Now that you've had success, how do you see overweight people?

ibamosaserreinas · June 2015

It depends more on what comes out of their mouth than how much they weigh... If they start telling me about how they can't do lose the weight or how I must have the right genetics and they don't that is when I tend to start the judgin'.

coolbluecris · June 2015

I have just started my journey. 199 pounds at 5 ft 2.

I am a busy professional person, I have to work long hours as I'm in sales and need to see people after hours. When I'm not seeing people the rush is on to prospect for appointments.

I am very good at what I do. I'm not unintelligent IMHO ;-)

The stress can be high and I used to eat on the run (McDonalds for its convenience and price).

On the days off I would sleep a lot to recover, or read the required study, and eat to feel better.

I started to get angry at the amount of time this job takes from me. The amount of rejection and mental energy in the form of not very nice people. I need to do something for myself, take back my life.

At work, all the thin people push the strict "low carb" diet as the only and best way. I've tried and tried but failed and saw myself as a failure.

I've been on myfitnesspal for a week now, I set 1500 cals per day and have lost 1.4 kilos (around 3 pounds) in my first week.

The scales have fallen from my eyes. I don't need to eat low carb, that totally unsustainable diet. I ate healthy and had treats too and lost weight!

So as a currently overweight person, stress and misinformation had caused me to give up.

After easily losing weight this week, I think I may be motivated to exercise too. This can really happen!! I could be much lighter by the end of the year!!

Alatariel75 · June 2015

A potential food source/distraction fodder in the upcoming zombie apocalypse, which I will survive because I'm now smaller and faster than them.

jenilla1 · June 2015

stormyview wrote: »

Well, to be honest, it depends. If I don't know them, they're just people. But there are some overweight people I know who complain a lot about their weight (and tell me I'm so "lucky" I could lose weight), and I now think that they either need to have some self discipline and actually lose weight or they need to stop complaining about it. I didn't lose weight because I was lucky, and waiting for luck to strike them is only going to continue their weight problems.

cuckoo_jenibeth · June 2015

I agree with others here; I dont really notice overweight people out in public any more than anyone else. But, I do get frustrated with the comments of overweight people in my life such as, "You're so lucky...", " I wish I could do that", or those that ask about what I have done, but refuse to believe that there is no pain, no food/food group exclusions, and no magic pill, wrap, shake, etc!

jocar06 · June 2015

I am so excited about MyFitnessPal and lwhat it's done for me.When I see people that are overweight I always want to share with them this app.

Farback · June 2015

I see them as slow, easy sources of food when the zombie apocalypse begins.

Xpecta · June 2015

Honestly, I wonder to myself if they're on the weight loss journey as well, and wonder how far they may have come.

tinallen863 · June 2015

I think how easily that could be me if I wasn't so conscious of how much I eat and exercise. I always tell people about mfp and get disgusted when they say why it would NEVER work for them!

cmoll520 · June 2015

I don't know that I think anything. I was overweight from the time my 2nd son was born (2009) until this year. I had a lot going on and my weight was just not a priority. I was in school full-time, working 30ish hours a week, raising two children, one of which has special needs. My 3rd child was born in 2013 and he was prenatally diagnosed with a genetic condition. By then I was working full time. My weight was the least of my concerns. I was hardly making it through every day: It took me finally finding balance, peace and stability in my own life to be able to truly care about my health. I wish it had happened sooner but I know that I was doing the best I could. And now I'm at a healthy weight, living a balanced life and couldn't be happier. I'm sure I was judged for my weight but I didn't care.

neil11111 · June 2015

I see them as lost souls who haven't suffered the big wake up call yet. A heart attack or major health catastrophe. They don't realize they can prevent a major health event by simply managing calories and exercizing more. It makes me a little bit sad for their loved ones.

Spreyton22K · June 2015

Interesting question.....

For me what I noticed was the difference in treatment/attitude others had towards me when I was fat as opposed to slim. Somehow or other I am now deserving of more positive attention ie smiles, positive sales service when clothes shopping, the odd admiring glance especially if I have "dressed up"......

Initially, this behaviour difference really pissed me off.....I was just as deserving, smart, kind etc at 268 lbs as I am at 110 lbs but you would not have thought that by the way I was regularly treated.

Having been both sides of the coin and even though I am not religious the quote of "There but for the Grace of *insert deity* go I", can be helpful if I do feel judgy. I can never know what life experiences the overweight individual is going through, are they ill, medicated or just in a difficult space in their lives OR are they really content and happy with their size and physique...just because I was miserable at a larger size does not mean that it's true for someone else, so I make it my personal mission to NOT judge a person by size alone, ever.....I am not always 100% successful.

The time where I have felt negatively towards someone is when I have intimate knowledge that they are unhappy and really struggling health wise with their weight and moan continuously about how 'easy' it has been for me to lose my excess yet they deny they too can be helped by the same methods I used.

It is hard to swallow the frustration of watching them buy into the latest fad diet or even undergoing surgery......only to watch them waste that 'tool' by deliberately stretching their pouch. This has made me angry.....angry that they short changed themselves and fooled the medicos into giving them the Op. in the first place when they had no intention of being compliant. But you can't make/wish someone to have their Ah Ha moment.....all you may be able to do is hope that they do have one before it is too late for them.

segacs · June 2015

As themselves. Same as always.

And the idea that people would see me differently because I'm slimmer is one that I know objectively is probably true, and yet, I find it very disconcerting and uncomfortable.

thenewkayla · June 2015

annette_15 wrote: »

I would never judge them as people, but I will admit to judging their food choices on occasion, especially if someone is eating very caloric foods while complaining that they cant lose weight

This I've only lost 20 pounds which isn't a success yet but I have a friend that complains about his weight but he eats fast food everyday I'm like omg shut up.

999tigger · June 2015

I normally think, do they know how straightforward it is to lose weight and if i see them struggling I think of all that weight on their body/ heart. I know how unhappy it can make some and how unhealthy it can be. If i see them in the gym it enocourages me and I hope they keep going. I'm quite empathetic irresp[ective of my own situation.
Tbh I dont pay them that much attention, just like i dont think much about other people either.

What does keith see them as? he went quiet.

wizzybeth · June 2015

neil11111 wrote: »

I see them as lost souls who haven't suffered the big wake up call yet. A heart attack or major health catastrophe. They don't realize they can prevent a major health event by simply managing calories and exercizing more. It makes me a little bit sad for their loved ones.

Very much like evangelical Christians, seeing the world full of lost souls who haven't met Jesus yet...lol...I say that partly tongue in cheek but it's also somewhat true about ANYTHING we feel we've had an epiphany over and the rest of the world is lost in darkness! "It's up to us the spread the light, whether it's about Jesus, politics, veganism, or CICO!" LOL ;p

barbecuesauce · June 2015

I see the overweight and obese people as regular people. I think it's unfortunate that the diet industry and the media have sold them a bill of goods about shortcuts and pills and wraps and weird diets when all they need is five minutes a day and a smartphone/PC. I don't judge the people themselves--calorie counting works, but some people have to learn things the hard way I guess. I know I did.

I think I was more disgusted with that People magazine cover than I would have been before. I love that we're expanding the definitions of what the press touts as beautiful, but couldn't they have put Chantelle Brown-Young (the model with the skin coloration disease) or someone at a high-normal BMI or someone with wonky teeth instead? I'm not wild about discussing a stranger's health, but I do think HAES is one thing when you're in your 20s and quite another when you're older. And I think most people who read that magazine are much older.

crazyjerseygirl · June 2015

Hrm.

Well I'm not done, and still quite fat, BUT... I find myself analyzing (not judging) EVERYONES food choices. Fat, thin, young, old, it's like I'm the Rainman of calorie counting some days!

Like oh, cup of salad, 4 tomato slices, that's about 30kcal. Oh the Blue cheese dressing costs 200kcal. Sandwich? 400kcal bread, 4oz cheese etc etc etc.

If anyone figures how to turn this off I'd be much obliged!

pariskathryn · June 2015

When I see somebody overweight, I often imagine they've been losing weight and I'm seeing them after they've lost 30 pounds or something and I go "hell yeah, get it" to myself.

Edit, yes, much like xpecta

Now that you've had success, how do you see overweight people?

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