Good Article on Weight Loss Blockers

Or we can stop perpetuating the myths.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/myths-of-weight-loss-are-plentiful-researcher-says/?ref=todayspaper

I read that article too and I debated on posting it. It seemed like too much of a summary. I didn't really see the research behind it. For example I know that not eating breakfast slows your metabolism. It is one of the contributing factors to my 384lbs. I also know that everytime I have rapidly lost weight I also rapidly gained it. The one time I was successful in losing 50+lbs doing body for life. Slow and steady. It took me over a year to put it back on. So I personally did not find that article terribly credible because I am living proof of the contrary to some of those suppositions. I would be willing to bet that many of us on here are. Just my 2 cents.

I am on the fence on the working out on an empty stomach contradiction between the 2. I have had really good workouts on an empty stomach but I have also noticed that if I do weight training on an empty stomach that I do not have gains as much as when I have a pre-workout meal.

Correlation is not causation. Your n=1 is not enough. Sorry.

(ps...I have a PhD. These things are summaries for a reason. Research will not be published in NYTimes articles, but in general, they are way more factual than a lot of other things out there. If you would like to read the actual science, please let me know. I have access to them and will provide. No problem! But, please, don't spread more myths. There's enough out there).

I would actually like to see the science behind it. I would have been equally guilty of the same thing had I posted the NY Times article. Neither have any studies cited. So from my perspective all I have done is provide access to an article I found interesting. 30 years of gaining and losing weight from a broad spectrum of diets is hardly n=1 although certainly not sufficient to draw conclusions for the population either. I was merely citing my personal experience as to why I did not find that article to be entirely believable. Also the problem with a journalist writing summaries is it is their job to sell papers and controversy sells (ps...I have a BA in Marketing).

What is your PhD in? 

I have a PhD in Neuroscience.

PM me your email. and I'll send many a PDF. I have access to many, but not all journals, so if there is a particular article you'd like, I'll do my best to get it and translate it for you. Seriously.

Here's the thing: did you lose weight by moving more? eating less? eating breakfast? I'm guessing perhaps maybe, but not long term. So posting this, on a WLS board does not help us.

We are here because we have long term issues, screwed up metabolisms. We have gained and lost hundreds of pounds over and over again. If these simple, pop sci suggestions worked, we wouldn't have permanently altered our stomachs. So posting these pop sci articles doesn't help those who are on the fence...and this is perhaps why I react so strongly to them. This is a good surgery. A good solution. And there are many a study to support that.

Neuroscience! Really Cool. I wish I had the capacity for that because I find it fascinating. I went the engineering route even though my degree is in Marketing. I spent 4 years in engineering school and left before graduating because of a killer opportunity. 

I lost weight by moving more, eating less, eating breakfast, plus having my stomach removed. It was a trigger to change my lifestyle. It is an arsenal of tools that you have to decide if they work for you or not. I think we all have differences in biology that make this a non-stop learning process.

Changing the subject here and drawing on your knowledge of neuroscience. Is there not a more direct way to change metabolism? It seems like there would be. I agree that this is a good surgery but what do you think about the premise that the surgery is a mental trigger to do the right thing for at least a year. I know the surgery for me was a turning point to eat more healthy foods, to push my family to eat healthy, to exercise more, etc. I have had periods in my life where I was able to do it for a couple weeks and even a couple of months. But this is a bit more permanent in my mind. I guess we will see after 6 months. The longest I've really stuck with anything was a little more than 5 months. I was even a vegetarian for 3 months.

My answer would have to be yes, even though I had the surgery (and couldn't have done this without it)--I have been successful because I know for ME I need to eat breakfast (can't drink shakes instead of food, never could). I have to move more. Those suggestions were, for the most part, things that actually work for me. Right down to wearing form-fitting clothes to make me more aware of my body (good and bad) so that I'm realistic about my expectations and motivated to keep going.

OK, so I re-read the NYTime artcile. These are the myths mentioned in the article. Not one of these myths are contradicted in the first article I posted. So I am not sure what I am guilty of. These are highly subjective:

• Small things make a big difference. Walking a mile a day can lead to a loss of more than 50 pounds in five years.
• Set a realistic goal to lose a modest amount.
• People who are too ambitious will get frustrated and give up.
• You have to be mentally ready to diet or you will never succeed.
• Slow and steady is the way to lose. If you lose weight too fast you will lose less in the long run.

Now, I am not sure how you prove or disprove the first one. Seems to me it would depend on a person's metabolism and would also have to take into account other things like diet, sleep, etc. Who's going to do a 5 year study to check that on out? 

The second one is highly subjective. No study is going to be able to determine how the population responds to goal settings. I personally am a long term goal setter. I didn't set a weight loss goal of 50lbs and then at 50 go for another one. I set my goal for a 200lb weight loss and I am keeping my eye on the prize. Now my wife and child on the other hand have to set small obtainable goals or they feel like they are not making enough progress and give up. I don't need a study to prove this as I see it every day. The 3rd myth is also subjective. I am not even sure how that is a myth. I am sure some do and some don't. 4th one same way. Some people have to get psyched up to go out in the cold some just do it. Same with a diet. 5th point is also person dependent. 

The reality is this article didn't dispell any myths at all. It just disagrees with what is likely a 50/50 split between people.

Now since I am an equal opportunity offender. I looked into the other article I posted and it was written by an associate editor of a blog with no credentials that were mentioned in her bio that would position her as an authority on the subject, nor did she cite any credible sources. She appears to be making what feel like common sense statements and may very well be myths.

I like that list. I think it's interesting what it said about clothes that fit.  I do understand when finances are a problem, but otherwise, I think it's a mistake to keep wearing the same loose "fat" clothes when you could have a few things that actually fit. It's amazing how much better I feel even when I don't leave the house, when I have nice fitting clothes on and catch sight of myself in the mirror.

I am guilty of wearing fat clothes even now. I have replaced about half of my clothes but I don't mind wearing the big t-shirts. I fit in a size 2x and still wear some of my 5x around the house or to the gym. They do make me look much bigger than I am and may be having a psychological impact.