Whats the biggest weight loss myth you have ever heard?

[Band Chick 3]

Here's another crazy one for ya. When I was a teen I used a product called Skinny Dip. You rub it on your thighs and tummy, wrap yourself in "body wrap" (cellophane) from ribs to toe and gets ride of cellulite and melts away fat. I must have looked very silly sweating and waddling around the house in gooey cellophane! LOL! Needless to say it didn't work.

[NanaRenan 0]

It's probably been 12-15 years ago, but I subscribed to a magazine called BBW (Big Beautiful Women) that was supposed to be like any other women's magazine minus the skinny models and articles urging you to always be on a diet.

I bought into the whole "fat acceptance" hoopla.

Then I started getting a TON of junk mail -- ALL of it weight-loss oriented. I could by cases of grapefruit, or this pill or this machine, etc., etc.

ALL of them had gotten my name from BBW because it was misspelled in the same obvious manner! I was furious and sent them a box FULL of all these lame DIET offers and insisted they cancel my subscription immediately.

They did, but I never got a refund!

Bloody hypocrites!

[steph_co 9]

I happened upon this thread searching for something else. It gave me a good chuckle (especially FF's husband with the fruit all day long and ending things in his pants...LMAO). Then I had to stop and think - it actually made me feel bad. I felt bad that so many companies feel it's okay to capitalize on other people's misfortune and exploit their desire to be thin by feeding them so many lies.

And then I had to be grateful...that I found the Band before it was too late. That I found THE permanent way for ME to lose weight that doesn't involve sheer torture. Thanks for the thread, guys - it was great reading.

[Longhorn 1]

Frankly, I think the "calories in, calories out" concept is also a myth. It's definitely more complicated than that, involving hormones and who knows what else? I've counted calories consumed and calories burned for weeks and according to the math, should have lost weight and didn't. We've all gained a couple of pounds overnight -- which, according to the math, meant we consumed a net of 7000 calories, right? Of course not! Or we follow the same plan day after day without losing a pound and then lose three or four.

I'm sure it's true, in general, that burning more calories than we consume in the long run will result in losing weight but it's not as simple as that. Then there's the whole issue of how, once we've lost weight, we regain weight on fewer calories than someone who has never lost weight! I teach math and I understand formulas but I don't believe there is one formula that works all the time in losing weight.

[meghan1983 0]

The carbohydrate addicts diet. It was great. Very restricted carbs for the first two meals of the day. But then get this. You get one meal of the day where you have an hour and in that hour you can eat anything you want! Naturally, I had full strategy session to plan on how I could cram as much into that hour as possible. I was starving at that point! Its entirely possible to eat more carbs in one hour than one would normally eat in a day and then some if one if determined. But it was all allowed in the diet... So of course it didn't work out when I was eating multiple meals at once and Desserts. I can't believe I fell for it... I saw it on Oprah and bought the book.

I did that diet, lol, I actually lost 20lbs before I started to get sick from it. That is still my favourite diet of all time!! I also did this breathing diet, where before and after your meal you had to take these really deep breaths that made you dizzy (apparently that was supposed to work) I remember my mom doing them with me, and reminding me to do my breathing haha. Above all, I think my trip to weight loss hypnosis takes the cake, I didn't lose a pound.

[LadyTrisha 0]

this should be under "biggest weight loss myth ever bought" ... I'm dating myself but does anyone else remember the Schick Diet Centers?

Here's the deal - you bring in a food you adore and love (and quite co-inky-dinky the Center was next door to McD's!) and then you sit WITH A COUNSELOR in front of a MIRROR. Chew it up, spit it out ... repeat! Oh what a joyful period of my life. I was getting ready for my upcoming wedding and had to go do this once a week. ACK!

As for WW - I think the more they've tampered with the plan, the less successful people have become. In the old days, they used to have a menu pre-printed for the week - it was SO easy and effective. Now its a free for all. Ack!

I can't wait for surgery this Saturday - finally a real honest-to-goodness tool that will help

[shortgal 5]

For me, the biggest myth is that you have to eat a good b'fast every day.

If I eat B'fast, by 10 am I'm hungry again and then I'm more hungry all day. If I don't eat until lunch, I end up eating less the whole day.

It's like once I open up the flood gates everything wants to get in.

[Cerrin 3]

LOL this thread totaly cracked me up Thanks everyone.

I had a Nutritionist that asked what my favorite food was. I said Ice cream and my sister said popcorn. she then forbid us to eat either and said we would lose weight that way.

Yeah right....I was 10....no ice cream....whatever!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Frankly, I think the "calories in, calories out" concept is also a myth. It's definitely more complicated than that, involving hormones and who knows what else? I've counted calories consumed and calories burned for weeks and according to the math, should have lost weight and didn't. We've all gained a couple of pounds overnight -- which, according to the math, meant we consumed a net of 7000 calories, right? Of course not! Or we follow the same plan day after day without losing a pound and then lose three or four.

I'm sure it's true, in general, that burning more calories than we consume in the long run will result in losing weight but it's not as simple as that. Then there's the whole issue of how, once we've lost weight, we regain weight on fewer calories than someone who has never lost weight! I teach math and I understand formulas but I don't believe there is one formula that works all the time in losing weight.

I think we agree and disagree.

It really does come to calories in/calories out. But that does not imply a given formula either. The reality is that if you consume more calories than you burn, you are going to gain weight.

How much effort is needed to burn a pound of fat does very from one person to another to some degree. But if you look at studies it shows that a greater majority of obese people also tend to underestimate their caloric intake. Check out the boards here, people come, swear they are eating 300 calories a day, exercising, and not losing weight. When you suggest they use fitday or thedailyplate they suddenly get a big surprise. If you ask the to post their menu they either have underestimated their calories or they leave the thread and decline to return.

Since we don't know the details of each person's metabolism there is no way to say, "Longhorn, it will take you "X" hours of "Y" exercise for you to lose a pound. We have no choice but to use generalities.

Here is a good article:

Weight, Diet, Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure

[Longhorn 1]

I think we agree and disagree.

It really does come to calories in/calories out. But that does not imply a given formula either. The reality is that if you consume more calories than you burn, you are going to gain weight.

How much effort is needed to burn a pound of fat does very from one person to another to some degree. But if you look at studies it shows that a greater majority of obese people also tend to underestimate their caloric intake. Check out the boards here, people come, swear they are eating 300 calories a day, exercising, and not losing weight. When you suggest they use fitday or thedailyplate they suddenly get a big surprise. If you ask the to post their menu they either have underestimated their calories or they leave the thread and decline to return.

Since we don't know the details of each person's metabolism there is no way to say, "Longhorn, it will take you "X" hours of "Y" exercise for you to lose a pound. We have no choice but to use generalities.

Here is a good article:

Weight, Diet, Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure

Thanks for the link and I will definitely check it out! However, I am one of those people who did use fitday religiously. I weighed and measured my food. If a food didn't match exactly, I got the box or can and entered the nutrition information myself. Did I mention I'm also a tad anal?

I also went to the University of Texas Department of Kinesiology and was examined and scanned and probed to determine my BMR, with a computer analysis of how many calories I should consume in order to maintain and lose. And I still did lose. So I had my thyroid and everything else checked and found out I am nauseatingly normal in all tests -- practically right on the median value!

I was riding my bike 34 miles round trip to work four days a week. No loss. I was working out 90 minutes a day on my elliptical and home gym. No loss. I went back on a liquid diet. No loss. I counted every morsel that went into my mouth and limited my calories to 1600 a day, then 1400 a day. No loss even though my BMR is supposedly about 2200. And I tried these various methods for months at a time, sometimes at the same time (that is, both diet and exercise.)

I was even skeptical about whether the band would work for me but I was willing to give it a try and I've lost close to 20 pounds so far (unofficially.) I believe now that I can only lose weight if I take in fewer than 1000 calories a day and that I need the band to help me do that. But theoretically -- burning more calories than I take in -- I should have been able to lose on 1600 calories, not counting the calories I burned via exercise. So I do believe that there's something else going on.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Thanks for the link and I will definitely check it out! However, I am one of those people who did use fitday religiously. I weighed and measured my food. If a food didn't match exactly, I got the box or can and entered the nutrition information myself. Did I mention I'm also a tad anal?

I also went to the University of Texas Department of Kinesiology and was examined and scanned and probed to determine my BMR, with a computer analysis of how many calories I should consume in order to maintain and lose. And I still did lose. So I had my thyroid and everything else checked and found out I am nauseatingly normal in all tests -- practically right on the median value!

I was riding my bike 34 miles round trip to work four days a week. No loss. I was working out 90 minutes a day on my elliptical and home gym. No loss. I went back on a liquid diet. No loss. I counted every morsel that went into my mouth and limited my calories to 1600 a day, then 1400 a day. No loss even though my BMR is supposedly about 2200. And I tried these various methods for months at a time, sometimes at the same time (that is, both diet and exercise.)

I was even skeptical about whether the band would work for me but I was willing to give it a try and I've lost close to 20 pounds so far (unofficially.) I believe now that I can only lose weight if I take in fewer than 1000 calories a day and that I need the band to help me do that. But theoretically -- burning more calories than I take in -- I should have been able to lose on 1600 calories, not counting the calories I burned via exercise. So I do believe that there's something else going on.

I can completely appreciate what you are saying. One issue I do question is if it is even possible to calculate an average BMR. I don't see how it can be done accurately, there are sooo many variables and those variables can change on a daily basis even down to a monthly cycle. I know those places make lots of claims, but I still don't see how they can be accurate however I am not an expert in the matter either. I'm just offering an opinion.

I stayed under 1000 calories daily as well during my weight loss period. Actually, I was around 600 daily. But I wanted fast weight loss.

I don't know, maybe someday I'll see evidence that we can calculate a BMR. I've thought about doing it myself but the reality is, it doesn't matter. It is what it is and I think the best method to calculate is experience with your own body but again, that's just my opinion. I'm not basing anything in this post on fact.

[phowell 0]

This made me laugh, too! I remember my sister on a grapefruit and bacon diet. Eat those two things at every meal and you will lose weight. I think she gave up after the first week, but her cholesterol probably went up. My sister is pretty tiny and usally tries every other week to lose 5-10 pounds! She said she doesn't know about this whole surgery thing!

I have a friend that was banded in Nov and had eaten a part of a hamburger (no bun) and was fine and then tried a meatball and was in major pain. I told my sis this story and she said "Why would you even do that?" I was confused. She said"Have surgery and then ruin it by eating a burger!" I was apalled. Apparently,(according to my skinny sister) once you have the band you are only allowed to eat salads, just so you know!!! LOL

[TownDrunk 0]

STARVATION MODE. I laugh every time I hear it since it's a very temporary phase. Thousands die each day from starvation because they have no food, yet I constantly hear obese people using starvation mode as a crutch to avoid missing a meal. Forcing myself to gag down Breakfast, to break the fast, in order to get my metabolism going is nonsense. I went decades without eating breakfast and my weight hasn't changed at all by forcing down something in the morning, it just adds calories. It's a tiny little temporary phase not worth mentioning. Weight loss is scientifically simplistic... calories in vs. calories out. Good thread!

[marjon9 6]

This thread makes me wonder because so many doctors and scientists insist that there is more to weight loss than "calories in, calories out." They talk about how other things matter like intake of refined carbohydrate, various triggers of metabolism, etc. I certainly don't have any answers but I am reluctant to dismiss all of this learned commentary simply because "calories in, calories out" sort of makes sense to me as a lay person.

I also note that many people have an experience with weight loss that does not support "calories in, calories out." People on this thread have mentioned such experiences where they excercise a lot, control their diet, but do not lose weight.

Our good friend Jack on this forum just started a thread discussing his weight loss experience. He went months eating under 1400 calories a day with no weight loss, and then finally lost some weight. This does not seem consistent with the concept of "calories in, calories out."

I have no answers, of course. But the evidence I see before my eyes just does not fit with "calories in, calories out." Obviously calories make a difference. But are calories the whole answer? It just seems to me like there must be something more as well.

[InTheCityGirl 0]

Longhorn you are such the math teacher!!! Your graph is the first graph I have ever seen on these boards.

Too funny.

Large volume liposuction does not work either. . .I had heard about how it permanently removes the fat. It does. But I am darn good at creating new to replace it:-))

Grapefruit 45, Silver running sweatsuits that helped you lose weight all day by body heat allowing you to sweat it off, Diet Soda (Aspartame makes me hungrier then anything else in the world), Lipodissolve, the list goes on and on. . .

RE: the Water thing. For us in the middle of the dessert, we do have to force the Water intake because I know my body isn't very good at letting me know how dehydrated I truly am. Just my 2 cents.