Why are women always on a diet?

1356

Replies

  • RainHoward
    RainHoward Posts: 1,599 Member
    men and societies expectations. A man can be fat and still accepted by society. A woman on the other hand tends to be ridiculed and belittled by society.
  • This content has been removed.
  • rekite2000
    rekite2000 Posts: 218 Member
    Here is why I always said it- had 2 caramel lattes a day (about 800 calories), whole pizzas at night, all the baking I did (which I took to work so I wouldn't eat it, but still did). I would get a soda for a pick me up, a bag of gummy bears, but I am on a diet. I had no idea how brainwashed I was about my calories. I eat a lot now but I know what I am eating. The lack of knowledge really hurt me. I was always trying to lose weight, but was clueless how to do it. I am learning now and never say I am on a diet.
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    My initial guess is that, while they may be eating better, they're still consuming too many calories. I cook for my boyfriend and his parents and his mom told me she had gained 5 pounds ever since I started cooking. I was surprised, as I cook healthy meals but she had an answer: "Yeah it's healthy. It's also good, so I eat more than I used to"-- she cut the amount of food she eats (with no other changes to the actual food or her exercise habits) and got back to the weight she likes very, very quickly (granted, she only had about 5 pounds that she wanted to lose). She's in her fifties, so I don't think age has a huge impact. So, I think if people actually watch what they eat and how much, most would lose the weight very easily.
  • meredith1123
    meredith1123 Posts: 843 Member
    Because we live in a social world of vanity. We constantly feel the need to look PERFECT...

    even though i'll never be perfect ...
    it would be nice to look it though.
  • micheabr
    micheabr Posts: 72
    I think its mainly due to women lying to themselves or being ignorant to the amount of calories they consume. Some people don't realise that eating too much healthy stuff will still make you gain weight.
  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
    most people lie to themselves, not just women. that's why most people are a mess either physically, emotionally, or both
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
    Glad it is easy for you. I have no explanation of why it is hard for some.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    a lot of it boils down to lack of knowledge, and sticking your head in the sand.

    That was me for a long time, and I wasn't even dieting. It's how I gained all the weight.


    Surprising what a little knowledge will do.
  • First of all the Question was a great one. I love reading everyone's comments. We do struggle more than men to loose weight 1. due to genetically built differently-men do have more muscle than women 2. Child bearing. 3. Hormonal Changes 4. Failing to educate ourselves on how foods work with our bodies 5. counting calories 6. Portion Control 7. Self Esteem 8. Exercise 9. Living a balance life and connecting with our spiritual side. 10.Lying to ourselves. All of these things are contributing factors of why women don't loose weight. If we can package all of these listed items and have the self control and motivation, no women would be fat today. TIP for the guys never tell a women she is FAT or UGLY always be encouraging and don't look down on the one's trying.
  • Sweet_Gurl_Next_Door
    Sweet_Gurl_Next_Door Posts: 735 Member
    tis is true because until I began tracking I had no clue how many calories I was eating. in my case with what I logged I was eating to little and had to increase mine.
  • becky6m
    becky6m Posts: 108 Member
    Not really trying, not knowing what they are eating (calorie wise) calories in vs calories out, not logging beverages (wine and coffee drinks)--generally being misinformed and not wanting to hear it like it is.
    This. Before this site I had no clue on how to eat or count calories. I didn't even know there was a limit daily to maintain your weight. Crazy, but true.
  • stealthSLOTH
    stealthSLOTH Posts: 695 Member
    :explode: :noway:
  • szarlotka717
    szarlotka717 Posts: 85 Member
    This isn't true for every woman, but as someone who intends to have kids in the next few years, it's really depressing to me that I will have to lose weight all over again 2 or 3 more times even if I'm doing everything "right." I am going to try to avoid gaining too much extra weight while pregnant, but some weight gain is inevitable (and only about half of that disappears soon after giving birth). Basically, I can look forward to carefully watching what I eat for the next 8 or so years (and then have a brief reprieve before hormones change again, making weight maintenance more difficult). My husband still has 30 or so pounds to lose, but I'm jealous that once he loses the weight, he'll only have to try to maintain.
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    Because they don't feel confident about their bodies, but aren't willing to be disciplined about a solution.

    This.

    Women are naturally lazy and unmotivated.

    They're also by nature fatter.

    This is true. We are generally stupider than men, too.

    That is probably why I have an urge to beat you up for this comment.

    But, being stupider, that is not the best course of action.
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
    Here's the thing. If I hear one more person say "just stop eating chips and drinking soda" I'm going to lose it. I don't drink soda. I don't eat chips. Or pizza. Or drink. And I struggle. A woman's metabolism (especially after childbearing) is different. Add to that that men generally have a much higher muscle mass (eg. better fat-burning capacity) and you'll see the major differences between men and women. Personally, I eat healthfully, track calories (12-1500/day), work out regularly and STILL have major struggles in weight loss for many reasons. Thank God weight loss is easy for you. Please be sensitive with your judgments.

    I feel you. It's not as easy for some of us. There are a lot of people who "diet" and don't lose, but there are also a lot of us who really do work hard at it and don't always make much progress, or very quick progress.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    Also in the UK we are told that women "need" 2000 calories a day, men 2,500.

    So women think it's totally fine to eat 2000 calories a day - regardless of their height, weight, age etc...
  • WifeofPJ
    WifeofPJ Posts: 312
    This is a serious question.

    In my office all the women (aged 28-50ish) are on a diet seemingly all the time. They do Zumba and other stuff (according to them) yet they never lose any weight. Are all their metabolisms really that bad or are they lying to themselves?

    I have one friend who says she needs to lose about 20 pounds so she cooks healthy and works out but hasn't lost any weight. On the other hand, I eat pizza or fast food about 5 times per week and I lost 15 pounds just by not snacking and quitting alcohol for a bit. I also watch everything I eat and exercise 4-5 times per week; strength training in the winter and running in the summer.

    Can one of you wonderful ladies please enlighten to me why this is? Are they not serious about it or is it social?


    Consider yourself lucky that you can eat like that and still loose weight.

    But as for your question there could be a number of things going on here.
    1) They could all have something wrong. I was always trying to loose weight but always had troubles, constently hungry no matter what I ate and then I found out I had PCOS and that it was a huge factor in my weight. Now that I am getting that under control loosing weight is much easier because I know that I can't have lots of Carbs and Sugar.
    2) Number one is not likely for all of the women maybe one or two of the could have something going on but most don't. They could be not tracking their food. Most people will underestimate what they eat but over estimate their exercise.
    3) They could be those people who will "treat" themselves when there is something going on but tend to "Treat" themselves Every day.
    4) They could be thinking they are eating healthy when they are not. If they eat out alot they could be ordering things like the salads which if not researched and ordered correctly could be the highest caloric item on the menu.
    5) They could be loosing weight and you are just not noticing it.
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
    most people lie to themselves, not just women. that's why most people are a mess either physically, emotionally, or both

    This.
  • rowanwood
    rowanwood Posts: 509 Member
    Because they don't feel confident about their bodies, but aren't willing to be disciplined about a solution.

    This.

    Women are naturally lazy and unmotivated.

    They're also by nature fatter.

    The only thing keeping you alive is the internet.

    Some of these marathon running women can catch you and hold you down for the heavy lifters to teach a lesson.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    Because they don't feel confident about their bodies, but aren't willing to be disciplined about a solution.

    This.

    Women are naturally lazy and unmotivated.

    They're also by nature fatter.

    This is true. We are generally stupider than men, too.

    That is probably why I have an urge to beat you up for this comment.

    But, being stupider, that is not the best course of action.

    Don't get angry with me ma'am.

    It's just science.
  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
    I'd say that women aren't always on a diet, but rather have intentions of dieting and "screw it up" daily. Alot of women I know wake up eating healthy and making smoothies, then go to bed with junk, fast foods, regret and a promise to themselves to do better the next day. It's a cycle.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    i think most women, most people, define "being on a diet" as just "trying to eat less or go lowcarb/lowfat". So, saying "I am on a diet" may only mean "I try not to eat every piece of cake that comes my way, I try to order a salad instead of fries, I buy baked chips instead of regular"... but they don't actually understand what they should be eating and how much of it.

    I don't think these people are necessarily lying to themselves, they just don't know what "diet" means other than "try to eat fewer bad things" so, if you are forever trying to avoid "bad foods" you are forever "on a diet"
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    Because they don't feel confident about their bodies, but aren't willing to be disciplined about a solution.

    This.

    Women are naturally lazy and unmotivated.

    They're also by nature fatter.

    The only thing keeping you alive is the internet.

    Some of these marathon running women can catch you and hold you down for the heavy lifters to teach a lesson.

    We should learn our place, rowanwood. Your username sounds like someone from the past, so you probably already know this. :)
  • JeneticTraining
    JeneticTraining Posts: 663 Member
    That's a generalization.
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    Because they don't feel confident about their bodies, but aren't willing to be disciplined about a solution.

    This.

    Women are naturally lazy and unmotivated.

    They're also by nature fatter.

    This is true. We are generally stupider than men, too.

    That is probably why I have an urge to beat you up for this comment.

    But, being stupider, that is not the best course of action.


    he's just trollin...trolls are everywhere on these threads :yawn:
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I'm gong to bet they aren't eating at deficit. Mixing in more healthy foods is a good thing, but if they still eat at or over maintenance, they aren't going to lose jack.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    Because they don't feel confident about their bodies, but aren't willing to be disciplined about a solution.

    This.

    Women are naturally lazy and unmotivated.

    They're also by nature fatter.

    The only thing keeping you alive is the internet.

    Some of these marathon running women can catch you and hold you down for the heavy lifters to teach a lesson.

    Good thing I can still out run marathon running women.
  • xiamjackie
    xiamjackie Posts: 611 Member
    I know 2 people that are always on diets and both are morbidly obese, I know why they never lose weight but they don't.

    Neither count their calories.

    1 eats lean cuisine, and fat free foods everyday for lunch, yet is easily 80-100lbs over weight....why? She is still eating too much, she assumes if its sugar free or fat free she can eat it and that it doesn't "count". I've worked with her for 10 years and she still eats the same stuff everyday, I almost want to tell you you may as well have a burger instead the diet foods because it isn't making a difference

    Friend #2 - always claims to be dieting yet gains weight. She drinks fancy coffees that are LOADED with calories every single day, some are 800+ calories, and she'll drink them twice a day, plus redbulls, plus mountain dew, she'll stop in the morning and grab herself a breakfast sandwich (500 calories) Eat some kind of peta sandwich for lunch (300) calories. Then for dinner tells herself she didn't eat (and technically she didn't) so she'll have two helpings of oversized portions for dinner. She is consuming 3000+ calories a day and is 4'10. Some days she'll even binge on McDonalds for lunch (eating 2000 calories in one sitting) - she'll do this several times a week but since on 3 out of the 7 days she was hungry most of the day she tells herself she is dieting and then wonders why it doesn't work.


    Yes, unfortunately I've seen this way too often. Eating very small portioned things that are mega huge in calories and then feeling at the end of the day that they barely ate anything, so they splurge.
  • Bridget0927
    Bridget0927 Posts: 438 Member
    Women are always on a diet because TV and magazines tell us we should look the ladies on TV or the models in the magazine. This has made us self conscience. So even women (some not all) who are not necessarily overweight develop a negative self image and think they have to diet diet diet to reach society's standard. When they do this, it is usually a fad diet, they fail, thus continuing a vicious cycle of lowered self esteem.

    This is part of the reason I love MFP and my MFP family. I have learned to accept me for me. I am never going to look like the super model in the magazine. I am who I am and that is all I can be. I am much happier person for learning this.

    THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! Im so tired of the woman bashing/judging from both sides. And dont all clammer in on he was bashing just asking cuz thats bs and you know it. We are different (ladies that is) we may lose weight slower than a man doing the same things, and we constantly feel the need for self improvement generally speaking where you dont see that with men as much. Maybe some girls try for a bit and give up, who knows but instead of all jumping on the bandwagon when a guy mentions it we should stick up for our fellow lady. If your on MFP its likely you were at some point in your life one of these ladies he is referring to. Just sayin