Why is it so hard for people to grasp there is no magical solution?

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  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    Eating less, moving more. This is a fairly typical response, conveniently leaving out the MyFitnessPal app/website tracking and support system that makes it extremely easy for many of us to apply a calorie deficit on a long term basis. Try that complete answer and see if the reaction isn't a bit better understanding, faster. In my case it usually becomes pretty clear to the listeners why this could still be challenging for some: many were not interested in looking at a food label prior to eating. Some were concerned about tracking ethnic food that wouldn't be listed in any database. Others yet didn't want to be faced with the smaller portions they'd have to decide to eat once they learned that the carb portion of their daily lunch was half their day's calorie allotment...

    I have told some people about using the app to track calories and exercise. So far, the reaction has been that they think it's cool.


    I'll take that over blank stares, disbelief and obnoxious questioning!
  • MindySaysWhaaat
    MindySaysWhaaat Posts: 401 Member
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    What drives me up a wall is you see all these posts on here that say "What should I do?!?" or people who are complaining about how they can't control food, and when you give them solid advice they get all angry because you didn't reveal some kind of magic cure to them. I used my first gif today in a forum. it was this one:

    handle-the-truth.gif
  • spoonyspork
    spoonyspork Posts: 238 Member
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    Imma quote a story I just finished reading (which is about a fae dude, so it's kinda related to the magical pixie thing too!)

    "Fooling folk was simple as singing. Tricking folk and telling lies, it was like breathing.

    But this? Convincing someone of the truth that they were too twisted to see? How could you even begin?"
  • 1cares
    1cares Posts: 7 Member
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    I'm probably one of those "stupid" people that thinks different tips will accelerate weight loss. It's only because it is constantly thrown at me in my facebook feed, or from news outlets. It's only natural to be interested in researching it.

    Personally, I am on daily steroid medication FOR LIFE. That has significantly affected my weight, and weight loss. I eat smaller amounts than most people I know, and I am still 20lbs overweight. CICO, isn't exactly my friend most often. It is extremely hard to lose. I must watch EVERYTHING with a fine tooth comb, but then the second I let my guard down and have a slice of pizza, I gain 2 lbs. I am not even kidding. It is absolutely ridiculous. So yes... I do look for alternative ways to get the weight off, hoping to incorporate them into the basic CICO model. I take vitamins, and chew some rasberry keytone chews. They work to keep my appetite down. My doctor is also going to put me on hgh since I am significantly deficient, which hopefully should help. I've been seeing my trainer for a few months, and I work out 3-5 times per week doing lots of stuff to build my arms (pole), and I still don't have any muscles. So it may be easy for you, and you may think people are stupid for researching alternatives to CICO, but their situation may force them to be different.

    Sorry for my tone, but your tone was very condescending.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,716 Member
    edited February 2015
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    In my opinion people want to believe that losing weight is hard and complicated or require expensive "fixes" so they have an excuse as to why they can't do it. Either because they just don't want to or they lack the motivation to actually reduce their intake. If they believe that it's simple CICO (eat less and move more) they have to face the fact that the reason they (or others) are overweight is because they choose to be.

    Exactly. Sad, but accurate answer.
  • hartmamp
    hartmamp Posts: 80 Member
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    I know this wasn't the intent of the post but honestly sometimes I do wonder that with all of the medical advancements, etc. there isn't something out there that you can take to kill cravings or appetite or something - I don't even know what I'd want this magic fairy dust to do exactly, but I wonder if the knowledge truly does exist.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,716 Member
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    lemon629 wrote: »
    And maybe there's something about physicians not trusting people.

    ^^This.

    IMHO, a lot of medical professionals get jaded because patients only say what they think they should say, and not the truth, but then get upset when some underlying condition isn't discovered early because of non-disclosure. So medical people question everything several different ways to make sure you're REALLY telling the WHOLE story.

    And then there are people who have no common decency and think your business is their business and they're not going to leave you alone until they're 100% convinced, which they will never be. Those people are affectionately referred to as *kitten*-hats. :)

    Great job on your loss, BTW. Now share your pixie dust.

    Edit: get upset and then SUE the doctor, so yes, I get this aspect of it.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    hartmamp wrote: »
    I know this wasn't the intent of the post but honestly sometimes I do wonder that with all of the medical advancements, etc. there isn't something out there that you can take to kill cravings or appetite or something - I don't even know what I'd want this magic fairy dust to do exactly, but I wonder if the knowledge truly does exist.

    Yeah, not even close to the topic.
    1cares wrote: »
    I'm probably one of those "stupid" people that thinks different tips will accelerate weight loss. It's only because it is constantly thrown at me in my facebook feed, or from news outlets. It's only natural to be interested in researching it.

    Personally, I am on daily steroid medication FOR LIFE. That has significantly affected my weight, and weight loss. I eat smaller amounts than most people I know, and I am still 20lbs overweight. CICO, isn't exactly my friend most often. It is extremely hard to lose. I must watch EVERYTHING with a fine tooth comb, but then the second I let my guard down and have a slice of pizza, I gain 2 lbs. I am not even kidding. It is absolutely ridiculous. So yes... I do look for alternative ways to get the weight off, hoping to incorporate them into the basic CICO model. I take vitamins, and chew some rasberry keytone chews. They work to keep my appetite down. My doctor is also going to put me on hgh since I am significantly deficient, which hopefully should help. I've been seeing my trainer for a few months, and I work out 3-5 times per week doing lots of stuff to build my arms (pole), and I still don't have any muscles. So it may be easy for you, and you may think people are stupid for researching alternatives to CICO, but their situation may force them to be different.

    Sorry for my tone, but your tone was very condescending.

    CICO does work though. Sorry but "alternatives" are basically just different ways of achieving a calorie deficit.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    Ha, I had my doctor ask if I lost the weight "on my own". I was so confused. I asked her to repeat the question, and then finally said I used MFP (although it was more phrased as a question because I still had no clue what she was talking about). She apparently was super excited that I didn't do anything crazy or have surgery, which is I guess what she was expecting the answer to be...
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,716 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    [quote="hartmamp;31373913"]I know this wasn't the intent of the post but honestly sometimes I do wonder that with all of the medical advancements, etc. there isn't something out there that you can take to kill cravings or appetite or something - I don't even know what I'd want this magic fairy dust to do exactly, but I wonder if the knowledge truly does exist.

    Yeah, not even close to the topic.
    1cares wrote: »
    I'm probably one of those "stupid" people that thinks different tips will accelerate weight loss. It's only because it is constantly thrown at me in my facebook feed, or from news outlets. It's only natural to be interested in researching it.

    Personally, I am on daily steroid medication FOR LIFE. That has significantly affected my weight, and weight loss. I eat smaller amounts than most people I know, and I am still 20lbs overweight. CICO, isn't exactly my friend most often. It is extremely hard to lose. I must watch EVERYTHING with a fine tooth comb, but then the second I let my guard down and have a slice of pizza, I gain 2 lbs. I am not even kidding. It is absolutely ridiculous. So yes... I do look for alternative ways to get the weight off, hoping to incorporate them into the basic CICO model. I take vitamins, and chew some rasberry keytone chews. They work to keep my appetite down. My doctor is also going to put me on hgh since I am significantly deficient, which hopefully should help. I've been seeing my trainer for a few months, and I work out 3-5 times per week doing lots of stuff to build my arms (pole), and I still don't have any muscles. So it may be easy for you, and you may think people are stupid for researching alternatives to CICO, but their situation may force them to be different.

    Sorry for my tone, but your tone was very condescending.

    CICO does work though. Sorry but "alternatives" are basically just different ways of achieving a calorie deficit.[/quote]

    True, but threads get derailed all the time and I don't think there's anything against the rules for doing so. As far as medical advancements to kill cravings or curb appetites, I've wondered that myself. But, then I'm a bit jaded towards the current health system (in the U.S.) and realize it is a large for-profit business and health care is not the main concern; profit is. Thankfully, I don't have over eating issues, so I'm not wanting any kind of magic solution personally. Just wanted to comment on hartmamp's comment.
  • terem00
    terem00 Posts: 176 Member
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    When people ask me what I did to lose weight, I tell them I watch what I eat and move more, they then proceed to tell me their plan and complain that they cannot lose any weight.
    I tell them to try it my way to which they respond "well Dr. Oz says.blah....blah....blah...so a detox and cleanse will give me the kickstart I need"
    All I can do is smile and nod, eventually people figure it out on their own..maybe.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Amazing. I comment that CICO works and how it's helped me to lose weight, on a calorie counting website, how my one doctor obviously only took the 2 mandated nutrition classes and nothing else, and go to bed. I wake up and there are quite a few posts that either 1- say the MD is right and I obviously know more because they have letters after their name or 2- cico didint work for someone so they had to do XY and z and that saying cico works is rude.

    Condemned if you do, condemned if you don't. Either way, taking my NyQuil and tami-flu and going to sleep.

    For those who got the spirit of the post, thank you! The gifs have certainly made me snicker :).
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
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    I still have people not believing my eat less, move more, CICO story. They want to believe I've done something special, whether low carb, paleo, etc, or if I work out 5 hours a day. Nope to all. I have about 50% carb intake, and I get about 5 hours exercise per week. When they persist, I send them a copy of my MFP log and my tracking graph. Then they finally believe.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    IMHO, a lot of medical professionals get jaded because patients only say what they think they should say, and not the truth, but then get upset when some underlying condition isn't discovered early because of non-disclosure. So medical people question everything several different ways to make sure you're REALLY telling the WHOLE story.

    I think this is true, and lots of people do lie to their doctors. So I understand the doctor's POV, in theory, but I can't help reacting like the OP, where I find it offensive to be treated with such disrespect and have it assumed that I must be lying, since I couldn't possibly have just eaten less and moved more. I feel the same way about doctor's advice to not eat back exercise, because people misreport it (I do a lot of exercise and was spending my weekends doing about 5 hours of hard cardio at one point, not eating back anything would have been a bad idea if at a low starting number) and, especially, doctors recommending really low calorie numbers often based on the assumption that everyone lies and misreports their calories. It's obviously true that many do, but being assumed to be incapable of counting properly in advance bothers me. (This is why it's for the best that I decided to lose on my own rather than doing some doctor-backed plan, I suppose.)

    For what it's worth, I like my own doctor, and when I went most recently (not while obese, though) and talked to her about how I was losing weight, she asked about my goal weight (I assume to make sure it wasn't unreasonably low) and asked if I was using anything to help with calorie counting. When I said MFP she got all excited about how great MFP is.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »

    For what it's worth, I like my own doctor, and when I went most recently (not while obese, though) and talked to her about how I was losing weight, she asked about my goal weight (I assume to make sure it wasn't unreasonably low) and asked if I was using anything to help with calorie counting. When I said MFP she got all excited about how great MFP is.

    My insurance allowed for one free consultation with a Registered Dietician and when I went, I took my MFP reports. She basically confirmed that my calorie target, macro mix, weekly loss goal, and goal weight were dead on. She essentially told me that if I stay with MFP and stick to what my targets are I will be successful. She loves MFP! I didn't learn anything new at that appointment but it was nice to get confirmation from a professional that I was on the right track.

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    lavendah wrote: »
    Omg this. So many people think I'm a b!tch who isn't revealing her 'secret! :s There isn't any for fuks sake!

    Yikes!! Are you HANgry?? :wink: :stuck_out_tongue:

  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    Merkavar wrote: »

    Like they wanted me to say I lost 4 kg a week by eating zucchini dipped in glitter with every meal and how that counteracts anything else you eat.

    I wanna know how that feels on the tail end of things :laugh:

    Imagine a unicorn, it's would be like firing out rainbows. Creates a sunny meadow full of fluffy rabbits in the toilet bowl :P
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
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    This happened to my friend, who lost 100 pounds, she started saying it was Herbalife, and started selling it, and getting huge commissions.
  • Autum1031
    Autum1031 Posts: 83 Member
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    Yep, definitely time to find a new doctor, or since you can't, be annoyed at her. ;-) I once hand carried my medical records to a new place when I moved to a different state. I was shocked at what I read! Lots of, "patient claims..." and disbelief over everything I was stating about my health concerns at the time. You think they are there to help you, and so many of them don't believe a word you say.

    I will say this, though: no, CICO does not work for everyone. I've tried this method a few times in my life, including right now, with little success. Mind you--it's not like I think magical pixie dust will work, either. But I can tell you that I've lost 4.5 pounds in 10 weeks on a plan that is supposed to cause 1.5 pounds a week weight loss. (For the naysayers, yes, I am weighing my food and counting everything). I'm as flummoxed as the next person, but it certainly doesn't work for me. Nor has it worked the other times in my life that I've tried to lose weight.
  • minipony
    minipony Posts: 194 Member
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    Because everybody's been bombarded with so many different quick fixes for so many decades. So it's a difficult thing to break out of that mentality.

    I agree.....media has a bit part in it.