Blaming weight on something else...

ronzek

Sooooooooooooo true! I blew my diet for a couple of days (late night snacks) and it showed on the scale. It's not the fault of my medications or the people around me. I have but one to blame.....ME! When I stick to the calorie count on my fitness pal then the weight comes off. When I go over my calorie count and don't exercise to make up for it, then the weight doesn't come off. It ain't rocket sience.

Kailapea

Accountability. Many people lack it, especially those with addictive behaviors. It is so much easier to blame anything else, then to admit it is our own lack of self control that puts us in the position that we are. I take several meds that have contibuted some to my weight gain. But I am not fooling myself, my love of ice cream and bread is the bigger factor. ::indifferent:

scubacat

I have a thyroid problems and asked my specialist about weight gain/ inability to lose weight. He told me that is a very common misconception that even most general practicioners believe and have led their patients to believe. According to him, "low functioning thyroid is rarely the cause of weight gain or the inability to lose. " It made me so sad to hear (and a little miffed) but I did pay more attention to what I was eating. I joined MFP and have been losing weight since. I guess maybe the doctor was right:grumble:

However, I still maintain that Depo Provera is evil. I gained nearly 20 pounds in 3 months time after my first injection. This was back in my skinny days. I know I didn't just pull up a chair at the buffet so I really dont know what else could have caused me to go from 120 to almost 150 in 3 months. Needless to say, I'm not on that anymore. It took my body a full year to get that out of my system.

casirdms

My doctor and nutritionist full out blame my constantly changing thyroid condition for my weight gain. Considering I eat pretty much the exact same now that I did when I was gaining weight. I admit I ate a bit more fattening food that I don't eat as much now. But I don't think that this website is for getting into arguments or for where the blame goes. And I'm honestly sick and tired of reading forums on this website about stuff like this.

Mind your own business if you don't like it.

I wasn't trying argue. The fact that you are losing weight now shows that there was something that you could do about it.

And as far as minding my own business, that's a two way street and you certainly did not have to click on this post to read.

Good luck on your thyroid issues and weight loss journey!

Dtho5159

I blame it on grocery prices being so high for healthy foods. We live paycheck to paycheck for us to buy healthy food. Its nothing to spend $75-100 a week on our family and about $40 or so is produce and healthy snacks alone. The sad thing is, I shop the sales and use coupons like you wouldn't believe and still spend a fortune.

Ashley_Panda

My doctor and nutritionist full out blame my constantly changing thyroid condition for my weight gain. Considering I eat pretty much the exact same now that I did when I was gaining weight. I admit I ate a bit more fattening food that I don't eat as much now. But I don't think that this website is for getting into arguments or for where the blame goes. And I'm honestly sick and tired of reading forums on this website about stuff like this.

Mind your own business if you don't like it.

THANK YOU. I've been overweight and on diets since I was 2. When I was 2 I looked like I was five. Highly doubt I was shoving the chocolate and bad food down my throat then.

12by311

Whoa. Everyone is getting defensive. The OP said she UNDERSTANDS that some medical conditions and medications make it easier to gain weight....however, MANY people use it as a simple excuse to not manage or lose weight.

If you (general you) know when you begin to take a medication that you are going to be more prone to gaining weight, it will be all the more crucial for you to watch what you eat. Clean eating and staying as active as you physically can.

jfinnivan

I blame it on aliens.

anulle2009

I do believe are some meds out there linked to it. but MY PROBLEM!!?? I STUFFED MY FAT FACE WITH GOOD UNHEALTHY FOOD AND BEER!!! LOL

CuteAndCurvy83

As A Child I was put on predisone for 1-2 weeks atleast once a month, then my asthma got so bad I had to take it every day for about 2 years. I was never a thin child,but it was during that 2 years that I gained a lot of weight that perpetuated an unhealthy eating pattern. Do I blame the medication, you bet your *kitten* I do. However now as an adult, I realize that while the medication my have started the root cause of my weight gain, there IS something I can do do fix it. I fully believe that medications can cause weight gain, however I am learning that we can curb that weight gain by watching the things we eat.

Rae6503

Can I blame my weight on getting knocked up? PLEASE?

hazelnutflav

ok ok ok ..i blame 90% on mysef for being lazy not watching what i ate and not going to the gym

the other 10% i blame on my sister bec she makes the best macaroni and cheese in the world, I AM NOT TAKING ALL THE BLAME, that girl can cook!

1953Judith

I don't care what caused me to be overweight, how fast I lose weight (or frankly if I lose weight.). My brush with obesity is in the past. I only care that I am doing all that I can do to be healthy and enjoy my life now in the present. I also want to know that should my body ever take me by surprise again (a bout with cancer four years ago) that I am positioned to be as healthy as possible mentally and physically to help my body heal. I will say that part of the here and now focus does involve staying tuned in to how my body reacts to various foods (and food combinations), to medicines and how they interact, to illness, to different types of exercise, to company, to parties, to boredom, to moods, to my job, etc.

The reason this site is so helpful is that I can learn from people's successes, misconceptions, triumphs, experiences. I get perspective and different lenses to review my own habits and behaviors.

Sublog

Might get flamed for this but oh well..

Why do so many people try to blame their weight gain on something else? I mean over half the overweight people I know say it's because of their medication or a condition that they have.

I am in the medical field and I do know that there are some medications & conditions that make it easier for you to pack on a few pounds, but I think people are too quick to put ALL the blame on them. Unhealthy eating habits are usually the largest culprit.

Love this article here:

You Are Not Different

All over the internet, on forums dedicated to everything from weight loss to muscle gain, people will loudly argue that they are different. “My metabolism is different.”, “My nervous system is different”, “My muscles are different”, things of that sort. Everyone is a unique and delicate flower, just like their mom told them.

This usually follows them explaining why the good advice that others have used can’t possibly work for them. They are also usually the ones making no progress who won’t even consider trying something else. THEY. ARE. DIFFERENT.

Individuals who have a lot of fat to lose either think that they can magically gain weight eating only a few hundred calories per day, or that they can lose weight just by rearranging their food in some special way. Because their metabolism is different.

Diets play on this of course, hiding the simple fact that they are causing you to eat less in a complicated pseudoscience of macronutrient ratios and such. But there is never any magic to be had when you look at these books critically: it all comes down to making the person eat less, exercise more, or both. It’s just hidden in complex schemes and pseudo-physiology.

Before you think I’m just coming down on overweight individuals, let me say that bodybuilders and athletes want to magically gain muscle and lose fat with a similar rearrangement of nutrients. That by adding some magical nutrient (usually an overpriced supplement) will make them start gaining muscle (or losing fat) without changing the dynamics of the energy balance equation. In the same way diet books play on the frailties of overweight individuals, supplement companies play on the frailties of the athletes telling them to “Use this product if you aren’t gaining” when the real problem lies with the diet or training program.

In short: you can’t beat thermodynamics anymore than anything else in the universe. You. Are. Not. Different. You can’t gain bodymass unless your energy intake exceeds your energy output because you can’t make something out of nothing (muscle or fat). And you can’t lose bodymass unless your energy intake is less than your energy ouput. These are rules that every system in the universe has to follow, including the human body. Nature’s rules, not mine to quote the all-knowing Mr. Miyagi. We may not like them, but we have to live by them anyway.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/you-are-not-different.html

scarletfever2005

I got fat because I like fast food, carbs, little debbie brownies, hostess cup cakes, and mostly Dr. Pepper. Up until last Oct. I was going through a 12 pack of DP a day. I would drink six at supper!!!!!!!

I was not really surpised when in Oct. I was diagnosed as being diabetic. I did it to myself. But that also means I can fix it. So I stopped and as of Sunday I've lost 50 pounds. and haven't been taking my metformin since March (my md ok'd it.).

I take full responsibility.

But my best friend......not so much. He has a reason or excuse for everything. He's now over 400 pounds and going. He's killing himself everyday but refuses to see it. He just makes comments like, "my biggest problem is the meds. I'm on." or "I can't exercise because my knees are bad."

It's frustrating to watch someone do that to themselves and now I think back to how my family watched me do it and it pisses me off that I did it.

But being pissed off at myself keeps me going. So I guess in the end taking responsibility even if grudgingly so, is a good thing for me.

ivyjbres

I think we can all agree that our weight is our weight and our responsibility.

But lets be honest, its not always eating that makes you fat. Sometimes its a medical condition, sometimes its the meds for those conditions, sometimes its the fact that you aren't working out, and the rest of the time, maybe its what you eat. But usually its not our eating habits that change so much when we go from a normal weight to over weight, its something else. And for those that have always been big, well, kids quit eating when they're full. They actually have to be taught to overeat unless they have a medical issue.

While a healthy diet is good for you and all of your body systems, it doesn't guarantee a thin exterior. Sure it helps, but I think exercise actually has more to do with the equation.

chollylops

I watched a great program once (10 Things You Need to Know About Losing Weight ) which covered parts of this. They had the 'motabolism' excuse and they medically tested her and proved that her motabolism was as it should be!
There are genuine people that can blame weight on medical conditions ( medication etc) but I think you are right that there are people that need an 'excuse' for why they are overweight. BUT it's hard to admit to yourself that it's down to eating more than your burning! On the same program I was talking about they had an overweight woman who had a fantastic balanced healthy diet, she also did loads of excercise etc but when they actually broke down her diet she was eating far too much food - simple. Her portions were massive!
One of the hardest things about changing your eating habits it by actually realsing how much you eat - thats why MFP has helped soooooo many people to take control - they can record everything easily.

Edit found the name of the program now! http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ksh7c)

Twasney

Your right....I shouldn't have blamed my weight gain on anyone but myself....I should have gotten out of bed and figured my **** out I mean really how hard is it to deal with finally facing up to 8 years of serious sexual abuse, your best friend dying of cancer and a near fatal car accident!

I should have popped those anti-depressants and got on with it right....oh wait I tried! I tried through a subsequent Divorce and Major family crisis. I tried through 3 suicide attempts.

And then once everything was looking okay and life was getting better I am diagnosed with another disorder that basically makes it hard for me to work out with any intensity and can leave me with migraines that last anywhere from 2 to 15 days. Sometimes it not about shoveling crap in your face cuz we all make bad choices....sometimes its about being unable to eat, or workout or exist!

Oh and that disorder likely caused by that near fatal car crash all those many years ago and part of what made the depression and working out so tough then too!

Now I get to try and work out while we play with dosages, sometimes it works...and sometimes it doesn't! Its pretty individual my dear and your callous post just goes to show the attitudes against people who are heavy. Like those people who stare at a fat person who is eating a sandwich on the metro making them feel like she doesn't have the right to eat, even though its her lunch hour and she is trying to squeeze that sandwich in after being at the gym on her break.

Thanks for the encouragement!!

michalita

I definitely blamed my antidepressant for my weight gain...until I saw how easy it was to lose the weight with better diet and exercise. I'm still on the medication, and am maintaining just fine, so now I know it wasn't that.

In many ways, it's good to stop the blame game, because then you know you have control over your body instead of willing it away to this condition or that medication.

Twasney

I definitely blamed my antidepressant for my weight gain...until I saw how easy it was to lose the weight with better diet and exercise. I'm still on the medication, and am maintaining just fine, so now I know it wasn't that.

In many ways, it's good to stop the blame game, because then you know you have control over your body instead of willing it away to this condition or that medication.

Therapy was super helpful for me, but I cycled through 4 differnt meds trying to find what would work for me! Its a slow climb up the hill....I am happy to have the support of most people on this site to walk with me!

Collinsky

My husband's sleep apnea definitely contributed to his weight gain, by sapping all his energy. It certainly wasn't the only cause, but it didn't help. Once he got it treated, he was then more able to make the lifestyle changes he needed to make. I think if someone has identified something that has contributed to their weight gain, then that's great -- ignoring the fact that you have a condition, or are on a medication, that contributes to weight gain, would be ignorant. For a lot of people, realizing that there is a contributing factor outside of diet and exercise that makes them gain weight or hold on to it more than they otherwise would, is actually something that can be empowering. It can give direction. For instance, when I was depressed, I was physically unable to get off my *kitten*. Depression often involves a physical amino acid depletion, and it's not laziness. I wasn't sad - at all, I was completely sapped of all energy (and frustrated by that, of course.) I'm not at all surprised that I gained weight! I also know that identifying the cause of my physical depression, and then treating the deficiencies through supplementation allowed me to improve enough to start doing that with diet, and then to improve enough to start working out.

It's not a matter of being different, or special... but everyone does have a unique situation, and may have different things they're dealing with. If someone says, "I can't lose weight because I'm on X drug" or whatever, instead of stamping WHINER across their forehead, maybe figure out what they CAN do to lose weight? If you can see a way that they can lose weight by changing something, adding something, losing something, approach it from a place of understanding and you might actually help them break that barrier. If you have information they don't, or an experience with what they're dealing with, then sharing is the superior choice. Feeling scornful and irritated is every bit as helpful as being coddling and enabling when what someone needs is encouragement to push past the negative beliefs ... which it to say, it's pretty useless.

ACEgirl1

Coming to the realization that my weight, health, and fitness are within my control is what start me on this journey and what motivates me on a daily basis. I think if others realized this it would really help with the mental battle that comes along with losing weight.

YES!!

kjjm08

I do think my PCOS/fertility drugs had a hand in helping me gain weight BUT was it that alone? Hell no. I am honest to myself and can admit that the majority of it came from being lazy and enjoying the fatty foods a little too much [ok ok, a LOT ha]. That's why I am here though. I know I can lose weight if I do things right. Eating healthier and moving my butt.

Honest accountability is a hard thing for many people. I know in the past it was for me and until they [general they] realize that they can do something, the blame game will always go on.

mbilling

I blame it on food...for tasting so delicious and giving me warm fuzzies.

Collinsky

If someone says, "I can't lose weight because I'm on X drug" or whatever, instead of stamping WHINER across their forehead, maybe figure out what they CAN do to lose weight?

Not saying anyone here was doing this, I was just going on my own train of thought.

And I'm also reminded of my good good friend who eats healthier than anyone I've ever known and gets regular exercise, who is overweight and can't seem to lose it. She had ED when she was younger, to the point of hospitalizations, and her gut was basically ruined and is still recovering. Because of her disordered eating over such a period of time, her dr and nutritionist have said that her metabolism is shot, and that she needs to increase her calories for the time being to convince her body she's not starving (the "starvation mode" that gets talked about ad infinitum here) .... looking at the big picture and figuring out that she really did have a reason that contributed to her weight gain and made it difficult for her to lose weight was absolutely essential to her beginning to overcome that very real barrier. She's not using it as an excuse, she's using it as a tool in her goal toward health and fitness. I think that's the key, and what I was trying to get at, and I think that if you're on the outside looking in at someone who is letting a barrier stop them, you can either roll your eyes at them, sabotage them by helping them wallow in it, or you can be the one who helps them find a way over, through, or around it.

ilookthetype

Might get flamed for this but oh well..

Why do so many people try to blame their weight gain on something else? I mean over half the overweight people I know say it's because of their medication or a condition that they have.

I am in the medical field and I do know that there are some medications & conditions that make it easier for you to pack on a few pounds, but I think people are too quick to put ALL the blame on them. Unhealthy eating habits are usually the largest culprit.

I wrote a really angry response to this. Then I deleted it.

There are some conditions that the nature of the condition forces them to either pack on pounds (like I did) or they are rail thin. Celiac is real, it causes the body to starve for nutrients causes the GF person's body to require more food which it will store and never use. I blame my weight on my celiac, not only did it have the whole not being able to absorb/use any nutrients but it caused joint pain, headaches/migraines, debilitating stomach pain, depression and ADD, I couldn't exercise because my knees were so shot, I couldn't exercise because there were days I couldn't get out of bed because of the pain in my intestines. I once lived on a "meal" (ie water/piece of fruit) a day because it was easier to starve than to live with the pain food caused me. I just ask that next time acknowledge more than, "makes it easier for you to pack on a few pounds...unhealthy eating habits are usually the largest culprit" that whole grain healthy eating destroyed my GI tract.

As soon as I went gluten free I started dropping weight like crazy. I have no joint pain, I run daily, I eat incredibly well and figured out what other allergies I have. Its not that I wasn't motivated, I hated my size, I hated how I felt, but my celiac made it impossible for me to lose weight as long I was ingesting gluten.

I am sensitive about it, I'm sensitive and I'm angry, especially with those in the medical field who continue to underdiagnose for celiac/gluten intolerance (possibly bc there isn't a pill for it that would make them a bundle of money like there is for IBS hmmmm?).

lildevil968

I blame McDonalds, and their effin fries for me being overweight! Those dang things used to just shove themselves into my mouth, and down to my stomach, and thighs. Those b@stards!

12by311

I also want to know that should my body ever take me by surprise again (a bout with cancer four years ago) that I am positioned to be as healthy as possible mentally and physically to help my body heal.

THIS is awesome. I lost my mom to breast cancer a few years ago and it's always in the back of my mind that I could possibly be diagnosed one day. THIS is exactly how I feel! Thank you for finding the words for me!