Something I do not like about MFP

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!)

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

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.

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.

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...)

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.

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?

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.