I'm annoyed...

A lot of the people who need to lose 5-10 lbs have lost much more than that, they just are stuck on the last 10. It takes a heck of a lot longer to lose the last 5 than it does to lose the first 5. And some people just can see that 10 lbs is making a visual difference--at 5 feet tall, I certainly can. While some people might really focus on the scale, not everyone is just going by the numbers. I'm still on my last 10, and it's taking a really long time. While I know I don't have a ton to lose, I'm not a stick figure either. I have cellulite on my quads and hamstrings that I would like to reduce, and that only occurs with fat loss. I am very healthy, but reducing my body weight through a loss in body fat will improve my athleticism by making me lighter and easier to move around.

Having lost 15 lbs, I still can't wait to lose the last 10-15 because I know they will make a big difference not only in how I look, but how I feel about myself. So hopefully everyone is just doing it for themselves and not other reasons.

Having lost 15 lbs, I still can't wait to lose the last 10-15 because I know they will make a big difference not only in how I look, but how I feel about myself. So hopefully everyone is just doing it for themselves and not other reasons.

I agree.....that's my hope too! I feel if we do it for ourselves....the journey will be a success...if we do it for others or worry what others think....well....it just might not be a lasting loss.:noway:

Ok, let me clarify. I am NOT looking at people who are down to their last 10 pounds or so, according to their ticker. Of course I realize that the last few pounds are very difficult (not that I've actually ever been down to that point). Unless people are changing their ticker so that it doesn't show all their past loss or how far they've come (which seems silly), I am looking at people trying to lose about 10 pounds total. Kudos to them for trying to be healthy, if that's what they're doing. It's just hard for me being someone so far from that point to understand why they can't be thankful for what they've got!

Just like you said earlier--a scale weight doesn't mean anything. Just having 10 lbs to lose doesn't mean they are automatically in shape with a low body fat. Plenty of people are 'light', but have very little muscle mass or are just in poor health. Or they simply want to improve their body composition or performance...I mean, 10 lbs can make a huge difference in your health. It takes up a lot of space, it's fairly heavy, it can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease depending on its location, it's about a dress-size...
I mean, why can't we all be thankful for what we've got? We're all capable of walking around and wiping our own bottoms, so things aren't all that bad. We all have unique reasons to lose some body fat. I have only seen one person here who was obviously suffering from an ED and was dangerously thin, and I don't think she's here anymore. Everyone else is just trying to improve their quality and length of life.

We each have our own goals and because some are smaller than others does not make it a "GRIPE" this is a FORUM where we all help and give support to each other, negative input is totally unnecessary it brings everybodies moral and staying power down.
Rather be pleased for those of us who only have those last few Pounds to lose it shows that we have worked hard.
My ounce of FAT may be someone else's Pound of lard so "DONT WORRY BE HAPPY" and share in other's happiness.

My 2 cents worth - not wanting to offend anybody.

To some people, those 5-10 lb are a dress size. My mother-in-law, who had become "morbidly obese" by her physician's standards told me that it simply crept up on her in about 20 years by 2 lb a year. She didn't pay much attention. But those 40 to 50 lb showed up in the end. So I took that as a warning and I noticed for me that those 10 lb crept up on me in 3 years.

I have two children with two different ability in ages in life, although they both try to accomplish the same things. Even though my daughter who is older is stronger, faster, and has longer endurance, I praise my son the same for his effort as well. For this website, it is not just the numbers, but a change in attitude, lifestyle, and obtaining the support needed to make those changes.

So everyone keep up the great work. If healthier lifestyle was easy, McDonald's would be out of business.

I'm one of those 10 lb. people, and I'm very grateful for what I have, but I'm a yo-yoer and I've been up and down these same ten pounds several times over the years. Just because I'm here doesn't mean I want to be skin and bones. I'm 5'2" and a few pounds add size quickly. I was at a point where I was going to have to revamp my wardrobe with the next size up if I didn't do something, and I didn't want to have to spend a few hundred dollars on clothes again, let alone how that would make me feel.

I think people focus way too much on the scale, too, but unfortunately that's what most weight loss sites and programs focus on. It's the easiest thing to measure. I exercise a lot and am happy to put on muscle weight. Sometimes I consider removing my ticker because I don't really care whether I reach the goal it shows, but I also like to show that health can be achieved and maintained. You don't stop watching what you eat once you reach your goal. "This isn't a diet," as they say.

Being overweight to obese runs in my family, as well as diabetes and high blood pressure, and I don't want to follow my family down that road, nor do I want my children to go there. I'm going to be 40 in January and I'm quite proud of the health that I've achieved for my age. A couple years ago I saw myself heading down the road of most of my family and decided it was time to make a change. My grandmother is suffering from some major diabetes complications right now and my mother's side of the family isn't having a Thanksgiving because of it. My mother has many health issues herself. I could go where they are. Instead I've chosen to learn from them and live as healthy a life as I can.

I support the goal of health in general, and everyone on this site working to achieve it. A person's weight is only one indicator. I've thought of removing my ticker (and I purposely choose not to show my weight). I'm still thinking about it, but I'm here to maintain my health, and that's an important goal to share, too. It's too easy to get back into bad habits and have to start over again (or worse). Anyone can always get healthier, whether or not that means thinner.

:drinker: Cheers to everyone! To health and long, happy lives!

Cheryl

That doesn't bother me, all have a goal and a desire. Shoot, there's even a few on here who need to GAIN weight to be healthy--now that taught me something! They have just as much a struggle as I do in losing and for the same reasons. See, that's the point of MFP--to bring together people who are not just trying to "diet" or lose weight or gain weight, but who are trying to learn to LIVE HEALTHY! I have found that most on here--notice I say MOST not ALL--are sick and tired of being unhealthy and have probably tried every "diet" in the book and then some. Now, we're ready to do it right, and to make it last a lifetime!

I've said it before and will say it again--the only thing that bothers me--not annoys but bothers--is when people speak horribly about themselves, calling themselves ugly, fat, slobs, etc.

Particularly when they have a small amount to lose. One, if they view themselves as that when they have 10 pounds to lose, what does that mean about us who have a lot more to lose? How does that negatively impact our own self-identity?

AND, people simply need to learn to love themselves as they are NOW or they will never be at peace with themselves at any weight.

very nicely put:flowerforyou:

Shorerider, thank you for finally saying what I think I was originally trying to say. I don't want to knock anybody because they want to lose the few pounds of extra that they have. It just bugs me when they are only a couple of pounds overweight, and they want to talk about how "gross" their muffintop is or something along those lines. Or how disgusting they think they are. That just makes me get defensive trying to think about what they would say if they saw me, way more than 100 lbs overweight. And they try to say "oh no, you're fine" when I know what they're really thinking. It just automatically puts me on the defensive I guess. But I'm over it. All I can do is to do the best that I can. I'm on the right path now...

Leslie,
I just read your profile and saw the date on your wedding picture...CONGRATULATIONS on your recent marriage! And you've also just started nursing school, which is another big, new thing in your life--lots of changes right now! (A few months ago I also got married, bought a house, and moved to a new town, so I can relate to the changes--I still don't know which end is up sometimes.) Give yourself some credit for what you're doing right now, and what you WILL achieve with the help of MFP. You are NOT gross or disgusting, and like others have said, this is a forum where everyone is listened to (even if they're not agreed with--that's what makes it interesting). We are here to help. And trust me - people here aren't thinking bad things about you, no matter what they look like themselves (and if they are, then ).
This is an awesome community with great (FREE! Yay, Mike!) resources for us to use.

I wish you luck and success with your weight loss journey! :drinker:

Melanie