I would give ANYTHING...well, except any effort whatsoever

LivingtheLeanDream

You know... I feel kind of bad for ranting about this online. She is a very sweet person, and the only annoying habit she has is complaining about her weight...and never being willing to take action. Oh well. there is no delete button. I just wanted to vent. But now I don't think I should have.

ps dont be worried about your 'rant' you didn't say anything hurtful about your friend, sometimes we just need to get things off our chests

TheRunningGuppy

Nope, I'm not one of the lucky ones. Been fat since I was a teen. But I do agree with you, it's hard work that gets the results. And it's showing (look at my ticker!). I had people ask me when I first started "what diet are you on?", and all I could say was "The Common Sense Diet". Portion control and exercise. I don't get that question as much now. Mostly because I've made it clear through some Facebook posts that I'm working my butt off.

Lol, your comment just cracked me up. I'm gonna use that in the future, "The Common Sense Diet" lol.

Glad to be of help! :drinker:

Gwyn91

Lmao, ain't nobody got time for dat!

SteveStedge

Me: "No seriously, One hour a day and eat right. You won’t be hungry or anything. Diets don't have to equal suck and after a little while, working out becomes addictive. I promise. We will work out together...I'll start easy on you tongue ."

I disagree. Especially for someone who has built a life where enjoyment of food is a primary source of pleasure, dieting equals suck, and it always will.

You have to learn a life lacking the pleasure of food, and that's just the reality of it. And if your body isn't getting enough food to burn and has to resort to burning stores, you're going to be uncomfortable. That's the reality of it.

The reality is that losing weight requires you to think about food all the time. It requires massive willpower and this is why most people fail trying to lose weight.

Also I have never found physical exertion to be pleasant, and certainly not addictive. What I find addictive is sitting in front of the computer playing video games. Anything that involves sweating and little drops of sweat running down your body making you feel like bugs are crawling on you is not pleasant to me. And the worse out of shape you are, the less pleasant it is going to be. Again it takes massive willpower to overcome this and again, that's why most people fail.

Losing weight is hard work and requires constant attention every second you are awake. It's monumental effort.

Most people can't do it and they know it.

Interesting...I thought this was the "Motivation and support" forum, not the "excuses" forum.

I just love it when people who can't do something tell people who do it that it can't be done...

pwnderosa

This is funny to me.... I get these comments all the time in regards to my artistic "talent". I do not believe I have any talent at all! About 5 years ago I decided I was going to draw and paint well and I started drawing every day. These days, I can draw a very realistic rendition of almost any scene or photo, as long as I have time and calmness enough to concentrate. But this took 5 years of daily practice, a few classes, and reading dozens of books... Yet people tell me I am "so lucky to be talented at drawing"!

Same thing really, it shouldn't bother me, it is meant as a compliment... but it kind of drives me up a wall that people think I came out of the womb knowing how to do this when it actually took a long time of consistent practice and study.

jennifershoo

People are pathologically hooked to the "quick, easy fix" idea. I am a pharmacist and I get bombarded constantly with questions on whatever Dr. Oz's "magic bullet" of the week is. I get asked to recommend a diet pill and then get to look at people's shocked faces when I say "I don't recommend any of them". Doctors aren't much better...they seem to prescribe Adipex for just about everyone who complains about their weight, even though the risks of the drug are very high and the benefits very modest. I guess we are all still trying to believe the lie about having it all. You cannot eat whatever you want in the quantities that you want AND be fit and look great (unless you are a heavily training athlete). We cannot have it all...we need balance, moderation, and discipline. Everyone that I know who has noticed I have lost weight seems almost disappointed that I'm not losing it with a shake, a pill, HGH injections, a prepackaged food plan, or some other commercial weight loss plan. Nobody wants to hear that I plan my meals, cook at home, eat smaller portions, eat more fruits and veggies, eat less sugar and processed food, and exercise.

Amen to that!!!

chelstakencharge

Seriously, just today I was told it must be so lucky to be able to wear a 4.... Um NO it's not luck. I work my butt off to get to where I am. I started in a 20wp and now am in a 4p. Luck had nothing to do with it.

RobynLB83

Everyone thinks I must be naturally athletic. I am NOT naturally athletic AT ALL. I am naturally slow and fat and unathletic. As a kid, I could never climb the rope in gym class, and I was always picked last. Now, I can beat the boys I work train with in sit ups, jump squats, burpees, etc. I can run 20 miles. I can carry a 50 lb pack up and down mountains all day.

0% luck. 100% determination.

jennifershoo

Most people can't do it and they know it.

Most people have no idea what they are capable of doing. And there are plenty of posts in the Success Stories forum to prove it.

This! Sooooooo this^

2 years ago, if you've told me I'd be able one day to lift heavy weights and run 30 min without stopping, I would have laughed.
You never know what you can do until you do it!

RobynLB83

Its not just about weight. People would love to get good grades in school or learn a language, but don't want to study more. They'd love to earn more money, but don't want to work longer hours or at a more stressful job. That's just the way people are.

The key is to realize what a thinner body or better grades costs in terms of one's own effort. If you're willing to pay the cost you can have it, if you're not then don't complain.

oh so true. I know people who want it all 'now' and choose to leave school, not study further and jump into the workforce. Now they are trying to finish high school... and as for languages, don't start me. I am at an advanced level of Japanese now and I find it painful to hear of people (Americans in particular) who have lived here for years, but just 'can't' pick up the language. 4 years. You can't pick up the language because you don't study it, you only speak English, you just DON'T TRY!

Guilty of thinking that some people magically pick up languages.

jennifershoo

An hour of exercising a day and eating completely healthy sounds pretty overwhelming, even to me! I usually suggest small steps to my friends.

I agree with you. For someone who's been sedentary and has been eating too much cals all of their life, a statement like that is overwhelming, so they'd rather not even bother trying.
Baby steps insure a sustainable lifestyle change.

jennifershoo

0% luck. 100% determination.

????????

I like that!
Must.Put.On.T-shirt!!!

dbratton87

Me: "No seriously, One hour a day and eat right. You won’t be hungry or anything. Diets don't have to equal suck and after a little while, working out becomes addictive. I promise. We will work out together...I'll start easy on you tongue ."

I disagree. Especially for someone who has built a life where enjoyment of food is a primary source of pleasure, dieting equals suck, and it always will.

You have to learn a life lacking the pleasure of food, and that's just the reality of it. And if your body isn't getting enough food to burn and has to resort to burning stores, you're going to be uncomfortable. That's the reality of it.

The reality is that losing weight requires you to think about food all the time. It requires massive willpower and this is why most people fail trying to lose weight.

Also I have never found physical exertion to be pleasant, and certainly not addictive. What I find addictive is sitting in front of the computer playing video games. Anything that involves sweating and little drops of sweat running down your body making you feel like bugs are crawling on you is not pleasant to me. And the worse out of shape you are, the less pleasant it is going to be. Again it takes massive willpower to overcome this and again, that's why most people fail.

Losing weight is hard work and requires constant attention every second you are awake. It's monumental effort.

Most people can't do it and they know it.

How incredibly negative. I totally disagree. I did have to deal with feeling hungry at the end of the day but I don't starve all day. I also did not learn to live my life without the pleasure of food. It took me a little bit to adjust but literally, after just weeks my appetite and tastes had changed. I just had to adjust my expectations but it didn't take long before I truly enjoyed the healthy recipes I prepared. I LOVE finding new ones to try. I fully take pleasure in finding, preparing, and eating healthy recipes.

Same for working out. I HATED it at first and still go through funks where I just don't feel like it (like lately) but I no longer hate it at all and when I get on doing something new it is exciting and VERY addictive. Especially when I see gains. Nothing can top that feeling.

How long have you been at this new lifestyle? If you are just beginning I promise it gets better and more fun and you become passionate about it

Luv2h1k3

Love this...didn't see it as a rant at all. Reinforces what I'm learning through this process...I'm the only one who can get me to where I want to go.

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Pookylou

My boss is very similar, she has asked my MANY times over the last year/year and a half how I have lost all my weight (often in a charming passive aggressive way), I have explained to her each time, eating less, moving more, logging all my food.... She just stares and gives me the "you log EVERYTHING you eat??". Yeah love that is how calorie counting works.... Within a couple of weeks she'll be on some new fab diet, lose some weight and then bounce back up again.

You can lead a horse to water.............

grimendale

Losing weight is hard work and requires constant attention every second you are awake. It's monumental effort.

Most people can't do it and they know it.

And as long as they continue to "know" that they can't do it, they're right. I "knew" for years that I couldn't lose weight. Then I decided that maybe I didn't know as much as I thought. Turns out, I was right.

tnsumner

I've lost quite a bit of weight over the past year. Everyone I work with keeps asking, "Oh my gosh!!! You look great. How did you do it??" I simply say, "Eat less. Exercise more." They can't believe the solution is so simple.

To answer your orignial question, I WORK MY BUTT OFF!!!! Genetics are against me. My whole family is overweight. You'll find me in the gym 5 days a week. Five days a week, I do a 1 hour cardio class at the gym (Insanity or cardio kickboxing), run 2.5 miles, and walk my dog 1 mile. I have a sensible dinner. I try one new food (usually a veggie) every month.

This takes dedication and motivation. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

dakotababy

You know... I feel kind of bad for ranting about this online. She is a very sweet person, and the only annoying habit she has is complaining about her weight...and never being willing to take action. Oh well. there is no delete button. I just wanted to vent. But now I don't think I should have.

As I was reading through this thread, I was reflecting on some of the comments being made. "Get a backbone, not a wishbone", "Differences between desire and commitment", etc. I am thinking how some of these comments can be placed on my own life (not so much with health and fitness) regarding other things I "wish" I had.

Example - I always "wished" to play the drums, or guitar. I have a drum set and a few guitars in my house...I sit and wish, when I really don't bother to pick them up and practice. For the longest time I "wished" I did not have anxiety...and until I started working on it and studying anxiety - I continued to have anxiety.

I don't know if I am making sense, but THANK YOU for posting. The replies have been very inspiring to read. All of us can take a thing or two from this discussion.

gracekelli

I think one point that no one made is that when you are way overweight the task seems insurmountable. It can be very daunting to look at what you truly should lose and think it is anything but hopeless. There are a lot of reasons and a lot of "excuses". At some point I think I just said F-it, what difference is one donut going to make? I will be fat if I eat it, I will be fat if I don't. The one thing I know for myself is that I had to DECIDE to change my body. Once I made up my mind I stopped looking at how far I had to go and started making different choices hour by hour. For me, it's mental...pure and simple.

svelt123

I agree with you! Yes, it is hard work. Sometimes, I guess it takes the "friend" has to reach that point in their life when they have reached reality and truth about how they choose to live.