Something I do not like about MFP

GinaJ2006

I agree with you, that is way to small for a person who is 5'6" I am 5'6" and I set my goal at 135. I don't know if it's something that is bad about MFP, though. I thought everyone set their own goals.

ready4change81

As much as I agree with you each person is entitled to their own goals. Who are we to say that they cannot achieve it?

I know that I have had to learn the hard way about unrealistic goals while I was in college. I lost a lot of weight very fast, but put it back on just as fast and then some. I don't think people do that to set themselves up to fail. They are tired of being unhealthy and want a quick fix. Most people are not educated on what a healthy lifestyle really means.

Had I not gone through all of that I probably wouldn't have the mindset I do today. I know that this is a lifestyle change and that I will not lose 20lbs in a month.

When you are younger or uneducated about a healthy lifestyle it's easy to get false hope. Everything around us promotes a new gimmick or quick way to lose weight.

Nutrtional education needs to start at home (and in schools) from a young age so that we don't have problems later in life. (however, that's a whole other topic!)

ready4change81

It is just as unhealthy to be overweight or a binge eater, however, we would not post about them. It is not MFP fault, nor is it anyone else's business.

GinaJ2006

It is just as unhealthy to be overweight or a binge eater, however, we would not post about them. It is not MFP fault, nor is it anyone else's business.

Good Point

Hoosier16

I'm going to offer a view from the other side. About 10 years ago, I lost 30 pounds in 6 weeks. There was absolutely nothing unhealthy about it. It resulted from a change in lifestyle. I basically cut out fast food restaurants, starches, and sugars. I would have had to try to slow down the weight loss.

The point is that everyone is different. Twenty pounds in a month may be too much for some and too easy for others. I wouldn't even consider setting a goal of 3-4 pounds per month for myself. I know from past experience that if I make a slight change in my eating habits and make time for exercise, the resulting weight loss will occur quickly.

Jayms

I completely agree, that is worrying. I am 5 even, everything I have ever read says that I am suppose to be 100 lbs. I can't imagine having six inches on me and being the weight I am suppose to be. I read this thing the other day that said for every inch your suppose to add 5 lbs.

believetoachieve

I agree with you 100%: It is none of your business and you should not be judging other peoples' goals.

Seriously, Azdak? If people opt to use this healthy-living website to condone (and encourage!) eating disorders and obsessive, dangerous behaviour - damn right I'm going to not only judge them, but also speak up. That's not right. If it was "none of my business", these people should keep such "private information" to themselves and not post it all over the forums/profile/signature! :huh:

Oh look. My personal stalker is back.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but there's nothing special about you that would make me want to "stalk" you, lol. While I'm glad that your self esteem is so grossly high as to make such a ridiculous assumption - I assure you it's wishful thinking.

westgre

I am 5ft tall and set a goal weight for myself of 140-150. I will be happy at that weight and comfortable in my skin. sadly, I will still be "overweight" on the bmi chart. BUT it is discouraging to me when I look at all of the 5ft tall girls on here who want to be 100 pounds. It makes me feel like I have to readjust my goal.

I'm in much the same boat. I'm 4'11" and according to the BMI calculator, should weigh between 91.6 - 123.8 lbs. There is no way I could be healthy at 92 pounds! My goal weight is 130 pounds right now. When I get there, I will re-evaluate, but I think that's a pretty realistic goal. And even though it will be over BMI normal, I don't necessarily think I will be unhealthy.

summerbert

I totally agree with you. I left room so that after I reach my goal I can still lose a healthy amount of weight without going overboard.

schninie82

I'm going to offer a view from the other side. About 10 years ago, I lost 30 pounds in 6 weeks. There was absolutely nothing unhealthy about it. It resulted from a change in lifestyle. I basically cut out fast food restaurants, starches, and sugars. I would have had to try to slow down the weight loss.

The point is that everyone is different. Twenty pounds in a month may be too much for some and too easy for others. I wouldn't even consider setting a goal of 3-4 pounds per month for myself. I know from past experience that if I make a slight change in my eating habits and make time for exercise, the resulting weight loss will occur quickly.

wish I had you're problem!! haha!!

(just joking...)

Oishii

It's good to recognise that not all weight loss is healthy. Tbh, there are success story pictures too which make me feel uncomfortable because people, by my standards, have gone too far, but are being praised for it, but I would never post that, as I'm not a doctor and maybe my images of healthy are too culturally biased or based in jealousy.

To me, a weight isn't right for you if the maintenance calories for it are like dieting ones. Where's the fun in that?

elizabethl27

Until I became pregnant I weighed 118-120 lbs. I'm 5' 8". That was my natural weight ..and I have never counted a calorie or dieted in any sense of the word until I started at MFP.
Some of us actually have thinner builds?
For those of that are naturally slender I see no problem with this. I had a perfectly normal menstruation (see above, and I've had three children) and my skin and teeth and perfectly healthy and normal.
*Everyone* is different.

Agreed, but that is very rare!

elizabethl27

Until I became pregnant I weighed 118-120 lbs. I'm 5' 8". That was my natural weight ..and I have never counted a calorie or dieted in any sense of the word until I started at MFP.
Some of us actually have thinner builds?
For those of that are naturally slender I see no problem with this. I had a perfectly normal menstruation (see above, and I've had three children) and my skin and teeth and perfectly healthy and normal.
*Everyone* is different.

But naturally slender folks aren't the ones on here trying to get to 100 lbs with extreme diet and exercise. :frown: I have no problems with naturally slender. I used to be one in my early to mid 20s... then I got married and discovered Ranch Dressing. Yum.

Well said!

elizabethl27

I agree with you 100%: It is none of your business and you should not be judging other peoples' goals.

Well, I am only human. We all judge others as soon as we look at them. I am not judging people to be mean, though, or crude. I am trying to share my thoughts and feelings about something that bothers me.

elizabethl27

I agree with a lot of what your saying but I think your problem is more with humanity and human choices rather than anything that MFP has done or encouraged. I don't think anyone should dislike a website due to the choices people on it make.

I didn't dislike the website as a whole...just one aspect of it. As I said, it is a great website, but I feel that anything can be improved!

elizabethl27

I agree with you 100%: It is none of your business and you should not be judging other peoples' goals.

No one is judging, just want to support people and make sure they don't go from one unhealthy weight to another.

Thank you. You said it perfectly.

elizabethl27

I agree with you 100%: It is none of your business and you should not be judging other peoples' goals.

Seriously, Azdak? If people opt to use this healthy-living website to condone (and encourage!) eating disorders and obsessive, dangerous behaviour - damn right I'm going to not only judge them, but also speak up. That's not right. If it was "none of my business", these people should keep such "private information" to themselves and not post it all over the forums/profile/signature! :huh:

Oh look. My personal stalker is back.

A stalker because she is speaking her mind and making a good point?

elizabethl27

It is just as unhealthy to be overweight or a binge eater, however, we would not post about them. It is not MFP fault, nor is it anyone else's business.

I don't think its MFP's fault...clearly its the larger society. However, I don't like going on here and seeing people advocating for anorexia. I feel that its sad. People here choose to go on a community site and post all their personal information; they make it available, so what do they expect? That's like me going on Facebook and not expecting people to get into your business.

newdaydawning79

It blows my mind that some people are being rude about you having CONCERN for other people. Isn't that what the forums are about, to offer support/advice to others so we can all take this journey together?

RussianLynx

Totally agree! I also notice the signatures that have "Mini goals" of losing 20 lbs in one month. I know some people have significant (100+) weight to lose, but setting a goal of losing 20 lbs a month for the next 4 or 5 months is just not healthy or realistic. I hate to see people set themselves up for failure or disappointment. Of course, Id looove to see them attain that goal, but I also know the side effects of losing too fast....so its hard to cheer on that goal whole-heartedly.

Thanks for posting this and letting me know Im not alone! haha

I agree so wholeheartedly with this! I am anxious to be thin, but I think aiming to lose more than 2 pounds per week is really unrealistic in the long term.

elizabethl27

It blows my mind that some people are being rude about you having CONCERN for other people. Isn't that what the forums are about, to offer support/advice to others so we can all take this journey together?

Thanks! and AGREED!

poisongirl6485

It blows my mind that some people are being rude about you having CONCERN for other people. Isn't that what the forums are about, to offer support/advice to others so we can all take this journey together?

Agreed here as well. God forbid we actually give a *kitten* about someone else, right?! Believe it or not, a lot of what some see as judging is simply concern for someone else's well being. I know, it's a shocker huh?

believetoachieve

I agree with you 100%: It is none of your business and you should not be judging other peoples' goals.

Seriously, Azdak? If people opt to use this healthy-living website to condone (and encourage!) eating disorders and obsessive, dangerous behaviour - damn right I'm going to not only judge them, but also speak up. That's not right. If it was "none of my business", these people should keep such "private information" to themselves and not post it all over the forums/profile/signature! :huh:

Oh look. My personal stalker is back.

A stalker because she is speaking her mind and making a good point?

Lol, he does this a lot - just ignore him. He has a lot of far-fetched commentary that I often disagree with, and thus it appears he's misunderstood the attention and is now grossly overconfident. Why I'd want to stalk a not-so-attractive man in another country, older than my own father, I haven't a clue, haha. :laugh: As I said, wishful thinking on his part! lol.

Edit: As others have said, your concerns are very valid, good on you for stating them!

LorinaLynn

A few years ago, I used another site to track my calories, and wasn't eating nearly enough. Sometimes as little as 500-700 calories a day. That site didn't have the community aspect of this, so I had no idea I wasn't eating enough. I honestly wasn't hungry. And, not surprisingly, eating so little didn't work. I barely lost weight, maybe a half pound a week, so I gave up. I didn't know that eating more would get me better results. I spent a few years thinking that getting in better shape just wasn't an option for me.

If that site had the supportive community that this one has, maybe someone could have said to me, "Honey, you're starving yourself. You should be eating twice what you're eating now!" things might very well have turned out differently.

Maybe I'm a mother hen, but I have no qualms about telling someone she need to eat more, or stop skipping breakfast, and similarly, that she's already frickin' gorgeous and shouldn't stress so much.