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Fitness and diet myths that just won't go away
Replies
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Weirdly if I add black olives I can do without dressing.
I mostly don't want to though so I use some light or homemade ranch (greek yogurt + seasoning packet) or, if spinach, a raspberry vingar.1 -
Upon reading my own post, I realize just how bizarre it sounds to me compared to who I was growing up. I barely tolerated veggies as a kid, and after moving out on my own I never ate veggies, period. Until I met my wife, and though I am the cook of the family, she insisted I add vegetables to every meal, and eat a large portion as a demonstration to our kids. Turns out my tastes have changed from when I was younger, and now I actually LIKE most veggies (certain exceptions remain). Weird.
I also enjoy salads with the dressing on the side. The very first change I ever did, years and years ago from when I tried Weight Watchers. It has stuck with me this whole time.
Usually I am served a salad with about two teaspoons of dressing next to the salad, in a tiny silicone bowl. And almost always 90% of the dressing goes right back to the kitchen.
I will dip a corner of the salad item in the dressing. But it’s just the tiniest bit.
Also? Before I get blocked and reported….
Soap tastes like cilantro
😂1 -
wunderkindking wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Blocked and reported.
I'm probably being dense right now, but was this an attempt at humor I don't understand? Or did I somehow offend in a way I don't understand?
Reminds me of my cell phone game I play. I created an account named after a character in my novel, played for years with that name. Now out of the blue, in the chat rooms, my account name is bleeped out as somehow offensive, no explanation given, just bleeped out, whether I'm posting or somebody is citing me by name. So confused...
She's just teasing you about your preference for dry salad.
This, but I'm the dude in the picture. The ultra fine woman is my wife. lol2 -
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Carlos_421 wrote: »wunderkindking wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Blocked and reported.
I'm probably being dense right now, but was this an attempt at humor I don't understand? Or did I somehow offend in a way I don't understand?
Reminds me of my cell phone game I play. I created an account named after a character in my novel, played for years with that name. Now out of the blue, in the chat rooms, my account name is bleeped out as somehow offensive, no explanation given, just bleeped out, whether I'm posting or somebody is citing me by name. So confused...
She's just teasing you about your preference for dry salad.
This, but I'm the dude in the picture. The ultra fine woman is my wife. lol
I. I should have read your username, huh? Oops!0 -
wunderkindking wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »wunderkindking wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Blocked and reported.
I'm probably being dense right now, but was this an attempt at humor I don't understand? Or did I somehow offend in a way I don't understand?
Reminds me of my cell phone game I play. I created an account named after a character in my novel, played for years with that name. Now out of the blue, in the chat rooms, my account name is bleeped out as somehow offensive, no explanation given, just bleeped out, whether I'm posting or somebody is citing me by name. So confused...
She's just teasing you about your preference for dry salad.
This, but I'm the dude in the picture. The ultra fine woman is my wife. lol
I. I should have read your username, huh? Oops!
Haha! The hair steals the photo so it's understandable. lol2 -
wunderkindking wrote: »Weirdly if I add black olives I can do without dressing.
I mostly don't want to though so I use some light or homemade ranch (greek yogurt + seasoning packet) or, if spinach, a raspberry vingar.
I love olives on salad and often add them, but when I don't use them or anything else with fat I prefer to have at least a little olive oil in the dressing (mixed with vinegar), but will use less than with a traditional vinaigrette. If the salad is higher cal, I might cut cals in the dressing by using just vinegar and a spicy mustard. I like the mix of veg and at least a little dressing, however.0 -
Getting back to the original topic -
You burn more calories in cold weather, so it's OK to eat a a little more over the winter.
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wunderkindking wrote: »Weirdly if I add black olives I can do without dressing.
I mostly don't want to though so I use some light or homemade ranch (greek yogurt + seasoning packet) or, if spinach, a raspberry vingar.
I love olives on salad and often add them, but when I don't use them or anything else with fat I prefer to have at least a little olive oil in the dressing (mixed with vinegar), but will use less than with a traditional vinaigrette. If the salad is higher cal, I might cut cals in the dressing by using just vinegar and a spicy mustard. I like the mix of veg and at least a little dressing, however.
...I hadn't pinged that they're a fat source. Yeah that and the salt is likely why they make the salad a thing I can eat and enjoy without dressing. THANK YOU!2 -
Getting back to the original topic -
You burn more calories in cold weather, so it's OK to eat a a little more over the winter.
Well. Shivering burns calories. That's not what anyone means though and most people dont' choose to stay long in any environment where they start shivering.1 -
dralicephd wrote: »
Today she still has a lot of ranch, but she has cut her former drenching in half. And she's down over 30 pounds. Coincidence?
In case you haven't tried: yogurt-based dressings are usually great substitutes for the cream-based dressings. They taste creamy and are half the calories. The one I like is 45 calories for 2 tablespoons. Maybe she'd like that? She could go back to her normal "drenching" with less calories.
I really like Primal Kitchen dressings. They are avocado based so good on the healthy fats. The downside is that if you like to drench they are 120cals for 2tbs. The upside is, a little goes a long way. I only use 1tbs.
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Lol, it's funny when you read about people posting drinking ice cold water and taking cold showers to burn more calories. If you did both in a day, you MIGHT burn an extras 10 calories.Getting back to the original topic -
You burn more calories in cold weather, so it's OK to eat a a little more over the winter.
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
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Hey, 10 calories per day means a pound a year...5
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At the gym today, saw a guy doing cable pulldowns, and with the last rep he stood up quickly as he released the weight, because hey, his work was done, right? Reminded me of a misconception more than a myth, where people believe it's pushing against gravity which generates the most muscle, so they flop through the lowering portion as fast as possible to get ready for the next push/pull up. Perhaps it does create the most power, but actually it's the negatives, or lowering with gravity but under control, which actually generates the most potential for muscular growth.4
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Correct. Progressive band resistance training doesn't get the same results because the eccentric movement isn't the same. And eccentric movement is what causes the microtears in muscle.At the gym today, saw a guy doing cable pulldowns, and with the last rep he stood up quickly as he released the weight, because hey, his work was done, right? Reminded me of a misconception more than a myth, where people believe it's pushing against gravity which generates the most muscle, so they flop through the lowering portion as fast as possible to get ready for the next push/pull up. Perhaps it does create the most power, but actually it's the negatives, or lowering with gravity but under control, which actually generates the most potential for muscular growth.
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
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goal06082021 wrote: »Speakeasy76 wrote: »goal06082021 wrote: »Speakeasy76 wrote: »goal06082021 wrote: »Speakeasy76 wrote: »I'm sure someone has already stated this one.
My mother hammered it into my head since the age of ten.
Thin = Healthy
No matter what it takes for you to get/be/stay thin.
A corollary to this is it doesn't really matter what you eat to lose weight/stay at a healthy weight, it's how much. I mean technically, yes, but how healthy is the "thin" person that eats mostly junk? I can almost guarantee a person that maybe is a bit overweight who eats mostly nutritious foods is healthier than the skinny fat person who eats junk.
BYW, I think the whole HAES movement is also a myth, too.
There's a tweet or Tumblr post or something floating around the intermajig about someone who was complimented on how "healthy" they looked because their stomach was flat while they were actively addicted to and regularly using heroin.
I'm not deep in the HAES community but my understanding of "health at every size" is that the focus is more on taking care of and getting care for the body that you do actually have, rather than snarking/criticizing/punishing larger bodies basically just for existing, and not taking into account the history or needs or feelings of the actual human people inhabiting those bodies. My understanding was that the movement developed in response to the medical community at large basically dismissing complaints by fat people. Again, I'm not part of the community, but I've heard about it and this is what I've gleaned from, like, Instagram posts and the occasional blog.
If that's the true mission, then I can get behind that and I think overall it seems like a good alternative to only focusing on weight as a measure of health. I personally think it's better to focus on making healthier food choices and getting more active as a way to achieve better health and weight loss. When I shifted my focus to that instead of getting to a certain size, it made it a lot easier. I still think that there are increased health risks with being obese, and to deny that is disingenuous. It seems like maybe what some are doing are using the movement to justify that you can still be morbidly obese and not have a greater risk for disease as long as you exercise and eat mostly nutrient-dense food (or think you do).
I think the point is more that you actually can't know how healthy a person is just by looking at them, and even if you could make a statistically-supported guess (based on anything, weight or otherwise), the more important thing is that it's not actually your business in any way.
I don't know, I think a person's appearance can actually tell you a lot about their health, and I don't just mean their size (skin color, hair, the way the move, etc.). You're right that it is none of my business what someone chooses to with their body, but I am allowed to disagree with statements that obesity in and of itself doesn't increase risk of health complications.
Sure, but again...you cannot know an individual's actual risk of anything just by looking at them. And if you do decide to speculate about a specific stranger's body, which is a weird thing to do but you're free to spend your time however you like I guess...keep it to yourself.
Humans evolved to make judgements about an individual's health and longevity risks based on their appearance. That's part of why physical attraction is part of selecting a mate, and it's why people tend to avoid people who look sick. This is built into our nature.4 -
It's so subjective on attraction though because realistically with all the issues that come with being really overweight, a lot of people today don't seem to put a lot of emphasis on it much anymore.NorthCascades wrote: »goal06082021 wrote: »Speakeasy76 wrote: »goal06082021 wrote: »Speakeasy76 wrote: »goal06082021 wrote: »Speakeasy76 wrote: »I'm sure someone has already stated this one.
My mother hammered it into my head since the age of ten.
Thin = Healthy
No matter what it takes for you to get/be/stay thin.
A corollary to this is it doesn't really matter what you eat to lose weight/stay at a healthy weight, it's how much. I mean technically, yes, but how healthy is the "thin" person that eats mostly junk? I can almost guarantee a person that maybe is a bit overweight who eats mostly nutritious foods is healthier than the skinny fat person who eats junk.
BYW, I think the whole HAES movement is also a myth, too.
There's a tweet or Tumblr post or something floating around the intermajig about someone who was complimented on how "healthy" they looked because their stomach was flat while they were actively addicted to and regularly using heroin.
I'm not deep in the HAES community but my understanding of "health at every size" is that the focus is more on taking care of and getting care for the body that you do actually have, rather than snarking/criticizing/punishing larger bodies basically just for existing, and not taking into account the history or needs or feelings of the actual human people inhabiting those bodies. My understanding was that the movement developed in response to the medical community at large basically dismissing complaints by fat people. Again, I'm not part of the community, but I've heard about it and this is what I've gleaned from, like, Instagram posts and the occasional blog.
If that's the true mission, then I can get behind that and I think overall it seems like a good alternative to only focusing on weight as a measure of health. I personally think it's better to focus on making healthier food choices and getting more active as a way to achieve better health and weight loss. When I shifted my focus to that instead of getting to a certain size, it made it a lot easier. I still think that there are increased health risks with being obese, and to deny that is disingenuous. It seems like maybe what some are doing are using the movement to justify that you can still be morbidly obese and not have a greater risk for disease as long as you exercise and eat mostly nutrient-dense food (or think you do).
I think the point is more that you actually can't know how healthy a person is just by looking at them, and even if you could make a statistically-supported guess (based on anything, weight or otherwise), the more important thing is that it's not actually your business in any way.
I don't know, I think a person's appearance can actually tell you a lot about their health, and I don't just mean their size (skin color, hair, the way the move, etc.). You're right that it is none of my business what someone chooses to with their body, but I am allowed to disagree with statements that obesity in and of itself doesn't increase risk of health complications.
Sure, but again...you cannot know an individual's actual risk of anything just by looking at them. And if you do decide to speculate about a specific stranger's body, which is a weird thing to do but you're free to spend your time however you like I guess...keep it to yourself.
Humans evolved to make judgements about an individual's health and longevity risks based on their appearance. That's part of why physical attraction is part of selecting a mate, and it's why people tend to avoid people who look sick. This is built into our nature.
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
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Thanks! Informative/Insightful
This has been a great read with a lot of funny moments.
-Fuel * Burn * Repeat!1 -
Ugh, sadly I saw a dietitian recently who couldn't have been more than mid-late 20s (so fairly recent graduate) who gave me the whole "fat makes you fat, always choose the low fat alternative" spiel. There's a chestnut I wish would die.9
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Currently annoyed by the whole 'I need to change it up/do something extreme to break through my plateau' idea.
1) unless it's been a month/menstrual cycle or more, it's not a plateau, but a stall
2) in case of a stall, just be patient, it's a normal part of weight loss, weight loss is not linear. Could be water retention from exercise, hormonal cycle, hot weather, or even stress from eating too little if your deficit is large (in which case reducing intake even further would be counterproductive)2 -
Yeah, there have been so many of those, but hopefully they are learning from advice.Currently annoyed by the whole 'I need to change it up/do something extreme to break through my plateau' idea.
1) unless it's been a month/menstrual cycle or more, it's not a plateau, but a stall
2) in case of a stall, just be patient, it's a normal part of weight loss, weight loss is not linear. Could be water retention from exercise, hormonal cycle, hot weather, or even stress from eating too little if your deficit is large (in which case reducing intake even further would be counterproductive)
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
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cwolfman13 wrote: »"Go hard or go home"...
This notion really hurt me for a lot of years. I was unaware that I had a mast cell disorder and too many histamines built up in my system causes symptoms similar to the flu. When you work out, especially when you go hard, your muscles produce histamines, and my body is unable to clear them properly. I would go to the gym and go hard, then I'd be in bed sick for several days. Obviously, it gave me a terrible aversion to working out.
Once I was diagnosed and understood what was causing it, I learned to work out much more gently. It's still important to move, but I'll walk 20 minutes on the treadmill at 3 mph instead of an hour at 5 mph.
I'll go slow, lift less, and rest longer. I got kind of self conscious about judgments at the gym, so I bought a treadmill and I work at home.
The lighter workouts are a good fit for me because I am able to work out without making myself sick, but I think it's important for other people too. Because if you always feel like you have to go all out, you might put it off, while if you give yourself permission to just do a ten minute walk, you can fit that in without changing clothes or special equipment. The important thing is to just move.
I've applied this in other areas too. I'll go out in the garden and a light chore - or part of a chore, and give myself permission to stop. By the end of the week I've gotten so much done with what felt like very little effort.
Most importantly, it's working!! After months of the scale not budging with all that hard work, it has finally started to move in the right direction with more gentle workouts. I'm down 20 lbs since June! I'm really excited about it.1 -
Kudos, @silverhawk! Though admittedly, I'm not sure what part of your response was your contribution and which part was from @cwolfman13.0
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My favorite myth is the Fasting=Starving.
Starving exists. Starvation mode doesn't.
As Dr. Jason Fung points out: Fasting is like running because you are doing a 5K. Starving is like running because the lion is chasing you. Not the same.1 -
That lifting weights as you get older is too dangerous. We’ve had conversations about whether heavy deadlifts are age appropriate on here, but I am still astounded by medical personnel who think people over a certain age shouldn’t lift - regardless of weight. I’ve been told many times that I should ease back on my lifting and do something “easier” like Pilates or yoga (and that’s probably another fitness myth - I don’t think either of those is easier!).3
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Indeed. There are good reasons why we talk about something being "clinically relevant". All the popular "nudges" may well have a theoretical effect but the relevant question is not whether they are true or not, but whether the effect, if there is one, is clinically relevant and for how long.
Lol, it's funny when you read about people posting drinking ice cold water and taking cold showers to burn more calories. If you did both in a day, you MIGHT burn an extras 10 calories.Getting back to the original topic -
You burn more calories in cold weather, so it's OK to eat a a little more over the winter.
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
I happen to love shaved ice with Crystal Light when I am feeling really hot, but would I do that for weight loss? Of course not. That said, if it would replace something that is higher in calories, there would be a win, but only because it is better (or less bad) than the alternative.
So, as a replacement, sure, as an addition, not so much.
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It is not only a matter of "easier" but also a matter of being "less dangerous". Older people are at higher risk of osteoporosis, and lifting weights is very dangerous for them. Whether or not it is actually harmful will depend on their specific situation, which is why a conversation with a doctor is recommended before doing any exercise, including weight lifting. While such conversations (and acting on them) may not eliminate bad outcomes, they will almost certainly reduce their probability.claireychn074 wrote: »That lifting weights as you get older is too dangerous. We’ve had conversations about whether heavy deadlifts are age appropriate on here, but I am still astounded by medical personnel who think people over a certain age shouldn’t lift - regardless of weight. I’ve been told many times that I should ease back on my lifting and do something “easier” like Pilates or yoga (and that’s probably another fitness myth - I don’t think either of those is easier!).0 -
BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
It is not only a matter of "easier" but also a matter of being "less dangerous". Older people are at higher risk of osteoporosis, and lifting weights is very dangerous for them. Whether or not it is actually harmful will depend on their specific situation, which is why a conversation with a doctor is recommended before doing any exercise, including weight lifting. While such conversations (and acting on them) may not eliminate bad outcomes, they will almost certainly reduce their probability.claireychn074 wrote: »That lifting weights as you get older is too dangerous. We’ve had conversations about whether heavy deadlifts are age appropriate on here, but I am still astounded by medical personnel who think people over a certain age shouldn’t lift - regardless of weight. I’ve been told many times that I should ease back on my lifting and do something “easier” like Pilates or yoga (and that’s probably another fitness myth - I don’t think either of those is easier!).
That's more a question of how much weight to lift, and how, rather than whether to lift any at all. Some weight training is recommended for people with osteoporosis . . . yes, it's good to consult one's doctor. (NB: I have osteoporosis.) Not all old people have osteoporosis (noting a distinction between osteopenia and osteoporosis).
@claireychn074 has been lifting seriously for quite some time now. Also, she has a point about Pilates or yoga, either of which can create pretty major stresses on the body, depending on what's being done. Common cautions for someone with active osteoporosis/osteopenia include taking special care with twisting or bending the spine, for example.
Exercise advice to "old people" tends not to be very nuanced, and tends toward that tyranny of low expectations I've mentioned on this and other threads. We are not all the same.
Anyone and everyone who's not an experienced exerciser would benefit from consulting their physician about cautions, especially if that person is quite out of shape.3 -
Which is precisely why I wrote "very dangerous" and not "very harmful". I am making a distinction between danger and harmfulness, because I am a proponent of the dictionary definition in this case: "able or likely to cause physical injury" (source: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dangerous).BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
It is not only a matter of "easier" but also a matter of being "less dangerous". Older people are at higher risk of osteoporosis, and lifting weights is very dangerous for them. Whether or not it is actually harmful will depend on their specific situation, which is why a conversation with a doctor is recommended before doing any exercise, including weight lifting. While such conversations (and acting on them) may not eliminate bad outcomes, they will almost certainly reduce their probability.claireychn074 wrote: »That lifting weights as you get older is too dangerous. We’ve had conversations about whether heavy deadlifts are age appropriate on here, but I am still astounded by medical personnel who think people over a certain age shouldn’t lift - regardless of weight. I’ve been told many times that I should ease back on my lifting and do something “easier” like Pilates or yoga (and that’s probably another fitness myth - I don’t think either of those is easier!).
That's more a question of how much weight to lift, and how, rather than whether to lift any at all. Some weight training is recommended for people with osteoporosis . . . yes, it's good to consult one's doctor. (NB: I have osteoporosis.) Not all old people have osteoporosis (noting a distinction between osteopenia and osteoporosis).
There is indeed an official distinction between osteopenia and osteoporosis. That distinction is a controversial one, not everybody agrees with it and even if they do, they don't necessarily agree with the precise numbers or even the ranges that have been proposed.
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BartBVanBockstaele wrote: »
It is not only a matter of "easier" but also a matter of being "less dangerous". Older people are at higher risk of osteoporosis, and lifting weights is very dangerous for them. Whether or not it is actually harmful will depend on their specific situation, which is why a conversation with a doctor is recommended before doing any exercise, including weight lifting. While such conversations (and acting on them) may not eliminate bad outcomes, they will almost certainly reduce their probability.claireychn074 wrote: »That lifting weights as you get older is too dangerous. We’ve had conversations about whether heavy deadlifts are age appropriate on here, but I am still astounded by medical personnel who think people over a certain age shouldn’t lift - regardless of weight. I’ve been told many times that I should ease back on my lifting and do something “easier” like Pilates or yoga (and that’s probably another fitness myth - I don’t think either of those is easier!).
I have recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis, specifically in my spine. I've been lifting for roughly 10 years now and, per a chiropractor and a physiotherapist, I need to continue lifting. My GP knows nothing about exercise, I don't even ask her.6
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