We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

What have you learned are myths, since joining MyFitnessPal?

Posts: 163 Member
edited February 4 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. I find this site and many of its posters to be very informative.

Since joining MyFitnessPal, I've come to learn that a lot of the things I've been taught about nutrition and exercise (Since Elementary School.) have been false.

For me, I would say the two huge items have been "You gain weight if you eat after 6:00," and "Muscle weighs more than fat."

What have you learned since joining MyFitnessPal.

Welcome!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
«134

Replies

  • Posts: 199 Member
    Just because someone uses big words, doesn't make it true.
  • Posts: 114 Member
    there is not that much difference in calories between chicken, beef and pork if the meat is lean.
  • Posts: 3,013 Member
    You can lose weight while eating junk food. While there are more nutritious options, a calorie is just a calorie. Really.
  • Posts: 2,038 Member
    Losing weight and being healthy are not the same thing.
  • Posts: 26,368 Member
    Well, muscle does weigh more than fat for the same density. Just saying :p

    I've learned that eating more often doesn't boost your metabolism, that breakfast isn't necessary (although I actually have breakfast now, never used to), that what you eat doesn't really matter that much, that you can't build muscle on a calorie deficit, and that pretty much everything has more calories than you think.

    The funny thing is that I still hear those myths from professionals, like the gym nurse who told me I need to build muscle and to eat small meals more often to boost my metabolism. I just roll my eyes now.
  • Posts: 947 Member
    You can lose weight while eating junk food. While there are more nutritious options, a calorie is just a calorie. Really.

    Yes.
  • Posts: 335 Member
    I haven't learned anything from MyFitnessPal itself. There are still very many myths being held up everyday on this site.
  • Posts: 265 Member
    Screw *most of everything people say on the boards ( there are a lot of know it all's in here), do your own research and just "do what works for you"!
  • Posts: 237 Member
    No eating after 7:00 PM and "you can't eat that."
  • Posts: 2,616 Member
    .
  • Posts: 163 Member
    Feel free to engage and educate, and try to debunk the myth.
  • Posts: 2,012 Member
    Losing weight and being healthy are not the same thing.

    This ^^^ could not have said it any better!
  • Raisins aren't much healthier than a Snickers bar.
  • Posts: 398 Member
    that everyone is different and there is no cookie cutter method for success, but many people will adamantly try to pigeon hole you into their way or you are seen as doing it "wrong".
  • Posts: 652 Member
    Fat makes you fat.
    You can't lift weights if you have a bad back.
    You can't squat if you have bad knees.
    That I am 'big-boned' (I have a medium frame)
    That skinnier is better.
  • Posts: 2,401 Member
    everything I used to think I knew about fitness and dieting.


    some standouts:

    aspartame is going to kill me

    all dietary fat is bad (I honestly still struggle to reach my fat macro)

    white carbs should not be eaten

    sugar makes you gain weight

    that I was genetically predisposed to being fat
  • Posts: 91 Member
    That eating small frequent meals will boost my metabolism.

    That skipping meals will slow down my metabolism.

    That breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

    That I should eat more when I hit a plateau.

    And most importantly, healthy food doesn't mean low calories!
  • Posts: 49,126 Member
    Hi all. I find this site and many of its posters to be very informative.

    Since joining MyFitnessPal, I've come to learn that a lot of the things I've been taught about nutrition and exercise (Since Elementary School.) have been false.

    For me, I would say the two huge items have been "You gain weight if you eat after 6:00," and "Muscle weighs more than fat."

    What have you learned since joining MyFitnessPal.
    Muscle does weigh more than fat when comparing volume vs volume (which is how scientific measuring is done). You don't weigh EQUAL amounts of weights against each other to find weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Posts: 49,126 Member
    Screw *most of everything people say on the boards ( there are a lot of know it all's in here), do your own research and just "do what works for you"!
    Some people DON'T know how to research (using pseudoscience and blogs are references) and if doing "what works for them" isn't always correct either.
    There's lots to learn from people on here who are "in the know". You just have to find the right ones who don't just spout a bunch of BS.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Posts: 489 Member
    Hi all. I find this site and many of its posters to be very informative.

    Since joining MyFitnessPal, I've come to learn that a lot of the things I've been taught about nutrition and exercise (Since Elementary School.) have been false.

    For me, I would say the two huge items have been "You gain weight if you eat after 6:00," and "Muscle weighs more than fat."

    What have you learned since joining MyFitnessPal.

    Hmmm. Maybe I haven't learned anything.

    I must admit, I still currently held the notion that a given quantity of muscle (mass) weighed more than a given quantity of fat (mass). Is that incorrect?

    Now, I'm assuming that you aren't referring to whether a given weight of muscle weighs more than the same weight of fat (e.g. 1lb of muscle weighs more than1lb of fat), right?

    I mean no one would think that, correct?
  • Posts: 21 Member
    You can lose weight while eating junk food. While there are more nutritious options, a calorie is just a calorie. Really.


    This.
  • My biggest myth that I believed is that you can out train a bad diet.
  • Posts: 2,153 Member

    Hmmm. Maybe I haven't learned anything.

    I must admit, I still currently held the notion that a given quantity of muscle (mass) weighed more than a given quantity of fat (mass). Is that incorrect?

    Now, I'm assuming that you aren't referring to whether a given weight of muscle weighs more than the same weight of fat (e.g. 1lb of muscle weighs more than1lb of fat), right?

    I mean no one would think that, correct?

    People like to be pedantic on this topic. When someone says "muscle weighs more than fat", we all know that they really mean "muscle is denser than fat", as you correctly identified, but for some reason, people love to jump on the semantics of this. It does get thrown around a lot when someone is supposedly eating at a deficit as a reason why they aren't losing weight, which is usually not the case (aside from small newbie gains, you can't gain muscle at a deficit).
  • Posts: 6 Member
    Don't eat after a certain time....

    Eat less to lose weight....I've eaten more than EVER, but it's all been better foods!!!! And added excercise
  • Posts: 6,208 Member
    That losing all your weight will get rid of your body image issues.
  • Posts: 1,251 Member
    Dare I mention "starvation mode"?
  • Posts: 123 Member
    That eating small frequent meals will boost my metabolism.

    That skipping meals will slow down my metabolism.

    That breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

    That I should eat more when I hit a plateau.

    And most importantly, healthy food doesn't mean low calories!


    So is all the above untrue?
  • Posts: 13,247 Member
    Since I was young, I was told I had bad knees because I'm loose-jointed, so I should be very careful with exercise. I was told to avoid deep knee bends and even had a doctor's note to get out of them.. I skipped a lot of gym classes and always thought I shouldn't (or couldn't) run because I had bad joints.

    Bullpoopie. I run and lift weights and do heavy squats and I can't remember the last time I had a problem with my bad joints.
  • Posts: 512 Member
    that soda does not count as water... (compare to eating pack of gummy bears while drinking water)
    that coffee does not count as water... (compare to munching on some coffee beans while drinking water)
  • Posts: 154 Member
    Eating too little will make you fat. *eye roll*
This discussion has been closed.