What do you think of fat people after losing weight?

I think the problem the OP is referring to is when people ask you "how you did it" expecting a magic bullet response. Then when you tell them it's really about hard work, dedication and patience their eyes glaze over and they deflect to the same old excuses. I haven't even lost that much weight and am still considered obese and ive still encountered this. Its not every time, or only from obese people but it does happen a lot.

I can't speak for the OP, but this is how I read that too. It's the presumption that somehow you've figured out some trick, some easy way. And it's a bit infuriating because it minimizes what I've done so far.

My fatness wasn't because I'm lazy...I work harder and stay more active than most thin people I know. However, binge eating disorder did me no favors at all. Once I went to counseling and was able to get a hold of my emotions, the weight started coming off.

So, yes, I do think a lot of people are just lazy. However, many of the obese are dealing with emotional difficulties as well that make a life change more difficult. I do my best not to judge...I just wish they were willing to listen to how easy weight loss can be. Honestly, if I could do my college career over again, I would have majored in psychology/nutrition to help obese people lose weight and deal with the emotional aspects of it.

BUMP!.. ..

This has suddenly put a lot in perspective for me: I'm not saying I should stop trying to get in better shape, but that I should stop grumbling so much and filling my head with self-loathing and instead realize how blessed I am. We've all got something someone else wishes they had. We should focus on the good and be proud!

^^^ THIS!

Well, now that I know how easy it is to lose weight I tend to become a little annoyed when people say they are trying to lose weight and then the next day they have already given up and are eating a 3000 calorie dinner in front of me. They ask how I am doing it, and I tell them. They say they will try and they dont. I have a lot of difficulty understanding this type of behavior. It is like when I quit smoking. For me it was as simple as not buying the cigarettes anymore when they hit 5 bucks a pack. Other people seem to make the act of quitting into a giant ordeal. Perhaps I am simply gifted with extraordinary stubbornness. I tend to have the same reaction whenever my stubbornness allows me to do something that non-stubborn people cannot seem to do without giving up. I dont feel judgmental when an overweight person doesnt want to lose weight. If they are happy with their body then so am I. My annoyance seems to only kick in when they voice their displeasure at being fat and seem to be unable to simply will themselves to eat less food. Again, I seem to have an iron will when I decide to do something, and I tend to automatically assume other people do too. Then I have to tell myself that I have the advantage of having been nearly supermodel thin in my teen years so I know how skinny people eat. So basically instead of breaking old habits to become thin, I am just bringing back old habits that I used to have long ago.

I think everyone fights their own battles on their own timeline and for their own reasons.

I totally agree! I am older so I think I have a different perspective. I gained weight in my 20's and lost it. I gained weight in my 30's and lost it. I gained weight when pregnant with my kids and I just now lost it. In my 20's when I gained weight I was eating a lot and making poor choices. Losing the weight was a matter of jsut making better choices. This time it was twice as easy to gain weight and twice as hard to lose it! In my 20's it was eating a half gallon of icecream in a day. In my 30's it was a pint in a day. In my 40's it is a regular serving. An extra 200 calories a day adds on fast! I feel so bad for my friend who is a little older than I am. She eats better than I do but is gaining instead of losing. It is jsut sad. She has thyroid issues and even though she has medication it isn't enough. She told me what she eats in a day and most people would be THIN eating that. Then I know thin people who eat 3 times as much. It really isn't fair to assume that someone who is overweight is jsut lazy or doesn't care as much about themselves as a thin person. However there are times that I do feel like people would rather make excuses than changes. However I wouldn't judge unless you really know the situation. There is a thin person making worse choices than the person you are judging.

I was 270lbs and thought nothing of my size when I was fat until a health scare. I think for some people that can be the kick in the pants they need.

As for how I see super obese people now, I worry for them. I long to run up to them and tell them about my story... But I'm sure that'll just p!ss most of them off.

One of my pet peeves is the phrase, "If I can do it anybody can do it"

I believe each and every person has to find their own bottom line and say "I will change" I like the way one poster said it .... People would rather make excuses than changes. When you are ready to change you find solutions to your excuses. I have a medical issue (arthritis) and found the elliptical and bicycle as my solution. I have time issues (work nights) and found I can get my exercise in 1 hour a day. I don't cook and am apparantly not willing to learn, so I buy pre packaged salads and make sandwiches to take to work.

I don't waste much energy on fat people who whine, complain or make excuses. I just say when you're ready you will find a way.

To the folks who are puttin' out the effort. GOOD ON YOU AND Wa HOO. You're my friend and don't even know it!

Well,now that I know how easy it is to lose weight I tend to become a little annoyed when people say they are trying to lose weight and then the next day they have already given up and are eating a 3000 calorie dinner in front of me. They ask how I am doing it, and I tell them. They say they will try and they dont. I have a lot of difficulty understanding this type of behavior. It is like when I quit smoking. For me it was as simple as not buying the cigarettes anymore when they hit 5 bucks a pack. Other people seem to make the act of quitting into a giant ordeal. Perhaps I am simply gifted with extraordinary stubbornness. I tend to have the same reaction whenever my stubbornness allows me to do something that non-stubborn people cannot seem to do without giving up. I dont feel judgmental when an overweight person doesnt want to lose weight. If they are happy with their body then so am I. My annoyance seems to only kick in when they voice their displeasure at being fat and seem to be unable to simply will themselves to eat less food. Again, I seem to have an iron will when I decide to do something, and I tend to automatically assume other people do too. Then I have to tell myself that I have the advantage of having been nearly supermodel thin in my teen years so I know how skinny people eat. So basically instead of breaking old habits to become thin, I am just bringing back old habits that I used to have long ago.

Really??? Glad you've thought it easy....for most of us, its not though!

As I skim through these post, it amazes me how much people either agree with the op or tell how easy it is to lose weight. However, what works for one person may not work for the next person. With that being said, what one person's idea of fat may be different from the next. Because of this everyone's journey is unique, weather they choose not to lose weight, or feel that they can not, or do lose weight, we should not judge them based on their choices.

Me personally, losing weight has not been easy. It has been an up hill battle. I have been obese all my life and never under 200lbs in my adult life. What I have learned is that what works for some does not always work for others. I have many hormone imbalances and are a constant struggle keeping them in check. What has helped me this time is a pcp willing to test my levels more often making adjustments as I go. Doing so has helped me get as far as what I have thus far. In the past I would lose 10lbs and stop and eventually gain it back plus some than have levels checked to find that my meds need to be adjusted. (which often times was after I gained 20lbs besides the 10lbs I lost) Going through this cycle was hard and trying to get my pcp to listen to me about was even harder. Now with a pcp who does listen has been great. While my hormones are still out of wack at least my thyroid is getting more stable. I think the med. community is still learning about genetics and how hormones affect a person and if they are not at the right levels this can have big effects.

So for me, what do I think of fat people, well I am still fat, and think when they are ready to start their journey they will. If they don't that is their choice. Who am I to judge what is right for that person, I have not walked in their shoes, nor have they walked in mine.

The context of this thread has sort of derailed from the title but I guess I'd think..

"Good job! Amazing!"




The other question seems to be, "What do you think of 'fat' people who aren't willing/ready to commit to a healthier lifestyle".

The context of this thread has sort of derailed from the title but I guess I'd think..

"Good job! Amazing!"




The other question seems to be, "What do you think of 'fat' people who aren't willing/ready to commit to a healthier lifestyle".

It's entirely cultural. In some places and times, fat is a sign of wealth. "Ideals" change, and the shallow preoccupation with comparing oneself to others in the OP is kind of sad. It's natural, but it's not good and in my case anyway, it's something I strive to eliminate from my thinking. For instance, when I first read the OP, I thought "that's a bit self righteous for a guy who wears American size 34 pants". But then I remind myself it's relative, and 34 pants once felt like an accomplishment. Now it's 28, and my current 30-31 feels like an accomplishment, and 34 feels like fat pants.

Oh yea, of course it's completely relative. Gotta respect the dudes who prefer some girls with a badonkadonk too!

I think everyone fights their own battles on their own timeline and for their own reasons.

THIS

For me personally, yes I was lazy at times but I wasn't happy so i thought whatever what's the use. it wasn't until i was truly happy with myself and with my life that i figured out I'm worth the hard work. I'm still huge, but I work harder now and i don't want to jinx it...but so far so good

I think everyone fights their own battles on their own timeline and for their own reasons.

This. I try not to judge people. Even at 215 pounds I still ran 5 miles 3 days a week but bulimia, later a binge eating disorder, not taking responsibility for my eating habits, and feeling defeated meant that I wasn't losing weight. You don't know the battles people are fighting so when I'm asked the question of what my "secret" is I tell them "healthy eating, junk in moderation, moving more. Nothing more. Nothing less."

For me it's very frustrating. I work in a physical rehab at one of the top hospitals in the country. Most of our patients are stroke patients and joint replacements. 90% of them are overweight or obese. And many of the conditions they have that contributed to their stroke or joint replacement necessetiy could be controlled through diet and exercise. People are coming in now having strokes in their 30's and 40's due to obesity and sedentary lifestyle, which increase the risk for high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, both huge risk factors for many conditions including stroke. I do think a lot of it is poor education to some extent. I mean we know that all the processed garbage on the shelves of grocery stores isn't good for, but I don't think some people realize how bad it is. I know in parts of the city where I live there aren't even real grocery stores nearby. And also think many people have got into the mindset that "oh, I have diabetes? Well I can just take a shot" or "I have high blood pressure, there's a pill for that." I think the fact that there are treatments available for medical conditions associated with obesity is one contributing factor to why people don't want to lose weight. It's not always laziness... There have been a lot of good posts about other factors, and anyways, it's really not for us to judge others... Everyone has their own story... Perhaps they are very poor and have to eat from a food bank, or maybe they are struggling with a physical ailment that doesn't allow them to exercise. Yes, some people use these things as excuses, but sometimes they are real concerns. Instead of judging their responses as "excuses" maybe offer them some education or teach them how to read a label or tell them about a friend with hypothyroidism who had success. I think that will be more helpful to them then just rolling your eyes.

What do I think of them? I don't, unless it's a passing "good for them." I'm too busy worrying about my own problems.

Unless you're asking what I think of them after I've lost weight. Again, I don't.