Coworker insists she can't lose weight through calorie restriction -- info wanted
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It sounds like she's making excuses. I'd leave it alone. That's for her to sort out.0
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The vision in my head:
-She goes from eating 2500+ calories per day to less than 1000
-Those 1000 calories are mostly frozen/processed foods containing lots of sodium
-The sodium causes her to retain water
-Her weight goes up the next day
-She concludes that she cannot lose weight by reducing her intake
Interesting. If I knew her better, I'd ask.
This would make sense.0 -
There aren't any. If you eat at a deficit, you will lose weight. Period, full stop, no exceptions. There is no medical condition that exists - or that even can exist - that can change that.
I don't think that you are an expert in this field as this is simply not true. There are conditions that will cause a body to accumulate weight even if you consume zero calories and only drink water. Things like heart failure and cirrhosis or advanced abdominal cancers would cause an accumulation of water weight. I do not suspect that any of these things apply to the OP's coworker, but you should not claim something is true with "no exceptions" when you are not actually correct.
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Is there a small broom closet at work where you could accidentally lock her in with nothing but water for a week or so...might settle the argument.
I was tempted to ask her if she's ever lost weight during a prolonged illness. But, I'm not out for an argument with this gal, so I just nodded and listened and wondered.0 -
Leave it alone
Smile and nod ...and walk away
I think this is the best advice.
Barring any medical condition, it is impossible not to lose weight when in a deficit. The problem is that many people eat 1000-1200 calories for three days and expect to lose 20 lbs....so they give up.
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Thyroid - she can have a blood test and get this checked. Basically your body doesn't break down food into energy very well, it just stores it as fat straight away. If she has this she'll be gaining weight and tired all of the time no matter how much she eats.0
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Okay. Someone fill me in on the most common medical reason/s someone may be unable to lose weight. I have a coworker who absolutely (angrily, really) insists that she cannot lose weight through calorie restriction. She claims that she will actually gain weight when restricting calories.
I am trying to keep the peace, so I don't grill her about how this works -- how her body makes fat without an excess of calories. And perhaps she has a real condition. But, I'm no medical expert, so I don't know what that might be.
So, if you'd like to help me understand this gal, fill me in.
I actually gain weight even though I restrict calories. Or rather I did at first. I don't tolerate sugar or wheat well. If I eat that everyday even within a 1200 calorie diet, I will either lose nothing, or gain. I also have to restrict fat as well.
When I first started my diet, for the first +5 to 7 pounds my body did not want to give up the fat. For some reason that has all changed now and I'm adding a lot more veggies as carbs because I'm losing it too fast.
I think you have to clean out your body from things it doesn't like. I'm actually allergic to sugar and wheat products make me sneeze for about 20 minutes after eating them. While I can't prove all of this, I can just totally tell the difference. I think its whatever works for each person, because I think chemically we are all different. If it ain't working--try something else.
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There are conditions that will cause a body to accumulate weight even if you consume zero calories and only drink water. Things like heart failure and cirrhosis or advanced abdominal cancers would cause an accumulation of water weight. I do not suspect that any of these things apply to the OP's coworker, but you should not claim something is true with "no exceptions" when you are not actually correct.
Water weight isn't real weight gain, and not what is being discussed here.
If you prefer, wherever I refer to "weight", substitute "body fat".
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I think she is lying to herself. Just smile and walk away. I have a friend who says that she has fibrous tumors in her uterus which make her unable to lose weight... never heard that one before.0
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It sounds like she's making excuses. I'd leave it alone. That's for her to sort out.
yes indeedy! !
Losing weight is such an individual thing. You can't monitor her eating habits 24 hours a day.
Step away and let her sort her own self out.
I've had many people ask me how I've lost weight. When I say "simply eat less food",
I get the open mouthed, bored look! So I really can't be bothered any more.0 -
NoelFigart1 wrote: »Losing weight is not a moral imperative. Let her manage her body in her own way and concentrate on your own goals.
I am.
That's why I've kept my mouth shut. She's a nice enough lady, but she goes after those of us who are counting calories. I've been biting my tongue, but wondering about what her issue might be. I would never grill her about her health and weight.0 -
The vision in my head:
-She goes from eating 2500+ calories per day to less than 1000
-Those 1000 calories are mostly frozen/processed foods containing lots of sodium
-The sodium causes her to retain water
-Her weight goes up the next day
-She concludes that she cannot lose weight by reducing her intake
Agreed!
A friend that I used to work with complained about gaining weight over the 3 weeks she was trying out Insanity. She weighed herself every day, and wasn't tracking her food. She said she was "so hungry from the exercise" that she couldn't help but eat extra. Well no kidding she gained some weight! Although that "weight gain" was minor, she still quit after 3 weeks because it didn't work like the miracle that she thought it would. I just shook my head, shrugged my shoulders and carried on my merry way.0 -
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The vision in my head:
-She goes from eating 2500+ calories per day to less than 1000
-Those 1000 calories are mostly frozen/processed foods containing lots of sodium
-The sodium causes her to retain water
-Her weight goes up the next day
-She concludes that she cannot lose weight by reducing her intake
Actually this makes sense
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Water weight isn't real weight gain, and not what is being discussed here.
If you prefer, wherever I refer to "weight", substitute "body fat".
I know that... but that's not what you said. If you are giving people advice, it should be accurate and not require artistic license to interpret.
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Sure. Let's derail the discussion with pedantry. 'Cause that always fixes everything.
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Thyroid condtions absolutely cause excessive uncontrolled weight hain withoutu a jump in caloriesu because it severely kills the metabolism... one hundred percent possible... with calries restriction AND. Medication she may be able to lose weight. In time but usuallyu at a much slower rate than most people.
This is not accurate. Thyroid conditions may lower your metabolism and cause weight gain, but this effect does not occur regardless of a caloric deficit. It simply lowers the number of calories you can eat before reaching a surplus.
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Okay. Someone fill me in on the most common medical reason/s someone may be unable to lose weight. I have a coworker who absolutely (angrily, really) insists that she cannot lose weight through calorie restriction. She claims that she will actually gain weight when restricting calories.
I am trying to keep the peace, so I don't grill her about how this works -- how her body makes fat without an excess of calories. And perhaps she has a real condition. But, I'm no medical expert, so I don't know what that might be.
So, if you'd like to help me understand this gal, fill me in.
Tell them to log everything for 2 weeks and then review it.
Odds are they aren't tracking properly, weighing and measuring probably doesn;t happen. Anyone who logs 6 oz's of chicken everyday isn't weighing their food... I think I've hit oz's dead on the noise a few times in 2 years of doing this.
There are other things like I've had ppl tell me "that doesn't count" ..Yes ...YES it does count ... pop is not water! "Oh it's just one don't worry about" and then BOOM that was the problem right there.0
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