Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?

1202203205207208358

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    Most of this stuff (not just your mom, but in general) comes down to attention whoring, right? I mean narcissistic people pull this kind of crap all the time so they can be the center of attention.

    i think that's a little uncharitable. what i've noticed is how much of a social role food/eating plays for women.

    i mean, i have a great list of mfp friends who are all active and have tons of stuff going on in their lives. we still talk a whole ton about food. what we ate, whether we ate, why we ate, how we felt about it. in the right social context, it's fun.

    so, whatever. i have my gang of friends and we have our own ways of exchanging foodspeak. it's none of my business if i look over in a restaurant and a totally different group of people are trading their own form of it. it's not my personal thing, but it's not narcissism just because it's a different dialect from mine.

    Your MFP feed is a bit of a different scenario than in a restaurant though isn't it?

    My mum is definitely warped in the noggin.

    Yeah, that's the behavior I was talking about, not just the little dainty eaters.

    Her stuff is outta control.

    Like I said, I don't even notice other womens' eating or what/how they talk about it. Unless they start in on Monsanto or Taubes or some other woo-peddling. Then I make a mental note not to sit next to them again. I've been known to take a 10 minute walk.
  • NEOHgirl
    NEOHgirl Posts: 237 Member
    edited August 2017
    Regarding leftovers, I tend to keep a small cooler in my car in the summer and throw some reusable ice packs in before we head out. If I forget the ice packs, I will ask for a to-go container with ice in it. Sometimes the server might look at you funny, but when you explain why you need it, they get it. The practice has prevented a great deal of food waste, and saved me money over the years (because yay, two or three meals now for the price of one). I have also handed restaurant leftovers to homeless people instead of taking them home or back to the hotel, even when I've had the cooler ready.

    And I am on team "I don't care what other people think of the way I eat". They aren't the ones that have to pay my medical bills if I go back to being obese and eventually start dealing with obesity-related illnesses. I don't ask for their opinions and they don't have any rights to opinions about what I eat unless I DO ask. That doesn't prevent them from making comments sometimes (mostly coworkers spotting my healthy lunch while chowing down on fast food), but I call them out on it if they do.

    And I also don't believe in cheat days, simply because I don't consider it as cheating. I will occasionally eat differently than my standard plan, but usually it's a special event and it IS planned for in advance. Or I go over my daily calorie target but not by enough to erase all of the deficit. If I want fudge, I have it. Thankfully I only want it once or twice a year. But it's not cheating, because nothing is off limits.

    Edited to correct a typo.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,747 Member
    My unpopular opinion is that no matter how many miles you log over the years jogging, you will never get faster unless you do specific work to improve your pace - either with a coach or a set program. I have been a jogger since college which is a LOT of years. Believe me. And in spite of many miles logged (at one point up to a long 9 mile run weekly) I never really improved my pace that I could tell.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    NEOHgirl wrote: »
    Regarding leftovers, I tend to keep a small cooler in my car in the summer and throw some reusable ice packs in before we head out. If I forget the ice packs, I will ask for a to-go container with ice in it. Sometimes the server might look at you funny, but when you explain why you need it, they get it. The practice has prevented a great deal of food waste, and saved me money over the years (because yay, two or three meals now for the price of one). I have also handed restaurant leftovers to homeless people instead of taking them home or back to the hotel, even when I've had the cooler ready.

    And I am on team "I don't care what other people think of the way I eat". They aren't the ones that have to pay my medical bills if I go back to being obese and eventually start dealing with obesity-related illnesses. I don't ask for their opinions and they don't have any rights to opinions about what I eat unless I DO ask. That doesn't prevent them from making comments sometimes (mostly coworkers spotting my healthy lunch while chowing down on fast food), but I call them out on it if they do.

    And I also don't believe in cheat days, simply because I don't consider it as cheating. I will occasionally eat differently than my standard plan, but usually it's a special event and it IS planned for in advance. Or I go over my daily calorie target but not by enough to erase all of the deficit. If I want fudge, I have it. Thankfully I only want it once or twice a year. But it's not cheating, because nothing is off limits.

    Edited to correct a typo.

    I live in a country where medical is free so guess what I do pay...and sometimes even in the US the tax payers do pay too...medicad I believe it's called and the AHCA (afforable health care act...aka obamacare) isn't that tax payer funded as well?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    aeloine wrote: »
    I think that Keto is woo. Yes, I understand the concept of putting your body into ketosis but the way that people are using it as a diet is total woo. You're basically just cutting out some higher calorie foods.

    all weight loss methods fall under this then...and I mean all of them...and they all fall under IIFYM too when it comes down to it...just their Carb macro (for keto) is lower than mine.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    My unpopular opinion is that no matter how many miles you log over the years jogging, you will never get faster unless you do specific work to improve your pace - either with a coach or a set program. I have been a jogger since college which is a LOT of years. Believe me. And in spite of many miles logged (at one point up to a long 9 mile run weekly) I never really improved my pace that I could tell.

    I found that my pace improves when I run more miles, and that was especially the case when getting back into running after a long time off or (of course) when losing weight. I am sure the benefit decreases as you get faster without more specific workouts, but more than any speed work, my first goal tends to be setting a nice regular base of 30+ miles per week and then pushing that up some as I push up my long run.

    I'm more focused on the half or full marathon, though, not a fast 10K.
  • NEOHgirl
    NEOHgirl Posts: 237 Member
    [quote=
    I live in a country where medical is free so guess what I do pay...and sometimes even in the US the tax payers do pay too...medicad I believe it's called and the AHCA (afforable health care act...aka obamacare) isn't that tax payer funded as well?[/quote]

    ACA - Affordable Care Act/Obamacare is taxpayer funded if you are low-income and need the assistance. The AHCA was the failed one that the new administration tried to push through. I am gainfully employed, and pay a small portion of my premium, my employer pays the rest, but the taxpayers absolutely do not. In my situation, they aren't going to be paying my bills. You are very fortunate to live in a country where you don't have to worry about how to pay those bills yourself.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    edited August 2017
    how is this for unpopular...just because we do fleixble dieting or IIFYM doesn't mean we feel it's our duty to eat as much "fun" or "junk" or "non whole" foods as we can...

    a lot of the time we eat mostly nutrient dense whole foods and very rarely do we try to stuff in the treats...but we like knowing we can.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    My unpopular opinion is that no matter how many miles you log over the years jogging, you will never get faster unless you do specific work to improve your pace - either with a coach or a set program. I have been a jogger since college which is a LOT of years. Believe me. And in spite of many miles logged (at one point up to a long 9 mile run weekly) I never really improved my pace that I could tell.

    I found that my pace improves when I run more miles, and that was especially the case when getting back into running after a long time off or (of course) when losing weight. I am sure the benefit decreases as you get faster without more specific workouts, but more than any speed work, my first goal tends to be setting a nice regular base of 30+ miles per week and then pushing that up some as I push up my long run.

    I'm more focused on the half or full marathon, though, not a fast 10K.

    I'm the same way -- when I increase my miles per week, I get faster. This is without any specific focus improving my pace.
  • NEOHgirl
    NEOHgirl Posts: 237 Member
    edited August 2017
    @lemurcat12 - my coworkers don't make negative comments usually, but they do feel the need to comment. I keep a food scale, cutting board, and chef's knife here so I can prep a healthy lunch in our shared kitchen. Since they are watching me prep, they often feel obliged to chime in, usually about how good it looks or about how they wished they could eat the way I do. Years ago I started telling them that if they really wanted to, I'd be willing to make their lunch when I make mine if we could come to some financial arrangement. Over all of that time, only one person has ever taken me up on it. One of our VPs wanted to start his day off healthy and brought in a specific recipe for steel-cut oats that he was interested in but didn't know how to cook himself. He gave me money for ingredients and time and I prepped a batch every week that he (and I, we shared) could reheat. We stopped when it turned to summer, but we might pick it back up again in a month or two when the weather starts to turn.

    ETA: they've gotten used to me turning down office treats, but it took a while before they didn't give me the stink-eye when I said "no".
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
    I don't believe in cheat days. Why should I work hard to loose weight to then turn around and gain some back? Plus that'll make me crave those foods even more. I'm trying to change my lifestyle. Having cheat days won't help that I don't think. I know I won't always be perfect and sometimes I'll go over my calories but I haven't yet and I'm doing everything I can to be sure I don't start to.

    I both agree and disagree with what you said, but only for my own dieting practices (people do well on what they do well).

    The mentality of "cheating" is not for me because it would divide my days into two groups: cheat days, and waiting-for-cheat-days days. Can't deny it works for some people, but not me.

    Where we part is that I don't consider eating the foods I love which are higher in calories "cheating" and I'm not afraid of craving them. I include them in my diet whenever I feel like having them. It doesn't work for me to exclude foods and I don't see myself doing that years from now, so why start? I also don't consider temporary controlled weight gain a bad thing, as long as it's both temporary and controlled. Sometimes higher calorie days are part of my plan and I don't consider them an imperfection. Keeping my sanity will always be part of my plan.

    Well said. I agree.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    -I think keto/paleo/etc. are unsustainable fad diets.

    -You're not going to keel over if you enjoy fast food responsibly.

    -Ditto with pop/soda (diet and regular).

    -There are good carbs and bad carbs, good fats and bad fats.

    -Treat is treat, regardless of keto/paleo/low-fat/sugar-free/etc, some are just "less bad" than others. Halo Top is still ice cream ;)

    -Protein shakes and snacks (soy or whey based) are pointless and a waste of money. Not even my friend who lifts competitively will touch the stuff, her protein for building and maintaining muscle mass and strength comes from actual food.

    -Also, fruit smoothies are not as healthy as actually eating a piece of fruit.

    -You only need vitamins if you are truly deficient; if you eat a healthy balanced diet and have no medical conditions, you'll get all your body needs.

    -Slow metabolism? Then boost it naturally with good food, good sleep, and good exercise. (Certain medical conditions are different.)

    -Drink water when you're thirsty.

    -I have trust issues with anyone who says a fruit or vegetable is "bad" (potatoes, carrots, bananas, seriously???).

    Whew! Glad to get this all off my chest :D

    I think that some of this is valid but most is not...

    For example there is no good or bad...it's food and any food eaten to an excess is not healthy.
    Treats are not bad...see above
    Protein powders and or bars are not pointless...they can fill a void...but I think most mistake protein powder for other supplements...like BCAA's etc.
    Fruit smoothies sure are as healthy...most fruit smoothies are made with whole/real fruit.
    I don't have a medical condition but it was recommended I use Vitamin d and calcium due to BC issues..so some of those are good and won't hurt usually
    slow metabolism can only be increased with movement and/or increased muscle mass.
    drink water when you want to...
    anything over done is not healthy and can cause weight gain...for example too many potatoes will make you gain weight and can't be healthy...don't trust me now eh...
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    NEOHgirl wrote: »
    [quote=
    I live in a country where medical is free so guess what I do pay...and sometimes even in the US the tax payers do pay too...medicad I believe it's called and the AHCA (afforable health care act...aka obamacare) isn't that tax payer funded as well?

    ACA - Affordable Care Act/Obamacare is taxpayer funded if you are low-income and need the assistance. The AHCA was the failed one that the new administration tried to push through. I am gainfully employed, and pay a small portion of my premium, my employer pays the rest, but the taxpayers absolutely do not. In my situation, they aren't going to be paying my bills. You are very fortunate to live in a country where you don't have to worry about how to pay those bills yourself. [/quote]

    we do pay...through taxes..and that is my point. We pay more in taxes than we do on food and shelter combined, never mind the dental, eye, prescriptions etc that aren't covered.

    People have a right to say what they want if they pay...for example employers pay for a big chunk of yours then they have a right to say something to you about your weight if you are costing them money.

  • wmd1979
    wmd1979 Posts: 469 Member
    -I think keto/paleo/etc. are unsustainable fad diets.

    -You're not going to keel over if you enjoy fast food responsibly.

    -Ditto with pop/soda (diet and regular).

    -There are good carbs and bad carbs, good fats and bad fats.

    -Treat is treat, regardless of keto/paleo/low-fat/sugar-free/etc, some are just "less bad" than others. Halo Top is still ice cream ;)

    -Protein shakes and snacks (soy or whey based) are pointless and a waste of money. Not even my friend who lifts competitively will touch the stuff, her protein for building and maintaining muscle mass and strength comes from actual food.

    -Also, fruit smoothies are not as healthy as actually eating a piece of fruit.

    -You only need vitamins if you are truly deficient; if you eat a healthy balanced diet and have no medical conditions, you'll get all your body needs.

    -Slow metabolism? Then boost it naturally with good food, good sleep, and good exercise. (Certain medical conditions are different.)

    -Drink water when you're thirsty.

    -I have trust issues with anyone who says a fruit or vegetable is "bad" (potatoes, carrots, bananas, seriously???).

    Whew! Glad to get this all off my chest :D

    Oh, well since your friend won't touch protein powder, then clearly the rest of us who do are wrong. Seriously, this whole post is a train wreck. A treat is a treat? Cool. What is your point? Drink water when you are thirsty? How is that an unpopular opinion?
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
    edited August 2017
    -I think keto/paleo/etc. are unsustainable fad diets.

    -You're not going to keel over if you enjoy fast food responsibly.

    -Ditto with pop/soda (diet and regular).

    -There are good carbs and bad carbs, good fats and bad fats.

    -Treat is treat, regardless of keto/paleo/low-fat/sugar-free/etc, some are just "less bad" than others. Halo Top is still ice cream ;)

    -Protein shakes and snacks (soy or whey based) are pointless and a waste of money. Not even my friend who lifts competitively will touch the stuff, her protein for building and maintaining muscle mass and strength comes from actual food.

    -Also, fruit smoothies are not as healthy as actually eating a piece of fruit.

    -You only need vitamins if you are truly deficient; if you eat a healthy balanced diet and have no medical conditions, you'll get all your body needs.

    -Slow metabolism? Then boost it naturally with good food, good sleep, and good exercise. (Certain medical conditions are different.)

    -Drink water when you're thirsty.

    -I have trust issues with anyone who says a fruit or vegetable is "bad" (potatoes, carrots, bananas, seriously???).

    Whew! Glad to get this all off my chest :D

    Some people can sustain keto or paleo or something else; if so, good for them. I can't. (So I mostly agree)

    Agree on the fast food and soda.

    As far as the body is concerned, carbs are carbs (talking about the macromolecule here, maybe you mean something different). They are broken down into glucose. Some foods high in carbs may have better overall nutritional content than others, but within a healthy diet, there aren't "good" and "bad" carbs. Similar for fats, with the exception of trans-fatty acids.

    Not sure your point on the "treat is treat" ... are you saying Halo Top is still ice cream for those who think it shouldn't be classified as such (because they don't like it) or for those who think they are doing themselves a favor for eating it over Talenti?

    Protein shakes and snacks can be helpful for some people. It's still food (whey is from milk, soy is from soybeans). I use them when I need something quick and easy to get me to the next meal but also want protein (I have hypoglycemia and sometimes need something NOW, but it should have carb and protein)

    Fruit smoothies made from, you know, actual fruit, would be just as good as the whole fruit (assuming I put the whole thing in the blender, which I do). Don't confuse smoothies with juices. Of course, the smoothies you buy at the shops or as frozen stuff in the stores may not be just fruit, but often have sugar added, so you could have a point there.

    [To really set you off :wink: my favorite smoothies are made from banana, frozen fruit, protein powder, plus some leafy greens and other veggies)

    Mostly agree on vitamins. But I was raised to take them and I still do. It's a little assurance for the bad days and, at worst, I'm getting expensive pee.

    Agree on "boosting metabolism" with exercise. Good food and proper sleep help you feel better but I don't know that they change metabolic rates. (Do you have sources? I'd love to read more about it.)

    Agree on drinking when thirsty as opposed to the "8 cups a day" rule. That's what you mean, right?

    Agree on fruits and veggies, with a caveat - medical conditions. Allergies, diabetes, or UC may limit some people's choices, making a fruit or veggie bad for them.

    :smiley:

    edited because I forgot the smoothies point at first.
This discussion has been closed.