"You're beautiful, you don't need to watch calories."

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  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Just out of curiosity steff, knowing that you don't hold back, what did you say to them....lol

    me ?

    If so people have never commented to me...so nothing to say back.

    The one time I was told I couldn't eat that I was "dieting" I said really? when you DL 200lbs and squat your BW come back and tell me what i can and can't eat...
  • PeacefulBalance
    PeacefulBalance Posts: 473 Member
    Coming from the other side/recovering from anorexia I get annoyed when people make comments as well. However, they're not meaning it in a cruel way. I don't think anyone needs to comment on anyone's body or what they're eating. If people are in danger, then yes, interventions may be needed, but in general I find it unnecessary. I think we need to be respectful of one another especially if we know nothing about them. It's easy to judge someone by their appearance and say what they should and shouldn't do/eat or shouldn't eat.

    Why has weight and calories become such a topic among people? I could truly care less about someone's new fad diet that they're trying out, or who gained weight, etc. What about actual things that people do like work for example, or activities that are fun, helping out/volunteering.

    Our society is so extreme with things and quick to judge, yet we hate when we (personally) get judged. I could go on forever. I grew up in a household that was all about looks and numbers rather than feeding your body for energy/fueling your body. It was about sizes, not optimal health. People need to respect what works for others and realize that counting calories may seem weird to you but it works for someone else in maintaining optimal health. It's more than looks. It's even more than food, it's about the mentality behind it.
  • MindyRH
    MindyRH Posts: 15
    Agree, I am 50 and have lived that my whole life and because of that I look the way I do today, although the plan is after 80 I am going to start eating pizza & burgers and drink long island ice teas whenever I want LOL :bigsmile:

    I love that plan!
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    one more thing...americans in general dont understand what a normal weight even looks like on a person because EVERYONE is overweight. Even the people they think look good are overweight so it becomes the norm.

    The people that are actually the appropriate weight are viewed as crazy Gym fitness nuts who are obsessed.

    Can't say I agree with this at all. If anything, popular culture (i.e. TV, movies, magazines, ads, internet, etc) has skewed our perception of 'healthy' to the super thin, super low body fat body style.

    respectfully disagree - after dating a few international girls - first complaint about American's is always that everyone is super fat.


    second complaint is that we can't navigate ourselves anywhere.. :grumble:
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    Agree, I am 50 and have lived that my whole life and because of that I look the way I do today, although the plan is after 80 I am going to start eating pizza & burgers and drink long island ice teas whenever I want LOL :bigsmile:

    I love that plan!
    When I quit smoking cigs I told myself the habit will be picked up again once i'm 75 :bigsmile:
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    In today's modern world full of calorie-dense food, if you eat by "feel" rather than by counting calories you will probably end up eating a surplus. This is why most Americans are overweight.
  • bikinisuited
    bikinisuited Posts: 881 Member
    Agree, I am 50 and have lived that my whole life and because of that I look the way I do today, although the plan is after 80 I am going to start eating pizza & burgers and drink long island ice teas whenever I want LOL :bigsmile:

    I love that plan!
    When I quit smoking cigs I told myself the habit will be picked up again once i'm 75 :bigsmile:

    100% agree...will starting similar plan when I am over 80....That's 40 years from now. Will keep my best accessory that is my body!!!
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    one more thing...americans in general dont understand what a normal weight even looks like on a person because EVERYONE is overweight. Even the people they think look good are overweight so it becomes the norm.

    The people that are actually the appropriate weight are viewed as crazy Gym fitness nuts who are obsessed.

    Can't say I agree with this at all. If anything, popular culture (i.e. TV, movies, magazines, ads, internet, etc) has skewed our perception of 'healthy' to the super thin, super low body fat body style.

    respectfully disagree - after dating a few international girls - first complaint about American's is always that everyone is super fat.


    second complaint is that we can't navigate ourselves anywhere.. :grumble:

    I'm not even international and I have these complaints. Especially the second one.
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    In today's modern world full of calorie-dense food, if you eat by "feel" rather than by counting calories you will probably end up eating a surplus. This is why most Americans are overweight.

    American's are obese because so many eat carbs, breads, and processed foods period.

    that stuff is straight poison.
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  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    one more thing...americans in general dont understand what a normal weight even looks like on a person because EVERYONE is overweight. Even the people they think look good are overweight so it becomes the norm.

    The people that are actually the appropriate weight are viewed as crazy Gym fitness nuts who are obsessed.

    Can't say I agree with this at all. If anything, popular culture (i.e. TV, movies, magazines, ads, internet, etc) has skewed our perception of 'healthy' to the super thin, super low body fat body style.

    Agreed.

    I think we all just have different opinions about what looks skinny and what doesn't.

    I strongly disagree. Americans, in general, think fat is healthy. They think people that are healthy are too skinny. This is generally speaking. It's not that the thin people are wrong, it's that the fat people are wrong. The fat people are used to looking at themselves, and they think it's fine. Medically speaking, it's not fine at all. They are on hypertension medicine and probably a whole host of others. And, if they are not, they will be eventually. It is just an absolute fact that being fat is not good for your health in any way. And, no matter how hard you try to rationalize that it is, you're wrong. It's not. You don't see old folks home filled with fat people. Because they pass away before getting there. Maybe that's a good thing. LOL. But, this isn't about that.

    There are lots and lots and lots of ways to determine of you are healthy. You can use BMI to figure out, in general, where you should be. It's not absolute, and for some people, it's way off. But, by and large, for the vast majority of people, BMI is pretty dang close, which is why medical doctors still use it. Yes, I understand that there are some people that just don't fit into the BMI scale. And, that's fine. I'm just saying, mostly, it's a good indicator of where you should be.

    There are other ways to determine your health. Visit your doctor and get an exam. See what he/she says. Jump into a fat test thingy, and see what it says, then look at charts on Google and determine where you should be based on your body type.

    But, for the most part, Americans have an extremely skewed view of what overweight really is. I see it here all the time.

    ^ so true... getting my suit tailored and my waist is a 28 right now, and they were all giving me grief acting like I had an eating disorder...

    I was like I eat 5 times a day ppl! but its nuts, veggies, and lean!

    Its a sad state of affairs, but I think its slowly becoming more popular with the younger crowd ti be fit, and at the very least people are getting more aware of the heart problems from carb killers - like bread.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    In today's modern world full of calorie-dense food, if you eat by "feel" rather than by counting calories you will probably end up eating a surplus. This is why most Americans are overweight.

    American's are obese because so many eat carbs, breads, and processed foods period.

    that stuff is straight poison.
    You had me up until this part.

    Dats just cray.

    ETA: Americans are obese because they eat too much, not because they eat too many carbs.
  • Yagisama
    Yagisama Posts: 595 Member
    In today's modern world full of calorie-dense food, if you eat by "feel" rather than by counting calories you will probably end up eating a surplus. This is why most Americans are overweight.

    American's are obese because so many eat carbs, breads, and processed foods period.

    that stuff is straight poison.


    You had me up until this part.

    Dats just cray.

    ETA: Americans are obese because they eat too much, not because they eat too many carbs.

    Exactly.

    Throughout human history, most people survived only because of those "poisons" (carbs, including breads, rice, potatoes,etc).
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    I say this:

    "Thank you. I'm glad I look good on the outside."

    Produce this picture:

    fat-v-muscle_zpsec4c75e8.jpg

    "But I'm more concerned with what's going on inside at the moment. I prefer the color pink to yellow and at the moment, I still have a bit too much yellow in there. But again, thanks for the lovely compliment."
  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
    People's bodies are direct reflections of their eating habits. When I was 180lbs (yeah, I'm 5'5") and sedentary, and overindulged myself in food and alcohol, it was simple cause/effect.
    When I dropped a crazy amount of fat by eating according to my metabolic needs, yes, it was restrictive, but it WORKED. Across the board, the hard part is changing the entire lifestyle, because once you drop the fat you want to be rid of through diet/exercise, if you immediately return to the habits that made you larger to begin with, you'll get back to it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but it packs happily right back on without habit modification in perpetuity.
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
    In today's modern world full of calorie-dense food, if you eat by "feel" rather than by counting calories you will probably end up eating a surplus. This is why most Americans are overweight.

    American's are obese because so many eat carbs, breads, and processed foods period.

    that stuff is straight poison.


    You had me up until this part.

    Dats just cray.

    ETA: Americans are obese because they eat too much, not because they eat too many carbs.

    Exactly.

    Throughout human history, most people survived only because of those "poisons" (carbs, including breads, rice, potatoes,etc).

    ok fair, in moderation, or adapting the aristotle golden mean may be the case when having a little bit of carbs, but I know when it comes to me...there is no moderation when it comes to potatoes... :embarassed:

    must be the irish genes ;P

    But I do want to say I eat very very low amounts of bread ... occasionally crap from panera because my willpower is lacking and I need to grab a bite with coworkers on the move... and I have almost zero risk for diabetes or heart problems, and my resting heart rate is substantially lower than that of my family members who have diets heavy on the bread and potatoes and they are at very high risk of diabetes and have very high BMI

    fair though - I should have worded that better, its not poison... but its never consumed in proper amounts so I sorta went over the top there.
  • PeacefulBalance
    PeacefulBalance Posts: 473 Member
    one more thing...americans in general dont understand what a normal weight even looks like on a person because EVERYONE is overweight. Even the people they think look good are overweight so it becomes the norm.

    The people that are actually the appropriate weight are viewed as crazy Gym fitness nuts who are obsessed.

    Can't say I agree with this at all. If anything, popular culture (i.e. TV, movies, magazines, ads, internet, etc) has skewed our perception of 'healthy' to the super thin, super low body fat body style.

    Agreed.

    I think we all just have different opinions about what looks skinny and what doesn't.

    I strongly disagree. Americans, in general, think fat is healthy. They think people that are healthy are too skinny. This is generally speaking. It's not that the thin people are wrong, it's that the fat people are wrong. The fat people are used to looking at themselves, and they think it's fine. Medically speaking, it's not fine at all. They are on hypertension medicine and probably a whole host of others. And, if they are not, they will be eventually. It is just an absolute fact that being fat is not good for your health in any way. And, no matter how hard you try to rationalize that it is, you're wrong. It's not. You don't see old folks home filled with fat people. Because they pass away before getting there. Maybe that's a good thing. LOL. But, this isn't about that.

    There are lots and lots and lots of ways to determine of you are healthy. You can use BMI to figure out, in general, where you should be. It's not absolute, and for some people, it's way off. But, by and large, for the vast majority of people, BMI is pretty dang close, which is why medical doctors still use it. Yes, I understand that there are some people that just don't fit into the BMI scale. And, that's fine. I'm just saying, mostly, it's a good indicator of where you should be.

    There are other ways to determine your health. Visit your doctor and get an exam. See what he/she says. Jump into a fat test thingy, and see what it says, then look at charts on Google and determine where you should be based on your body type.

    But, for the most part, Americans have an extremely skewed view of what overweight really is. I see it here all the time. And. some people, even after all the tests and finding out they are overweight, will still argue that they are not. It's crazy.

    I feel like this is incredibly and overly generalized. I'm not sure who you are talking to or where you are finding all of this information; maybe it's because you're in a different part of the US than I am but I haven't ran into someone that has said being fat was healthy. Nor have I talked with someone who is overweight and said that healthy is too skinny. I know someone who is considered "overweight" from the BMI scale but is active, has great check ups and the doctor has not mentioned weight loss. It depends on each person individually. And being overweight does not necessarily equate to eating a whole bunch of processed foods/fast food/high calorie foods; yes, as a whole that is a huge problem and it is the main contributor, however, underlying medical issues can cause weight gain as well.

    The judgment that seeps through your wording of what you're saying is quite evident. You may not mean to come across that way, or you might. However, it's this kind of judgment that needs to stop. You can state things without sounding offensive. I'm not even overweight and I became offended because I know people who are and would feel absolutely terrible reading this. The people I know try so hard to watch what they eat and get exercise in and sometimes it doesn't work because of the mentality behind it, or emotional things that could be the base of where their weight stemmed. Not everyone who is overweight fits into what you described above, and I find it unfair to make such general statements. Not everyone is on the same path, not everyone has the same education about nutrition so therefore not everyone understands. Instead of laughing about it, why not try helping by educating/motivating in a non-condescending way.

    No, I'm not always this *****y, however reading things like this aggravate me and I feel the need to speak up.
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  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    "You're ugly, you do need to watch calories."

    Just checking if the statement makes sense backwards.
  • Fitfully_me
    Fitfully_me Posts: 647 Member
    "You're ugly, you do need to watch calories."

    Just checking if the statement makes sense backwards.

    You completely captured my point. :laugh: Thank you.
    Also, nah, I don't think it works. Lol!
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
    But, for the most part, Americans have an extremely skewed view of what overweight really is. I see it here all the time. And. some people, even after all the tests and finding out they are overweight, will still argue that they are not. It's crazy.

    Weird. I must not be from the USA. Lemme check...Born in LA, CA moved to FW, TX in my mid-30's never lived anywhere else...I'm 44, 5'9" tall and weigh a tad under 145lbs (working on gaining right now) So, how is that I'm lanky, have been lanky my WHOLE life even after 2 ten lb babies but I'm a "fat American"? I hate to burst the bubble of the outside the US crowd but I'm more slender that the vast majority of internationals I ran into living in one of the most international cities (LA, CA) in the world. Sometimes I think the number of "fat Americans" is greatly over guesstimated by folks from other countries. Unless, of course, you have actual numbers to back up your claim.

    Also, I eat processed food and sugars. It's not "poison" that's straight up silly. Eat some rat killer you'll know the difference right away.
    I'm also a intermediate, full contact/point kick boxer. I'm quite fast and can hold my own against higher ranking, larger males in the ring. So I guess being a in- denial-and-fat-"poisoned" middle aged American has ruined my heath. It's really annoying and always has been when people act like they are better than an entire freaking country. California ALONE has 39 million people. Do you really want to try to paint that many people with your brush? Get real!
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    :drinker:
    Sometimes I think the number of "fat Americans" is greatly over guesstimated by folks from other countries. Unless, of course, you have actual numbers to back up your claim.

    It really is. It's become this really bad stereotype, that people from other countries cling to the way some people cling to the stereotype that all french men wear black and white stripped shirts. Both seem harmless at first, but are actually harmful when you really stop to think about it.

    That aside, in reply to the OP, here here! I get told all the time that it must be nice to not worry about what I eat. Yeah. Okay. :huh:
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    I think it's funny that three random strangers complimented you and this led you to rant.

    IN to see what happens when OP gets insulted.

    For some, it's not a compliment. And honestly, it shouldn't be given as a compliment.

    I'm recovering from an eating disorder and if someone said that to me, I would likely not finish my meal. It's crucial to remember we all have different lives, and just because you would see it as a compliment doesn't mean everyone else would.

    I long for the day when people give us compliments based on more than our physical appearance. Honestly, getting 'compliments' based on that gets tiring.
  • PeacefulBalance
    PeacefulBalance Posts: 473 Member
    one more thing...americans in general dont understand what a normal weight even looks like on a person because EVERYONE is overweight. Even the people they think look good are overweight so it becomes the norm.

    The people that are actually the appropriate weight are viewed as crazy Gym fitness nuts who are obsessed.

    Can't say I agree with this at all. If anything, popular culture (i.e. TV, movies, magazines, ads, internet, etc) has skewed our perception of 'healthy' to the super thin, super low body fat body style.

    Agreed.

    I think we all just have different opinions about what looks skinny and what doesn't.

    I strongly disagree. Americans, in general, think fat is healthy. They think people that are healthy are too skinny. This is generally speaking. It's not that the thin people are wrong, it's that the fat people are wrong. The fat people are used to looking at themselves, and they think it's fine. Medically speaking, it's not fine at all. They are on hypertension medicine and probably a whole host of others. And, if they are not, they will be eventually. It is just an absolute fact that being fat is not good for your health in any way. And, no matter how hard you try to rationalize that it is, you're wrong. It's not. You don't see old folks home filled with fat people. Because they pass away before getting there. Maybe that's a good thing. LOL. But, this isn't about that.

    There are lots and lots and lots of ways to determine of you are healthy. You can use BMI to figure out, in general, where you should be. It's not absolute, and for some people, it's way off. But, by and large, for the vast majority of people, BMI is pretty dang close, which is why medical doctors still use it. Yes, I understand that there are some people that just don't fit into the BMI scale. And, that's fine. I'm just saying, mostly, it's a good indicator of where you should be.

    There are other ways to determine your health. Visit your doctor and get an exam. See what he/she says. Jump into a fat test thingy, and see what it says, then look at charts on Google and determine where you should be based on your body type.

    But, for the most part, Americans have an extremely skewed view of what overweight really is. I see it here all the time. And. some people, even after all the tests and finding out they are overweight, will still argue that they are not. It's crazy.

    I feel like this is incredibly and overly generalized. I'm not sure who you are talking to or where you are finding all of this information; maybe it's because you're in a different part of the US than I am but I haven't ran into someone that has said being fat was healthy. Nor have I talked with someone who is overweight and said that healthy is too skinny. I know someone who is considered "overweight" from the BMI scale but is active, has great check ups and the doctor has not mentioned weight loss. It depends on each person individually. And being overweight does not necessarily equate to eating a whole bunch of processed foods/fast food/high calorie foods; yes, as a whole that is a huge problem and it is the main contributor, however, underlying medical issues can cause weight gain as well.

    The judgment that seeps through your wording of what you're saying is quite evident. You may not mean to come across that way, or you might. However, it's this kind of judgment that needs to stop. You can state things without sounding offensive. I'm not even overweight and I became offended because I know people who are and would feel absolutely terrible reading this. The people I know try so hard to watch what they eat and get exercise in and sometimes it doesn't work because of the mentality behind it, or emotional things that could be the base of where their weight stemmed. Not everyone who is overweight fits into what you described above, and I find it unfair to make such general statements. Not everyone is on the same path, not everyone has the same education about nutrition so therefore not everyone understands. Instead of laughing about it, why not try helping by educating/motivating in a non-condescending way.

    No, I'm not always this *****y, however reading things like this aggravate me and I feel the need to speak up.

    I know a lot, A LOT, of overweight people that think I'm skinny and they're healthy.

    I'm at the very top of my BMI, sometimes I push over. I am not skinny. They are large, and they think they are normal. And they think anyone that is smaller than them is unhealthy and skinny.

    You can take my words any way you want. I don't care. I'm not here to blow sunshine up peoples butts. I think overweight is a huge American epidemic. I have traveled quite a bit, and no where do you see so many over weight people. I have talked to lots of overweight people that think they are fine, or that they have big bones, LOL. No, they are just overweight. And, they are not healthy. Other countries are not like this. Other countries tend to think that what we think is healthy, they think is fat.

    I'm sorry you are offended. But, I'm not your friend. So, it doesn't matter. The truth hurts.

    Well I must admit that I don't have friends who are judgmental like this and I couldn't be happier. I guess that where I'm from people understand nutrition and if they're overweight. My point was that you can't broadly generalize the things you hear from people. Well, I guess you can, but that's being quite ignorant when creating general assumptions about overweight people. That being said, I hope your kids don't end up overweight or with an eating disorder. Yikes.
  • SomeNights246
    SomeNights246 Posts: 807 Member
    I agree larger is seen as normal in the US. I lived in the US for several years and my husbands side is American. When I get clothing from the US, I'm always a size small. I am not a small at home, I am a medium and sometimes even a large in tops. Same with pant sizes (which are supposed to be the same in Canada, it's not like an England/US sizing difference) I am about a 5/6 pants but if I just got a pair from the US and I am swimming in them. I think they are about an 8 here, comparatively.

    lol...

    American clothes for women vary even in America. I can be a size 7 at one store, a size 5 at another. Sometimes an xsmall shirt fits me, sometimes I have to wear a small. That's why I never understood this argument.
  • PeacefulBalance
    PeacefulBalance Posts: 473 Member
    one more thing...americans in general dont understand what a normal weight even looks like on a person because EVERYONE is overweight. Even the people they think look good are overweight so it becomes the norm.

    The people that are actually the appropriate weight are viewed as crazy Gym fitness nuts who are obsessed.

    Can't say I agree with this at all. If anything, popular culture (i.e. TV, movies, magazines, ads, internet, etc) has skewed our perception of 'healthy' to the super thin, super low body fat body style.

    Agreed.

    I think we all just have different opinions about what looks skinny and what doesn't.

    I strongly disagree. Americans, in general, think fat is healthy. They think people that are healthy are too skinny. This is generally speaking. It's not that the thin people are wrong, it's that the fat people are wrong. The fat people are used to looking at themselves, and they think it's fine. Medically speaking, it's not fine at all. They are on hypertension medicine and probably a whole host of others. And, if they are not, they will be eventually. It is just an absolute fact that being fat is not good for your health in any way. And, no matter how hard you try to rationalize that it is, you're wrong. It's not. You don't see old folks home filled with fat people. Because they pass away before getting there. Maybe that's a good thing. LOL. But, this isn't about that.

    There are lots and lots and lots of ways to determine of you are healthy. You can use BMI to figure out, in general, where you should be. It's not absolute, and for some people, it's way off. But, by and large, for the vast majority of people, BMI is pretty dang close, which is why medical doctors still use it. Yes, I understand that there are some people that just don't fit into the BMI scale. And, that's fine. I'm just saying, mostly, it's a good indicator of where you should be.

    There are other ways to determine your health. Visit your doctor and get an exam. See what he/she says. Jump into a fat test thingy, and see what it says, then look at charts on Google and determine where you should be based on your body type.

    But, for the most part, Americans have an extremely skewed view of what overweight really is. I see it here all the time. And. some people, even after all the tests and finding out they are overweight, will still argue that they are not. It's crazy.

    I feel like this is incredibly and overly generalized. I'm not sure who you are talking to or where you are finding all of this information; maybe it's because you're in a different part of the US than I am but I haven't ran into someone that has said being fat was healthy. Nor have I talked with someone who is overweight and said that healthy is too skinny. I know someone who is considered "overweight" from the BMI scale but is active, has great check ups and the doctor has not mentioned weight loss. It depends on each person individually. And being overweight does not necessarily equate to eating a whole bunch of processed foods/fast food/high calorie foods; yes, as a whole that is a huge problem and it is the main contributor, however, underlying medical issues can cause weight gain as well.

    The judgment that seeps through your wording of what you're saying is quite evident. You may not mean to come across that way, or you might. However, it's this kind of judgment that needs to stop. You can state things without sounding offensive. I'm not even overweight and I became offended because I know people who are and would feel absolutely terrible reading this. The people I know try so hard to watch what they eat and get exercise in and sometimes it doesn't work because of the mentality behind it, or emotional things that could be the base of where their weight stemmed. Not everyone who is overweight fits into what you described above, and I find it unfair to make such general statements. Not everyone is on the same path, not everyone has the same education about nutrition so therefore not everyone understands. Instead of laughing about it, why not try helping by educating/motivating in a non-condescending way.

    No, I'm not always this *****y, however reading things like this aggravate me and I feel the need to speak up.

    I know a lot, A LOT, of overweight people that think I'm skinny and they're healthy.

    I'm at the very top of my BMI, sometimes I push over. I am not skinny. They are large, and they think they are normal. And they think anyone that is smaller than them is unhealthy and skinny.

    You can take my words any way you want. I don't care. I'm not here to blow sunshine up peoples butts. I think overweight is a huge American epidemic. I have traveled quite a bit, and no where do you see so many over weight people. I have talked to lots of overweight people that think they are fine, or that they have big bones, LOL. No, they are just overweight. And, they are not healthy. Other countries are not like this. Other countries tend to think that what we think is healthy, they think is fat.

    I'm sorry you are offended. But, I'm not your friend. So, it doesn't matter. The truth hurts.

    Well I must admit that I don't have friends who are judgmental like this and I couldn't be happier. I guess that where I'm from people understand nutrition and if they're overweight. My point was that you can't broadly generalize the things you hear from people. Well, I guess you can, but that's being quite ignorant when creating general assumptions about overweight people. That being said, I hope your kids don't end up overweight or with an eating disorder. Yikes.

    Oh, ps...there's actually quite a few countries that think being overweight is a good thing. I could list them off for you if you want.
  • BuoyantSoul
    BuoyantSoul Posts: 117 Member
    I think the title is the problem. Three times in the last week people have noticed me logging food on my phone at a restaurant or on a plane. Yesterday I was recommending this awesome carrot cake to my mother-in-law and mentioned that I always split it with my husband because it has literally half the calories I get for the day.

    All three times strangers have turned to me and said 'you don't need to watch your calories, you look great'.

    Flattering. But that's the problem. I look fine because I do watch what I eat. If we did it right, we'd never have to 'lose' weight because we'd watch what we ate our whole life and just maintained.

    For me, I did that fine until I got older and my metabolism slowed down faster than my eating.

    Watching what you eat/calories shouldn't be associated with dieting. They should be associated with living - it's a prevention activity, not an intervention. Just like brushing your teeth prevents calories, it's not something you just do after you get cavities to make them go away.

    End of rant.

    Ughhhhh so much. What you eat is nobody else's business. I hate it when people make my food or lifestyle choices their business.

    Also, a single slice of carrot cake has 1/2 your daily calories? HOLY *kitten*. That must be mass-produced cake. If you make your cake at home I promise it will not be that calorie-dense. I remember when NYC mandated that all fast-food restaurants post their calorie contents directly on the menu. While I don't eat McD's and all that, I did have Starbucks sometimes and I about crapped myself when I saw that a tiny Starbucks donut had 400 calories. How is it even physically possible to pack that many calories into such a tiny space? Is it made out of pure lard, or perhaps dark matter? I've noticed that all mass-produced cakes and pastries seem to have more fat in them than a homemade equivalent would have. Not that we should all be stuffing our pie holes with um, pie, all the time, but if you're gonna, then it's a good incentive to have homemade!

    Some people manage to maintain without counting calories because they don't tend to eat foods which would be very calorie-dense. Or they are extremely active. Still, even if you're not counting calories it is important to choose healthy foods and limit unhealthy ones. But once healthy food choices, portion control, and activity becomes part of a lifestyle, it's more of a habit and you find you don't need to log all the calories all the time, it just happens naturally. Which is good, because logging all the time is a pain in the *kitten* and I think may contribute in some people to an unhealthy relationship with their food.
  • mfp2014mfp
    mfp2014mfp Posts: 689 Member
    one more thing...americans in general dont understand what a normal weight even looks like on a person because EVERYONE is overweight. Even the people they think look good are overweight so it becomes the norm.

    The people that are actually the appropriate weight are viewed as crazy Gym fitness nuts who are obsessed.

    Can't say I agree with this at all. If anything, popular culture (i.e. TV, movies, magazines, ads, internet, etc) has skewed our perception of 'healthy' to the super thin, super low body fat body style.

    Agreed.

    I think we all just have different opinions about what looks skinny and what doesn't.

    I strongly disagree. Americans, in general, think fat is healthy. They think people that are healthy are too skinny. This is generally speaking. It's not that the thin people are wrong, it's that the fat people are wrong. The fat people are used to looking at themselves, and they think it's fine. Medically speaking, it's not fine at all. They are on hypertension medicine and probably a whole host of others. And, if they are not, they will be eventually. It is just an absolute fact that being fat is not good for your health in any way. And, no matter how hard you try to rationalize that it is, you're wrong. It's not. You don't see old folks home filled with fat people. Because they pass away before getting there. Maybe that's a good thing. LOL. But, this isn't about that.

    There are lots and lots and lots of ways to determine of you are healthy. You can use BMI to figure out, in general, where you should be. It's not absolute, and for some people, it's way off. But, by and large, for the vast majority of people, BMI is pretty dang close, which is why medical doctors still use it. Yes, I understand that there are some people that just don't fit into the BMI scale. And, that's fine. I'm just saying, mostly, it's a good indicator of where you should be.

    There are other ways to determine your health. Visit your doctor and get an exam. See what he/she says. Jump into a fat test thingy, and see what it says, then look at charts on Google and determine where you should be based on your body type.

    But, for the most part, Americans have an extremely skewed view of what overweight really is. I see it here all the time. And. some people, even after all the tests and finding out they are overweight, will still argue that they are not. It's crazy.

    I feel like this is incredibly and overly generalized. I'm not sure who you are talking to or where you are finding all of this information; maybe it's because you're in a different part of the US than I am but I haven't ran into someone that has said being fat was healthy. Nor have I talked with someone who is overweight and said that healthy is too skinny. I know someone who is considered "overweight" from the BMI scale but is active, has great check ups and the doctor has not mentioned weight loss. It depends on each person individually. And being overweight does not necessarily equate to eating a whole bunch of processed foods/fast food/high calorie foods; yes, as a whole that is a huge problem and it is the main contributor, however, underlying medical issues can cause weight gain as well.

    The judgment that seeps through your wording of what you're saying is quite evident. You may not mean to come across that way, or you might. However, it's this kind of judgment that needs to stop. You can state things without sounding offensive. I'm not even overweight and I became offended because I know people who are and would feel absolutely terrible reading this. The people I know try so hard to watch what they eat and get exercise in and sometimes it doesn't work because of the mentality behind it, or emotional things that could be the base of where their weight stemmed. Not everyone who is overweight fits into what you described above, and I find it unfair to make such general statements. Not everyone is on the same path, not everyone has the same education about nutrition so therefore not everyone understands. Instead of laughing about it, why not try helping by educating/motivating in a non-condescending way.

    No, I'm not always this *****y, however reading things like this aggravate me and I feel the need to speak up.

    I know a lot, A LOT, of overweight people that think I'm skinny and they're healthy.

    I'm at the very top of my BMI, sometimes I push over. I am not skinny. They are large, and they think they are normal. And they think anyone that is smaller than them is unhealthy and skinny.

    You can take my words any way you want. I don't care. I'm not here to blow sunshine up peoples butts. I think overweight is a huge American epidemic. I have traveled quite a bit, and no where do you see so many over weight people. I have talked to lots of overweight people that think they are fine, or that they have big bones, LOL. No, they are just overweight. And, they are not healthy. Other countries are not like this. Other countries tend to think that what we think is healthy, they think is fat.

    I'm sorry you are offended. But, I'm not your friend. So, it doesn't matter. The truth hurts.

    Well I must admit that I don't have friends who are judgmental like this and I couldn't be happier. I guess that where I'm from people understand nutrition and if they're overweight. My point was that you can't broadly generalize the things you hear from people. Well, I guess you can, but that's being quite ignorant when creating general assumptions about overweight people. That being said, I hope your kids don't end up overweight or with an eating disorder. Yikes.

    Wow low blow going for the guys kids... not really taking the moral high ground after giving him a hard time about making generalisations :laugh:
  • PeacefulBalance
    PeacefulBalance Posts: 473 Member
    one more thing...americans in general dont understand what a normal weight even looks like on a person because EVERYONE is overweight. Even the people they think look good are overweight so it becomes the norm.

    The people that are actually the appropriate weight are viewed as crazy Gym fitness nuts who are obsessed.

    Can't say I agree with this at all. If anything, popular culture (i.e. TV, movies, magazines, ads, internet, etc) has skewed our perception of 'healthy' to the super thin, super low body fat body style.

    Agreed.

    I think we all just have different opinions about what looks skinny and what doesn't.

    I strongly disagree. Americans, in general, think fat is healthy. They think people that are healthy are too skinny. This is generally speaking. It's not that the thin people are wrong, it's that the fat people are wrong. The fat people are used to looking at themselves, and they think it's fine. Medically speaking, it's not fine at all. They are on hypertension medicine and probably a whole host of others. And, if they are not, they will be eventually. It is just an absolute fact that being fat is not good for your health in any way. And, no matter how hard you try to rationalize that it is, you're wrong. It's not. You don't see old folks home filled with fat people. Because they pass away before getting there. Maybe that's a good thing. LOL. But, this isn't about that.

    There are lots and lots and lots of ways to determine of you are healthy. You can use BMI to figure out, in general, where you should be. It's not absolute, and for some people, it's way off. But, by and large, for the vast majority of people, BMI is pretty dang close, which is why medical doctors still use it. Yes, I understand that there are some people that just don't fit into the BMI scale. And, that's fine. I'm just saying, mostly, it's a good indicator of where you should be.

    There are other ways to determine your health. Visit your doctor and get an exam. See what he/she says. Jump into a fat test thingy, and see what it says, then look at charts on Google and determine where you should be based on your body type.

    But, for the most part, Americans have an extremely skewed view of what overweight really is. I see it here all the time. And. some people, even after all the tests and finding out they are overweight, will still argue that they are not. It's crazy.

    I feel like this is incredibly and overly generalized. I'm not sure who you are talking to or where you are finding all of this information; maybe it's because you're in a different part of the US than I am but I haven't ran into someone that has said being fat was healthy. Nor have I talked with someone who is overweight and said that healthy is too skinny. I know someone who is considered "overweight" from the BMI scale but is active, has great check ups and the doctor has not mentioned weight loss. It depends on each person individually. And being overweight does not necessarily equate to eating a whole bunch of processed foods/fast food/high calorie foods; yes, as a whole that is a huge problem and it is the main contributor, however, underlying medical issues can cause weight gain as well.

    The judgment that seeps through your wording of what you're saying is quite evident. You may not mean to come across that way, or you might. However, it's this kind of judgment that needs to stop. You can state things without sounding offensive. I'm not even overweight and I became offended because I know people who are and would feel absolutely terrible reading this. The people I know try so hard to watch what they eat and get exercise in and sometimes it doesn't work because of the mentality behind it, or emotional things that could be the base of where their weight stemmed. Not everyone who is overweight fits into what you described above, and I find it unfair to make such general statements. Not everyone is on the same path, not everyone has the same education about nutrition so therefore not everyone understands. Instead of laughing about it, why not try helping by educating/motivating in a non-condescending way.

    No, I'm not always this *****y, however reading things like this aggravate me and I feel the need to speak up.

    I know a lot, A LOT, of overweight people that think I'm skinny and they're healthy.

    I'm at the very top of my BMI, sometimes I push over. I am not skinny. They are large, and they think they are normal. And they think anyone that is smaller than them is unhealthy and skinny.

    You can take my words any way you want. I don't care. I'm not here to blow sunshine up peoples butts. I think overweight is a huge American epidemic. I have traveled quite a bit, and no where do you see so many over weight people. I have talked to lots of overweight people that think they are fine, or that they have big bones, LOL. No, they are just overweight. And, they are not healthy. Other countries are not like this. Other countries tend to think that what we think is healthy, they think is fat.

    I'm sorry you are offended. But, I'm not your friend. So, it doesn't matter. The truth hurts.

    Well I must admit that I don't have friends who are judgmental like this and I couldn't be happier. I guess that where I'm from people understand nutrition and if they're overweight. My point was that you can't broadly generalize the things you hear from people. Well, I guess you can, but that's being quite ignorant when creating general assumptions about overweight people. That being said, I hope your kids don't end up overweight or with an eating disorder. Yikes.

    Wow low blow going for the guys kids... not really taking the moral high ground after giving him a hard time about making generalisations :laugh:

    Yeah, I know. Usually I would feel bad but I don't this time, odd. Maybe it's that TOM for me lol. But in all reality, I have been in so many treatment centers and had seen how messed up that mentality can make people. I've had ex's with that mentality. Horrible.