Category Archives: Uhm?
Who gets paid to write this shit? (Excuse the language)
Seriously who the heck pays stupid people to write stupid articles that only serve to further mislead the public about diet and exercise?
haha
I had another post planned for today, but when Francine posted a link to my wall called “10 Fitness Facts that Everyone Gets Wrong” and said, “OMG WHO WROTE THIS? THEY SHOULD BE JAILED,” I felt the need to read and RANT about it.
I first started reading the article and thought, “Ok I don’t like how this guy words stuff, but I see his point.”
I mean, no you don’t have to train hard to see your abs. You can have the strongest abs in the world, but if you eat too much and store excess fat, you will never see them. Dieting really is key to getting six-pack abs.
I also saw his point about the point of exercising NOT being about burning calories. Exercise should be used to get in better physical shape. Diet is truly at least 80% of the weight loss battle.
But that is where my agreement with him ended and my temper rose exponentially.
He next claims that “weightlifting is an effective fat loss strategy” is false. He says that it pales in comparison to cardio when it comes to calorie burn.
EXCUSE ME!?!
Here is a link (Fat Loss Wars: Cardio vs. Weight Training) about how good weightlifting is for fat loss (this article also disproves a few of his other points). Even his own site refutes him. I found another article on Askmen.com called “Weightlifting for Fat Loss” that states:
Choosing to abandon your weight-lifting program when it’s time to cut fat is one of the biggest mistakes you can make, so be sure you don’t commit this progress-damaging error.
Below are a few points from his article that I would also like to dispute:
- He states that “Weightlifting does burn calories, but when compared to hard aerobic training, it pales.” While that is true if you only consider calories burned while you are working out, it is false when you consider OVERALL calorie burn. Here is a quote from Women’s Health proving that weightlifting is great if you want to burn calories and torch fat: “Though cardio burns more calories than strength training during those 30 sweaty minutes, pumping iron slashes more overall. A study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who completed an hour-long strength-training workout burned an average of 100 more calories in the 24 hours afterward than they did when they hadn’t lifted weights. At three sessions a week, that’s 15,600 calories a year, or about four and a half pounds of fat—without having to move a muscle.”
- The author of this horrendous article then states later, “as you improve physical fitness, your body begins to operate more efficiently so that you burn fewer calories while at rest and during exercise. While this is true, it is easy to keep challenging yourself so that you keep your body burning more calories. Here is another quote from Women’s Health again explaining how important weights are to burning calories and fat: “What’s more, increasing that afterburn is as easy as upping the weight on your bar. In a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, women burned nearly twice as many calories in the two hours after their workout when they lifted 85 percent of their max load for eight reps than when they did more reps (15) at a lower weight (45 percent of their max). (This is also proof that women should lift heavy weights!!!!)
- He also has the audacity to state that low carb diets aren’t an effective weight loss tool. UHM WHAT!?! Has he ever seen Marks Daily Apple? There are about six million success stories on there that prove just how great for you a low carb diet is!
- And then he goes on to state, ” I know that some experience weight-loss success with this approach (low-carb), but I consider this diet as a last resort for the lazy.” WHAT!?! How is someone doing something healthy lazy? Just explain how a low-carb diet is lazy?!?!?!
- And the last point I would like to rant about is his comment that low-carb diets “restrict the good carbs that are essential for exercise performance, the ones that can be quite satiating and contain valuable nutrients.” Uhm no. I’m sorry low-fat diets restrict way more nutrients than low-carb diets. I eat ten bazillion more vegetables and fruits on Primal than I ever did on any other diet. I mean on a diet where you aren’t allowed grains, rice or legumes where else are you going to get calories from but nutritious fruits and vegetables!?!? All low-carb diets do is cut out the crap.
A Taboo Subject – You’re Overweight Cont.
I found this comment on the blog of one of the participants in our discussion on my last post (Fatty Lane). I thought it was very relevant to the discussion:
DF
Although I understand that this is meant to be humorous there is a very serious side to this. The fact is many obese people go undiagnosed for many illnesses because of this exact reason. This can lead to their unnecessary deaths, family hardships and life altering despair. The fact that many hospitals cannot diagnose a significant portion of the population because of a lack of accommodation is really unacceptable at this point in time. The embarrassment that many obese people feel when going to the doctor or submitting to any form of medical testing is understandable and it also unnecessary as it is entirely due to a lack of understanding and compassion within the medical community in general.
Not a day goes by where we aren’t bombarded with a new study that shows how being fat promotes this disease or another. But the bare ass truth is that the obese are treated like second class citizens by the medical community and thus causing the obese to shy away from medical help when it is needed most. Most obese people will ignore a medical problem until they absolutely have no choice but to seek help. This adds to the idea that the obese are more likely to get sick as compared to their thinner counterparts. This issue with imaging equipment is a prime example of how the obese are ignored and yet demonized by a world that still doesn’t understand the issue.
A Taboo Subject – You’re Overweight
Why is it easier to prescribe a procedure than it is to tell a patient to lose weight naturally?
Why are we so afraid to discuss someone being unhealthily overweight? Why are we more afraid of offending the person than looking out for their health? Why are people more afraid of admitting they are overweight and doing something about it than they are of dying from it?
Are we really benefiting anyone by not discussing obesity?
NOPE!
Some people blame doctors for not discussing the subject with their patients, but will their patients really listen to them? An NPR article called “Why Doctors and Patients Talk Around Our Growing Waistlines” blames both the patient and the doctors.
And I agree. Both parties are to blame.
Doctors NEED…I repeat…NEED to discuss diet and exercise with their overweight patients…heck I even think they should discuss it with their normal weight patients! Doctors are respected figures who can influence our decisions concerning our health. They can’t worry about whether or not they offend their patients when they tell them they are overweight. I’m sorry, but sometimes the truth hurts.
Maybe if there were some incentive for doctors to discuss diet and exercise with their patients, they would. I mean we give them incentives to prescribe drugs…
Anyway, I do realize how touchy a subject it is to bring up with a patient.
It can be a very upsetting discussion. No one wants to hear that what they are doing is bad for them. And let’s face it, mainstream media has made us associate pretty negative images and words with being overweight.
And you don’t always know how the discussion will be received. You want it to encourage people to take charge of their health, but instead it can sometimes make people want to give up.
As the NPR article states one woman started cancelling her doctor’s appointments because she hadn’t lost enough weight. She felt ashamed.
Why would a doctor then want to discuss obesity with his/her patients if it is just going to scare them off?
So what then is the answer?
Maybe we all just need to grow a pair and stop being babies. Sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes the truth is uncomfortable to talk about.
BUT YOU NEED TO DO IT! I mean 74.1% of the US population is overweight and 30% of those overweight people are obese.
Obesity and it’s health risks aren’t just going to disappear! Start talking people!
Are you addicted to food?
Are there certain foods that you can truly get addicted to? Dr. Oz says there are – Brain Hijackers: The 4 Most Addictive Foods.
The question now is…do I agree?
No. I don’t. I don’t think you can truly get addicted to a certain food.
Yes, I do think there are foods that we have a harder time avoiding/giving up on a diet. There are certain foods we are definitely more attached to.
But I don’t really think a true addiction is created.
I mean certain foods just taste freaking good so of course we want them all the time. Certain foods also comfort us or just remind us of happy times.
You could say I’m addicted to ice cream. I mean it has the sugar and fat that Dr. Oz says is addictive and I have the hardest time not wanting it when I’m in a bad mood, stressed or well…anything. I pretty much could eat ice cream all the time.
But I don’t think I can truly say I’m addicted to ice cream.
I just like the taste of it AND I associate it with good times and happy feelings.
So maybe it isn’t actually the ice cream or the chocolate or meat itself that is addictive, but the feelings and memories associated with the food that make us crave it.
I mean now I’ve started craving dried fruit more than anything….even maybe ice cream. Why this sudden addiction to dried fruit…specifically apricots?
Because I associate dried fruit with relaxed weekends on the couch with Ryan. I’ve been stressed free on those days and have totally gotten to relax each and every time I’ve eaten dried fruit recently.
So am I addicted to the dried fruit or the fact that my brain associates dried fruit with relaxing?
Hmmm…this could be an interesting experiment. I should try eating one certain type of veggie…like brussel sprouts…on any relaxing day/fun event and see if I start to crave them….
Cardio Queens
Ladies – Step away from the cardio machines. PLEASE!!!!!
I taught an hour of spin today, which in my opinion is way more than enough cardio….for like the week haha.
But to my amazement there were females that decided to do MORE cardio after my class.
WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU LADIES!?!
I couldn’t believe it. I was stunned. I would understand if they decided to do weights after, which is what I did. But more cardio?
I almost wanted to walk up to them and tell them that they should have just worked harder in class, but I didn’t.
I just couldn’t believe it. These women spend hours doing cardio.
And guess what?
Their bodies never change. They never look any more toned. They never stop looking soft.
They just stay skinny-fat (or anorexic looking).
Don’t they realize that they don’t need to slave away for hours doing chronic cardio if they want to look amazing?
Don’t they realize that weight lifting and diet are way more important if you want a toned, lean body?
Apparently not.
But I guess it isn’t totally their fault. Even trainers prescribe too much chronic cardio for clients that want to lose weight.
Not me though. For one, I don’t like to make my clients do anything I wouldn’t do…and I definitely avoid long cardio sessions like they are the plague.
For two, I honestly don’t think you need to do ANY cardio to lose weight. Yes it can help make the process a bit easier, but you really don’t need cardio to lose weight.
The first key to losing weight – DIET. The first thing I ask my clients about is their diet. While technically I can’t prescribe a diet plan, I do make recommendations…aka I tell them how well Primal works! Diet is 80%…maybe even 90% of the weight loss battle.
The second key is a good weight lifting routine. By lifting weights, you will add muscle, which will not only make you look more toned and fit but will also help you burn off the unwanted fat!
And if you do a fast weight training circuit, your heart rate is going to go up and you are going to burn a TON of calories.
There is no need for long, steady-state cardio sessions.
I mean if you really want to go do cardio, do some interval training or some sprints. But PLEASE lay off all that chronic cardio. It really isn’t going to help you look the way you want to…I guess of course unless you WANT to be skinny fat or anorexic looking…
P.S. For those of you diehard Cardio Queens who aren’t convinced here are some more articles to look at. Not only is chronic cardio not the key to weight loss but it truly isn’t that good for you!
I think she looks way better as the muscle machine, but hey....
Burn Body Fat – 8 Reasons why you should lift heavier weights
Here is an article about how important diet is to weight loss.
Eat Meat
I run into vegetarians all the time who tell me that my meat-eating ways are bad for the environment and that I’m promoting cruelty to animals. And I’d like them to reconsider that statement.
For one, I eat animals that have been naturally raised – I eat pigs that grub and cows that eat grass. So actually by eating naturally raised animals, I’m doing more to fight against the farms/companies that raise animals in an inhumane environment than you vegetarians are!
And two, herbicides and pesticides are NOT good for the environment. And what do you think we use to grow the crap load of vegetables, grains and such that you vegetarians eat?
Could it be that eating meat that is raised in a natural way is actually way better for the environment? YEP!
Check out this article “Ordering the vegetarian meal? There’s more animal blood on your hands.” Maybe you vegetarians will stop trying to convince me that eating meat is so unethical!
A true environmentalist! haha
The Feminization of Gym Equipment
I honestly believe that gym equipment is being designed more and more toward women. Here is why:
Our old pieces were black and grey.
The new pieces are white and purple. And while I’m a fan of color, white and purple are definitely softer and more “feminine.” Of course I did just find out that our club “chose” those colors. But the fact that they are even available means something to me. Now they aren’t only make light-weight barbie dumbbells with colors targeted at women but also big powerlifting equipment!
Two other things that made me feel the equipment was more feminine was the size and height of it and the shape.
Like the bench. Before it was all straight lines like the one above. Now our new one is “softer” and curvier.
While this isn't the correct colors it shows you the shape.
I found it interesting that they curved the back part where you rack the weights. They claim it is for “easy spotter access,” but I didn’t find it to be any easier than before. It honestly just looks softer and potentially more inviting to women in my opinion.
And in terms of the height and size of the weight machines, they are all smaller.
To reach the bar on our old Lat Pulldown machine, I had to stand on the bench. This new one I can reach standing with my feet pretty much flat on the ground. The same thing goes for our new functional trainers. I can actually reach the pull up bar while standing flat on the ground!
So do you agree? Do you think the colors, shape and size of the machines hint that companies are gearing gym machines more toward women? Is it good or sort of sad that companies feel they need to feminize weight machines?
Why is there so much crap out there?
Seriously, why is there so much crap out there? Why do people make being in shape more difficult than it actually is?
In a span of like five minutes I saw two ridiculous infomercials. One was for the Brazil Butt Lift Workout and the other was for Sensa.
Cocaine in a box?
First off, if you want a nice butt you don’t have to do some ridiculous dog-peeing-on-hydrant move. Just do a freaking deadlift. Trust me, deadlifts will give you a nice, firm, toned butt.
You don’t need to do ridiculous workouts like this. There is no “secret” to a great butt. This video isn’t anything revolutionary (actually half of these moves have been stolen from Jane Fonda workouts…)
Yep see there is no new “secret” move. It’s just the same old stuff re-packaged. It’s just another company trying to sell you something instead of telling you, “Hey, having a nice ass is easy. Do deadlifts and squats and use heavy weights and you will have the tight firm ass of your dreams in no time!”
AND SENSA!?! A magic powder that makes you lose weight without dieting…I think Candy’s statement was spot on…”What is it? Cocaine!?!”
I mean if you read how it works…it does kind of sound like an illegal drug…
And you always see these testimonials saying the product works, but does anyone ever know the people? I’ve never had a friend or even a friend of a friend be one of those people….Is it possible they are just actors! :-0
What if Dwight Schrute was your trainer?
First off I just want to say that I think I watch too much TV.
But that fact aside…What if you joined the Dwight Schrute Gym For Muscles and Dwight Schrute was your trainer?
If you joined the Dwight Schrute Gym For Muscles (in its early stages), you would have gotten to do some workout moves that Mark Sisson would have been proud of.
You would have strengthened your legs by squatting a log with two pails of stones dangling from it.
Or you would have worked your core by whacking a large tire with a sledge-hammer.
But just like Primal/Paleo/Crossfit, the mainstream wasn’t ready for Dwight’s gym.
So he brought in the traditional equipment and tells Darryl he will help him lose some weight. Dwight tells him, “Your path from obesity starts right here.”
Like any good trainer, Dwight first shows Darryl the proper way to stretch.
Of course you must always stretch your pelvic-bowl...
Then like any great motivational trainer, Dwight yells at Darryl to encourage Darryl to continue benching.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’d join the Dwight Schrute Gym For Muscles…The sad part is…there are lots of Dwight Schrute Gym For Muscles out there AND lots of under-qualified trainers like Dwight.
Be careful when selecting a gym and a trainer! You don’t want to end up training with someone like Dwight…
Welcome to the gun show! I wouldn't want him to be my trainer. He DEFINITELY doesn't have Man Biceps.
The P.I.N.K. Method
What does a workout and diet program need to make it big in the mainstream?
Apparently it needs to endorse lots of products and make it onto Dr. Phil. At least that’s all I could see that the P.I.N.K. method had going for it…(Oh and obviously a ton of money to spend on the packaging and marketing).
Oh and I guess it does need a whole lot of women who supposedly never liked working out, but managed to lose a ton of weight, endorsing it and saying it was the only program they could stick to. HA!
As far as I can see, the P.I.N.K. method (which stands for Power, Intensity, Nutrition and “Kardio”…yuck) is the same old crap just re-packaged with lots of pink. Light weights, “toning” exercises and cardio that looks like ever other workout tape for women is what you’ll get on their nicely packaged DVDs.
Along with the workouts, you’ll also get the same old nutritional information you find in every women’s fitness magazine, BUT they’ve made up catchy names for their dishes…like “Shred Soup” (which is essentially just a chicken broth, veggie soup) and some Pink Smoothie (I can’t remember the exact name, which is just a berry protein smoothie).
But hey…I mean don’t listen to me…Dr. Phil says it is a revolutionary new program. And with their Sketchers Shape Ups and Yoga pants that will burn more fat, it has to work right?
And if it doesn’t at least you got a free bracelet along with the DVDs…
P.S. I also love the lack of information on the P.I.N.K. method website. And I wish I could come up with some witty thing to say that P.I.N.K. stands for…Any ideas?
Man Bicep 