We are not "LUCKY", we work hard!!

neandermagnon

I disagree. I AM lucky...

Lucky I had the patience and drive to lose the weight in the first place.
Lucky I have the perseverance to keep it off this long.
Lucky I have the time and resources to find activities that make me happy enough to keep doing them.
Lucky I have knowledge I've learned about making better food choices.
Lucky I have wisdom enough to take compliments and be proud of the work I do for my health.

I respectfully disagree. Most of that is down to you and the choices you make and your good qualities such as determination. Credit where credit's due.... including to yourself.

Luck comes into it that you have access to the knowledge required to do that... but most people who don't have access to that knowledge (internet, public libraries, free education) also usually don't have access to enough food to get obese in the first place. Luck also comes into it in that intelligence is mostly genetic. But intelligence doesn't inevitably lead to being either wise or knowledgable, they come from choices you make.

Anyway, I'm just saying this because a lot of people, and it tends to be women more often, don't give themselves credit where it's due, and it's actually better for long term good mental health to take credit for your achievements and take responsibility for your failures, and to know the difference between something that's the result of your choices and effort, and something that's the result of outside factors you have no control over (which require acceptance and work-arounds).

anothermop

I hear it every time I give blood. (Every 8 weeks or so.) "You're so lucky that your numbers are so good."

No, I workout every day and watch what I eat, so my blood pressure and heart rate are lower every time I'm here.

krystalrfletcher

Yes! This drives me nuts! Its not luck its hard work. I'm not "naturally" small either. and I'm not "lucky" enough to have all this extra time to work out. I worked my butt off to lose 40lbs and I work my butt off every day to maintain it and I make time for exercise and good nutrition!

allana1111

yup we always have time for whats important in our lives. I understand feeling like you don't have enough time, but I just cut other, less beneficial, things out of my life to make time for the gym.

Beeps2011

Seriously bothered me.. had a girl who does my hair sometimes telling me how bad she wants to lose weight.
Started trying to encourage her telling her I joined the gym, became dedicated and go almost every day, and starting making lower calorie decisions on what I ate, and disciplining myself.

Her response was literally, "ugh you're so lucky."

NO I'm not "lucky". I WORK HARD

you made MY day!

I, too, WORK hard at the gym and EAT much, much less than the fat-folks around me....

in_the_stars

Sometimes the genetic roulette wheel ends up in someone's favor.

mccindy72

Seriously bothered me.. had a girl who does my hair sometimes telling me how bad she wants to lose weight.
Started trying to encourage her telling her I joined the gym, became dedicated and go almost every day, and starting making lower calorie decisions on what I ate, and disciplining myself.

Her response was literally, "ugh you're so lucky."

NO I'm not "lucky". I WORK HARD

you made MY day!

I, too, WORK hard at the gym and EAT much, much less than the fat-folks around me....

I don't know that "fat-folks" is really the best way to describe the overweight people you encounter IRL.

Beeps2011

I'm comfortable with the term.

asdelmonte

It drives me crazy as well! If I won the lottery I would be "lucky". I work hard every single day to make my health a priority. Luck has nothing to do with it!

deksgrl

Lucky that you made a decision and stuck with it and educated yourself and continue to DO it.

lemur_lady

I have to say - as a fairly big guy, it's a lot easier for me to operate at a calorie deficit than if I had to restrict myself to 1200 calories. So, I'm lucky in that it's probably legitimately less of a lifestyle change for me.
I'm lucky that I have the leisure to make time in the early mornings to go to the gym, and lucky that I have co-workers who go to the gym with me over lunch on my cardio days. I'm lucky to be in a situation in my life where I can do all this because I feel like getting healthier, and I'm lucky I decided to get in shape before I developed any health issues that would make it harder.

Not to say I didn't work my butt off, too, but it could've been a lot harder.

+1

I am actually working a lot LESS hard now than I have on diets before. I think thats why it is working this time. Before I tried the diet fads and ended up restricting myself too much and gave up because it was too much hard work. This time I feel as though I am allowed to eat loads and still lose weight, I dont even have to give up eating the foods I like.

That said I DO make a conscious effort to stay in a deficit but so far it has been no where near as much hard work as I thought it would be. I think it'll be a different story the closer I get to goal. So I am enjoying it while it lasts lol.

bennettinfinity

In for the snowflakes.... let the snowstorm begin!

elghee123

I am lucky that I am still alive and have this CHANCE for a CHANGE in my lifestyle. A chance to live.

ashleyblossom1

I disagree. I AM lucky...

Lucky I had the patience and drive to lose the weight in the first place.
Lucky I have the perseverance to keep it off this long.
Lucky I have the time and resources to find activities that make me happy enough to keep doing them.
Lucky I have knowledge I've learned about making better food choices.
Lucky I have wisdom enough to take compliments and be proud of the work I do for my health.

I love your optimism about it. Everyone one else just sounds like they're whining that they have to work so hard and people think its comes easy. So what? We are all lucky no matter how hard we work. Not everyone in this world has all that she has listed above. So we should just be appreciative that we can do it despite what other people think about it. Plus if people think you're making it look easy then you're doing something right.

allana1111

I disagree. I AM lucky...

Lucky I had the patience and drive to lose the weight in the first place.
Lucky I have the perseverance to keep it off this long.
Lucky I have the time and resources to find activities that make me happy enough to keep doing them.
Lucky I have knowledge I've learned about making better food choices.
Lucky I have wisdom enough to take compliments and be proud of the work I do for my health.

I love your optimism about it. Everyone one else just sounds like they're whining that they have to work so hard and people think its comes easy. So what? We are all lucky no matter how hard we work. Not everyone in this world has all that she has listed above. So we should just be appreciative that we can do it despite what other people think about it. Plus if people think you're making it look easy then you're doing something right.

I disagree... because I'm not being pessimistic. I LOVE the hard work and dedication I've put in. I Just don't want others to underestimate that.

QueenBishOTUniverse

I have to say - as a fairly big guy, it's a lot easier for me to operate at a calorie deficit than if I had to restrict myself to 1200 calories. So, I'm lucky in that it's probably legitimately less of a lifestyle change for me.

I do have to agree with this. No doubt I'm having to work hard and think about what I'm eating, but being tall and having a fair amount of muscle mass for a woman lets me eat a lot more than most people trying to lose. I honestly can't even wrap my head around the thought of having to eat under 2000 calories long term, much less the 1200-1500 that many women eat.

bennettinfinity

I do have to agree with this. No doubt I'm having to work hard and think about what I'm eating, but being tall and having a fair amount of muscle mass for a woman lets me eat a lot more than most people trying to lose. I honestly can't even wrap my head around the thought of having to eat under 2000 calories long term, much less the 1200-1500 that many women eat.

But remember, their 1200-1500 calories are the *equivalent* of your 2000. You don't 'get' to eat more, you have to eat more!

cingle87

Im lucky that I don't care what other people say or want to believe about me, as long as I know how much work it take then that all that matters to me.

Rak0ribz

I do have to agree with this. No doubt I'm having to work hard and think about what I'm eating, but being tall and having a fair amount of muscle mass for a woman lets me eat a lot more than most people trying to lose. I honestly can't even wrap my head around the thought of having to eat under 2000 calories long term, much less the 1200-1500 that many women eat.

But remember, their 1200-1500 calories are the *equivalent* of your 2000. You don't 'get' to eat more, you have to eat more!

I still feel like it's a lot easier, given how much food is in a standard restaurant serving (what we're collectively used to viewing as meal-sized, in other words), to restrict to 2000 Calories than it is to restrict to 1200, even if it's the same deficit. Also, I can have a candy bar if I want to without feeling bad about it, since I can still easily come in under my goal calorie count. That helps me feel like I'm doing something sustainable and has probably helped me stick with it for as long as I have.

My co-worker who does cardio with me is short and female. Her goal calories are a _lot_ harder for her to stick to, because there's just not as much margin.

bennettinfinity

I agree from the perspective of 'standard' serving sizes, but none of us is standard...

Your friend can eat anything you can, just smaller portions - if the portions are in proportion to body size, you both should see similar (proportional) results.

But i totally get your point - we all want to eat the whole pint of ice cream - regardless of our respective size and not being able can add a layer of feeling 'deprived'.

Well played, sir!