1.06 g/mL
Water weighs 1.00 g/mL
Fat weighs 0.92 g/mL
The bigger difference is how they are depositied in the body. Muscle tends to be spread over a much larger area, whereas fat accumulates in big glops in relatively small areas.
15% is pretty significant. a 41.5" waist is 15% bigger than a 36" waist. Sure it looks small in g/ml, but it's still 15%
No. Volume =/= circumference.
Say for exple we have a 94 cubic inch sphere (muscle, 100*1/1.06) and a 108 cubic inch sphere (fat, 100*1/0.92).
The muscle sphere has a radius of 8.31 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 52.2"
The fat sphere has a radius of 9.00 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 56.5"
A 15% difference in spherical volume is only a 8.3% difference circular circumference.
Not claiming volume = circumference. demonstrating the significance of 15%. only that.
I'm just using an example that would resonate with most people. 1.06 g/ml v .92 g/ml is pretty meaningless to most people (gosh it's only like .16g), but 15% is 15%, and the waist size example puts 15% into terms that would really click with a lot of people here.
But you picked an example where a 15% difference has a much more visual impact, than what is actually true.
yeah. I did. funny thing is I agonized a little over that because I thought this might happen. so I could have picked a better example. nice math.0 -
"I have no arms or legs"0
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The volume difference for muscle and fat is severaly overstated.
Both take up about as much space as water. Muscle a little less, fat a little more. All those pictures that are made showing a comparison are a ridiculous overexaggeration. 5 lb of muscle is slightly smaller than 5 lb of fat. 5 lb of water (5 pint glasses full of water) is a reasonably decent approximation for both.
Muscle weighs 1.06 g/mL
Water weighs 1.00 g/mL
Fat weighs 0.92 g/mL
The bigger difference is how they are depositied in the body. Muscle tends to be spread over a much larger area, whereas fat accumulates in big glops in relatively small areas.
15% is pretty significant. a 41.5" waist is 15% bigger than a 36" waist. Sure it looks small in g/ml, but it's still 15%
No. Volume =/= circumference.
Say for exple we have a 94 cubic inch sphere (muscle, 100*1/1.06) and a 108 cubic inch sphere (fat, 100*1/0.92).
The muscle sphere has a radius of 8.31 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 52.2"
The fat sphere has a radius of 9.00 inches, the circumference of the sphere is 56.5"
A 15% difference in spherical volume is only a 8.3% difference circular circumference.
Not claiming volume = circumference. demonstrating the significance of 15%. only that.
I'm just using an example that would resonate with most people. 1.06 g/ml v .92 g/ml is pretty meaningless to most people (gosh it's only like .16g), but 15% is 15%, and the waist size example puts 15% into terms that would really click with a lot of people here.
But you picked an example where a 15% difference has a much more visual impact, than what is actually true.
yeah. I did. funny thing is I agonized a little over that because I thought this might happen. so I could have picked a better example. nice math.
If the difference is 8.3% then it's a 36" waist instead of a 38" waist. I'd weep for joy.0 -
One big myth I can't stand is this nonsense that people dieting should start strength training because it will build muscle and raise their metabolism,
While there are a lot of good reasons to always strength train, it is a form of fitness every bit as important as cardio fitness, that sentence combines two myths, making it nonsensical. Yet so many people believe this and say this.
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
- The raise of your metabolism is slight. Very slight. Unless they keep very detailed records, even guys gaining several pounds of muscle per bulking cycle will not see a noticable increase in their metabolism. Muscle increases your metabolism at about 5 cal/lb, meaning it would take 20 lbs of muscle gain just to increase your metabolism 100 cal/day (which is a lot of blatantly obvious gain, 20 lbs of steak is quite a pile of meat). If you keep your calorie intake exactly the same, that 100 cal/day shift will have you gaining 0.2 lb/wk slower, or losing 0.2 lb/wk faster, a virtually imperceptable change at the scale.
The idea that you should strength train while losing weight to build muscle and increase your metabolism is a load of hooey.
You strenght train while losing to preserve your existing muscle mass so that most of your weight loss is fat loss, not muscle loss. If you are losing a lot of muscle as you lose weight, you aren't changing your body composition, which is the real goal for people, not weight loss.
For me, the difference seems to be time. I am apparently burning the same amount of calories doing 10-15 minutes of strength training as I was when I was doing 30-40 minutes of cardio.0 -
people who think they are overtraining.0
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Some of my first posts on this forum were to argue that you can build muscle while in a deficit. I had data, measurements, pictures, everything to prove it, that I had built muslce while I lost weight.
Some guys ripped my to shreds for saying it.
Well then I finsihed losing weight, and started doing some bulking.
I now laugh at my former self. Having experienced obvious real muscle gain, what I had prior was a phantom, my muscles holding a little more water, the illusion of leanness (losing fat makes muscles appear larger), the BF% fomulas were not quite right. I did not gain actual muscle tissue when I was losing weight. One year ago I was firmly convinced I was.
It took experiencing what it was like, for real, to see the folly of my ways, and I'm now a true believer that muscle cannot be built in a calorie deficit.
If is very rare to find someone who says muscle can be built in a deficit that has actually built muscle in a surplus. You come realize those pitiful little scraps that might or might not be muscle are just that, pitiful little scraps, that may or may not be muscle. Not body parts gettng bigger in a balatantly obvious manner.0 -
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
This is actually the myth. You sure as hell can build muscle while EATING a calorie deficit. The nice thing is, my body goes to fat to make up the deficit.
Skinny people can't build muscle while in a deficit. Fat people can.
Exactly. I'm eating a deficit, and right now I'm losing 2-4 lbs a week and my muscle is getting ripped. I'm so much stronger today than I was 2 months ago. At work, where I lift people all day long (as a nurse) even the clients can tell how much stronger I've gotten. So yes, fat people, extremely obese people like me, can build muscle while losing weight. Don't be a hater!
You are losing fat which is on top of the muscle... you are not actually building new muscle you are just seeing more of the muscle that was there. Seeing muscle and building strength do not equal more muscle mass. You are netting far too low to be actually building muscle... netting too low increases muscle LOSS.
You will not, outside of very small newbie gains, gain muscle while at a calorie deficit. Most will actually lose muscle while in a calorie deficit. It takes energy and calories to build muscle.
And the poster (Sullus) who said they gained 15lbs of muscle in like 16 months... where's the actual proof of that? Based on your eating for the past few months (according to your diary) there is no way you have built any muscle.. you actually have a better chance of losing it. You need a calorie surplus to build muscle... along with a lot more protein than you have been consuming lately and lifting heavy weights. Outside of newbie gains (which sure aren't just under 20lbs worth of muscle) you haven't built any. Sorry but no. Provided you are properly tracking your intake, you are not fueling your body enough to build muscle.. more so lose it.0 -
Wow, this is the most judgemental posting zone I've seen here in a long time! Did this turn into MyFitnessTroll?
Perhaps it would be a little more helpful to those who are starting/struggling/not quite got their shxt together on the fitness bandwagon if people would share the myths and excuses THEY PERSONALLY relied on and HOW THEY OVERCAME THEM!
Complaining because someone else says they "don't have the time" only makes those of us who are currently struggling feel more on the outside --- like theres a river between us and I can't find the bridge.
I haven't always been obese. I spent the first 40 years of my struggling because I was Under-Weight. I wasn't a gym rat but I was athletic and heathy. I put on a few "happiness pounds" in my early forties and then surgical menopause trashed my body in 18 mos.
I am 60 pounds overweight despite eating at or slightly below my target calorie goal for months (I have not neither gained nor lost more than 5 pounds in the last 2 years). I am not a junk-food junkie --- most of my meals are homecooked from fresh ingredients. I choose to drink water at meals so that my calories are saved for nutrition. My major indulgence is a large diet soda with breakfast. I choose to eat healthy whether I'm at home or traveling for work. I'm not a big veggie eater but I try to hide veggies in my food as often as I can.
As for exercize......it's a two-edged sword......I would feel better if I exercized more AND I would exercize more if I could feel better.
I wake at 5:30am every morning to get ready for work --- 30 minute commute and at work at 7:00am. I put in a full day (unfortunately mostly at a desk), eating soup or healthy leftovers for lunch. I am out of the office between 4:00pm and 5:00pm and drive to the grocery store to plan dinner for my family. Dinner is usually on the table around 6:30pm and I sit with my family and we eat for about 45min. (I have teenagers.....they need the time). After dinner, I clear the table, clean up the cooking mess, and then it's off to bed.
I am so exhausted by normal activity that I go to bed by 8:00pm. There is no "watching tv, playing on the internet, or talking on the phone." Weekends are a repeat of the above except when I'm not at a school function or volunteer activity, I'm trying to clean my house. Carrying all this extra weight has made the normal activities of life miserable and overwhelming.
I have tried going to the gym at 5:30am (when the gym opens) ---- I feel like crap the rest of the day and my boss complains.
I have tried going to the gym at 5:30pm (right after work) --- we end up eating dinner out and my husband complains.
I don't have a "lunch hour" in which I can go workout --- I eat at my desk and they don't care if I complain.
Fourteen months ago I did the gym 5 days a week (including two zumba classes); an unexplained change in health status took that away from me ---- I can barely do 30 minutes of light walking on the treadmill now. I've been to the doctors who just say, "you're fine, you just need to eat less and move more". I don't want a diet pill. I don't want surgery. I don't expect a quick fix. What I'm trying to find is a way to get things moving in the right direction so that I can lose enough weight that I can work out alittle and lose more weight so I can work out a little more ad infinitum. This isn't a joke or a vanity thing for me --- I spent Halloween week in the hospital with angina and shortness of breath. They can't find anything wrong with me except that I weigh 200 f'ing pounds.
So I take the old tact that "It's not just what you're eating, it's what's eating you" and log into the message boards to see what experience, strength, and hope I can find to help me move forward just a baby step today.
And what do I find --- hostility and judgementalism. This is supposed to be a community where we pull together and pull for each other. Would it kill one person out there to talk about how they overcame their own excuses and barriers? That's what is really going to help other people.0 -
Wow, this is the most judgemental posting zone I've seen here in a long time! Did this turn into MyFitnessTroll?
Perhaps it would be a little more helpful to those who are starting/struggling/not quite got their shxt together on the fitness bandwagon if people would share the myths and excuses THEY PERSONALLY relied on and HOW THEY OVERCAME THEM!
Complaining because someone else says they "don't have the time" only makes those of us who are currently struggling feel more on the outside --- like theres a river between us and I can't find the bridge.
I haven't always been obese. I spent the first 40 years of my struggling because I was Under-Weight. I wasn't a gym rat but I was athletic and heathy. I put on a few "happiness pounds" in my early forties and then surgical menopause trashed my body in 18 mos.
I am 60 pounds overweight despite eating at or slightly below my target calorie goal for months (I have not neither gained nor lost more than 5 pounds in the last 2 years). I am not a junk-food junkie --- most of my meals are homecooked from fresh ingredients. I choose to drink water at meals so that my calories are saved for nutrition. My major indulgence is a large diet soda with breakfast. I choose to eat healthy whether I'm at home or traveling for work. I'm not a big veggie eater but I try to hide veggies in my food as often as I can.
As for exercize......it's a two-edged sword......I would feel better if I exercized more AND I would exercize more if I could feel better.
I wake at 5:30am every morning to get ready for work --- 30 minute commute and at work at 7:00am. I put in a full day (unfortunately mostly at a desk), eating soup or healthy leftovers for lunch. I am out of the office between 4:00pm and 5:00pm and drive to the grocery store to plan dinner for my family. Dinner is usually on the table around 6:30pm and I sit with my family and we eat for about 45min. (I have teenagers.....they need the time). After dinner, I clear the table, clean up the cooking mess, and then it's off to bed.
I am so exhausted by normal activity that I go to bed by 8:00pm. There is no "watching tv, playing on the internet, or talking on the phone." Weekends are a repeat of the above except when I'm not at a school function or volunteer activity, I'm trying to clean my house. Carrying all this extra weight has made the normal activities of life miserable and overwhelming.
I have tried going to the gym at 5:30am (when the gym opens) ---- I feel like crap the rest of the day and my boss complains.
I have tried going to the gym at 5:30pm (right after work) --- we end up eating dinner out and my husband complains.
I don't have a "lunch hour" in which I can go workout --- I eat at my desk and they don't care if I complain.
Fourteen months ago I did the gym 5 days a week (including two zumba classes); an unexplained change in health status took that away from me ---- I can barely do 30 minutes of light walking on the treadmill now. I've been to the doctors who just say, "you're fine, you just need to eat less and move more". I don't want a diet pill. I don't want surgery. I don't expect a quick fix. What I'm trying to find is a way to get things moving in the right direction so that I can lose enough weight that I can work out alittle and lose more weight so I can work out a little more ad infinitum. This isn't a joke or a vanity thing for me --- I spent Halloween week in the hospital with angina and shortness of breath. They can't find anything wrong with me except that I weigh 200 f'ing pounds.
So I take the old tact that "It's not just what you're eating, it's what's eating you" and log into the message boards to see what experience, strength, and hope I can find to help me move forward just a baby step today.
And what do I find --- hostility and judgementalism. This is supposed to be a community where we pull together and pull for each other. Would it kill one person out there to talk about how they overcame their own excuses and barriers? That's what is really going to help other people.
Thank You0 -
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
This is actually the myth. You sure as hell can build muscle while EATING a calorie deficit. The nice thing is, my body goes to fat to make up the deficit.
Skinny people can't build muscle while in a deficit. Fat people can.
Exactly. I'm eating a deficit, and right now I'm losing 2-4 lbs a week and my muscle is getting ripped. I'm so much stronger today than I was 2 months ago. At work, where I lift people all day long (as a nurse) even the clients can tell how much stronger I've gotten. So yes, fat people, extremely obese people like me, can build muscle while losing weight. Don't be a hater!
You are losing fat which is on top of the muscle... you are not actually building new muscle you are just seeing more of the muscle that was there. Seeing muscle and building strength do not equal more muscle mass. You are netting far too low to be actually building muscle... netting too low increases muscle LOSS.
You will not, outside of very small newbie gains, gain muscle while at a calorie deficit. Most will actually lose muscle while in a calorie deficit. It takes energy and calories to build muscle.
And the poster (Sullus) who said they gained 15lbs of muscle in like 16 months... where's the actual proof of that? Based on your eating for the past few months (according to your diary) there is no way you have built any muscle.. you actually have a better chance of losing it. You need a calorie surplus to build muscle... along with a lot more protein than you have been consuming lately and lifting heavy weights. Outside of newbie gains (which sure aren't just under 20lbs worth of muscle) you haven't built any. Sorry but no. Provided you are properly tracking your intake, you are not fueling your body enough to build muscle.. more so lose it.
I HAVE a calorie surplus. in my fat. You're not properly accounting for all caloric inputs into the process.
My "proof" is that when I started working with a trainer, through ultrasound and math, my lean body mass was calculated at 185lbs.
At my last assessment, it was calculated at 201lbs.0 -
I have torn cartilage in BOTH KNEES, and I have arthritis.
Don't judge me, lol. I really do. I squat as far as I can without falling over from pain.1) LIFTING WEIGHTS WILL MAKE WOMEN BULKY.... NOO!!!!!:explode:
2) 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."
WHAAT?! No. You have bad knees BECAUSE you don't squat.
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:
What are some of the "myths" and excuses you can't stand to hear????0 -
AMEN TO THIS!Wow, this is the most judgemental posting zone I've seen here in a long time! Did this turn into MyFitnessTroll?
Perhaps it would be a little more helpful to those who are starting/struggling/not quite got their shxt together on the fitness bandwagon if people would share the myths and excuses THEY PERSONALLY relied on and HOW THEY OVERCAME THEM!
Complaining because someone else says they "don't have the time" only makes those of us who are currently struggling feel more on the outside --- like theres a river between us and I can't find the bridge.
I haven't always been obese. I spent the first 40 years of my struggling because I was Under-Weight. I wasn't a gym rat but I was athletic and heathy. I put on a few "happiness pounds" in my early forties and then surgical menopause trashed my body in 18 mos.
I am 60 pounds overweight despite eating at or slightly below my target calorie goal for months (I have not neither gained nor lost more than 5 pounds in the last 2 years). I am not a junk-food junkie --- most of my meals are homecooked from fresh ingredients. I choose to drink water at meals so that my calories are saved for nutrition. My major indulgence is a large diet soda with breakfast. I choose to eat healthy whether I'm at home or traveling for work. I'm not a big veggie eater but I try to hide veggies in my food as often as I can.
As for exercize......it's a two-edged sword......I would feel better if I exercized more AND I would exercize more if I could feel better.
I wake at 5:30am every morning to get ready for work --- 30 minute commute and at work at 7:00am. I put in a full day (unfortunately mostly at a desk), eating soup or healthy leftovers for lunch. I am out of the office between 4:00pm and 5:00pm and drive to the grocery store to plan dinner for my family. Dinner is usually on the table around 6:30pm and I sit with my family and we eat for about 45min. (I have teenagers.....they need the time). After dinner, I clear the table, clean up the cooking mess, and then it's off to bed.
I am so exhausted by normal activity that I go to bed by 8:00pm. There is no "watching tv, playing on the internet, or talking on the phone." Weekends are a repeat of the above except when I'm not at a school function or volunteer activity, I'm trying to clean my house. Carrying all this extra weight has made the normal activities of life miserable and overwhelming.
I have tried going to the gym at 5:30am (when the gym opens) ---- I feel like crap the rest of the day and my boss complains.
I have tried going to the gym at 5:30pm (right after work) --- we end up eating dinner out and my husband complains.
I don't have a "lunch hour" in which I can go workout --- I eat at my desk and they don't care if I complain.
Fourteen months ago I did the gym 5 days a week (including two zumba classes); an unexplained change in health status took that away from me ---- I can barely do 30 minutes of light walking on the treadmill now. I've been to the doctors who just say, "you're fine, you just need to eat less and move more". I don't want a diet pill. I don't want surgery. I don't expect a quick fix. What I'm trying to find is a way to get things moving in the right direction so that I can lose enough weight that I can work out alittle and lose more weight so I can work out a little more ad infinitum. This isn't a joke or a vanity thing for me --- I spent Halloween week in the hospital with angina and shortness of breath. They can't find anything wrong with me except that I weigh 200 f'ing pounds.
So I take the old tact that "It's not just what you're eating, it's what's eating you" and log into the message boards to see what experience, strength, and hope I can find to help me move forward just a baby step today.
And what do I find --- hostility and judgementalism. This is supposed to be a community where we pull together and pull for each other. Would it kill one person out there to talk about how they overcame their own excuses and barriers? That's what is really going to help other people.0 -
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
This is actually the myth. You sure as hell can build muscle while EATING a calorie deficit. The nice thing is, my body goes to fat to make up the deficit.
Skinny people can't build muscle while in a deficit. Fat people can.
Exactly. I'm eating a deficit, and right now I'm losing 2-4 lbs a week and my muscle is getting ripped. I'm so much stronger today than I was 2 months ago. At work, where I lift people all day long (as a nurse) even the clients can tell how much stronger I've gotten. So yes, fat people, extremely obese people like me, can build muscle while losing weight. Don't be a hater!
You are losing fat which is on top of the muscle... you are not actually building new muscle you are just seeing more of the muscle that was there. Seeing muscle and building strength do not equal more muscle mass. You are netting far too low to be actually building muscle... netting too low increases muscle LOSS.
You will not, outside of very small newbie gains, gain muscle while at a calorie deficit. Most will actually lose muscle while in a calorie deficit. It takes energy and calories to build muscle.
And the poster (Sullus) who said they gained 15lbs of muscle in like 16 months... where's the actual proof of that? Based on your eating for the past few months (according to your diary) there is no way you have built any muscle.. you actually have a better chance of losing it. You need a calorie surplus to build muscle... along with a lot more protein than you have been consuming lately and lifting heavy weights. Outside of newbie gains (which sure aren't just under 20lbs worth of muscle) you haven't built any. Sorry but no. Provided you are properly tracking your intake, you are not fueling your body enough to build muscle.. more so lose it.
I HAVE a calorie surplus. in my fat. You're not properly accounting for all caloric inputs into the process.
My "proof" is that when I started working with a trainer, through ultrasound and math, my lean body mass was calculated at 185lbs.
At my last assessment, it was calculated at 201lbs.
Your intake also needs to be much much higher along with your protein intake to build muscle. Simple as that. When you are eating at a calorie deficit your body will lose muscle mass. You can preserve it with a smaller deficit, protien and lifting heavy. Outside of newbie gains you will NOT build muscle while on a calorie deficit.
All calculations have errors. Lean body mass does not solely mean muscle. It includes everything within your body that is not fat. Just because there was an increase in lean body mass doesn't mean it was a muscle increase.0 -
- Muscle is not built in a calorie deficit. I'm sorry, it is not. You are not a special snowflake. There might be some really minor gains when in a defict, but chances are, it is just water. Sorry. When your muscles firm up, that isn't a sign of building muscle, its just water. The water in muscles is not fat and hence is considered lean mass, however it is not metabolically active.
This is actually the myth. You sure as hell can build muscle while EATING a calorie deficit. The nice thing is, my body goes to fat to make up the deficit.
Skinny people can't build muscle while in a deficit. Fat people can.
Exactly. I'm eating a deficit, and right now I'm losing 2-4 lbs a week and my muscle is getting ripped. I'm so much stronger today than I was 2 months ago. At work, where I lift people all day long (as a nurse) even the clients can tell how much stronger I've gotten. So yes, fat people, extremely obese people like me, can build muscle while losing weight. Don't be a hater!
You are losing fat which is on top of the muscle... you are not actually building new muscle you are just seeing more of the muscle that was there. Seeing muscle and building strength do not equal more muscle mass. You are netting far too low to be actually building muscle... netting too low increases muscle LOSS.
You will not, outside of very small newbie gains, gain muscle while at a calorie deficit. Most will actually lose muscle while in a calorie deficit. It takes energy and calories to build muscle.
And the poster (Sullus) who said they gained 15lbs of muscle in like 16 months... where's the actual proof of that? Based on your eating for the past few months (according to your diary) there is no way you have built any muscle.. you actually have a better chance of losing it. You need a calorie surplus to build muscle... along with a lot more protein than you have been consuming lately and lifting heavy weights. Outside of newbie gains (which sure aren't just under 20lbs worth of muscle) you haven't built any. Sorry but no. Provided you are properly tracking your intake, you are not fueling your body enough to build muscle.. more so lose it.
I HAVE a calorie surplus. in my fat. You're not properly accounting for all caloric inputs into the process.
My "proof" is that when I started working with a trainer, through ultrasound and math, my lean body mass was calculated at 185lbs.
At my last assessment, it was calculated at 201lbs.
Your intake also needs to be much much higher along with your protein intake to build muscle. Simple as that. When you are eating at a calorie deficit your body will lose muscle mass. You can preserve it with a smaller deficit, protien and lifting heavy. Outside of newbie gains you will NOT build muscle while on a calorie deficit.
All calculations have errors. Lean body mass does not solely mean muscle. It includes everything within your body that is not fat. Just because there was an increase in lean body mass doesn't mean it was a muscle increase.
So, it is impossible to reduce body fat while building muscle. It is also impossible to keep muscle mass while reducing body fat. They have to be done at separate times. thanks for the tip.0 -
Skinny people can't build muscle while in a deficit. Fat people can.
Your intake also needs to be much much higher along with your protein intake to build muscle. Simple as that. When you are eating at a calorie deficit your body will lose muscle mass. You can preserve it with a smaller deficit, protien and lifting heavy. Outside of newbie gains you will NOT build muscle while on a calorie deficit.
All calculations have errors. Lean body mass does not solely mean muscle. It includes everything within your body that is not fat. Just because there was an increase in lean body mass doesn't mean it was a muscle increase.
First, I will comment on that last line,in order to emphasize why women should not be afraid of strength training: weight bearing exercise increases BONE density.
It can also increase muscle density, so I think a lot of body builders are thinking of size and noticing that they don't seem to get bigger, forgetting that mass is a function of both density and volume.
It isn't even necessary to be fat and lazy to see muscle gains, according to many studies. The one I link below studied elite athletes.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3519021&d=13101931690
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