Diet and Stuff

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Recently I've been reading some of the stuff posted on the MyFitnessPal forums. Jee-bus, that crowd is as wanky as fandom on a constant kerfuffle day.

There are the kerfuffles you could anticipate (Vegans and low-carbers tend to disagree on a lot of stuff (just about everything, actually) and accuse each other of being wildly unhealthy). But I could anticipate that particular schism and can see the arguments on each side. The other one, however...

The grudgewank that constantly shocks me in the absurd vehemence of its seemingly never ending kerfuffles are the arguments between the "Meet Your Macros" crowd (sorry I've forgotten the acronym) and the "Eat 'Clean'" crowd.

(Explanation: On MyFitnessPal you enter your age, height, gender, current weight, goal weight, desired pace for weight loss, and whether you have a sedentary or active lifestyle and then the website/ap sets standards (macros) for you based on a generic standard (which you can edit to fit any changes that you would like to make). The "Meet Your Macros" group contend that it doesn't matter what in the hell you eat as long as you stay under the 'macros' (which you can do by adding protein powders, vitamens, etc). Go ahead and live off of Poptarts and hot dogs if you want. The "Eat 'clean'" are the more familiar "eat unprocessed and organic foods" crowd.)

Y'all, these people get into fights that are vicious... with fandom_wank-level grudgematches.

I'm just...wuh?

When did saying that you should "eat more vegetables and fruit" become a "Prove it! Bet you can't!" battlecry? (And no one had better try linking to any study. They don't want unproven 'theories'. No, what they really want is to argue).

In all the places on the internet where I anticipate there to be fandom wars, I wasn't thinking it would be in the nutrition thread of a weight-loss site.

I was wrong.

It's a series of constant fan wars being waged there.

{Personally, I think that you probably can lose weight eating anything, but saying that doing so on a diet of PopTarts is = eating veggies, fruits, nuts, etc seems... huh? Sure, we all indulge in treats, and you can lose weight on calorie restriction regardless, but for your health, eating healthIER seems...well...more healthy. Y'know? Seems sane to me.

I also tend to think you have to find what works for you and which you can live with without going nuts. That's different for different folks. Some folks really like and enjoy eating vegetarian. It's really, really difficult for a vegetarian (much less a vegan) to go low carb. Personally, I couldn't live vegan. It wouldn't work for me. But if someone feels strongly inclined towards it, if it works for them, they have a better chance of sticking to their diet than trying to force them to somehow align with low carb (and I'm not sure it ever really can be, no matter how many flax seeds or soy beans you consume).

And I've personally tried low carb. Low carb actually did work for me. My problem was that I couldn't live like that. I don't know whether I was doing it wrong, but despite it working for me as far as weight loss went, I just felt too limited.

If however, you're like my work friend who happily lives and loves meat when going low carb, it works for him. The guy will barely touch anything green because he hates veggies. (Now, personally, I tend to think you really should learn at some stage of your life to 'eat your veggies' {mom drilled that into me quite well}, but if veggies are a 'hate it!' food for you... yeah, maybe low carb might be more successful for you).

I actually think you have to try a few things and learn yourself and create what you -- personally -- can be happy with.

Personally, I've settled on moderating carbs lately. I was so successful on low carb that one time that I stuck to it (a little over a decade ago) that I think metabolically it sort of does work for me. However, I just cannot live that way. It was too restricting. I grew to hate it. So, after some reading, I currently choose to limit processed carbs (avoiding refined sugar and flour) while eating veggies, fruit, milk, yogurt type carbs all the time (though I am somewhat mindful of white potatoes and white rice consumption. I eat them, but only occasionally). This, I feel I can do and not feel insanely restricted all. the. time.

However, I don't think that my foods of choice, the ones that I'm happy to live with, would be everyone's choices. Everyone has likes and dislikes of their own. (I have been eating lots of collards and sweet potatoes. Regularly. There are many, many people who do not like collards or sweet potatoes. {Yeah, yeah. Obvious that I'm Southern, isn't it?} Those people would hate having those on a diet whereas I personally find it part of a pleasurable meal.

I think you have to create your own diet, one that YOU can be happy with.

Anyway I think it's crazy to tell a Vegan to go low carb or to tell a low carb person to go vegan.

I also think it's rather quixotic to try to argue that eating Pop Tarts is every bit as healthy as eating vegetables because it's 'all just chemicals in the end.' (Seriously, I didn't even know that there would be people trying to make that argument).

Still... food has fandoms. Who knew?




On the other hand, I read this this morning, and it actually seems pretty sane:

Four ways to lose weight without losing your sanity

By: James S. Fell, MBA
a certified strength and conditioning specialist in Calgary who writes the syndicated column “In-Your-Face Fitness” for the Chicago Tribune

1. Don’t obsess over the scale
This is controversial advice, as many studies have shown people who weigh themselves regularly are more successful at long-term weight loss. The problem with the scale is that it can lie, it can be frustrating when it barely budges, it doesn’t reflect gaining muscle, and it can just become something you hate doing. While the studies show regular scale users are better at weight loss, they haven’t been compared with what I think are far more positive things to measure, such as miles run each week, weight lifted, fitness classes attended, fast food meals avoided, healthy meals prepared, fruits and vegetables consumed. And there are better ways to assess results, like how tight your clothes are, how you look in the mirror, your energy levels and even your sex drive. If you can use the scale in a way that elicits a positive mindset, then go ahead, but if it stresses you out, consider burying it and tracking these more important numbers instead.

[ME: Personally, I've gone with weighing myself every 2-3 weeks to know but not to micromanage]

2. Slow and steady wins the race
Walk into any bookstore, go to the diet section, and you’ll see outrageous weight loss claims a plenty. One book from the publishers of a popular magazine promises right on the cover that you can lose up to eight pounds in three days. The only way that’s actually possible is if the pages are infected with amoebic dysentery. Another book is called “10 pounds in 10 days.” These claims go far beyond unrealistic; they are ludicrous. Unless you start off weighing 300-plus pounds and live the unrealistic life of a Biggest Loser contestant, that kind of rapid weight loss is impossible.

Many studies have shown those who focus on slow and steady weight loss are far better at sustaining it. We’re talking about anywhere from half a pound a week to a maximum of two pounds per week.

3. Understand exercise is more than burning calories
Exercise has profound stress-reducing and brain-boosting effects. Not only does this have the ability to reduce the instances of stress eating, but the neurological effects of exercise involve improving what is called “executive function.” Executive function is what enables your decision making and ability to stick to a plan. In other words, it makes you better at making eating decisions and sticking to a healthy eating plan. So you need to understand this benefit and take advantage of it. Don’t believe that exercise entitles you to a food reward, but instead understand that it gives you the power to make healthy choices.

4. Don’t be hungry during the day
This is one of the most powerful, sustainable weight loss tips I know. During the day, focus on being “satisfied” rather than “full,” but never hungry. Hunger during the day leads to runaway eating at night. There is one time it’s okay to be somewhat hungry, and that’s before bed, because your appetite resets overnight. Going to bed a little hungry (emphasis on “a little”) most nights is one of the sanest ways to lose weight.

To achieve lasting weight loss, you must focus on loving the journey. White-knuckle weight loss is rarely sustainable, but a Zen mindset will eventually get, and keep, you there.