Just for fun: what’s everyone’s favorite fitness/health “fact” that’s been debunked?

[notaperfectchristian]

@jaz2001 Ohhh yes. This is a good one

 

[emmardm]

@notaperfectchristian That fasting slows metabolism. It’s actually the opposite.

 

[jerrybrown1124736]

@notaperfectchristian I’ve been doing fasting for three months now, and it’s helped my gut so much. I used to bloat like crazy, and it has minimized so much.

 

[notaperfectchristian]

@jerrybrown1124736 I am so glad you’ve found what works for you! That must be helping you feel so much better as bloat is the worst and so uncomfortable

 

[emmardm]

@notaperfectchristian Definitely

 

[slr1991]

@emmardm It depends on the gender. Fasting has different metabolical results for males and females.

 

[max2011]

@notaperfectchristian Ooh I’m going to go with the whole “you’re probably overweight because you’re not eating ENOUGH calories per day and your body is in starvation mode” as my health “fact” that drives me crazy when I see it.

I know that our metabolism is extremely complicated and is more than just how many calories are body burns per day while at complete rest (I had another Redditor who really really didn’t like that I used the word metabolism when I posted about how I was looking into metabolism testing; they very much wanted me to know that what I was looking for was my BMR and not metabolism and then questioned me on why I would want my BMR with the implication that having it was useless and a waste of time bc I could just monitor my calories, and make sure I was eating in a deficit and use that to calculate my BMR depending on whether or not I lost weight or but the whole myth of people whose weight issues are really just bc they aren’t eating enough calories is laughable. Especially when you consider the average diet of the American citizen.

 

[joulediamonds]

@max2011 This one drives me feral too because it almost certainly locks naive people into an over eating cycle.

Also, wtf. Does that person not know what the M in BMR stands for??

 

[file13]

@joulediamonds Omg I love your comment. Will need to use this statement “drives me feral” Love it!!! And yes agree completely with you, it just drives people to think they can eat more and lose weight and that is usually not the solution.

 

[notaperfectchristian]

@max2011 Oooof yes. This is such a loaded one. The base premise of weight loss is very simple but when you take into account the different pieces of it and individual bodies suddenly it’s not so simple and over simplifying can lead to less than desired results or unhealthy habits in either direction of either over eating or under eating.

 

[scr3wy]

@max2011 Did you find a metabolism test that’s more accurate, could you share the name.

 

[max2011]

@scr3wy I had my metabolism tested in 2013 by a nutritionist and although it can’t say exactly how many calories I’d burn by being active, it did tell me how much I burn by just existing which I find helpful. Insurance covered the testing but out of pocket it would have been $70 in total.

 

[jakob1997]

@max2011 I actually sort of believed the eating low of calories would break your metabolism myth. Seems like that is not true

 

[abrahamictheist]

@jakob1997 It has a small kernel of truth to it, metabolic adaption is a thing, when you're in a deficit for a long time your body will become more efficient and will carry out its base functions using less calories. However the difference is small, we're talking

 

[jessephilz]

@jakob1997 A lot of the reason this seems true is that most people will subconsciously decrease their NEAT when they’re eating less calories, because they have less energy. For example when I’m eating at a deficit, I find myself automatically taking little shortcuts like folding clothes while sitting on the floor instead of standing, or using a push cart at the store instead of a hand basket. I have to actually think about remaining active a lot more compared to when I’m eating at maintenance.

 

[autonomicrake]

@notaperfectchristian I feel very strongly about the misinformation regarding artificial sweeteners. They are not bad for you. You’d have to consume an absolutely ridiculous amount of pure aspartame to have any negative health effect. They don’t cause cancer. I studied nutrition and did a whole systematic review on this topic, there is zero evidence that they cause negative health effects with average consumption. Those people saying that they’re poison and to be avoided at all costs are fear mongering and flat out wrong. We are much better off consuming less sugar.

 

[bav]

@autonomicrake Seconding this, this is my favorite debunked myth because I love that I can have artificially sweetened 0 sugar products without worrying about my health! (and before anyone decides to be "that person", obviously excessive consumption of anything is a health concern, but I'm not going to be concerned over having one can of diet pop or one sugar free piece of chocolate)

 

[notaperfectchristian]

@autonomicrake Agreed. But I take a step further and say that people need to stop villainizing sugar as well. Yes, in excess it’s bad for you like so many things but sugar is a natural thing that your body knows how to deal with in moderation.

As long as you aren’t diabetic and aren’t drinking like soda every day, have the lil treat, eat the ice cream on the summer day etc. The whole “don’t eat sugar” thing drives me crazy

 

[autonomicrake]

@notaperfectchristian Yeah totally agree! Like everything, sugar in moderation is fine. But things like full sugar sodas/drinks I just can’t justify personally, why drink 30g of pure sugar when you can have the same drink with 0g! I just think of my teeth and that instant blood sugar spike lol

 

[notaperfectchristian]

@autonomicrake When I was younger we never really had soda in the house cause my parents preferred iced tea, lemonade, juice etc but even when I had juice my dad would water it down. He waters down his own too so I never thought it was weird. Then when I played sports we didn’t even drink pure Gatorade it was always cut with water.

Now, every once in a while a cold soda just will sound delicious and I let myself have it which is fine cause it’s a treat for myself when the craving strikes