Frustration when trying to help other dieters

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  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
    I ran into a guy I hadn't seen in a year. He was very complimentary about my 55 pound loss. Said he was envious(he's obese) and asked how I did it, I mentioned MFP and explained how easy it was to use. His reason he couldn't use the tool "I don't want to know how much I eat now". Well I guess he wants to stay obese.
  • aimeesun213
    aimeesun213 Posts: 10 Member
    hthr1969 wrote: »
    hthr1969 wrote: »
    aimeesun213 wrote: »
    hthr1969 wrote: »
    aimeesun213 wrote: »
    @hthr1969, great job! What advice of yours gets rejected? I challenged a method I didn't agree with, and won't bother with doing that again.

    I hear chatter at work all the time about what new diet people are on. They never ask me what I have done to lose. They hear about it through gossip. I have found the only supportive people are ones who are fit and healthy themselves.

    What have you done to lose?

    I started at weight watchers at 315 lbs! Then I found a crossfit program thru my local gym. I'm starting my 14th month in that program. I also evolved into eating organic whole foods and now am trying this because weight watchers wasn't working for me anymore. I just moved so I have been eating out the last few days on the run. Feel yucky! What about you?

    People want a gimmicks or quick fix. It takes dedication and consistency and grit.

    I agree, I lost weight before, 23 years ago. It was a lot of work then when I was young, and even harder now.
  • cjclark890
    cjclark890 Posts: 11 Member
    youngandaspiringxo wrote: »
    Do you get frustrated with other dieters who are just looking for the easiest route to weight loss? I've lost 12 pounds since I started using mfp 6 weeks ago and I've had people ask me what my secret is. I tell them, eat healthy, eat at a deficit and try to work out some. It's that simple. No one wants that answer. They wanna listen to Becky who lost 30 pounds doing the 21 day fix or Rachel who lost 20 pounds doing the lemonade diet. It makes me so mad!

    Lol, this makes me shake my head at myself because I totally wanted to hear some easy answer. My kid weaned himself a few weeks ago so I was finally free to focus on losing the rest of the pregnancy weight, and more beyond that. Well I spent days and days reading reviews for weight loss supplements on amazon, thank God I didn't waste any money on that. I decided to just start exercising, without changing my diet. I assumed my eating habits were fine. I finally caved and downloaded this app just to tally up what I'd eaten that day and it only amounted to about 600 calories. So I realized that without tracking everything, I tend to severely over or under eat. Now I eat about 1300 with a moderate amount of exercise 5 days a week and I've had immediate results. It makes me feel silly because it's not as hard as I thought it would be to track calories, and I could've done this all along. I just didn't want to accept that I had to commit to some serious changes.
  • blambo61
    blambo61 Posts: 4,372 Member
    edited April 2016
    I've found the easiest way for me to eat at a deficit is by intermittent fasting (IF). The advantages for me are: 1) Very little meal planning, 2) less of a need to log calories, 3) I get to eat tell full each day instead of only small meals, 4) I still can eat some beloved junk and stay at a deficit, 5) it is cheap.

    I don't think it is for everyone but if you struggle with lots of small meals, it may work for you. There are lots of versions to IF. The one I use is I don't eat anything tell dinner time about 6 days a week. I have a desk job so I don't need a lot of cals during the day. I just drink a lot of water and I get WAY LESS hungry than trying to eat small meals. I exercise fasted after work then eat in a 3 hour window in the evening. I try to make sure I eat nutritious stuff and at the end I will allow desert of any kind. My stomach shrinks a bit so it is hard to overeat and I don't even count cals anymore. A popular version of this is to skip breakfast and start eating at lunch (eat distinct meals and don't snack much). I would have to count calories doing that or I would not lose weight (would probably work for maintenance though). It is wonderful eating tell full everyday and being able to eat all food types! When I've finished losing, I will do the start eating at noon routine which is super easy to just skip breakfast for me.

    Once I start eating, my stomach really wants more (to pain even) so I delay eating tell the window is small enough that eating ad libitum still results in a weight loss. I've lost 42 lbs since begin of last Sept doing this. That is about 1.4-lbs a week average for 7 months.

    I think a lot of people will think this isn't sustainable and it probably isn't the way I do it but the 16:8 IF where you start at lunch would be sustainable for me forever as long as I didn't graze too much and ate mostly distinct meals tell full. I would have a once a week cheat day so I could eat the breakfast food I love also. This has been way more sustainable for me (easy to do) than small meals and might be for some others also who have problems sticking with small meals. Also, fasting has other health benefits besides helping keep the calories in check.
  • vintage_diamond
    vintage_diamond Posts: 6 Member
    OP You just summed up the feeling I've had for a long time!!! I know two two ladies who sold belly wraps and shake diets. I rolled my eyes at that and didn't buy into it. I've lost almost 60lbs and they are still overweight. I watched my coworker do a juicing "cleanse" for weight loss and to clear "toxins" from her body (while she smoked every day, go figure). She looked weak and miserable for the three days she was on this diet. She was in the bathroom all day, and on the third day she went to the emergency room where she was very dehydrated and was diagnosed with a bladder infection.

    My other coworker is on a very restrictive diet and feels guilty eating one cupcake. And yet another coworker wants to tell me she heard you can boost your metabolism if you drink water with lemon and ginger. I tried to tell her you'll burn far more calories if you take a 30 minute walk every day. I don't think she liked that advice.

    Most people don't want to hear my advice to try calorie counting and to use MyFitnessPal. I've come to the conclusion that many people want to lose weight and be fit, but they don't want to put in the effort and commitment. The men at my job are using MyFitnessPal and are singing the praises of calorie counting. The one guy even took my suggestion to use a food scale :)
  • Cathscottage
    Cathscottage Posts: 75 Member
    jsecret wrote: »
    I lost a ton of weight before my 2nd child. When people asked how I said I count calories and make sure I'm eating under a certain amount, they replied they didn't want to do that. So I then offered up that they could exercise more to burn the excess calories instead of cutting back eating, they didn't want to do that either. They then stare blankly waiting for my next suggestions... there is no other way, sorry.

    Everyone has their own rate of learning. It took me literally 6 months to understand how important it is to go to a gym to do weight and strength training. I learnt that from reading the blogs and the MFP friends along the way. Unfortunately, good health is not a given as we all have to make a conscious effort to eat healthy choices and we also have to workout to tone up our bodies for strength and cardio. Now I have joined a gym and watch what I eat the weight is coming off and I am losing centimetres off everywhere. There is no quick long term fix. There is eating healthy and exercise to help you reach your goal. Self belief is important as well. There are loads of other benefits to being healthy and those you will find out during your journey.
  • loywi1
    loywi1 Posts: 20 Member
    I am one of those newbies and for me, I think it comes down to - it can't be this easy! There has to be a catch somewhere. Although I'm actually losing the 1/2lb/week MFP said I would so I'll stick to my plan this round instead of looking for a faster alternative (as in shakes, low carb, etc). I am eating what I love but less of it basically and adding in more fruit and vegetables at each meal. I'm shocked at how easy this is.
  • lionevolution01
    lionevolution01 Posts: 16 Member
    I always tell them
    How long did it take you to get fat? Whatever they say I always say to them, don't expect anything different to get lean or loose weight.
    End of story
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,630 Member
    edited April 2016
    youngandaspiringxo wrote: »
    Do you get frustrated with other dieters who are just looking for the easiest route to weight loss? I've lost 12 pounds since I started using mfp 6 weeks ago and I've had people ask me what my secret is. I tell them, eat healthy, eat at a deficit and try to work out some. It's that simple. No one wants that answer. They wanna listen to Becky who lost 30 pounds doing the 21 day fix or Rachel who lost 20 pounds doing the lemonade diet. It makes me so mad!

    They ask.

    I tell them how I lost 55 lbs.

    They don't want to hear it.

    Shrug shoulders ... not my problem.





  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
    blambo61 wrote: »
    I've found the easiest way for me to eat at a deficit is by intermittent fasting (IF). The advantages for me are: 1) Very little meal planning, 2) less of a need to log calories, 3) I get to eat tell full each day instead of only small meals, 4) I still can eat some beloved junk and stay at a deficit, 5) it is cheap.

    Nothing against fasting if that works for you, but I found that I could eat and lose weight and still fulfil your points 3, 4, and 5. It is not a question of small meals, but of eating stuff that fills you up more for few calories. That might mean less "junk" (depends what you think of as junk) and is certainly miles cheaper than buying premaide food.

  • blambo61
    blambo61 Posts: 4,372 Member
    charmmeth wrote: »
    blambo61 wrote: »
    I've found the easiest way for me to eat at a deficit is by intermittent fasting (IF). The advantages for me are: 1) Very little meal planning, 2) less of a need to log calories, 3) I get to eat tell full each day instead of only small meals, 4) I still can eat some beloved junk and stay at a deficit, 5) it is cheap.

    Nothing against fasting if that works for you, but I found that I could eat and lose weight and still fulfil your points 3, 4, and 5. It is not a question of small meals, but of eating stuff that fills you up more for few calories. That might mean less "junk" (depends what you think of as junk) and is certainly miles cheaper than buying premaide food.

    Any way that gets you there and doesn't hurt you is good in my book!

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