Eat This, Not That....Chuck Full of Malarkey!

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  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    I can't wait to see this plastered on my friends' FB pages.
  • frankiesgirlie
    frankiesgirlie Posts: 667 Member
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    Great post! I used to follow Eat This Not That all the time. Even purchased 2 of their books. Never. Ever got even close to my goals with their complicated advice/rules. 2 1/2 months on MFP and I'm only 4 lbs away from my goal. So F N simple calories in calories out! And I have not starved myself even one day like I did in the past.
    I now consider them right up there with Dr. Oz, fear mongering and making it all seem sooo complicated---just so they can make a buck.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    I will never understand people who believe everything they read on the internet. Why would anyone read that and assume it's true without checking it out?
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I will never understand people who believe everything they read on the internet. Why would anyone read that and assume it's true without checking it out?

    I think they're just desperate for answers. Desperate people cling to anything that makes them feel better. I personally have clung to stupid ideas because it made me feel better. The problem with the internet is it's not representative of truth, it's representative of who's loudest, and oftentimes the misinformation drowns out the truth, even when you do separate research on it.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    clgaram720 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I will never understand people who believe everything they read on the internet. Why would anyone read that and assume it's true without checking it out?

    I think they're just desperate for answers. Desperate people cling to anything that makes them feel better. I personally have clung to stupid ideas because it made me feel better. The problem with the internet is it's not representative of truth, it's representative of who's loudest, and oftentimes the misinformation drowns out the truth, even when you do separate research on it.

    That's what I don't understand. Being desperate for answers but not desperate enough to spend time searching for truth.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    clgaram720 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I will never understand people who believe everything they read on the internet. Why would anyone read that and assume it's true without checking it out?

    I think they're just desperate for answers. Desperate people cling to anything that makes them feel better. I personally have clung to stupid ideas because it made me feel better. The problem with the internet is it's not representative of truth, it's representative of who's loudest, and oftentimes the misinformation drowns out the truth, even when you do separate research on it.

    That's what I don't understand. Being desperate for answers but not desperate enough to spend time searching for truth.

    Oh I'm not saying they don't research, I'm saying the internet itself makes it difficult if not impossible to find the good stuff. Take vaccines for example. If you were to google whether vaccines are safe, the first page is gonna be split 50/50 in people saying they are or aren't safe. As though the argument was 50/50 and not people-who-have-medical-degrees/lunatics. How's a person who doesn't know any better supposed to tell the difference? To them, it looks like walking into a room of ten people and hearing five say "vaccines are bad". That's not a good way to learn about vaccines.

    In this case, when you google "how to lose weight" the first FIVE options are mostly nonsense with a little bit of truth mixed in. Like any lie, if you say "keep a food diary" between talking about "becoming a morning person" and "skipping processed foods of any kind", it makes it sound more truthful. The ENTIRE goal is manipulation. It's skewed 5/2 in favor of quick-fix bs instead of straight calorie counting. Someone of above average intelligence or someone who recognizes manipulation and logical fallacies and who knows to look for study links in these articles might be okay. The layman is screwed. And where there isn't misinformation, there are fat-acceptance pages (if you body shame, I hate you and think you need a time out from living amongst the rest of us, but telling an unhealthy woman don't worry about it, you're probably immune from heart disease, is bad too) and pages warning of the dangers of anorexia so intensely that calorie deficits might seem scary and dangerous if you didn't know.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    And of course, I would be remiss in not admitting that straight up denial is a big part of it. If you think you're just metabolically damaged, when really it's that you eat way too much, and you come across three articles that say you can correct that by doing X and lose weight, you're gonna WANT to believe them. So there's an element of refusing to accept responsibility there too.
  • Montepulciano
    Montepulciano Posts: 845 Member
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    rankinsect wrote: »
    Yeah, I think every person who gave me unhelpful advice about weight loss read crap like that.

    Weight loss is not complicated. It's actually extremely simple, just not easy.

    Well said!
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Thanks for posting this - it's a good summary of what is NOT necessary in order to lose weight.

    I never even realized that site had more than just the food comparisons. My hairdresser used to have those books laying around while people were waiting and I've thumbed through them a few times. The part that gets me is that they often try to compare something which is meant to have multiple portions, to an individualized item. Granted, there are often portions at a restaurant that are oversized, and certainly many are very calorie dense, but it drives me crazy that they play on the sensationalism of the 2000 calorie Bloomin Onion and compare it to a single portion of Coconut Shrimp for 600 calories...
  • incisron
    incisron Posts: 550 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    I did burn some calories laughing at so many weight loss myths in one article. So so many.

    LMAO
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Thanks for posting this - it's a good summary of what is NOT necessary in order to lose weight.

    I never even realized that site had more than just the food comparisons. My hairdresser used to have those books laying around while people were waiting and I've thumbed through them a few times. The part that gets me is that they often try to compare something which is meant to have multiple portions, to an individualized item. Granted, there are often portions at a restaurant that are oversized, and certainly many are very calorie dense, but it drives me crazy that they play on the sensationalism of the 2000 calorie Bloomin Onion and compare it to a single portion of Coconut Shrimp for 600 calories...

    Ha. Yeah. "Don't eat that whole 3000 calorie pizza! Have a grilled chicken breast with a side of steamed broccoli."
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    clgaram720 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I will never understand people who believe everything they read on the internet. Why would anyone read that and assume it's true without checking it out?

    I think they're just desperate for answers. Desperate people cling to anything that makes them feel better. I personally have clung to stupid ideas because it made me feel better. The problem with the internet is it's not representative of truth, it's representative of who's loudest, and oftentimes the misinformation drowns out the truth, even when you do separate research on it.

    Yep. And a lot of people with degrees and who people believe have the pedigree to make claims say things with their bottom line as their first priority. I mean....how many times a day do we see someone post advice to someone that includes "be careful of starvation mode." A lot of these so call diet cardinal rules are nothing but myths, but those myths live on...because people want to believe in them and those who make the claims.

    Cough, dr oz, cough...
  • spatulamom
    spatulamom Posts: 158 Member
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    This reminds me of the folks in one of my weight loss FB groups who INSIST that we're not going to be successful if we don't eat breakfast, eat too many carbs, and eat past 7 PM. Why? Because Dr. Oz said so.

    Well, I'll just be over here shoveling in ladyfingers and peanut butter at 10:15 PM with my 35 lb loss. And I won't eat breakfast again tomorrow.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    cmtigger wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    clgaram720 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I will never understand people who believe everything they read on the internet. Why would anyone read that and assume it's true without checking it out?

    I think they're just desperate for answers. Desperate people cling to anything that makes them feel better. I personally have clung to stupid ideas because it made me feel better. The problem with the internet is it's not representative of truth, it's representative of who's loudest, and oftentimes the misinformation drowns out the truth, even when you do separate research on it.

    Yep. And a lot of people with degrees and who people believe have the pedigree to make claims say things with their bottom line as their first priority. I mean....how many times a day do we see someone post advice to someone that includes "be careful of starvation mode." A lot of these so call diet cardinal rules are nothing but myths, but those myths live on...because people want to believe in them and those who make the claims.

    Cough, dr oz, cough...

    And Jenny McCarthy with regards to vaccines. I swear it's like people thought she was suddenly worth listening to because she put clothes on...
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    robertw486 wrote: »
    But all the people who want excuses rather than results need web sites like that. Should we be critical of those that want some comfort in a pillow to cry on?























    Why yes. Yes we should!

    That's the rub isn't it. When I first started my weight loss plan or as many controversially put it, my journey....I probably believed half of those things on the list. I spent a lot of time convincing myself that I needed to do this or that in order to find weight loss success. Don't go more than 3 hours without eating....you'll crash your metabolism. Mix up your calories during the week to trick your metabolism. Don't eat after 7pm or all your food will instantly turn to fat. Don't do the same workouts every week or your body will adjust and you'll never lose weight. Don't eat processed foods because your body will treat it like crack. I was a food addict and could not control myself around my trigger foods. I could go on and on and on. Not only did I believe this things, but I was a passionate defender.

    While on the outside you would think those things didn't hurt me, etc....but I would make the case that they did. I convinced myself that so many things were not only good for health, but an absolute necessity to meet my weight loss goals. I was setting myself up to not be able to be successful. I couldn't follow all these unneeded rules. I would end up twisting myself into a pretzel and inevitably finding that weight loss was impossible. It felt pointless to try when I seemed destined to fail.

    When I came sniffing around MFP this time I spent a lot of time lurking and listening. I saw some people that seemed to have a lot of success and the things they were saying....CRAZY TALK. They made weight loss out to be something so simple....as eating less than you burn. I waved their simplicity away, but I let it hang out in my brain. I couldn't let go of those rigid rules. Those things promised to bring me success. But the long and the short of it was those people had success and I just had the promise of success, but no real success.

    I started listening to their threads more....reading their research and science. It was making sense. Could this be true? No. Couldn't be. And then I slowly started to put my toe in the water of the land of CICO, eat less than you burn. And....I also found success.

    My awareness was raising little by little. The light bulbs were going off. The pounds were also coming off. And as this was happening, I started to see all the weight loss scams and fads for what they were....ways to make money off the fat and desperate. What is at the end of each one of those Eat This, Not That articles....an ad for their No Belly Diet program. So, what is the gain for believing that all those things ruin your metabolism??? Well, they will fix it for you if you just pay some money and follow their program.

    Or...your metabolism isn't ruined. And you already have the tools for success.

    I think it's all relative to our past experiences, what we've learned over the years, and how we approach information on the internet. Combine that with loads of places trying to pawn off their magic potions on weight loss, and it is honestly hard for people to find the real scoop sometimes. Even here on a fairly informed site it seems, people debate about what does and doesn't work.

    In poking fun, that was aimed only at people who have been here long enough to know better. I wouldn't really make fun of the people honestly confused.... I'd just offer the easy method of CICO and go from there.

    I think for me personally, different things in the military made me realize that it's simple. We went a few days with minimal nutrition of any kind during survival training. I didn't die and my metabolism didn't change that I noticed. And at times in cold weather training, we were eating 4500-5000 calories a day... and not gaining weight.



    So if anyone wants, I will send them the scoop on the real military diet. It involves cross country skiing and eating a lot of food. :)

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