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What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?

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  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    Ya'll will slaughter me here but I believe there is more to CICO than meets the eye. Human body is not a car engine, it is much more complex. There are multiple variables that can throw the math off. Heck even the calorie intake and burn measurements are often extremely imprecise. Until they invent some sort of an implant that measures exactly how much is consumed and burned, I will remain skeptical. That being said, I still log calories, since it is a working method, albeit imperfect.

    This is not nearly as imprecise as you think. There is very little variation in BMR in a population of people at a given height and weight. Even in extreme circumstances where a metabolic disorder clinical results how a variation of ~5%. That equates to 80 kcals/day on a 1600 kcal/day budget.

    Perfection is not necessary...it very seldom is. Accuracy and precision are fit for purpose.
  • veronikamellon
    veronikamellon Posts: 42 Member
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    @Quasita thank you for the amazing testimony
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,900 Member
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    @Quasita in a lot of objections I've seen to WLS, people have specified that they object to this when one only has 50-100 or so pounds to lose. I myself have said on other threads that I have no objections to WLS for people like in My 600 Pound Life. I really get how it is necessary and life saving at that point. 600 pounds isn't the magical cut off number for me and I don't know what is, just that I think WLS to lose only 100 pounds is ill advised. So someone in your situation would get no flack from me :)
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    @kshama2001 Funny thing is, I feel similarly from this side of the fence. When I'm in conversations where a person's starting weight is equal to my goal weight (My surgery goal weight is 240lbs... I'm 6'1" though, and currently about 65lbs from this high end goal) I get pretty frustrated. I don't know why they would elect to do a sleeve, effectively amputate their stomach, for 50lbs... But I often remind myself that we cannot compare sorrows and conditions to people that aren't us.

    I catch a lot of flak, actually. Even my insurance company turned me down, despite having a BMI at surgery time over 50, because I wasn't "sick enough" to warrant the surgery. I had to appeal and prove that doing it would be less expensive in the long run. I have always been able bodied and capable of moving around. Even at 535lbs, I was able to go party all night, walk for miles, I was training for 3-4 hours a day at one point. And yeah, even my own family asked if it was really necessary.

    However, now I'm 7 months out and have dropped over 100lbs since surgery, and most of those opinions have changed. These people see my eating habits and exercise have essentially stayed stable, but that the weight is coming off. I attribute it specifically to my inability to absorb and store fat, and my limited ability to process carbs.

    Mostly, I feel sad for people that feel they need surgery to hit what I considered to be my first big milestone (50lbs). I can kind of understand 100lbs, especially for a shorter woman where that might constitute her being 2x her normal body weight... But the times it is saddest, for me, is when I converse with people that tell me they tried for 6 months then had surgery, where their most concentrated effort to try was during the diet leading to surgery, and prior to that, only stints on things like SlimFast.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,900 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    fvsp1213 wrote: »
    Lizarking wrote: »
    exercising to lose weight is dumb. Especially spending time on a treadmill to justify a candy bar.

    I'm a very short older woman. If I didn't exercise on my treadmill, I'd have the paltry caloric allowance of 1200 calories to create a 150 calorie deficit since my maintenance for being sedentary is 1,350 calories.

    I don't want to eat like a toddler.

    Can't say enough how awesomely true for me this is.

    My (maybe) unpopular opinion:

    Maybe you can eat crap food (hamburgers, soda, ice cream (weep a little), candy bars, milk shakes) and make it all fit into your calories for the day, but food is fuel for me, and my body doesn't function properly when I feed it garbage. Good for you if you can make it work. But I actually doubt even you (whoever you are) can make that work for a lifetime of health.

    A hamburger is bread, meat, and maybe some toppings. A body can easily use bread and meat as fuel. It's carbohydrates, protein, and fat -- three things I'm eating every day anyway. Also consider the micronutrients it contains like iron, B12, potassium, and B6 and I'm confused as to why anyone would think a hamburger is "garbage."

    I'd call hamburgers from McDonald's "garbage" in that their taste is vastly inferior to the burgers I make myself or get at local, non chain restaurants.

    In the context of that post, it didn't seem to be about taste. The statement was made that the individual's body wouldn't function properly on hamburgers. Given that everybody has different tastes, I think blanket statements about whole types of food being "garbage" don't make much sense. A McDonald's hamburger isn't for me or for you, that's fine. But many people do genuinely enjoy them.

    Interestingly, my OH, who eats fast food all the time, considers burgers as a whole to be junk food while I reserve my disdain for burgers that taste inferior to me.

    Just goes to show what an interesting term "junk food" is. Two people can use it and mean very different things.

    It's very interesting. You need to deconstruct the burger ingredients, form them into a "proper" meal, then call it a fancy name. It stops being junk food right away, and may even be called "healthy" and "high protein".

    Yeah, if I told you that I was making a hand-formed freshly-ground beef patty served on an artisan roll with aioli, local greens, heirloom tomatoes, bacon from a heritage pig, and small-batch cheese, most people probably wouldn't call that junk food . . . even if the macros were pretty much the same as another, less fancy, hamburger. Or maybe people would. I can't even guess anymore.

    As a vegan you may have to just trust me on this - there will be no comparison in taste.

    I haven't had a fast food burger since seeing the ammonia plants in Food, Inc., but for discussions like this, I had a bite of my OH's BK burger and it's just not the same as what I make at home or get at non-fast food chain restaurants.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    @Quasita thank you for the amazing testimony

    Thanks dear. I just wanted to share, because I think it's important to recognize (as many know anyway) that not all stories are the same, and we all have a different springboard for the things we do.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,900 Member
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    jseams1234 wrote: »
    Heres one: If you don't break a sweat during your workout you aren't working out.

    I find it amazing that so many out-of-shape people in my gym never seem to experience any discomfort and can walk out as clean and as dry as they walked in.

    ... or maybe it's just me. I end up looking like a miserable wet dog even on days where it's all weights and no cardio. lol

    ... or maybe they are in shape and I'm out of shape. hmmmmm

    In a well air conditioned gym I will not break a sweat while getting in a very good workout with weights. My ex, OTOH, would sweat like a pig in the same gym.

    In the summer when humidity and heat is high I will sweat upon walking out the door.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    I get my cardio in two main ways: 1) Fitness glider for 60 minutes. 2) Walking 2-3 hours either in a single stretch or 2 walks in the day at a 'leisurely' pace. If I get 2 hours of walking in, I skip the glider.

    (Sometimes, if I want to mix things up on the strength-training end, I'll do a workout that involves cardio and dumbbells, but that's maybe a once-a-week thing. Usually, I just do a strength-training workout plus the glider.)

    The glider makes me sweat. The cardio-dumbbell workout makes me sweat. The walks? Not so much unless it's a hot day. But I still get a workout.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    fvsp1213 wrote: »
    Lizarking wrote: »
    exercising to lose weight is dumb. Especially spending time on a treadmill to justify a candy bar.

    I'm a very short older woman. If I didn't exercise on my treadmill, I'd have the paltry caloric allowance of 1200 calories to create a 150 calorie deficit since my maintenance for being sedentary is 1,350 calories.

    I don't want to eat like a toddler.

    Can't say enough how awesomely true for me this is.

    My (maybe) unpopular opinion:

    Maybe you can eat crap food (hamburgers, soda, ice cream (weep a little), candy bars, milk shakes) and make it all fit into your calories for the day, but food is fuel for me, and my body doesn't function properly when I feed it garbage. Good for you if you can make it work. But I actually doubt even you (whoever you are) can make that work for a lifetime of health.

    A hamburger is bread, meat, and maybe some toppings. A body can easily use bread and meat as fuel. It's carbohydrates, protein, and fat -- three things I'm eating every day anyway. Also consider the micronutrients it contains like iron, B12, potassium, and B6 and I'm confused as to why anyone would think a hamburger is "garbage."

    I'd call hamburgers from McDonald's "garbage" in that their taste is vastly inferior to the burgers I make myself or get at local, non chain restaurants.

    In the context of that post, it didn't seem to be about taste. The statement was made that the individual's body wouldn't function properly on hamburgers. Given that everybody has different tastes, I think blanket statements about whole types of food being "garbage" don't make much sense. A McDonald's hamburger isn't for me or for you, that's fine. But many people do genuinely enjoy them.

    Interestingly, my OH, who eats fast food all the time, considers burgers as a whole to be junk food while I reserve my disdain for burgers that taste inferior to me.

    Just goes to show what an interesting term "junk food" is. Two people can use it and mean very different things.

    It's very interesting. You need to deconstruct the burger ingredients, form them into a "proper" meal, then call it a fancy name. It stops being junk food right away, and may even be called "healthy" and "high protein".

    Heh, same as pizza. Bread, meat, veggies, cheese. Perfectly acceptable in a sandwich, "junk food" when it's round.
  • limex
    limex Posts: 81 Member
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    Counting calories each day for a few years is one thing. But for those that do it, do you really envision doing it for 25+ years to come?

    Nope. My unpopular opinion is that it's a diet, not a lifestyle change (FOR ME). I like my lifestyle just the way it is, thank you very much. What I CAN see myself doing is counting calories for 1 month every year for the next 25+ years. Although I need to get better at that...I tend to let it go for a few years, then I need to diet for a few months.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,526 Member
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    rdridi12 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    rdridi12 wrote: »
    tattygun wrote: »
    rdridi12 wrote: »
    rdridi12 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    tattygun wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    tattygun wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    tattygun wrote: »
    The whole notion of 'functional strength' and that compound lifts are the be all and end all.

    Newb's concentrating on only compound lifts and not doing enough to build whats most important...mind muscle connection.

    Dedicating whole workouts to just abs....fkn LOL.

    The notion that a calorie is a calorie, no if one causes me to hold more water then they're not equal when it comes to my goals...which leads me to another...

    Water has just as much as a detrimental effect on the appearance of a physique than fat.

    The stigma attached to PED's...yet it's socially acceptable to take something that literally disables you (alcohol). People wasting time chasing ever dwindling results when they could transform their life, yet they're too scared of the social stigma to do what should be seen as normal.

    People being too reliant on what hey read rather than walking the walk. I will nearly always put more value on the advice of someone who's actually where I want to be, than some skinny fat MFPer clutching a science paper.



    I don't do "accessory" lifts...waste of time IMO...what's the point they don't help me achieve my goals...notice how that can be turned around using your logic

    Calories are a unit of measure and if a carb impacts "YOUR" goal that's one thing but for the majority of people it is a fact...and a calorie is just that...a calorie...but not sure that this is "unpopular" just debated a lot...

    PED's are a personal choice IMO...if you want to pump your body full of those things go ahead...but they are just as dangerous when abused as any other drug...including alcohol...again not that unpopular just those who want to use them vs those who don't are sure they are right.

    As for your last statement...are you saying that you wouldn't heed the advice of someone like oh..Arnold? he's not where you want to be...but probably was at some point...

    regardless of if someone now doesn't "look" how you think they should be doesn't mean they don't have good advice...

    I mean I know people who look good...and I wouldn't listen to their drivel ever...

    If creating a stronger mind muscle connection isn't part of your goals when you lift then I don't really know what to say to you, regardless, isolation exercises will achieve just that. Note how I don't say omit compounds.
    But not all people lift to make the mind/muscle connection a part of the goal. Some do it just to be active and keep basic strength up. Not all people are looking to increase mass nor have prominent body parts.
    Why do you mention a carb? Could be anything that causes the water retention. My point is 500 calories of McDonalds will have a more detrimental effect on the appearance of my physique than 500 calories of chicken and rice, regardless if the macro's are the same. IDC that they will both have the same effect on fat levels, I care about water retention too.
    But that doesn't change the fact that a calorie is a calorie. A liter of gas is different than a liter of water, but they are both still a liter. WHAT they do for someone is entirely different.
    The point I'm making about PED's has gone completely over your head. Yes I realise they can be just as dangerous as almost any drug, it's the fact there is a huge social stigma attached to taking them that I take issue with.
    I won't disagree here. The REAL issue with them is when KIDS are illegally taking them just to enhance their sports performance with no actual medical advice.
    It isn't about someone looking how 'I think' they should look. People can look however they want but if you're going to be doling out lifting advice AND telling other people they're wrong then yes, look the part. I'm interested in someone who's put the practical work in and actually lived it rather than geeked out on the theory but not actually gone and put the work in. This forum is a meme at this point for that one. Also again...note how I said I nearly always, not always because of course there are exceptions to the rule but I didn't think I need to put that so clearly...
    Well there are lots and lots of coaches out there who may not have played at a high level in a sport, but intricately know how to coach it. Look at coaching specialists like Hany Rambod. NEVER competed on the professional stage and I would hardly thought he was nothing more than a bro gym lifter based on his physique. You can actually figure out if someone really knows what they are talking about or not on here though.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png


    I'm saying though...if you lift, if you do yoga, if you run, basically if you do anything physical with the need to control your body then mind muscle connection SHOULD be an aim. Isolation work will help you achieve that and I feel like on this forum it's seen as the devil and a waste of time...which is entirely wrong.
    You don't need much mind/muscle connection to run. It's a natural movement that needs absolutely minimal training if any at all. You're thinking in terms of perfecting how people workout and many people just don't go that deep into it. Lots of great athletes do well with just reaction and pure talent and don't lift weights or anything else.
    Yes I take your point about Hany, hence why I said in nearly all cases plus I'm not talking about coaches because let's face it Hany HAS walked the walk. His yardstick is champions he's produced, not his own physique. It's the general forum member with limited experience, telling a seasoned gym goer they're wrong using parroted information, that's what i have a problem with.
    But how do you know that general forum member is wrong? There's a biochemical engineers on the forum who denounce how supplements actually work. They may not train like an athlete, but they damn sure know how chemistry actually works. And the reality is if they know how it works in the body, why wouldn't you believe them just because they haven't walked the walk?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png



    And you're a trainer genuinely implying that the mind muscle connection is not very important for every movement? Every movement is a "natural movement". The primal movements being push, pull, squat, bend, lunge, twist and yes gait. Just because it's a "natural movement" doesn't mean that it doesn't need to be using the correct muscles to be done most efficiently to prevent injuries.

    You learn using the correct muscles for a movement by doing the movement, not by using each of the involved muscles on its own.


    Thanks bud, I wasn't the one that said that.

    You're the one saying isolation exercises are important for the mind/muscle connection.

    No, I'm the one saying that.

    In fact what I originally said is I don't agree with the notion that compounds are the be all and end all and that I think isolation work is important.

    From my own experience I spent my formative years buying into the compounds only meme. I've spent the last 2 years trying to bring my arms up as they'd become disproportionately small to my torso. Had I incorporated some isolation work in from the beginning I would of had a much more balanced physique. The amount of people I see that REALLY need to do some isolation work on rear delts...well I'd say most people in the gym do.

    Isolation work is not the devil, it's necessary, your shoulders will thank you and that's one of my seemingly unpopular opinions!


    Hahah I am in the same boat! Arms will not grow proportionaly, still working on that contraction, back and chest, no problem, bi's and sometimes tri's, majorrrrr struggle.

    Might be from being and athlete and being more concerned with power and strength, never learned how to contract specific muscles until trying now when it's disproportionate. No clue though, still don't just think it's genetics though, I just feel like there's some mental piece I am missing.
    You do what you gotta do, but there are lots of bodybuilders out there who do everything they can to add mass to a body part and have trouble even with "help". Genetics does matter to an extent.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png



    I suppose I agree that genetics have a role to some degree, I just think WAYYYYYYY too many people use that as a cop out to quit or make an excuse. I will not use that excuse ever even if I am not "genetically" able to grow huge arms, whatever that means. I agree that muscle insertions and bone structure, things like that, can make it hard, but I still think genetics is a terrible excuse, unless you have TRULY done everything you can, and until the day you die, you always have another day to work.
    Anyone can DEFINITELY improve on any body part they want. Hard work, discipline and consistency isn't in many people's daily regimen's, so kudos to those that do have it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,166 Member
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    jseams1234 wrote: »
    Heres one: If you don't break a sweat during your workout you aren't working out.

    I find it amazing that so many out-of-shape people in my gym never seem to experience any discomfort and can walk out as clean and as dry as they walked in.

    ... or maybe it's just me. I end up looking like a miserable wet dog even on days where it's all weights and no cardio. lol

    ... or maybe they are in shape and I'm out of shape. hmmmmm

    I row regularly in a double (2-person rowing shell), with two different people. Me, I sweat like a lawn sprinkler. I'm that wet dog. M, my most frequent double partner, also sweats copiously. J, the other partner, might sweat a little if it's 90+ degrees F, otherwise, not much. Boat speed similar. Fitness pretty similar. I think all of us are getting a similarly good workout. I worry that J could have health issues if it's really hot outside, though. So far, hasn't happened.
  • waybetter2
    waybetter2 Posts: 4 Member
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    I think I jumped onto the wrong conversation. Not much understanding for those of us who are getting started on a new plan. I take full responsibility for my obesity- I have consistently eaten way too much food and exercised very little for many years. My joke was always, "It's not easy to maintain a figure like this." Most people thought it was funny except the people determined to feel sorry for me which, let's be clear, is a form of judgement. I have never expected or wanted anyone to feel bad for me, blamed anyone else for my weight, or missed out on things I wanted to do. Let's face it, I'm less active because I don't necessarily enjoy the activities others love. You might say it's the whole chicken vs egg thing but I was there. I've never been very active and have to make myself get out there and get physical every single time- it's never because it sounds like fun to me. I like healthy foods and I like junk foods and I eat a bunch of both. Seriously, kale, sweet potato, brown rice and a small pork chop for dinner one night, then Mac Donald's for lunch the next day. But I'm healthy whether you want to hear it or not. By all medical and mental health measures, I'm a healthy woman. I want to have more energy and I want to be thinner because clothes so I'm here to try to move the needle in that direction. Lot of judgy people around here though. Maybe I need to stay out of the chats and just do my thing. Yeah. Good luck to y'all. Be nice though, ok?
  • Sophannah2017
    Sophannah2017 Posts: 29 Member
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    Lol, loving the replies!!! I too drink Diet Coke and luurrvveee white pasta!!!
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