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MyFitnessPal Community

Funniest/Most Useless weight loss myth you've heard

ggxx100

Growing up, I was always told doing crunches would give me a flat stomach, eating carbs at night would make me gain, etc.

Just wondering what other weight loss myths are floating out there (and misguiding people, haha)

Replies

vwkauffman

Hmmmmm...anything white is bad for you...sugar, salt, flour, milk.

Spicy food makes you eat less and lose weight.

Carbs after 1 pm are bad. Bad, bad, bad.

Drink vinegar and water.

lisamarie1780

Gatorade will "replenish electrolytes" after hard workouts. Says the Gatorade marketing department. All those tailored pre- and post-workout grocery items are totally unnecessary, expensive, and wasteful (in terms of packaging). Need quick energy? Eat peanut butter, honey, and fruit. Need hydration? Try water. Sheesh.

I ran 25 miles yesterday. I needed the electrolytes to put the fluid into my muscles and organs for replenishing my body. Water would just slosh around in my stomach and possibly cause dilutional hyponatremia. (If i drink too much-but thats rare) I cant eat peanut butter or fruit during a run so Gatorade is great for that l. And actually during very hot weather it is essential and water not as effective.
But i get your point water and the real thing is good! - You can make your own electrolyte solution but its yukky!!

I wonder what humanity did before Gatorade..... I'm suprised we made it this far on just food and water.....

watfordjc

Muscle and fat weigh the same.

Muscle and fat DO weigh the same.. a lb is a lb, it's the volume that is different, not the weight!

Pound for pound, I weigh the same as a squirrel.

niki87lewis

Muscle and fat weigh the same.

Muscle and fat DO weigh the same.. a lb is a lb, it's the volume that is different, not the weight!

Pound for pound, I weigh the same as a squirrel.

Yup I'm sick of people thinking that when people take the "muscle weighs more than fat" statement this way. People are just saving typing time.

And would you say a brick weighs more than feathers?? I sure as he'll would! Because in your world everything weighs the same? That's freaky logic

onwarddownward

Don't eat fat
Don't eat carbs
Don't eat anything non-vegetarian
Don't count calories
HGC works
Soy is healthy
Eat what Jesus ate and you'll lose weight
Eat what the Cavemen ate and you'll lose weight
Eat only "__________"

SteelySunshine

Drinking diet soda will make you fat. It triggers cravings and you will just have to have refined sugar, candy, cake, pie, etc...

You know what drinking diet soda makes me crave? More diet soda, that's it. Drinking it doesn't send me out to get cake and ice cream. I don't have that much of a sweet tooth. My problem is the other carbs, like pasta and pizza with lots of cheese. Soda isn't going to make me crave those more or less, they will always be foods that I am going to want. I just have to put limits on them and not eat 8 ounces of pasta 3X a day.

MAYONNAISESANDWICH

What's funny is the majority of the people on here sending out "myths" are actually sending out half-truths that should be explained further, have their physiology explained. The other remaining few are trolling out anti-advice....but everyone is upset over crunches!? Seriously folks, THIS is why you're over weight. Books, hard work and dedication is what works. Not griping on a forum over how "correct" you are. GAL

aaronlawrenc

What's funny is the majority of the people on here sending out "myths" are actually sending out half-truths that should be explained further, have their physiology explained. The other remaining few are trolling out anti-advice....but everyone is upset over crunches!? Seriously folks, THIS is why you're over weight. Books, hard work and dedication is what works. Not griping on a forum over how "correct" you are. GAL

lol

VictoryQueen

"Dairy makes you gain weight, so you shouldn't eat dairy."

Yes, sadly I've actually heard this.

strickland8052

My grandparents eat LOADS of bacon, sausage, and hamburger meat and absolutely no fruit. Their reasoning? Protein is healthy and sugar (as in the sugar you get from fruit) is unhealthy. HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

aaronlawrenc

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1OQX8ocLAToX98pztfDAU5X1DoCBJ-mV1y9kp_xB9kf3pkoNz

i wonder what his bf% is?

kmillers

If you don't eat right after you lift, your muscle will atrophy.

You must eat breakfast or your muscles will use themselves for fuel

If you don't eat 6 meals a day, your muscles will shrink and use themselves for fuel

watfordjc

What's funny is the majority of the people on here sending out "myths" are actually sending out half-truths that should be explained further, have their physiology explained. The other remaining few are trolling out anti-advice....but everyone is upset over crunches!? Seriously folks, THIS is why you're over weight. Books, hard work and dedication is what works. Not griping on a forum over how "correct" you are. GAL

Most of the myths I stated are typically stated as if they are universal and apply to everyone and either don't apply to my body or my thought process sees the statement as not making sense. For example, most people do need to lift weights to maintain lean mass, I do not and have 3 body density results to back it up. Likewise, saying sugars and protein are good for everyone post workout ignores the person with diabetes and kidney disease.

I could have mentioned "only eat cabbage soup for a year and you'll be fit and healthy" but thought I'd come from the opposite direction than what works for no-one (or only for a select few).

MAYONNAISESANDWICH

If you don't eat right after you lift, your muscle will atrophy.

You must eat breakfast or your muscles will use themselves for fuel

If you don't eat 6 meals a day, your muscles will shrink and use themselves for fuel

All of this is true to a certain degree which depends on the amount of physical strain placed on your body. Nice arms, your biceps are HUGE BTW....So that HAS to be a myth, right?

libbybond

Opposum Soup

aaronlawrenc

Opposum Soup

next theyll be telling me that you dont pronounce the "O" in Opossum....pft

aaronlawrenc

If you don't eat right after you lift, your muscle will atrophy.

You must eat breakfast or your muscles will use themselves for fuel

If you don't eat 6 meals a day, your muscles will shrink and use themselves for fuel

All of this is true to a certain degree which depends on the amount of physical strain placed on your body. Nice arms, your biceps are HUGE BTW....So that HAS to be a myth, right?

this is true. these 3 things are facts based on science

aaronlawrenc

Science wins over opinion any day

veganstein

"Diet soda is bad for you. Causes cancer and you will have 3-headed babies."

I swear, anyone touches my Diet Pepsi and there will be bloodshed.

MAYONNAISESANDWICH

"Diet soda is bad for you. Causes cancer and you will have 3-headed babies."

I swear, anyone touches my Diet Pepsi and there will be bloodshed.

Bro, do you even Vegan?

ninerbuff

To "cut" you need to do low weight with high reps. This definitely will burn the fat off of you.

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

tracieangeletti

of course you cant eat a cake then do one crunch and expect your stomach to be flat

Personally, I like to take a bite of cake between each crunch/sit up. It keeps me motivated. :laugh:

I know people who had gotten staples put in the little curled part in your ear. Supposedly that helps control your appetite so you lose weight. I'm not talking uneducated people either, these are nurses and nurse practitioners that were having this done!

My mom actually had this done and she is a member of Mensa!! Weird thing about it is, where she went they offered a staple to help control your appetite and one to quit smoking, her appetite didn't change but from that day on she never smoked another cigarette. lol

concordancia

I wonder what humanity did before Gatorade..... I'm suprised we made it this far on just food and water.....

Some of the solutions were/ are pretty nasty. A lot of people still end up hospitalized for dehydration, then get a saline solution pumped in.

No, everyone does not need to replace their electrolytes after every workout, but some of us do any time we have an active outdoor day above 85 degrees. I would rather have healthy people guzzle Gatorade than risk the alternative.

BhanGoes

Gatorade will "replenish electrolytes" after hard workouts. Says the Gatorade marketing department. All those tailored pre- and post-workout grocery items are totally unnecessary, expensive, and wasteful (in terms of packaging). Need quick energy? Eat peanut butter, honey, and fruit. Need hydration? Try water. Sheesh.

I ran 25 miles yesterday. I needed the electrolytes to put the fluid into my muscles and organs for replenishing my body. Water would just slosh around in my stomach and possibly cause dilutional hyponatremia. (If i drink too much-but thats rare) I cant eat peanut butter or fruit during a run so Gatorade is great for that l. And actually during very hot weather it is essential and water not as effective.
But i get your point water and the real thing is good! - You can make your own electrolyte solution but its yukky!!

You, my dear, are likely the exception to the rule (and an impressive athlete!). It's a good clarification: distance runners and other athletes on that level certainly require different nutrition management tools. But on a daily basis, even with a "hard" workout at the gym, like an hour-long body pump class, most of us get what we need from the foods and water we consume. We don't need targeted nutrients like electrolytes.

The vast majority of us don't need anything that specialized, or expensive, to work out and rebuild in a healthy manner. Right?

onwarddownward

The bad thing is that most of these myths are designed to sell us on whatever "plan" they have devised.

I am tired of being sold. :mad:

kmillers

If you don't eat right after you lift, your muscle will atrophy.

You must eat breakfast or your muscles will use themselves for fuel

If you don't eat 6 meals a day, your muscles will shrink and use themselves for fuel

All of this is true to a certain degree which depends on the amount of physical strain placed on your body. Nice arms, your biceps are HUGE BTW....So that HAS to be a myth, right?

,

I am just saying I IF and have found more muscle definition but maybe due to the lowering of fat, feel better, and have more energy than ever. I only eat from 3pm-8pm everyday and I workout at 4:30am.

Erisad

Bananas make you fat!

ctpeace

Gatorade will "replenish electrolytes" after hard workouts. Says the Gatorade marketing department. All those tailored pre- and post-workout grocery items are totally unnecessary, expensive, and wasteful (in terms of packaging). Need quick energy? Eat peanut butter, honey, and fruit. Need hydration? Try water. Sheesh.

I ran 25 miles yesterday. I needed the electrolytes to put the fluid into my muscles and organs for replenishing my body. Water would just slosh around in my stomach and possibly cause dilutional hyponatremia. (If i drink too much-but thats rare) I cant eat peanut butter or fruit during a run so Gatorade is great for that l. And actually during very hot weather it is essential and water not as effective.
But i get your point water and the real thing is good! - You can make your own electrolyte solution but its yukky!!

You, my dear, are likely the exception to the rule (and an impressive athlete!). It's a good clarification: distance runners and other athletes on that level certainly require different nutrition management tools. But on a daily basis, even with a "hard" workout at the gym, like an hour-long body pump class, most of us get what we need from the foods and water we consume. We don't need targeted nutrients like electrolytes.

The vast majority of us don't need anything that specialized, or expensive, to work out and rebuild in a healthy manner. Right?

1 hour (ish) is usually the threshold for me. Once I get to 1.5 hours, I think about something a little salty before or after and probably a banana (sodium and potassium). Once I get over 2 hours, I do a sports drink or gel in the middle (I can't really eat). I have gotten hyponatremic myself, and it was from too much water, not enough electrolytes. Can you get enough from food, yes, if you are a distance runner/triathlete and have an iron tummy, food is a great way to do this. However, many of us find Gatorade or similar helpful. For those who "must" have it every 10 min during a 40 min run though, yes, it's silly.

DVaughan1975

Potatos are vegetables so french fries are ok.

The average woman eats 1200 calories a day.