Curiosity-- How do you know about nutrition?
rbfdac
Posts: 1,057 Member
This is going to be long, but I feel that I need to preface my question.
I grew up surrounded by nutrition and exercising, etc. My mom managed a fitness center for 10 years and also had a love/hate relationship with food--- I experienced her yo-yo dieting my entire childhood. I suppose that throughout the years it was inevitable that I would learn the basics of nutrition and fitness i.e. how many calories are in foods, how many "calories make up a pound", how muscle weighs more than fat, etc. just by watching her. Additionally, I have a Bachelor's in Biology, so I am also familiar with how things work on a more complex level. It never occurred to me that so many people have such little knowledge about how things work and "how to lose weight".
This is in absolutely no way meant to be condescending or taken as "Oooh, I grew up around nutrition and fitness and have a degree in Biology.. Look at me! I can lose weight easily and I know everything!", because the fact is, I could tell you how to lose weight all day long, but am on this site to lose 75+ lbs and get healthy just like everybody else. It's not always easy to practice what is easy to preach.
I notice so many posts on the getting started thread that just say "How do I do this?" and ask for somebody, anybody, to help them get started because they have absolutely no idea about weight loss, nutrition, or calories. Again, I am not shaming anybody that has to post this because the only way to gain knowledge is by asking and researching. I would do the same thing!
My husband grew up on a meat and potatoes diet with a mom who loved to bake (and still does). He is a very intelligent man, but knows so little about nutrition/how to lose weight/calories in food, etc. He continuously comes to me with questions- which I happily answer. I asked him the other day why he thought he was so under informed and he explained his reason.
So, here's my question--- if you know a lot about nutrition, calories, weight loss, etc., how did you gain this knowledge? Was it through sheer research? Did you grow up in the environment? Did you take a class? If you also consider yourself "under informed", why do you think this is so? Were you presented the information when you were younger, but forgot how it all works? Were you just never given the opportunity? Have you learned, but found it hard to grasp/confusing?
I'm just very curious about this. If you're up to it, feel free to share your answer below.
I grew up surrounded by nutrition and exercising, etc. My mom managed a fitness center for 10 years and also had a love/hate relationship with food--- I experienced her yo-yo dieting my entire childhood. I suppose that throughout the years it was inevitable that I would learn the basics of nutrition and fitness i.e. how many calories are in foods, how many "calories make up a pound", how muscle weighs more than fat, etc. just by watching her. Additionally, I have a Bachelor's in Biology, so I am also familiar with how things work on a more complex level. It never occurred to me that so many people have such little knowledge about how things work and "how to lose weight".
This is in absolutely no way meant to be condescending or taken as "Oooh, I grew up around nutrition and fitness and have a degree in Biology.. Look at me! I can lose weight easily and I know everything!", because the fact is, I could tell you how to lose weight all day long, but am on this site to lose 75+ lbs and get healthy just like everybody else. It's not always easy to practice what is easy to preach.
I notice so many posts on the getting started thread that just say "How do I do this?" and ask for somebody, anybody, to help them get started because they have absolutely no idea about weight loss, nutrition, or calories. Again, I am not shaming anybody that has to post this because the only way to gain knowledge is by asking and researching. I would do the same thing!
My husband grew up on a meat and potatoes diet with a mom who loved to bake (and still does). He is a very intelligent man, but knows so little about nutrition/how to lose weight/calories in food, etc. He continuously comes to me with questions- which I happily answer. I asked him the other day why he thought he was so under informed and he explained his reason.
So, here's my question--- if you know a lot about nutrition, calories, weight loss, etc., how did you gain this knowledge? Was it through sheer research? Did you grow up in the environment? Did you take a class? If you also consider yourself "under informed", why do you think this is so? Were you presented the information when you were younger, but forgot how it all works? Were you just never given the opportunity? Have you learned, but found it hard to grasp/confusing?
I'm just very curious about this. If you're up to it, feel free to share your answer below.
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Replies
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My mother has always been REALLY into fitness and taught aerobics throughout my entire life. Unfortunately, she is also a Southern woman who cooks Southern food (starch, starch, and more starch, butter, frying, if it is a vegetable it is only edible in a casserole, covered in cheese, fried, or with a ton of butter) and loved to bake (although she'd never eat it herself). She is also very petite and I grew up hearing her call herself fat constantly. I always wondered what she thought of me, at 300 lbs.
When I FINALLY started losing weight at 20/21 years old, I pretty much did all of my research on my own. Reading books, magazines, the internet, etc. A lot of what learned about weight loss was trial and error (unfortunately that involved developing an eating disorder), and what I learned about nutrition was through reading materials.0 -
lots of research and self study. Most people don't know or understand nutrition or calories, etc because it's not a particularly valued piece of knowledge. I think there was one semester in high school in an elective class that touched on the subject...maybe.
Most people just eat...a lot of what is consumed also comes with particular cultures and values of that culture beyond any understanding of nutritional quality or lack there of.
When people want to lose weight and get in shape, they turn to the diet and fitness industry which doesn't really teach anything about proper nutrition or fitness...rather, the industry preys on the desperate and ill informed and is generally only out to make a buck...which confuses these issues even further.0 -
i took a nutrition class in college, It turned into a lifelong interest for me. So i read lots of books about nutrition, watched a bunch of netflix documenteries, etc... I still dont know as much as others.
I am however super happy with my day to day food. Good tastes, quantities, I feel good after eating... etc.
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I don't know where the starting point was for me, but it wasn't until a couple years ago. At some point I latched onto some information I had stumbled across, and since I am generally a nerd, I started devouring more information. I started to value it more because it's not just theoretical knowledge, but something I can also apply to my life.
I know that just being on these forums reading and contributing has helped me learn a lot.0 -
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I learned the basics from my mother and grade school biology for nutrition. My degree is science based, so college taught me more in depth biology, anatomy, brain functionality with eating behaviors, and of course the nutrition course that seems to be with all BA or BS degrees. I learned physical training from the military, personal trainers, yogis, and pilates instructors.
Of course, I have read various studies on different types of training, weight loss, and weight maintenance. I got very involved with nutritional aspects of food after I had my first child. I wanted to ensure my children have both the early years of healthy eating and the knowledge to make good decisions regarding their eating as adults.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »lots of research and self study. Most people don't know or understand nutrition or calories, etc because it's not a particularly valued piece of knowledge. I think there was one semester in high school in an elective class that touched on the subject...maybe.
Most people just eat...a lot of what is consumed also comes with particular cultures and values of that culture beyond any understanding of nutritional quality or lack there of.
When people want to lose weight and get in shape, they turn to the diet and fitness industry which doesn't really teach anything about proper nutrition or fitness...rather, the industry preys on the desperate and ill informed and is generally only out to make a buck...which confuses these issues even further.
Everything he just said
Same here...
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cwolfman13 wrote: »lots of research and self study. Most people don't know or understand nutrition or calories, etc because it's not a particularly valued piece of knowledge. I think there was one semester in high school in an elective class that touched on the subject...maybe.
Most people just eat...a lot of what is consumed also comes with particular cultures and values of that culture beyond any understanding of nutritional quality or lack there of.
When people want to lose weight and get in shape, they turn to the diet and fitness industry which doesn't really teach anything about proper nutrition or fitness...rather, the industry preys on the desperate and ill informed and is generally only out to make a buck...which confuses these issues even further.
Everything he just said
Same here...
Yeah, pretty much this.
And listening to the "meanies" on MFP who have been at this for a while has been pretty enlightening.
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I learned how to cook from my mom. She was a nurse who believed in good nutrition long before it became common knowledge, so I grew up on lots of vegetables, whole grains etc. She went overboard on starches, so we also had British puddings and tons of bread (it was homemade and amazing..), and I think she hoped I would grow as tall and my bro and sis so my portions were way too big for a little tiddler like me. She used to go to buy food in stores which are now trendy, but used to be considered waaaay out there (Neal's Yard when it was still a co-op in London for grind-your-own peanut butter and a macrobiotic food store where she used to buy dried beans and pulses in bulk).
The rest is what I've read and also the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source.
I'm a cookbook junkie and I love trying and then recreating new dishes. Plus, I'm constantly tweaking existing recipes.0 -
Me too.cwolfman13 wrote: »lots of research and self study. Most people don't know or understand nutrition or calories, etc because it's not a particularly valued piece of knowledge. I think there was one semester in high school in an elective class that touched on the subject...maybe.
Most people just eat...a lot of what is consumed also comes with particular cultures and values of that culture beyond any understanding of nutritional quality or lack there of.
When people want to lose weight and get in shape, they turn to the diet and fitness industry which doesn't really teach anything about proper nutrition or fitness...rather, the industry preys on the desperate and ill informed and is generally only out to make a buck...which confuses these issues even further.
Everything he just said
Same here...
Me too0 -
First off I don't find your post condescending and I am one who is asking basic questions
I was raised with the 4 food groups which I don't know how many variations it has gone through., but I have seen the pyramid. I do get confused. I know some things, like mostly veggies are nutrient dense whereas a candy bar would be calorie dense. I have been told by people to cut back on fats, cholesterol (my cholesterol is a little high) or alcohol and sugars ( triglycerides and blood sugar are worse). The latest was mainly lose weight with a protein and calorie target and exercise.
But, a lot of the choices that made me fat didn't have to do with knowledge. It is just easier to bring in take out or grab a bag of chips. Even buying 100 calorie snack bags doesn't help if you are eating a few at a time. I had no idea how much I was eating until I started keeping track.
Even here there is no definition of healthy vs unhealthy foods.0 -
All of my knowledge has been through self research. It gets me to where I'm going (when I lose weight, I know why and when I gain I know why). However, I consider myself uninformed because I use the simplest approaches (CICO) and don't care about all the other stuff like hormone changes, macros, etc.
I feel like, even if I were to try to research all the minute details, it won't be helpful because there is TOO MUCH contradictory information entirely based on who you talk to, what you read, where the research was conducted, how long and on how many people it was conducted, empirical evidence, anecdotal evidence. There's just too much to sift through and I would never claim to know something that even the scientists of today don't fully understand. I just stick with the simplest thing that I've found that works for me. Done and done.0 -
Same here. Being a bit of a nerd really helps with this stuff. I was brought up in a house where leaving anything on your plate was considered rude, if you did finish you were given more and all the time I was wondering why only my Dad, sister and me were eating.
My mother suffered from anorexia as well as a number of depression related conditions that, of course, at that time, I did not understand. I do now and thankfully have been able to help myself. Unfortunately since my sister passed away (completely unrealted to diet), I can see my mother having the same influence on her children, who thay live very close to. My sister was very overweight, her husband is very overweight and her kids are following suit.
It is difficult for me (I am in the US, they are in the UK), but I do try to influence as much as I can. I am of the opinion that if they see me doing something about my weight, it may spur them on. You can lead a horse to water as they say.....then they are on their own.0 -
I consider myself very knowledgeable, especially for someone not in the nutrition/fitness industry. I learned everything through my own personal research. Regrettably, I knew nothing of fitness/health/proper eating as I grew up, and I didn't really learn until I was an adult and suddenly found myself 10 pounds over my desired weight. I joined MFP and learned everything since that time.0
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I've always read about nutrition a lot. If I see or hear something in mainstream media that interests me, I look for information on the study from more reputable sources (medical or nutrition journals, university sites, etc.) and when possible I try to read the peer reviews and opposing viewpoints. I find it fascinating.
But I have become much more knowledgable since the birth of a close relative with rare and severe food allergies and GI problems.0 -
ummm...I don't. I just eat more of the things that make my body feel good and less of the things that make it feel yucky.0
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I read. I'm probably under informed compared to many on MFP, but when I talk to people IRL who are supposed to know this stuff, I find out I'm better informed than they.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »lots of research and self study. Most people don't know or understand nutrition or calories, etc because it's not a particularly valued piece of knowledge. I think there was one semester in high school in an elective class that touched on the subject...maybe.
Most people just eat...a lot of what is consumed also comes with particular cultures and values of that culture beyond any understanding of nutritional quality or lack there of.
When people want to lose weight and get in shape, they turn to the diet and fitness industry which doesn't really teach anything about proper nutrition or fitness...rather, the industry preys on the desperate and ill informed and is generally only out to make a buck...which confuses these issues even further.
Everything he just said
Same here...
Yeah, pretty much this.
And listening to the "meanies" on MFP who have been at this for a while has been pretty enlightening.
^^^This here^^^
It is amazing how much I have had to relearn since I came here. It is also amazing to me how many people still stick to the old science instead of looking at newer information.
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The internet and a lot of trial and error from my own "dieting" mistakes.0
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I read. I'm probably under informed compared to many on MFP, but when I talk to people IRL who are supposed to know this stuff, I find out I'm better informed than they.
I actually just finished a physical with a new physician since my last one retired. I was very surprised how out of the loop he is. He even gave me his recommended weight loss program and I lol'd the whole walk back to work. I might have to find another Doctor. Then again, I guess I didn't rely on my last one for nutrition/fitness advice so why this one.
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I decided to learn about it around age 30 (when I also decided to get serious about learning to cook) when I realized that my old "can eat anything and it doesn't really matter" metabolism was a thing of the past (being less active was probably more of the issue), and when I also realized that I had somehow managed to reach that ripe old age as a woman and yet have no idea at all or experience in how to diet. (I consider this a blessing, actually.)
So I did lots of research, discovered all the interesting debates and theories and changes of mind (low carb, low fat, etc.), and how losing weight worked and more significantly discovered some of the basic things about health and nutrition that seemed to be widely agreed upon, some which I applied, some which I did not. I've remained interested as an academic matter since then, even during the period when I gained a bunch of weight and didn't apply much of anything related to weight loss or maintenance.
Also, having grown up in a family that I'd describe as "meat and potatoes Midwestern" (although that always included vegetables too), I find it interesting that you connect that to your husband's lack of knowledge, since one thing that I discovered was that the food habits I'd grown up with were pretty healthy and pretty easy to return to. (My bigger problem was that I hadn't gotten more experimental with food through cooking, but through going out/ordering a lot, something my job paid for, while expecting me to work very late instead of going home for dinner.)
I also do remember learning a bit in school about the four food groups and all that, but I didn't really retain anything from that.
On the other hand, I did grow up with various decent exercise habits/being encouraged to be active, although looking back I wish I'd been more encouraged to stick with the sports I tried. Ah, well, I probably wouldn't have agreed at the time.
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Through poking around online, like this site, and bodybuilding.com, and similar. Then I decided I loved it and made dietetics my major. So traditional schooling plays a big role, now.0
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I became interested in it a few years ago and did lot's of research. My sister has a medical degree and volunteered her A&P textbook from college. I can't say that I remember it all but I did manage to read the entire textbook. In some ways it was a bit frightening to realize how complex it all is and that it actually works.0
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I learned about it from school and my own research. It's just something I've been interested in for a while.0
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I have absolutely no idea. I can't remember actually learning it. I guess I just learned as I grew up and always pretty much knew what was 'healthy' and what wasn't. .. I just didn't care
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I'm majoring in Health and Human Physiology. I'm only in my 2nd year though, so I'm not an expert. I hope to be pretty knowledgeable by the time I get my degree. Also, the internet is also an invaluable tool if you know how to use it.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »lots of research and self study. Most people don't know or understand nutrition or calories, etc because it's not a particularly valued piece of knowledge. I think there was one semester in high school in an elective class that touched on the subject...maybe.
Most people just eat...a lot of what is consumed also comes with particular cultures and values of that culture beyond any understanding of nutritional quality or lack there of.
When people want to lose weight and get in shape, they turn to the diet and fitness industry which doesn't really teach anything about proper nutrition or fitness...rather, the industry preys on the desperate and ill informed and is generally only out to make a buck...which confuses these issues even further.
Everything he just said
Same here...
Yeah, pretty much this.
And listening to the "meanies" on MFP who have been at this for a while has been pretty enlightening.
^^^This here^^^
It is amazing how much I have had to relearn since I came here. It is also amazing to me how many people still stick to the old science instead of looking at newer information.
Same with me. Started doing all the stuff I heard from the bro's and guru's. Came here and got educated pretty quickly. Mean people told me I was wrong and backed it up with credible sources.
After I got over the initial butthurt I read their info and had my eyes opened.
Thank you MFP meanies for caring enough to correct my ignorance.0 -
I retained most of my knowledge through research & talking to a nutritionist myself. I became interested in nutrition & how the body works a few years ago, so reading up on all the information I can find was very interesting for me. By no means do I think I know everything I need to know, though. I just started my masters in health & nutrition, so I am currently getting all of my new knowledge from my classes & hands on experiences. I think once you get past wanting to be lose weight just for purpose of a better physical appearance & really want to educate yourself on what you're putting into your body & why, learning about health & nutrition unintentionally becomes an on-going "hobby."0
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I was raised on bologna, white bread, twinkles and coke as my nearly daily lunch. My mother didn't really cook, she heated. The only thing I was told about "nutrition" was don't eat yogurt because it has bacteria and you have to cook pork chops until they are hockey pucks because you don't want to "catch" salmonella.
When I started my journey (and it has been) I did a TON of my own research. I'd never tried to lose weight before, didn't cook, and knew nothing. I was in my mid 30s then. So I read, and read and read some more. I pieced things together as they made sense. And I tweaked things as I learned more.
It's worked fairly well so far (13 years). Over time I became quite interested. I still read a lot on nutrition. As I'm venturing through menopause my reading has shifted a bit, but is still nutrition and health based.
My experience was the same with fitness. I was raised in a family that disdained exercise. My behavior was aberrant. It still is. I joined sports in school, took fitness classes in college, and worked with a personal trainer in my 20s and again in my 30s. I've always exercised in some way, shape or form.0 -
My first degree was in biopsychology/neuroscience so I had to take courses in microbiology and biochemistry. I took a class in nutrition as well as some PE classes. It's a fascinating field but it gets muddied a lot by the gurus and hucksters that sell snake oil.0
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