Why is losing weight so effortless for some and so difficult for others?

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Replies

  • catt952
    catt952 Posts: 190 Member
    Notice the past tense though. I've been maintaining for a year and it's been really hard. My appetite has skyrocketed since I got close to my goal weight. I go to bed hungry half the time, and that's on maintenance calories. So I'd add that people's satiety signals and hormones DEFINITELY have something to do with it too... Those people who are 'so full on 1200 calories' will probably have a easier time losing than people who still go to bed hungry on 1600, even with a similar diet.

    Do you experiment with different ways of eating to help your hunger? Exercise ect
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,828 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Ashtoretet wrote: »
    I'm sure there are things you're absolutely terrible at that others think are easy too.

    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!

    Which actually reminded me of something.

    I am a long distance cyclist, and I have been asked for tips to make riding a century (100 miles in one day) easier. I have various tips, but one is ... "ride a double century" (200 miles in one day). Once you've ridden a double century, all of a sudden the century doesn't seem so bad. :)

    And that applies here for me ... watching what I eat is challenging, but at the same time as I signed on here to do that, I also started the first course toward a Grad Certificate in ICT ... perhaps working toward a Masters if my sanity remains intact. Plus working full-time.

    My first semester was slightly more challenging than watching what I eat ... this second semester is WAY more challenging and frustrating and difficult than watching what I eat. Watching what I eat is about as normal as brushing my teeth in the morning. Meanwhile every waking moment (and half the sleeping moments too) are filled with trying to understand the material in this course.

    So perhaps one tip to make watching what we eat a little easier is ... get involved in something else. Something challenging. Join a club. Take a class. Volunteer. Do something you've always wanted to do. :)
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!

    If you want to lose some of my weight, I'll write all the C# code you would ever need :smiley:

    I actually found C# almost trivial to learn, although I already had a long programming experience by the time that language came out, and it's conceptually very similar to languages I knew well.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,828 Member
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!

    If you want to lose some of my weight, I'll write all the C# code you would ever need :smiley:

    I actually found C# almost trivial to learn, although I already had a long programming experience by the time that language came out, and it's conceptually very similar to languages I knew well.

    Maybe we can do a deal. :grin:

    I learned VB way back when ... but with this class we've kind of been dropped in at the deep end. Oh no, you don't need any previous programming experience, but here, for your second assignment, program a complicated form thing, containing all these features, in C#.

    Conceptually, I get it now (after working with it for a couple months) ... but the syntax escapes me. I just emailed my instructor with the question, you've suggested we use a UserControl. I did, but now how do I link it to the MainWindow? And he emailed back with a line of C# code I've never seen before and which would never have entered my mind. I'm glad I've got that now, but how would I have known to use that?

    Unfortunately, the whole course has gone like that.




  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I had roughly 30lbs to lose. The first 25lbs were relatively easy, I did it with just a calorie deficit and no exercise.
    These last 5 having been hanging on for dear life, and I am exercising more than I have in my entire life!! So it's gotten harder these last few months than it ever has.
  • Russandol
    Russandol Posts: 71 Member
    Soopatt wrote: »
    If you read through the forums here you see the trend clearly - Internal locus of control (Its all up to me) = success. External locus of control (It's everyone else fault but mine) = poor me, boo hoo, round and round forever.
    I guess I'm bucking that trend, then. :( I recognize clearly that it's all up to me, but it's still bloody hard. Hard because I sabotage myself because the rules I set for myself are too strict. I don't blame anyone else for that. So for me, it seems to be a question of impatience (leading to failure) rather than not wanting to admit it's all up to me.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    What an interesting thread! I'm glad we've stopped with the cupcake talk, though. Good topic, OP!
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    rankinsect wrote: »
    I guess I was more after the mental aspect, not the physical aspect, of difficulties losing weight. Why some people seem to make things more difficult for themselves - not logging properly, not believing that water weight fluctuations are normal, looking for diet pills and the latest fad, not realising that calories is math, that it's more about (in my opinion) about skillpower than willpower, all the fuddling we do when we can't see the whole picture because the details are in the way.

    I think a lot of the mental aspects are still physical in nature.

    Everyone's body is attempting to control their weight. We have systems of hormones that drive our appetite, and can influence whether we feel hungry or full, energetic or lethargic, can influence our emotions, etc. In some people, it definitely seems that this hormone regulation isn't working properly. It could be genetic, it could be epigenetic, it could be environmental or dietary, but the result is that some people are going to have these hormone systems working on their behalf (helping them lose weight) and others will have this system working against them.

    It's a spectrum, of course, and people fall somewhere along it. Some people have horrible cravings they can barely tolerate, others seem to have a fairly easy time of it, and most are somewhere between the extremes. That's not dissimilar to anything in life - in school I was always the person who could earn top grades without studying; things just make sense to me and if I see it or read it once, I know it, with very little practice or repetition needed (except for learning languages, which is harder for me). People who put in a lot more effort than I regularly did a lot worse.

    Some people must have a lot of willpower to stay on a diet, just like some people must study very hard to get good grades. And some people don't.

    Eh, I wouldn't be so sure about that.

    In an interesting study on satiety, subjects were fed a liquid that they were told would solidify or form a gel in their stomachs, thus anticipating that it would leave them feeling full. Well, the liquid was just a liquid.

    Interestingly, they reported feeling full AND had a hormonal response as if they were.

    Food for thought about just what's driving hormones.

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Ashtoretet wrote: »
    I'm sure there are things you're absolutely terrible at that others think are easy too.

    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!
    They were both easy. Remembering Spanish idioms is much harder for me.

  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Russandol wrote: »
    Soopatt wrote: »
    If you read through the forums here you see the trend clearly - Internal locus of control (Its all up to me) = success. External locus of control (It's everyone else fault but mine) = poor me, boo hoo, round and round forever.
    I guess I'm bucking that trend, then. :( I recognize clearly that it's all up to me, but it's still bloody hard. Hard because I sabotage myself because the rules I set for myself are too strict. I don't blame anyone else for that. So for me, it seems to be a question of impatience (leading to failure) rather than not wanting to admit it's all up to me.

    Have you tried relaxing some of your rules a little to help? Yes, you can lose faster or "easier" by sticking to strict rules, but if you can't actually stick to them, then it's not actually going to be harder.

    As mentioned over and over in this thread, the biggest problem with losing in mental; getting over the mental roller coaster of setting yourself for failure, failing, and then beating yourself up for failing I think is the largest step in the right direction for weight loss. Clearly (from an objective standpoint) not setting yourself up for failure is the first step to stop the yoyoing. Getting into the mindset of you don't need 39,583,939 rules to succeed is the harder part.
  • StellaRose227
    StellaRose227 Posts: 43 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Ashtoretet wrote: »
    I'm sure there are things you're absolutely terrible at that others think are easy too.

    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!


    Don't worry. C# is a perfectly superfluous language. I personally prefer VB, but have inherited a few C# applications.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Ashtoretet wrote: »
    I'm sure there are things you're absolutely terrible at that others think are easy too.

    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!


    Don't worry. C# is a perfectly superfluous language. I personally prefer VB, but have inherited a few C# applications.
    Doesn't matter if it's superfluous if current or prospective employers are looking for someone proficient in it.

  • StellaRose227
    StellaRose227 Posts: 43 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Ashtoretet wrote: »
    I'm sure there are things you're absolutely terrible at that others think are easy too.

    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!


    Don't worry. C# is a perfectly superfluous language. I personally prefer VB, but have inherited a few C# applications.
    Doesn't matter if it's superfluous if current or prospective employers are looking for someone proficient in it.

    What I mean by that is that if you can do VB, you can do C#. C# just has a lot of extra syntax.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    The smaller and older you are, and if female, and if you have any endocrine disorders, it gets really, really bad. On the other hand young healthy males seem to be eating any bloody thing they please... yeah, the other person had it right when they said "because life is not fair." That's about it. I would kill for 1700. I would have to work out like 3 hours per day to get that many cals for maintenance. blargh.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Ashtoretet wrote: »
    I'm sure there are things you're absolutely terrible at that others think are easy too.

    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!


    Don't worry. C# is a perfectly superfluous language. I personally prefer VB, but have inherited a few C# applications.
    Doesn't matter if it's superfluous if current or prospective employers are looking for someone proficient in it.

    What I mean by that is that if you can do VB, you can do C#. C# just has a lot of extra syntax.
    And different keywords and structure. Even something as fundamental as looping uses a completely different syntax. That doesn't mean it can't be done -- I started with VB and later VB.NET -- but you're not going to be fluent in C# just because you are in VB.NET.

  • spoonyspork
    spoonyspork Posts: 238 Member
    I think for some people it's actually more of a 'perfectionist' thing. They don't feel they'll ever be 'skinny' or 'beautiful' even if they lose weight... or there will always be someone who's skinnier or prettier than them, so why really give it effort? From there they come up with a million other excuses why it wouldn't even work anyway. 'I have a metabolic disorder', 'I only lose if I limit myself to 900 calories', 'I can't afford to eat cleanly', etc. Give it a half-hearted attempt, see someone doing better than them (even if they really aren't, but to them they are) and just drop it. You'll find many other aspects of their lives follow the same pattern. They never live for themselves and set unrealistic expectations based on their perception of someone/society's opinion.

    I too have been finding it *incredibly* easy to lose weight... and even difficult to stop. I'm a lazy bum and love 'junk' food. I don't really exercise at all beyond things I actually enjoy (horseback riding and more recently learning to 'bock' -- run and bounce on jumping stilts, which was the reward I promised myself for losing weight -- but both only happen 1-2 times/week), and make it a point to eat sweet, salty, and fatty treats every day. I *love* figuring out the math and min/maxing my intake so I meet my nutritional goals, stay satiated, and get in as many 'treats' as possible. It's even more fun right now because I seem to be walking a very fine line of maintenance (I decided a while back I was where I wanted to be so upped my intake... and kept dropping, and dropping, and dropping... so upped a bit more and gained, and gained, and gained... so lowered just slightly and stayed where I wanted for a while but now I'm dropping again) and figuring out the mysterious perfect number and what delicious stuff I can add to keep on target. However, I figured out long ago I didn't give a crap what others thought and would never be perfect, so have never made a big deal about it. That's how I ended up fat to begin with. Only my own health made me decide to drop the weight. I even have a metabolic disorder that SHOULD make it difficult to lose weight, especially without going low-carb. I take no meds for it. Following what the math says maintenance should be and not going into extra effort to make sure what I'm eating is low carb, I stay within a reasonable carb limit... even with eating potatoes, chips, ice cream, candy bars, etc every day. No excuses; just math!

    It's not even a self-confidence thing. I have NONE. I just assume others see my as fugly - fat or thin - and accept it. Why worry about what you can't help? No big deal. I like being alive though, and it's a lot more fun to be healthy... which I CAN help.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    I've experienced both. It used to be hard. This time it's easy. For me, the difference comes down to a few things:

    1. Mindset (this isn't something I'm going to do for a while and then move on, this is my new normal)
    2. Expectations (I'm not looking to drop all the weight by x date. As long as I'm making progress, I'm happy)
    3. Priorities (this is my new hobby, I make time for it. It's not something I'm trying to squeeze in when I get the chance, it's my priority)
    4. Habits (calorie counting/exercise isn't something I have to be "motivated" to do. It's just something I do, no emotions or motivational speeches needed. I don't have to motivate myself to do laundry even if I don't feel like doing it, this stuff is the same way.)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,828 Member
    edited September 2015


    Machka9 wrote: »
    Ashtoretet wrote: »
    I'm sure there are things you're absolutely terrible at that others think are easy too.

    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!


    Don't worry. C# is a perfectly superfluous language. I personally prefer VB, but have inherited a few C# applications.
    Doesn't matter if it's superfluous if current or prospective employers are looking for someone proficient in it.

    What I mean by that is that if you can do VB, you can do C#. C# just has a lot of extra syntax.
    And different keywords and structure. Even something as fundamental as looping uses a completely different syntax. That doesn't mean it can't be done -- I started with VB and later VB.NET -- but you're not going to be fluent in C# just because you are in VB.NET.

    I learned VB a decade ago, and have used it a little bit in recent years ... but am having trouble with the C# syntax and everything.

    I need you C# experts here with me right now to help me with this assignment that's throwing me exceptions and all sorts of things!!


    (BTW - I lost a little bit of weight this morning, and I've eaten fewer calories than I burned today, so I've got that covered ... :grin: )
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!

    If you want to lose some of my weight, I'll write all the C# code you would ever need :smiley:

    I actually found C# almost trivial to learn, although I already had a long programming experience by the time that language came out, and it's conceptually very similar to languages I knew well.

    Maybe we can do a deal. :grin:

    I learned VB way back when ... but with this class we've kind of been dropped in at the deep end. Oh no, you don't need any previous programming experience, but here, for your second assignment, program a complicated form thing, containing all these features, in C#.

    Conceptually, I get it now (after working with it for a couple months) ... but the syntax escapes me. I just emailed my instructor with the question, you've suggested we use a UserControl. I did, but now how do I link it to the MainWindow? And he emailed back with a line of C# code I've never seen before and which would never have entered my mind. I'm glad I've got that now, but how would I have known to use that?

    Unfortunately, the whole course has gone like that.

    @Machka9

    In all seriousness, practice your Google-fu.

    A good portion of my job is working with new technologies, hardware, and/or programing languages with no instruction and a deadline to get whatever-it-is working. I can almost always find a solution to my problem if I search intelligently and diligently enough. Plus, I find all kinds of other cool tips on related subjects.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    stealthq wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!

    If you want to lose some of my weight, I'll write all the C# code you would ever need :smiley:

    I actually found C# almost trivial to learn, although I already had a long programming experience by the time that language came out, and it's conceptually very similar to languages I knew well.

    Maybe we can do a deal. :grin:

    I learned VB way back when ... but with this class we've kind of been dropped in at the deep end. Oh no, you don't need any previous programming experience, but here, for your second assignment, program a complicated form thing, containing all these features, in C#.

    Conceptually, I get it now (after working with it for a couple months) ... but the syntax escapes me. I just emailed my instructor with the question, you've suggested we use a UserControl. I did, but now how do I link it to the MainWindow? And he emailed back with a line of C# code I've never seen before and which would never have entered my mind. I'm glad I've got that now, but how would I have known to use that?

    Unfortunately, the whole course has gone like that.

    @Machka9

    In all seriousness, practice your Google-fu.

    A good portion of my job is working with new technologies, hardware, and/or programing languages with no instruction and a deadline to get whatever-it-is working. I can almost always find a solution to my problem if I search intelligently and diligently enough. Plus, I find all kinds of other cool tips on related subjects.
    This.

    Any tutorial on user controls will show how to hook it into the parent page or container. Looking at the documentation, or Google, isn't cheating.

  • Azuriaz
    Azuriaz Posts: 785 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Ashtoretet wrote: »
    I'm sure there are things you're absolutely terrible at that others think are easy too.

    Yeah ... C# programming, which I'm trying to learn right now leaps to mind.

    Losing weight is a piece of cake compared with learning that!!

    Which actually reminded me of something.

    I am a long distance cyclist, and I have been asked for tips to make riding a century (100 miles in one day) easier. I have various tips, but one is ... "ride a double century" (200 miles in one day). Once you've ridden a double century, all of a sudden the century doesn't seem so bad. :)

    And that applies here for me ... watching what I eat is challenging, but at the same time as I signed on here to do that, I also started the first course toward a Grad Certificate in ICT ... perhaps working toward a Masters if my sanity remains intact. Plus working full-time.

    My first semester was slightly more challenging than watching what I eat ... this second semester is WAY more challenging and frustrating and difficult than watching what I eat. Watching what I eat is about as normal as brushing my teeth in the morning. Meanwhile every waking moment (and half the sleeping moments too) are filled with trying to understand the material in this course.

    So perhaps one tip to make watching what we eat a little easier is ... get involved in something else. Something challenging. Join a club. Take a class. Volunteer. Do something you've always wanted to do. :)

    I like this. Especially the bolded. Boredom is definitely one of my enemies. I figure if I'm bored my brain is telling me I'm not doing anything good with my life.
  • Azuriaz
    Azuriaz Posts: 785 Member
    gothchiq wrote: »
    The smaller and older you are, and if female, and if you have any endocrine disorders, it gets really, really bad. On the other hand young healthy males seem to be eating any bloody thing they please... yeah, the other person had it right when they said "because life is not fair." That's about it. I would kill for 1700. I would have to work out like 3 hours per day to get that many cals for maintenance. blargh.

    I did like the comment someone made in another thread about how he doesn't think it's fair his wife may outlive him by a decade. He does have a point!
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I had roughly 30lbs to lose. The first 25lbs were relatively easy, I did it with just a calorie deficit and no exercise.
    These last 5 having been hanging on for dear life, and I am exercising more than I have in my entire life!! So it's gotten harder these last few months than it ever has.

    You're not eating in a calorie deficit.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    mccindy72 wrote: »
    I had roughly 30lbs to lose. The first 25lbs were relatively easy, I did it with just a calorie deficit and no exercise.
    These last 5 having been hanging on for dear life, and I am exercising more than I have in my entire life!! So it's gotten harder these last few months than it ever has.

    You're not eating in a calorie deficit.

    @mccindy72 you are more than likely right. My logging has been slacking off lately, but I didn't think it has been bad enough for me to not lose any more weight.. even a pound here or there. I'm afraid diet fatigue has hit me once again.

  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    mccindy72 wrote: »
    I had roughly 30lbs to lose. The first 25lbs were relatively easy, I did it with just a calorie deficit and no exercise.
    These last 5 having been hanging on for dear life, and I am exercising more than I have in my entire life!! So it's gotten harder these last few months than it ever has.

    You're not eating in a calorie deficit.

    @mccindy72 you are more than likely right. My logging has been slacking off lately, but I didn't think it has been bad enough for me to not lose any more weight.. even a pound here or there. I'm afraid diet fatigue has hit me once again.

    When we get down to the last few pounds, they really are the toughest ones, because the logging has to be spot-on. The deficit is only 200 calories or so. Any inaccuracies in counting and we're over, and eating at maintenance. That's not the worst thing in the world, it just stops weight loss from happening.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I need you C# experts here with me right now to help me with this assignment that's throwing me exceptions and all sorts of things!!

    If you zip your project and host it somewhere, you can PM me the link and I'll take a look... probably tomorrow evening. Debugging other people's code is a huge part of my day job, so it's not something I'm unfamiliar with.
  • frankiesgirlie
    frankiesgirlie Posts: 669 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    If I want a cupcake, I'll eat one...maybe two. I also run or elliptical on a daily basis and get over 20K in steps on most days. I could probably fit a half dozen cupcakes in my diet if I wanted to.

    I think we all have to find what works for us...and what our sweet spot is (pun intended) with diet and activity.

    Lucky. Even with my 2200 calorie maintenance, the days I could fit a 400 calorie cupcake are few and far between, they don't fill me up at all then I end up hangry... It was easier for me to fit that stuff when I was losing though... I was less hungry.

    Hunger levels DEFINITELY make a difference about how easy or hard weight loss is. And sweet tooth too... someone who loves burgers and steaks will be full after having their burgers... people who love cake, candy and cupcakes, well... nope.

    It's irritaing to read all the crap of how "shorties" and "fun-sized" women can't eat certain foods because of height.

    I agree, the blanket statements that because someone is petite, they are doomed to a lifetime of losing weight at 1200 cals and maintaining at low levels as well, drives me crazy. I'm 5'2, 40 years old, and my TDEE according to my FitBit is ~2200. I lost weight netting 1600 cals. I have an office job. I don't run marathons or lift extremely heavy things. I walk around 14,000 steps/day and lift dumbbells a couple times a week.

    So as not to derail the OP - I too think that the process of weight loss is simple, may not be "easy". It is just math. And not even particularly hard math either. Figure out how many calories you burn. Eat less calories than that. Exercise if you enjoy it. Have reasonable expectations. Know that much of this is about estimation. Be patient.




    I'm think all the petite girls who have the idea that taller girls get to eat more calories may just have their goal settings wrong. When I first came on MFP I had 10-12 lbs to lose and I'm 5'9". MFP gave me a calorie goal of 1200. I followed it religiously for two weeks, eating 1200 or under and working out for 30-60 minutes 5 days a week. I wasn't logging my workouts either. In 2 weeks I didn't lose a pound. Someone pointed out to me that I should put my weight loss goal at 1/2 lb per week instead of the 1 1/2 lbs a week I had set it to. I also was told I should be logging my workouts and eating back at least 1/2 of those calories burned. That was hard for me to believe because that would mean I'd be eating 1430 (calorie goal at 1/2 lb loss a week instead of 1 1/2 ) plus half of the 300 or so calories I was burning daily for a total of at least 1580 calories a day. It sounded like WAY too much to me. Since what i was doing wasn't working I took her advice. I started losing weight immediately and one month later am 5 lbs lighter just by EATING MORE FOOD.
    If you are still seeing 1200 calories on your screen you either need to change your weight loss goals or exercise more ,plan and simple.
    Slow and steady is the way to go, you get to eat more, and are less likely to gain the weight back.
  • frankiesgirlie
    frankiesgirlie Posts: 669 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    If I want a cupcake, I'll eat one...maybe two. I also run or elliptical on a daily basis and get over 20K in steps on most days. I could probably fit a half dozen cupcakes in my diet if I wanted to.

    I think we all have to find what works for us...and what our sweet spot is (pun intended) with diet and activity.

    Lucky. Even with my 2200 calorie maintenance, the days I could fit a 400 calorie cupcake are few and far between, they don't fill me up at all then I end up hangry... It was easier for me to fit that stuff when I was losing though... I was less hungry.

    Hunger levels DEFINITELY make a difference about how easy or hard weight loss is. And sweet tooth too... someone who loves burgers and steaks will be full after having their burgers... people who love cake, candy and cupcakes, well... nope.

    It's irritaing to read all the crap of how "shorties" and "fun-sized" women can't eat certain foods because of height.

    I agree, the blanket statements that because someone is petite, they are doomed to a lifetime of losing weight at 1200 cals and maintaining at low levels as well, drives me crazy. I'm 5'2, 40 years old, and my TDEE according to my FitBit is ~2200. I lost weight netting 1600 cals. I have an office job. I don't run marathons or lift extremely heavy things. I walk around 14,000 steps/day and lift dumbbells a couple times a week.

    So as not to derail the OP - I too think that the process of weight loss is simple, may not be "easy". It is just math. And not even particularly hard math either. Figure out how many calories you burn. Eat less calories than that. Exercise if you enjoy it. Have reasonable expectations. Know that much of this is about estimation. Be patient.




    I'm think all the petite girls who have the idea that taller girls get to eat more calories may just have their goal settings wrong. When I first came on MFP I had 10-12 lbs to lose and I'm 5'9". MFP gave me a calorie goal of 1200. I followed it religiously for two weeks, eating 1200 or under and working out for 30-60 minutes 5 days a week. I wasn't logging my workouts either. In 2 weeks I didn't lose a pound. Someone pointed out to me that I should put my weight loss goal at 1/2 lb per week instead of the 1 1/2 lbs a week I had set it to. I also was told I should be logging my workouts and eating back at least 1/2 of those calories burned. That was hard for me to believe because that would mean I'd be eating 1430 (calorie goal at 1/2 lb loss a week instead of 1 1/2 ) plus half of the 300 or so calories I was burning daily for a total of at least 1580 calories a day. It sounded like WAY too much to me. Since what i was doing wasn't working I took her advice. I started losing weight immediately and one month later am 5 lbs lighter just by EATING MORE FOOD.
    If you are still seeing 1200 calories on your screen you either need to change your weight loss goals or exercise more ,plan and simple.
    Slow and steady is the way to go, you get to eat more, and are less likely to gain the weight back.


    I forgot to say you have have to put your activity level at sedentary before adding in exercise.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    Why is weight loss hard for some and easy for others?

    (1) They generally have a mindset that makes changing set behaviors easy
    (2) They generally have a more supportive environment and social networks
    (3) They generally have more leptin and less ghrelin or have other differences in hormones
    (4) They generally have a better gut biome to begin with or one that is more facile
    (5) They generally find eating less rewarding
    (6) They generally like to control things more and are comfortable in a control mindset
    (7) They generally like their new lifestyle, be it food or exercise changes, or both
    (8) They are generally more male and/or younger
    (9) BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IN THEIR MOTIVATIONS, INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, AND REWARDS!!!!

    I might as well ask, as another poster did in another way, why so many people freak out when I say I'm a chemist, and they add things like "oh, Chemistry is hard! I hated that subject" or "I could never do math." Heck, even chemists sometimes say things like that to me when they find out that my dissertation was on theoretical chemistry... seriously, if we can like/dislike all sorts of things to varying degrees I don't see why people feel superior to others when they like dietary control/exercise more than some.

    For some people, weight loss is easy because biology, genetics, and psychology favor their journey. For some people, weight loss is difficult because those stars do not align. Which is why anyone attempting the journey, whether they find it easy or hard, should be supported. And why anyone who decides its too much for them shouldn't be shamed. We only walk in our own shoes.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,828 Member
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I need you C# experts here with me right now to help me with this assignment that's throwing me exceptions and all sorts of things!!

    If you zip your project and host it somewhere, you can PM me the link and I'll take a look... probably tomorrow evening. Debugging other people's code is a huge part of my day job, so it's not something I'm unfamiliar with.

    Thanks for the offer. :) And also to @DeguelloTex and @stealthq :)

    Google-fu helped :grin: as did some of my classmates. My group submitted the project at noon today.
    Very late night last night. Very early morning this morning. Very tired now.
    And I'll be doing a whole lot of studying before the final exam in a few week's time to make sure I understand what just happened here. A good portion of this class (all about UML and C# programming) hasn't really sunk in yet.

    __________
    Bringing this back to the diet and weight loss topic. I am so incredibly glad I've got an eating pattern down. Within about a month or so after starting here, I had settled on a pattern, but a nicely varied pattern so I don't get bored. My lunch is usually one of 3 or 4 options. My diner is a little more varied, roughly something different each night of the week. And my snacks are usually the same every day.

    That frees me up to spend all day and half the night working and doing university stuff. At certain times of the day, I just reach for my usual food and I don't have to think about it or fussing about it or spend a lot of time logging it because I know it's OK and it's usually the same as another day this past week. I'll avoid treats and goodies because I can't be bothered figuring out how to log them, nor do I have the time to do additional exercise to burn them off.

    If I've got time, I'll vary things a bit more, but if my focus needs to be elsewhere, I can just rely on "the usual".
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