A short rant about many of the posts I have been seeing here. May come off as harsh but must be said
Options
Replies
-
I didn't think I would ever actually use the following on an internet site, but got to love the ad hominem attacks on the OP.
"You're young, therefore your point is invalid"
He has said in posts that there is no doubt some people who do fall outside the norm for body functions. Those who have actual medical conditions which may limit their ability to lose weight but for those who DON'T have a medical condition you need to accept that the inability for you to lose weight is down to you.
I'm 34, I agree completely with OP, I could repost his exact post and point out that I get up at 4:30, have a 2 hour commute to work, do a 8 hour stressful job and then do another 2 hour commute back home. I then have my daughter to deal with, sort out lunches, dinners, clean the house.So does
So does the fact that I'm older and have a stressful life make his post any more or less worthwhile?0 -
Hey Joe, just wanted to let you know that I have used every excuse known to man (woman). But you are exactly right - no matter how you say it - harsh but true, for me anyway. Yes you are young but I admire your determination. I have been struggling with weight loss and gain for the better part of my life and finally realize that the more excuses you make the harder it is to even try to lose - because you've already set yourself up for failure. Believe me I know I have been through every one of these scenarios and could even add a few. Since January 2015 I have lost 16 pounds just by trying to get 10,000 plus steps a day (fitbit). This lets me know that yes I can lose but I have to move it to lose it. Different things work for different people, diet alone was not working for me. These 16 pounds have made me realize that diet with exercising more can only help me get there quicker. Thanks for the so called harsh statements - but that's just what I needed so I'm happy to say this was meant for me to read - so I thank you. Hope to keep up with you and proudly report back to you when I reach my goal - I have 100 pounds to go but I'm gonna do it this time! I know it's all up to me.0
-
I never respond on these threads much but I had to on this one.....
Sorry OP, but you are wrong. Some people, myself included, have a much harder road.....
I have to work out hard every day, eat a 1200 calorie diet to MAINTAIN....
I have Hashimoto's, hypothyroid and am insulin resistant. Until I get my levels optimized, I will not lose weight. The endocrinologist has been trying for 3 years and we still can not get it right. But, I plug away....at least knowing that I am not putting on additional weight but I do not see weight loss like I should.
My metabolism is very slow.
It really gets on my nerves the way that people come on here and spit out this crap saying that everyone is the same and it is SIMPLE to lose weight the same way. But, we are not all the same--and we do not have the same metabolic systems.
I am happy for you that you have seen such success, but do not stand there and pretend to understand what many go through to even see one pound of weight loss. I think the primary purpose of these forums should be to encourage, NOT bash.
You are young and uneducated so I will forgive you. It is the older/ more experienced people on here that should know better.
If by encourage you mean "encourage good practices" sure, I agree.
Poor nutritional advice, woo diets and similar waste of time and money shouldn't be encouraged.
By the way - have you looked at any of the possible macro partitioning diets to see if low carb or other macro techniques helps with your conditions?0 -
joejward95 wrote: »Cking. Are you telling me, if you didn't eat for 2 weeks you would not lose a single lb? You understand that is literally defeating the laws of physics.
Quite possibly:p
Actually though, with a 1200 cal a day intake and exercise burns up to 600 6 days a week...I am almost there.
But, yes, this response shows your immaturity.
I am happy for you and your successes....but you cannot say that everyone is the same. It is simply NOT truth.0 -
joejward95 wrote: »>so get back to us in about 10-20 years when you actually have some hardships in your life you have to work through.
You don't know a damned thing about me. Hardships are not an excuse for not being able to lose weight. Isn't it funny how people feel the need to use personal attacks and tell me about what my life has been like?
And you know nothing about the ones you are criticizing. Part of what you are saying I can agree with I am a very forward person. The reality is I won't judge you or anyone else. Now if you ask for my advice or opinion then that is a different story . I lost 129 pounds in 365 days and am proud of that accomplishment. Truth be told had I sacked up and done it at your age it would have been much easier. I didn't and that's on me. I see where you are coming from I really do just know that most people will not be talked into being motivated.
Good luck with your journey.0 -
Cking how is that physically possible. Where are you getting the energy to use those 600 calories? You're not getting energy out of thing air to convert to kinetic energy when you move. You have to have a source of energy(stored fat or food) to even move.0
-
OP, hormones are more powerful than willpower. If you have some time, do some research on insulin resistance, especially the work of Dr. Robert Lustig.
I happen to agree with you that weight is 90% diet, I just disagree with the idea that it is 100% calories in vs calories out. It has more to do with the type of calories you take in rather than the amount.
Oh, and I'm not using this as an excuse for anything, as I have never been overweight, so I have nothing to make excuses for. I'm just asking that you take a look at some of the current research about hormones and weight before making up your mind about what you think.0 -
It seems to me Joe that you have had some success with weight loss so you think you are an expert on the topic. I am no expert but I have studied the topic exstensivley over the last several years. I can tell you for certain you are taking an extrememly complex topic and trying to make it fit into a small little math problem. Sure we could not eat anything and 100% of the time we would lose weight but fasting when trying to work, take care of your children, and live life doesn't work for most people. There is only one thing in regards to weight loss that bothers me more than people that make excuses...people that come on the message boards and pretend to be an expert when they know very little about the topic of which they are talking.
My thoughts exactly. I agree with some of what you have said, OP, but some of it is off base. If I had put in the effort I am now when I was 18, I'd lose weight quickly too. But I'm not. I'm 37 with a 8 month old, a demanding job, two dogs, a pile of laundry and dishes and a husband who works long hours. Squeezing in 30 minutes of exercise is all I can manage now, and planning healthy meals and snacks takes a lot of my time, time I have very little of unless I want to get up at 4AM. These are not excuses - these are the REASONS it's hard for a lot of people. Going to college is NOT the same as working 40+ hours when you are a parent. College can be demanding, I know - but it's not the same.
0 -
I can agree with most of your original post, but I can also agree with some of the other commenters. Are many of the posts people make on MFP frustrating to read? Absolutely. Is weight loss ultimately down to calories in, calories out? Yes. Are people responsible for their own health and choices? Yes again. However, you can share these truths without shaming people in the process. I think your post would have been better received if you had kept your primary points, but toned down the aggression.
One other thing. Some people who struggle with physical/mental health issues are unable to get proper medical help. I have multiple mental illnesses and cannot currently afford the treatment I need to function as a stable human being. This hasn't stopped me from losing weight, and this does not change that basic formula of calories in/calories out. However, it doesn't hurt to have empathy for those who are not currently in the right physical or mental state to lose weight in a healthy manner.0 -
ditsyblond17 wrote: »judiness101 wrote: »Wow, you just solved the obesity epidemic. Congratulations!
Haha, I was gonna say the same thing. Congrats on having the easiest time losing weight, OP. WOULD YOU LIKE AN AWARD? most of us are on here for motivation and support. Harsh posts like this, deter people from posting anything. Sad really, because The people that need to the most are the ones that won't speak up because of stuff like this. Just know, it isn't as easy for everyone. Consider yourself lucky to not have a third shift job or thyroid disease, or hormonal imbalance. Congrats.
Just started reading but needed to comment on this. I DO have a "third shift" job. My schedule can be down right insane, however, I am still losing weight. Sorry, but the time of your shift makes absolutely NO difference in ability to lose weight. This will be harsh but that is truly just an excuse (and a bad one at that).0 -
joejward95 wrote: »No I am not promoting not eating for 2 weeks ffs. That much is obvious. I was making a point. She said she LITERALLY CANNOT LOSE WEIGHT. I was showing a scenario where that is impossible. And you know it, you're just trying to discredit what I have said by giving it out of context... pathetic really.
She said she can't lose weight currently with a restricted calorie regimen - you were taking her words out of context. It's a basic medical fact that unmananged Hashimoto's hypothyroidism makes weight loss difficult. She didn't say she couldn't starve herself for two weeks and lose weight. Your proposed response discredited you - not anything I wrote.
It's quite possible that her net cals, under this condition are below 1000. Recommending "eat less" shows how little you know on the subject.0 -
joejward95 wrote: »See I know most people would be pissed off at this. Doesn't matter though, hopefully it will get through to just one person who keeps making excuses.
I don't claim to have solved the obesity epidemic. There is no reason to be snarky.Have I said anything that isn't true?
It may be harsh but there are plenty of people here willing to tell everyone "its all okay, you're perfect" and not enough people willing to state a cold hard truth every once in a while.
All I am saying is that people should be responsible for themselves, and not be so reliant on others to motivate them/ find excuses for them not losing weight.
How is mean people threads formed?0 -
He might have ignored people with actual medical issues that make it harder to lose weight.
However, he is entirely right that there are plenty of people who've got nothing wrong with their bodies who are just looking for excuses.0 -
It seems to me Joe that you have had some success with weight loss so you think you are an expert on the topic. I am no expert but I have studied the topic exstensivley over the last several years. I can tell you for certain you are taking an extrememly complex topic and trying to make it fit into a small little math problem. Sure we could not eat anything and 100% of the time we would lose weight but fasting when trying to work, take care of your children, and live life doesn't work for most people. There is only one thing in regards to weight loss that bothers me more than people that make excuses...people that come on the message boards and pretend to be an expert when they know very little about the topic of which they are talking.
My thoughts exactly. I agree with some of what you have said, OP, but some of it is off base. If I had put in the effort I am now when I was 18, I'd lose weight quickly too. But I'm not. I'm 37 with a 8 month old, a demanding job, two dogs, a pile of laundry and dishes and a husband who works long hours. Squeezing in 30 minutes of exercise is all I can manage now, and planning healthy meals and snacks takes a lot of my time, time I have very little of unless I want to get up at 4AM. These are not excuses - these are the REASONS it's hard for a lot of people. Going to college is NOT the same as working 40+ hours when you are a parent. College can be demanding, I know - but it's not the same.
if you use these for the reasons you can't lose weight then hell yes they are excuses
but if you acknowledge them as life and do what needs to be done anyway then they are immaterial
0 -
EvgeniZyntx.... look at her later post.She did claim that it was likely she wouldn't lose weight if she didnt intake any calories for 2 weeks. A physical impossibility .0
-
There are so many factors which contribute to weight loss, physiologically, psychologically and behaviourally and it is not very simple for those who do have serious problems, be it an eating disorder or an endocrine problem (would you function on 1200 calories a day, when your body was so sluggish that you fatigued after being awake for an hour? Can you honestly tell me that you would go to the gym if you could barely hold your head up and ached after walking to the shop?). Some people make excuses and maybe they'll respond to tough love, maybe they won't, but everyone is different, and I suppose that's the point I'm making here.
On another note, I'll mention that I'm 20 years old. Yes, I have a lot to learn and am very inexperienced with a lot of aspects of life, but then again I feel that I'm able to empathise with people, and try to understand how they think and feel. I'm sure that there are lots of things that have happened in my life that none of you have experienced, and I don't judge your ability to discuss and debate weight loss because of that. For that reason, it does feel very patronising when people use your age as an excuse. It would be far more helpful to explain and teach me why I'm wrong, so I come out of the discussion more knowledgeable rather than simply frustrated.0 -
Ah to be young again and have all the wisdom in the world.0
-
herrspoons wrote: »Every single one of you who disagreed with the OP's post is going to fail. Every single one of you. Maybe not now, but in a year or so's time when you put the weight back on.
All of you.
Except a lot of those are people disagreeing or pointing out the flaw in the way he said it rather than the fundamentals of what he said.0 -
OP, hormones are more powerful than willpower. If you have some time, do some research on insulin resistance, especially the work of Dr. Robert Lustig.
I happen to agree with you that weight is 90% diet, I just disagree with the idea that it is 100% calories in vs calories out. It has more to do with the type of calories you take in rather than the amount.
Oh, and I'm not using this as an excuse for anything, as I have never been overweight, so I have nothing to make excuses for. I'm just asking that you take a look at some of the current research about hormones and weight before making up your mind about what you think.
I wouldn't use Lustig as a source if I were you.0 -
herrspoons wrote: »I mean, dear god. Do most of you think that having 20 or 30 years more 'life experience' makes you any more qualified to give advice? All it means is that you've made consistently bad choices for 20 or 30 more years. That's why you're here in the first place.
You can cry about the bluntness of the delivery. You can whine about your inability to keep your hand out of the cookie jar. You can spend hours looking for every medical ailment or fringe scientific study that gives you a reason as to why you're failing... and you still won't change the basic laws of physiology and energy conservation.
I'm looking at the replies and seeing a sea of failure, and I'm finally understanding why we have an obesity problem and why most people put the weight back on.
Cookies? Where can I find this jar of which you speak?
I could totally go for a cookie about now.
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 390 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 922 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions