Confused About Conflicting Information
Wafflecatcassie
Posts: 33
I've been doing some research to help me with my weight loss (I'm trying to lose 20 lbs, but I'd be happy with 10). I've read books and gone to sights and asked for advice and I never seen to get the same answer on anything.
Some examples:
Sprinting is better than distance running for losing weight. Distance running is better than sprinting for losing weight
Nut butter is good - eat as much as you like. Nut butter is OK in moderation. NUT BUTTER IS THE DEVIL! AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS!
Eat fish. Don't eat fish.
Whey Protein won't help you lose weight. Whey Protein will help you lose weight.
Eat this many calories. Eat that many calories.
Lift heavy with a low number of reps. Lift light with a lot of reps.
Do sit ups. Don't do sit ups.
Etc...etc...etc...
I'm sure you all get the point. I'm so confused by all this conflicting information. This is just a handful of the information I looked up and the actual answers I got. Some were even from the same website @_@; Why can't there just be one answer for a question? Or how to do I know where to find the right answers? I really don't have the time or means to just be experimenting.
Some examples:
Sprinting is better than distance running for losing weight. Distance running is better than sprinting for losing weight
Nut butter is good - eat as much as you like. Nut butter is OK in moderation. NUT BUTTER IS THE DEVIL! AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS!
Eat fish. Don't eat fish.
Whey Protein won't help you lose weight. Whey Protein will help you lose weight.
Eat this many calories. Eat that many calories.
Lift heavy with a low number of reps. Lift light with a lot of reps.
Do sit ups. Don't do sit ups.
Etc...etc...etc...
I'm sure you all get the point. I'm so confused by all this conflicting information. This is just a handful of the information I looked up and the actual answers I got. Some were even from the same website @_@; Why can't there just be one answer for a question? Or how to do I know where to find the right answers? I really don't have the time or means to just be experimenting.
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Replies
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What I always have to remind myself is that everything just goes back to calories in-calories out. I think it's really easy to make it a lot more difficult. Exercise of any kind is good, protein feeds your muscles, and you need fat to survive0
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You will lose weight if you have a caloric deficit. It kind of doesnt matter what you eat. The you should eat this vs you shouldnt eat that, has more to do with your protien/fat/carb/sodium... intake.
I hope that clears things up, and you also get feed back from other users.0 -
I have seen a lot of this too and have also seen a lot of negative feedback on things that I know work for me. I think it is really trial and error. Fins what you like , find what works, find what is healthy and you need to learn what is opinion stated as fact ( ans you will see a lot of it here on MFP especially) and what is actually factual information. It took me months to find what works for me and I actually lost weight 3 different ways so now I am finding what I like better. Try sources that have nothing to gain from the info they are putting out too. A weightlifting sight wouldn't really advocate cardio and vice versa.0
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There really are few "right" answers. Everyone is different and no one approach works for 100% of the population. There's a ton of information at our fingertips, thanks to the Internet. Some of it is well thought out and well researched with scientific methods...some of it, not so much.
There are some things that are agreed on by many experts. For example: Eat whole foods (less processed stuff) as much as possible. Include fruits and vegetables, whole grains (less "refined" carbs/sugars), lean proteins, and low-fat dairy to your eating plan (I hesitate to say diet). Drink water. Move more. Treat yourself within moderation. Get a good night's sleep.
You really will have to "experiment" to find what works best for you. Good luck!0 -
One rule in weightloss will always apply....calories consumed < calories burned, whether you get those calories from nut butters, fish or any other food it doesn't matter.
However if you want to be healthier then you should choose food rich in micronutrients (Vitamins & Minerals) and make sure you get adequate protein to build and maintain muscle (More muscle burns more calories, keeping the weight off) and fat to maintain vital organ & reproductive functions.
As for exercise it depends on your goals0 -
If you like running as a hobby (not just as a workout you feel you HAVE TO do or you won't keep it up) Interval is the fastest way to get more results faster, but you shouldn't be focused so much on losing weight fast rather than looking for a lasting solution to weight loss.
Nut butters are high in calories. Everything is fine in moderation, if you enjoy them, have them. But realize how many calories you are inputting into your body. You always want to have less calories going in than what your burning throughout the day.
Fish is great protein, if you enjoy eating it.. Have it.. But remember moderation, its easy to get bored of a certain food.
Whey protein won't help you lose weight, but is a good substitute if you are not getting enough protein for your day. Not having enough protein can hinder your ability to build muscle and keep your body working.
Calories in being less than calories burned in a day means weight loss.
Lifting heavy is fine for people who know how to do it without hurting themselves, I always recommend starting with high reps low sets of a lower weight, but at the end of about 15 reps, you do want to feel like you cannot lift another one without a break, and then do it again.
Sit ups are great, but you always have to be sure to be putting stress on your body in order to see change. Doing 15 sit ups everyday will eventually not help you at all.
I hope this helps!0 -
The worst part is, all of this can be true, and yet not true!
You have to determine what sort of fitness you desire, and pursue the food or exercise that will take you in that direction.
Then do whatever works for you.
Develop your BS detector so you can filter the faddists and bro-science out. Listen to REAL experts, with peer-reviewed studies to back them up.
I can give you a thousand anecdotes. It doesn't make them evidence.
Learn the difference between causation and correlation.
There's a good start.0 -
To add to previous posts, lifting heavier weights is anaerobic exercise and will help you build muscle more, whereas lifting lighter weights is more akin to an aerobic exercise. Going heavier is generally better.0
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What I always have to remind myself is that everything just goes back to calories in-calories out. I think it's really easy to make it a lot more difficult. Exercise of any kind is good, protein feeds your muscles, and you need fat to survive
This is it ^^^. Other then this, find what you enjoy and do it! Make it a lifestyle instead of a diet which has a beginning and end. Log everything and use this great MFP tool to help you. Good luck!0 -
Since you have done some research and are finding out that everyone has a different opinion on what works... the main thing about losing weight (to me) is finding a program that keeps you motivated to stay with it long enough to see results. Whether you do the 'Eat right for your type' system, Atkins/South Beach Diet system, Mediterranean diet, mono diet, etc. any long term success story with any of those diets has to include STAYING WITH THE PROGRAM. If losing weight was easy we wouldn't have more than a couple of diet authors out there; the market has so many dieting systems because people can't sick with the program they choose and need to find something else. If you choose to lose weight and keep it off you will have to adapt your lifestyle to include making the program's suggestions a permanent part of your routine until it is second nature. I'm sure that the advise each program gives works within that program and that there is a doctor somewhere that supports that program's eating routine being effective but just as the medical community can't make up their minds whether whole eggs are healthy or not (ever notice the opinion switches every 5 years or so?) there will be someone out there with a degree to say the opposite.0
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A good rule of thumb is to look at the source of the information. Who is making money off of the website? If it's something sponsored by the Peanut Farmers Association (I'm making up a name), then they will probably play up the benefits of the oils found in nut butter. If they want you to buy cream cheese, they will point out all the bad things.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I think the key is to look at everything out there with a touch of skepticism and approach all foods in moderation. Even something that is mostly fat can have some health benefits (omega 3s for example).
As for weight loss: if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight over time. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight over time. You have to find out what will work for you, on a consistent basis, that ends up with you burning more calories than you eat and not give up. It's that simple.
As for something like running sprints or long distance, they both burn more calories than sitting on the couch, so they both will help. The question is which one you want to do.0 -
Losing weight honestly is the easy part. I've been a pro at it. I've probably lost around 400lbs in my life. The problem is maintenance is the hardest pat.
So here's my best advice for people looking for long-term weight loss.
Day one of your "diet" should actually be day one of your new lifestyle. If you see a diet as a quick fix, then it will also be a short fix.
The way you choose to increase your activity needs to be something you like to do, otherwise eventually you will quit and gain weight back.
*I recommend trying a bunch of different activities, from strength training to zumba to just going for daily hikes. Anything you choose to do will increase your calorie output.
* For arguments sake, strength training will give you better long-term affects, as it pumps up the right hormones and the process of building muscle increases metabolism after your done working out. Even if you just strength train once a week for 30 minutes it will give you a benefit.
Then comes to diet. Forget everything you read, no food is ALL bad. Even "junk food" serves a purpose and can help you lose weight by providing you an emotional boost.
The above posters are correct, calories are what really matter. 6 meals a day does not give you a metabolism boost, and you can most definitely eat before bed and even have a large dinner if you are within your calorie goals.
This is liberating because you can customize your lifestyle to the way you like to eat.
Like I said about exercise, the plan you choose for weight loss also needs to become your long-term eating lifestyle. Or there's a good chance you will fall into the same dietary traps as before. This is why no food should be off limits. If you feel deprived or miserable, then there's a good chance it won't last long.
While it is calories in versus out, I recommend having protein and fiber with each meal as it will keep your hunger away.0 -
Calories in vs calories out - that's the rule I am going by and sticking with it - I will of course endeavour to eat things which are good for my body and will keep me full longer, but I no longer subscribe to the idea of eliminating food groups to lose weight. This site enables my "diet" (new lifestyle) to be completely sustainable because I have stopped depriving myself of things.0
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Thanks for the replies. It's just so stressful trying to figure this all out, and I know that isn't healthy at all.
About the calories in vs. calories out....that confuses me a bit.
I was told I should eat 1780 calories on days I work out at and least my BMR (1562) on days I don't. So does this mean I need to find a way to burn every calorie I eat each day? Or...what?
Also...some of the information I've been using I got from my trainer when I used to go to a gym (aka...when I could afford to). That helped...and some of the things I remember doing where drinking a protein shake every day and eating peanut butter. I don't know if it's good to go on old information or not...I was in my teens/early 20's at the time (I'm 27 now).
Do different things effect your body differently during different times of your life?0 -
That's the way to do it,, any site that is sponsored or owned by so and so tends to be very bias.A good rule of thumb is to look at the source of the information. Who is making money off of the website? If it's something sponsored by the Peanut Farmers Association (I'm making up a name), then they will probably play up the benefits of the oils found in nut butter. If they want you to buy cream cheese, they will point out all the bad things.0 -
Thanks for the replies. It's just so stressful trying to figure this all out, and I know that isn't healthy at all.
About the calories in vs. calories out....that confuses me a bit.
I was told I should eat 1780 calories on days I work out at and least my BMR (1562) on days I don't. So does this mean I need to find a way to burn every calorie I eat each day? Or...what?
Also...some of the information I've been using I got from my trainer when I used to go to a gym (aka...when I could afford to). That helped...and some of the things I remember doing where drinking a protein shake every day and eating peanut butter. I don't know if it's good to go on old information or not...I was in my teens/early 20's at the time (I'm 27 now).
Do different things effect your body differently during different times of your life?
MFP will create a caloric deficit - just plug in your data, how much you want to lose, and it will tell you the calories you need to eat (without exercise) to lose weight. I would suggest going with the recommended amount of 1lb a week. If you exercise, you should eat most of those calories back, so add your exercise to your diary and then MFP will factor those in. You could have a TDEE of 2000 and exercise to make it 2300 and eat 1800 in food total and create a 500 calorie deficit for example. I would also suggest (unless your exercise calories are calculated with an accurate HRM) that you leave a little bit of wiggle room as exercise calories can be grossly overestimated.0 -
Originally MFP put me at 1200 calories a day, which everyone told me was too little. So I got some advice and changed it. I calculated my TDEE and it gave me 2410...so I don't know how the other person came up with 1780. If I subtract 500 from that it would be 1910 @_@; Than again...I also wanted to know what to do for days when I don't work out as hard as others (like when I was having a problem with my back...I walked instead of ran) and that puts me at 2138/1638. So maybe 1780 is the happy medium?
Should I adjust my calorie intake each day depending on my activity level?
And I'm still confused on how many calories I need to actually burn via exercise/daily activity each day.0 -
Originally MFP put me at 1200 calories a day, which everyone told me was too little. So I got some advice and changed it. I calculated my TDEE and it gave me 2410...so I don't know how the other person came up with 1780. If I subtract 500 from that it would be 1910 @_@; Than again...I also wanted to know what to do for days when I don't work out as hard as others (like when I was having a problem with my back...I walked instead of ran) and that puts me at 2138/1638. So maybe 1780 is the happy medium?
Should I adjust my calorie intake each day depending on my activity level?
And I'm still confused on how many calories I need to actually burn via exercise/daily activity each day.
Try to eat the minimum amount of calories you can without feeling hungry and making sure you get your protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals you need daily. 1,200 calories is usually thought as the lowest we can go while satisfying our needs.
If you are trying to lose weight It makes zero sense to force feed calories if you don't need them. So you give yourself a range, say 1,200-1800, then eat to how you feel.
Some people will tell you to eat more to stay out of "Starvation Mode", but the problem with that logic is; if you eat back exercise calories you will still be in a caloric deficit. So you have done nothing to avoid starvation mode and you just ate more when you didn't really want to which is going to result in less fat being burned. The only way to naturally spike metabolism and send leptin back-up, is to overfeed with a Spike Day.0 -
About the calories in vs. calories out....that confuses me a bit.
I was told I should eat 1780 calories on days I work out at and least my BMR (1562) on days I don't. So does this mean I need to find a way to burn every calorie I eat each day? Or...what?
The change in calories from workout days to non-workout days is based on MFP keeping the calorie deficit constant (including exercise) while staying with the program. Sitting in front of the TV vegging out burns calories, more if your level of activity (sedentary, mildly active, active, etc.) keeps your metabolism high. Weight training not only improves your overall fitness but as you build more muscle mass it ramps up your metabolism as well so that a sedentary person reading a book burns less calories than a more active individual.0 -
You should set your activity level to sedentary and just log your activity if you're worried.
Personally I have just set my calorie intake to be basically what a person who is at my goal weight would eat at maintenance. I am now focusing on building strength and less on doing a bucketload of cardio just for the sake of burning enough calories to put me at a huge caloric deficit.0 -
What I always have to remind myself is that everything just goes back to calories in-calories out. I think it's really easy to make it a lot more difficult. Exercise of any kind is good, protein feeds your muscles, and you need fat to survive
yup! I just try to keep my food as clean as I can and workout as much as i can0 -
Read everything you can and then choose the information that resonates the most with you.0
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Exercise is good.
Nut butter is a high-calorie, healthy fat. If you like it, it is good to incorporate. If you don't, eat avocados and oils instead.
Eat fish if you like it. Don't eat fish if you don't like it.
Lift a challenging amount of weight for as many reps as you can handle - don't lift too heavy without working up to it, you will hurt your joints.
Do sit ups if you like them. Don't do sit ups if you don't. Find a type of exercise you like.0 -
I like Brad Pilon advise (eat stop eat)
to lose weight just eat less.0 -
As for something like running sprints or long distance, they both burn more calories than sitting on the couch, so they both will help. The question is which one you want to do.
LOVE IT!!!
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Thanks again for the replies. I would like to know where everyone is getting there information though...personal experience? certain sites? books? If it's anything like the last two...could you give me specifics?
Also...I'm still not sure my question was answered @_@
So I'll try asking it another way.
How do I burn more calories than I eat each day? I know...exercise and all that...but 1780 + calories is a lot to burn. That's what it's sounding like to me...like I have to burn every calorie I consume every day + some extra for good measure. If this is wrong, tell me what's right.0 -
Thanks again for the replies. I would like to know where everyone is getting there information though...personal experience? certain sites? books? If it's anything like the last two...could you give me specifics?
Also...I'm still not sure my question was answered @_@
So I'll try asking it another way.
How do I burn more calories than I eat each day? I know...exercise and all that...but 1780 + calories is a lot to burn. That's what it's sounding like to me...like I have to burn every calorie I consume every day + some extra for good measure. If this is wrong, tell me what's right.
You are burning calories all the time, sitting/standing/sleeping/breathing - as long as your body is functioning you are burning calories all day long. If your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is 1600 calories you will burn 1600 calories just by existing. If you are sedentary (desk job, not much moving around), you will burn your BMR x 1.2 just by going to work, sitting at your desk, going home, cooking dinner and so on. You do not have to go out of your way to burn all those calories, your body does it for you. If you add exercise into the equation, you are just giving yourself more calories to eat basically. You don't need to exercise to lose weight, you can eat at 500 calories less than your TDEE (your BMR x activity level) and lose a lb a week.
Hope this makes sense and helps
*edit: Exercising is good and recommended
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Ahh. That makes sense. I didn't think about stuff I do normally burning calories XD;
Is it necessary to factor in everyday activity into the exercise log? It seems like it would be tedious...some stuff I do... like playing with the cat for 2 minutes or getting the random urge to jump up and down while going "la la la la la la la" for 20 seconds (I actually did do this recently. NOOOOOOOO idea what possessed me too. lol XD; Silly mood, I guess)...how do you figure out how many calories little things like that burn?0 -
How do I burn more calories than I eat each day? I know...exercise and all that...but 1780 + calories is a lot to burn. That's what it's sounding like to me...like I have to burn every calorie I consume every day + some extra for good measure. If this is wrong, tell me what's right.
The reason why this site recommends trying to lose 1 lb. a week is because losing weight permanently is a lifestyle change- whatever your calorie intake is to keep your weight the same without exercise is estimated by MFP(combined with your level of activity), then about 500 calories are taken away. The 500 calories less per day leads to your goal because if you consume 500 less calories 7 days a week then you will lose just under a pound for that week. They keep track of your exercise, then add the estimated calories burned by exercise to your daily calorie goal- but the new total is still about 500 calories less than their estimate of what you need for no weight gain. It isn't a bad thing to consider that you are burning all the calories you are eating if you stick to the plan and see some results...0 -
Waffle - don't worry about the little things, typically unless you are in an active job you should set your level to sedentary and only factor in exercises which get your heart rate up/get you sweaty etc. For example, going for a jog or doing aerobics. Anything which is outside your typical routine (if you are highly sedentary/obese then log slow walking, but if you are not obese and active then don't log walking for example)
MFP already factors in the sedentary stuff - and think of the extra jumping and silly dancing around as a bonus (but don't log it)
I guess it's about fiddling around and figuring out what works for you. I have just learnt my BMR is lower than what I thought it was, so I am adjusting my calories in to be my BMR.0
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