I started drinking green tea in the AM and lost 4.5lbs in a week!!!

Alatariel75
Alatariel75 Posts: 18,232 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
A lesson in correlation =/= causation.

A couple weeks ago I remarked at work on how much more pleasant my very chilly morning walk to the train station has been since I got a travel mug and could have a cup of tea on the way. A discussion started about what type of tea we all drink (I'm known for having variety of teas in my drawer) and I said that in the mornings I have been drinking green tea.

Fast forward to last Friday, and I had weighed in and lost 4.5lbs! I mentioned this to a workmate/friend, who I often discuss weight loss with, and got overheard by another workmate who jumped right in to tell me without any hesitation that the reason I lost that weight was because I'd started drinking green tea in the morning, because it is a "proven fat burner". She started recommending to others that they get on the green tea bandwagon, and touting me as an example (she's a little… let's say overwhelming, this lady).

Now the prior week, I had recommitted to counting calories and had tightened up my allowance, had not used the weekend as a reason to eat everything under the sun, had tweaked my macros, had home cooked every meal rather than guesstimating at bought lunches, had put in an hour of exercise a day without fail, and had stayed away from wine.

But it was totally the green tea.

I just thought this was a really good example of how people really want to believe that a product, supplement, or other advertised woo was going to make them lose weight, there is little logic that seems to deter them. It's the prime example of how "…when used in conjunction with a calorie controlled diet and exercise" completely fails to resonate with some people.

Very rarely will someone who jumps on a new miracle weight loss product ONLY start using that product and not do anything else. Even subconsciously they may eat less, make better choices, whatever. And when they start to succeed, OMG it's the product! But it is a total placebo effect. And if that works for you, great, but don't be misled – your habits, and not the magic tea/pill/wrap determine your success.

For the record, there are now 3 people drinking green tea in my immediate vicinity. I have a latte.
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Replies

  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited June 2015
    Haven't you heard about the Lose Lard Latte?

    Green tea is so yesterday...

    :)
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
    Nope. It is totally the green tea majik.


  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Good post. People are dumb and gullible.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Better latte than never!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Drinking green tea is part of a diet I was did....*smh*

    Not a fan of green tea but found one I do like...Earl Grey flavoured of course.

    Congrats on being down 4.5 tho
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,232 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Drinking green tea is part of a diet I was did....*smh*

    Not a fan of green tea but found one I do like...Earl Grey flavoured of course.

    Congrats on being down 4.5 tho

    I don't like plain green tea, the one I have has lemon myrtle in it and the citrus makes it much tastier. Earl Grey sounds great though, I love early grey black tea - green would be nice.
  • MamaBirdBoss
    MamaBirdBoss Posts: 1,516 Member
    I changed the toilet I pooped in and have lost 4.6 in less than that!
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
    lol the title drew me in

    well done :mrgreen:
  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    +1
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    pint_gt.gif

    Totes magic.
    YBNp3.gif
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I seriously got tired of people giving me a disappointed response when I told them that I eat less and exercise more. So now I told them that I burn more calories by masturbating. That really shuts people up, lol

    But congrats on the loss and you should try green tea with mint. It's amazing!
  • Mapalicious
    Mapalicious Posts: 412 Member
    :( This is how my mom approaches food. She's obese and diabetic.

    Her doctor said that nuts have the "healthy" kinds of fats that she "should" have - now she's convinced herself that she has been medically prescribed handfuls of nuts everyday, and she has no concept of "serving." I can't say anything or it becomes a train-wreck, no matter how gently I do it.

    I wish I could talk to her doctor to tell her how to change her messaging!
  • cmcdonald525
    cmcdonald525 Posts: 140 Member
    Excellent post! I came in expecting a train wreck and was so happy to see this instead. I applaud you!
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    edited June 2015
    Forty6and2 wrote: »
    I seriously got tired of people giving me a disappointed response when I told them that I eat less and exercise more. So now I told them that I burn more calories by masturbating. That really shuts people up, lol

    But congrats on the loss and you should try green tea with mint. It's amazing!

    So did @tincanonastring and he got flagged numers times.

    Ooop! Numerous that is
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    Funny how exercising more and eating less works all the time . . .
  • spatulamom
    spatulamom Posts: 158 Member
    Oh, my gosh, this made me smile! After a few months of being inundated with invites for shakes and wraps and food portioning programs (something I'm accomplishing with my plain old Gladware) and hearing what 'miracle' cures they are for people, I'm realizing more and more that my basic (or not so basic) calorie counting and exercise is working just fine for me :). No need to spend $50-100 for a quick fix that may not do any good. I'm happy to be off of the bandwagon :).
  • tessmarye
    tessmarye Posts: 3 Member
    People keep asking how I've lost all this weight and gotten so much healthier... they would much rather hear it's green tea than counting calories and working my butt off every single day. Well done on the post- you can make millions :)
  • faithyang
    faithyang Posts: 297 Member
    edited June 2015
    zyxst wrote: »
    pint_gt.gif

    Totes magic.
    YBNp3.gif

    That is the All Spark. Helped me lose 30kg. Its got green tea in it so its got antioxidants!!
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  • Justifier
    Justifier Posts: 336 Member
    There are no fat tea drinkers. Also, if you drink tea, you will win the Nobel Prize.

    b78a2dbdec4e0ca216ec7b98f1241192.jpg
  • zenaxe
    zenaxe Posts: 203 Member
    same thing happened to me as what the OP said but I also hopped on one foot twice, then shaved....strictly in that sequence....resultant loss.....4.2 lbs....so, tea, hop and shave your way to success....just sayin....maybe i'll write a book
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    But did you drink it out of a pink cup? It has to be pink or it won't work
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    Forty6and2 wrote: »
    I seriously got tired of people giving me a disappointed response when I told them that I eat less and exercise more. So now I told them that I burn more calories by masturbating. That really shuts people up, lol

    But congrats on the loss and you should try green tea with mint. It's amazing!

    So did @tincanonastring and he got flagged numers times.

    Ooop! Numerous that is

    To be fair, I wasn't quite asked for that advice.
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    A lesson in correlation =/= causation.

    A couple weeks ago I remarked at work on how much more pleasant my very chilly morning walk to the train station has been since I got a travel mug and could have a cup of tea on the way. A discussion started about what type of tea we all drink (I'm known for having variety of teas in my drawer) and I said that in the mornings I have been drinking green tea.

    Fast forward to last Friday, and I had weighed in and lost 4.5lbs! I mentioned this to a workmate/friend, who I often discuss weight loss with, and got overheard by another workmate who jumped right in to tell me without any hesitation that the reason I lost that weight was because I'd started drinking green tea in the morning, because it is a "proven fat burner". She started recommending to others that they get on the green tea bandwagon, and touting me as an example (she's a little… let's say overwhelming, this lady).

    Now the prior week, I had recommitted to counting calories and had tightened up my allowance, had not used the weekend as a reason to eat everything under the sun, had tweaked my macros, had home cooked every meal rather than guesstimating at bought lunches, had put in an hour of exercise a day without fail, and had stayed away from wine.

    But it was totally the green tea.

    I just thought this was a really good example of how people really want to believe that a product, supplement, or other advertised woo was going to make them lose weight, there is little logic that seems to deter them. It's the prime example of how "…when used in conjunction with a calorie controlled diet and exercise" completely fails to resonate with some people.

    Very rarely will someone who jumps on a new miracle weight loss product ONLY start using that product and not do anything else. Even subconsciously they may eat less, make better choices, whatever. And when they start to succeed, OMG it's the product! But it is a total placebo effect. And if that works for you, great, but don't be misled – your habits, and not the magic tea/pill/wrap determine your success.

    For the record, there are now 3 people drinking green tea in my immediate vicinity. I have a latte.

    The real question is how many peeps did you have that week. All of them, right?
  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
    You know you can do better. If you drank cold green tea you'd lose more weight, because you'd burn more calories drinking the cold water. Or you could have it with peeps...
  • cuckoo_jenibeth
    cuckoo_jenibeth Posts: 1,434 Member
    Forty6and2 wrote: »
    I seriously got tired of people giving me a disappointed response when I told them that I eat less and exercise more. So now I told them that I burn more calories by masturbating. That really shuts people up, lol

    Bwahaha! Just got chocked on my regular old black iced tea!! That just made my day!! May I borrow that comeback??
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    You are the Norma Romano of weight loss in your office.
  • faithyang
    faithyang Posts: 297 Member
    You know you can do better. If you drank cold green tea you'd lose more weight, because you'd burn more calories drinking the cold water. Or you could have it with peeps...

    What about the typically contrasting advice that cold water burns calories cuz your body works harder to warm up, and hot water melts fats because it prevents cogulation of fatty deposits and aids detox in oily foods in digestion?

    TOO MUCH ADVICE!
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,232 Member
    You are the Norma Romano of weight loss in your office.

    I love you for that comparison.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    You are the Norma Romano of weight loss in your office.

    I love you for that comparison.

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This discussion has been closed.