Dieting results in long term changes to hormones and muscle fibers.

[eridani]

287. For the same reason I argue with people who think gay people should stay in the closet

Why can't we just start another thread for being irrational about muscle tissue?

Often people with scientific training often forget everything they know about scientific reasoning when someone says the magic word "fat". Oddly, muscle is hardly ever the subject of such idiotic unreason. A few years ago I was reading one of the exercise magazines at my health club, and came upon an article that compared the effects of a strength training regimen on football players, weight lifters and endurance athletes. Turns out that the football players and weight lifters added quite a bit of muscle mass, but the endurance athletes added very little using the exact same program, though they did record strength gains.

Did the authors conclude that the endurance athletes who weren't adding muscle mass just refused to try hard enough, lacked will power, were lying about their compliance with the program, or had serious psychological issues with their fathers? Nope, they rationally concluded that college athletes tend to pick sports that their genetics predisposed them to be good at. It would really be great if people could get that rational ahout fat. Do any health improvement program you like--you have still no control over its outcome.