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Shame - does it hinder or help you lose or gain weight?

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  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
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    For me, I could not take the steps I needed to take and actually consistently stick to anything until I found a way to give up shame and guilt and accept my body for the way it is/was at the time. Acceptance has always done more for my weight and mental health than shame.

    This is exactly my experience. Shame made me desperately try to lose weight a few times, but never in a sustainable way.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2016
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I don't think that's the same thing as the "shame" being discussed.

    Being told i was too fat was also a catalyst to my losing weight. And it wasn't said in a nice way either..

    But how you react to that is individual. For me, being told I can't do something makes me more determined and is a motivator. I can see reacting to being told I was too fat too, and seeing myself in a photo that embarrassed me was. That's because what I was feeling in response wasn't shame, at least not as I understand it's use here, but disappointment in myself, a sense that I could and should do better.

    None of that is what I think is meant by shame here, which tends to relate to thinking one is a worthless, bad person, spoiled, not acceptable.

    As an aside, this has made me recall Salman Rushdie's novel Shame, which is actually my favorite of his books, and includes an interesting use of the concept of Shame, as well as a take on Pakistan's history.
  • ziggy2006
    ziggy2006 Posts: 255 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I'm not big on YouTube videos, but I found this one to be worth 6 and a half minutes of my life. And, no, I do not think shame has a constructive role to play in anyone's weight loss.

    https://youtu.be/r2YYZBrPwwU
  • 100df
    100df Posts: 668 Member
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    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Not everyone who feels "unashamed" about being overweight is whining. In fact, I think people who accept themselves and don't feel shameful and powerless are far less likely to whine.

    Personally, I never whined about my weight aloud, because I didn't want anyone to hear me admit I considered it a failure of mine. (Also, because my automatic response to whining, including that tendency in myself, is why don't you do something about it, if it bothers you.)

    I didn't whine either. I agree that not everyone whines. Truly "accepting" oneself takes honestly. Once I was honest with myself I wanted change. Honesty is something else I see missing in FA.

    Honesty - like their often cited stat of only 5-20% of weight loss attempts resulting in long term success? Dude, you need some dishonesty and blatant stubbornness to embark on this journey and actually believe you'll make it. I'm fine with that and frankly do not see the FA movement as being dishonest. They've just made different choices than you might have if you were in their situation

    Oh my!! So true!!
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Love. I decided that I would show love for myself.
    I often THANK my body for the progress it is making.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it," Works for women too.
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
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    Shame might be the goad to get people started, but I can't see how it can sustain the process and transition into maintenance. Maybe there are a small percentage of people that are only happy when they are miserable that will have shame work for them. For the rest of us, we need to find a positive focus and reason to change our lifestyle, it seems more sustainable and leads to greater happiness.
  • stmokomoko
    stmokomoko Posts: 98 Member
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    makingmark wrote: »
    Shame might be the goad to get people started, but I can't see how it can sustain the process and transition into maintenance. Maybe there are a small percentage of people that are only happy when they are miserable that will have shame work for them. For the rest of us, we need to find a positive focus and reason to change our lifestyle, it seems more sustainable and leads to greater happiness.

    I was told everyday that I was fat/overweight. I felt ashamed, so I decided to do something about it. The more I lost, the less mean comments I got. The lack/lessening of mean comments sustained my journey to weight loss, and I'm sure, once I reach my goal weight, when no negative comments are aimed my way, will help me maintain my weight.

    That's how being shamed works for me. Am I miserable? Hell no. In fact, there is a great feeling of vindication and glee when I the people that used to call me fat couldn't anymore.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Shame didn't keep you heavy; that was low self worth.

    Neither kept me heavy. I was happily heavy because I liked eating higher calorie foods in large portions, and being fat was an acceptable side effect for that kind of freedom until it started affecting my health. My self worth was okay then, and it's still okay now. I don't know why people assume all fat people have self esteem issues or are feeling ashamed.

    Anyway,
    I can't speak from experience, so I'll just leave this here:

    http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0070048
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
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    100df wrote: »
    Does shame help you lose weight?

    The broader concept is "negative reinforcement" and there's a buncha research about it. In short: helps some people, hurts others. Males usually respond better to it than females. Look into it if you're interested.

    IMO, negative emotions are useful when they initially motivate improvements. But wallowing in them is foolish, leading to all sorts of bad things including depression and self-pity.
  • ShelbyHuffaker
    ShelbyHuffaker Posts: 4 Member
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    I studied a bit of health communication and one thing I took away from it was that there are 2 types of people: those who monitor their health (by seeking out information), and those who avoid seeking health information. Each type of person responds differently to health advice. For instance, shaming does not work for monitors. They already know understand the dangers of a particular health condition, and that's why they oftentimes go to the doctor when something seems off. Avoiders, on the other hand, deal with worrisome health information by putting it in the back of their minds. For them, shaming and using scare tactics are the best way to bring those health issues to the forefront of their thoughts.

    Hope this helps.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Not everyone who feels "unashamed" about being overweight is whining. In fact, I think people who accept themselves and don't feel shameful and powerless are far less likely to whine.

    Personally, I never whined about my weight aloud, because I didn't want anyone to hear me admit I considered it a failure of mine. (Also, because my automatic response to whining, including that tendency in myself, is why don't you do something about it, if it bothers you.)

    I didn't whine either. I agree that not everyone whines. Truly "accepting" oneself takes honestly. Once I was honest with myself I wanted change. Honesty is something else I see missing in FA.

    Honesty - like their often cited stat of only 5-20% of weight loss attempts resulting in long term success? Dude, you need some dishonesty and blatant stubbornness to embark on this journey and actually believe you'll make it. I'm fine with that and frankly do not see the FA movement as being dishonest. They've just made different choices than you might have if you were in their situation

    I agree with stubborn but not the dishonesty part. That may be the case for some, I've heard people talk about "working hard" when they have to put in effort over a weekend or past 5:00. Stats like you pulled out of thin air were made for them. They don't experience hard work unless its forced upon them. They whine and moan and never do anything above and beyond the minimum.

    Then there are others. Some of us embrace hard work and thrive on it. We revel in it, it drives us. For us, work can be a drug in and of itself, and it's wonderful to feel that level of energy. I see others on here like that, several of whom I've clashed with. There's nothing like two stubborn people arguing with each other, but I'll always respect that person far more than the one who blindly follows and doesn't think or work.

    Sure, we fail at times. We hit a wall. Life gets in the way. We make a fool of ourselves. But, we learn to laugh it off, pick ourselves up, figure out what we did wrong, and keep moving. Hell, it took me 6 years to get through college because I couldn't afford it and had to work full time. I didn't have more than 4-5 days off a year for several years for most of that period. I worked 80+ hours a week for the first 8 years of my career. I hit a wall several times, saw colleagues die from exhaustion and addictions, watched it evaporate after the economy collapsed, and had to completely start over. Business is good now. I pushed through. You want something? Work for it. Not that play work like so many do, but real work. People who really work are rare. And think about it. Work hard and smart. You say different choices? No, their choices were made for them when they started making excuses and blaming everyone but themselves.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Not everyone who feels "unashamed" about being overweight is whining. In fact, I think people who accept themselves and don't feel shameful and powerless are far less likely to whine.

    Personally, I never whined about my weight aloud, because I didn't want anyone to hear me admit I considered it a failure of mine. (Also, because my automatic response to whining, including that tendency in myself, is why don't you do something about it, if it bothers you.)

    I didn't whine either. I agree that not everyone whines. Truly "accepting" oneself takes honestly. Once I was honest with myself I wanted change. Honesty is something else I see missing in FA.

    Honesty - like their often cited stat of only 5-20% of weight loss attempts resulting in long term success? Dude, you need some dishonesty and blatant stubbornness to embark on this journey and actually believe you'll make it. I'm fine with that and frankly do not see the FA movement as being dishonest. They've just made different choices than you might have if you were in their situation

    I agree with stubborn but not the dishonesty part. That may be the case for some, I've heard people talk about "working hard" when they have to put in effort over a weekend or past 5:00. Stats like you pulled out of thin air were made for them. They don't experience hard work unless its forced upon them. They whine and moan and never do anything above and beyond the minimum.

    Then there are others. Some of us embrace hard work and thrive on it. We revel in it, it drives us. For us, work can be a drug in and of itself, and it's wonderful to feel that level of energy. I see others on here like that, several of whom I've clashed with. There's nothing like two stubborn people arguing with each other, but I'll always respect that person far more than the one who blindly follows and doesn't think or work.

    Sure, we fail at times. We hit a wall. Life gets in the way. We make a fool of ourselves. But, we learn to laugh it off, pick ourselves up, figure out what we did wrong, and keep moving. Hell, it took me 6 years to get through college because I couldn't afford it and had to work full time. I didn't have more than 4-5 days off a year for several years for most of that period. I worked 80+ hours a week for the first 8 years of my career. I hit a wall several times, saw colleagues die from exhaustion and addictions, watched it evaporate after the economy collapsed, and had to completely start over. Business is good now. I pushed through. You want something? Work for it. Not that play work like so many do, but real work. People who really work are rare. And think about it. Work hard and smart. You say different choices? No, their choices were made for them when they started making excuses and blaming everyone but themselves.

    Guess my stat pulled out of thin air now makes even more sense since people who really work are very rare ;)

    Was actually nice reading a little bit about you, though.

    But, to be honest, my first thought was, "Wut"
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Not everyone who feels "unashamed" about being overweight is whining. In fact, I think people who accept themselves and don't feel shameful and powerless are far less likely to whine.

    Personally, I never whined about my weight aloud, because I didn't want anyone to hear me admit I considered it a failure of mine. (Also, because my automatic response to whining, including that tendency in myself, is why don't you do something about it, if it bothers you.)

    I didn't whine either. I agree that not everyone whines. Truly "accepting" oneself takes honestly. Once I was honest with myself I wanted change. Honesty is something else I see missing in FA.

    Honesty - like their often cited stat of only 5-20% of weight loss attempts resulting in long term success? Dude, you need some dishonesty and blatant stubbornness to embark on this journey and actually believe you'll make it. I'm fine with that and frankly do not see the FA movement as being dishonest. They've just made different choices than you might have if you were in their situation

    I agree with stubborn but not the dishonesty part. That may be the case for some, I've heard people talk about "working hard" when they have to put in effort over a weekend or past 5:00. Stats like you pulled out of thin air were made for them. They don't experience hard work unless its forced upon them. They whine and moan and never do anything above and beyond the minimum.

    Then there are others. Some of us embrace hard work and thrive on it. We revel in it, it drives us. For us, work can be a drug in and of itself, and it's wonderful to feel that level of energy. I see others on here like that, several of whom I've clashed with. There's nothing like two stubborn people arguing with each other, but I'll always respect that person far more than the one who blindly follows and doesn't think or work.

    Sure, we fail at times. We hit a wall. Life gets in the way. We make a fool of ourselves. But, we learn to laugh it off, pick ourselves up, figure out what we did wrong, and keep moving. Hell, it took me 6 years to get through college because I couldn't afford it and had to work full time. I didn't have more than 4-5 days off a year for several years for most of that period. I worked 80+ hours a week for the first 8 years of my career. I hit a wall several times, saw colleagues die from exhaustion and addictions, watched it evaporate after the economy collapsed, and had to completely start over. Business is good now. I pushed through. You want something? Work for it. Not that play work like so many do, but real work. People who really work are rare. And think about it. Work hard and smart. You say different choices? No, their choices were made for them when they started making excuses and blaming everyone but themselves.

    Guess my stat pulled out of thin air now makes even more sense since people who really work are very rare ;)

    Was actually nice reading a little bit about you, though.

    But, to be honest, my first thought was, "Wut"

    Meh. It wasn't that hard for me to lose weight. It's not that much work. That's the point. People won't put in even a little real effort. There's even a website full of people chearing them on, and they'd rather talk about shame. If it's not that simple then at least put in the effort to get counseling. It's just frustrating to watch.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Not everyone who feels "unashamed" about being overweight is whining. In fact, I think people who accept themselves and don't feel shameful and powerless are far less likely to whine.

    Personally, I never whined about my weight aloud, because I didn't want anyone to hear me admit I considered it a failure of mine. (Also, because my automatic response to whining, including that tendency in myself, is why don't you do something about it, if it bothers you.)

    I didn't whine either. I agree that not everyone whines. Truly "accepting" oneself takes honestly. Once I was honest with myself I wanted change. Honesty is something else I see missing in FA.

    Honesty - like their often cited stat of only 5-20% of weight loss attempts resulting in long term success? Dude, you need some dishonesty and blatant stubbornness to embark on this journey and actually believe you'll make it. I'm fine with that and frankly do not see the FA movement as being dishonest. They've just made different choices than you might have if you were in their situation

    I agree with stubborn but not the dishonesty part. That may be the case for some, I've heard people talk about "working hard" when they have to put in effort over a weekend or past 5:00. Stats like you pulled out of thin air were made for them. They don't experience hard work unless its forced upon them. They whine and moan and never do anything above and beyond the minimum.

    Then there are others. Some of us embrace hard work and thrive on it. We revel in it, it drives us. For us, work can be a drug in and of itself, and it's wonderful to feel that level of energy. I see others on here like that, several of whom I've clashed with. There's nothing like two stubborn people arguing with each other, but I'll always respect that person far more than the one who blindly follows and doesn't think or work.

    Sure, we fail at times. We hit a wall. Life gets in the way. We make a fool of ourselves. But, we learn to laugh it off, pick ourselves up, figure out what we did wrong, and keep moving. Hell, it took me 6 years to get through college because I couldn't afford it and had to work full time. I didn't have more than 4-5 days off a year for several years for most of that period. I worked 80+ hours a week for the first 8 years of my career. I hit a wall several times, saw colleagues die from exhaustion and addictions, watched it evaporate after the economy collapsed, and had to completely start over. Business is good now. I pushed through. You want something? Work for it. Not that play work like so many do, but real work. People who really work are rare. And think about it. Work hard and smart. You say different choices? No, their choices were made for them when they started making excuses and blaming everyone but themselves.

    Guess my stat pulled out of thin air now makes even more sense since people who really work are very rare ;)

    Was actually nice reading a little bit about you, though.

    But, to be honest, my first thought was, "Wut"

    Meh. It wasn't that hard for me to lose weight. It's not that much work. That's the point. People won't put in even a little real effort. There's even a website full of people chearing them on, and they'd rather talk about shame. If it's not that simple then at least put in the effort to get counseling. It's just frustrating to watch.

    Surely you're not criticizing all posters here for their interest and participation in this topic?
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    100df wrote: »
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Not everyone who feels "unashamed" about being overweight is whining. In fact, I think people who accept themselves and don't feel shameful and powerless are far less likely to whine.

    Personally, I never whined about my weight aloud, because I didn't want anyone to hear me admit I considered it a failure of mine. (Also, because my automatic response to whining, including that tendency in myself, is why don't you do something about it, if it bothers you.)

    I didn't whine either. I agree that not everyone whines. Truly "accepting" oneself takes honestly. Once I was honest with myself I wanted change. Honesty is something else I see missing in FA.

    Honesty - like their often cited stat of only 5-20% of weight loss attempts resulting in long term success? Dude, you need some dishonesty and blatant stubbornness to embark on this journey and actually believe you'll make it. I'm fine with that and frankly do not see the FA movement as being dishonest. They've just made different choices than you might have if you were in their situation

    I agree with stubborn but not the dishonesty part. That may be the case for some, I've heard people talk about "working hard" when they have to put in effort over a weekend or past 5:00. Stats like you pulled out of thin air were made for them. They don't experience hard work unless its forced upon them. They whine and moan and never do anything above and beyond the minimum.

    Then there are others. Some of us embrace hard work and thrive on it. We revel in it, it drives us. For us, work can be a drug in and of itself, and it's wonderful to feel that level of energy. I see others on here like that, several of whom I've clashed with. There's nothing like two stubborn people arguing with each other, but I'll always respect that person far more than the one who blindly follows and doesn't think or work.

    Sure, we fail at times. We hit a wall. Life gets in the way. We make a fool of ourselves. But, we learn to laugh it off, pick ourselves up, figure out what we did wrong, and keep moving. Hell, it took me 6 years to get through college because I couldn't afford it and had to work full time. I didn't have more than 4-5 days off a year for several years for most of that period. I worked 80+ hours a week for the first 8 years of my career. I hit a wall several times, saw colleagues die from exhaustion and addictions, watched it evaporate after the economy collapsed, and had to completely start over. Business is good now. I pushed through. You want something? Work for it. Not that play work like so many do, but real work. People who really work are rare. And think about it. Work hard and smart. You say different choices? No, their choices were made for them when they started making excuses and blaming everyone but themselves.

    Guess my stat pulled out of thin air now makes even more sense since people who really work are very rare ;)

    Was actually nice reading a little bit about you, though.

    But, to be honest, my first thought was, "Wut"

    Meh. It wasn't that hard for me to lose weight. It's not that much work. That's the point. People won't put in even a little real effort. There's even a website full of people chearing them on, and they'd rather talk about shame. If it's not that simple then at least put in the effort to get counseling. It's just frustrating to watch.

    That doesn't mean that it's easy for everyone else. If it were easy to lose and maintain weight, there would be less people who have to do it.

    A "little" effort doesn't do anything for my weight loss. It takes a huge effort to get the scale to move down.

    Do you want to share how many pounds you lost and how long it took you?

    Around 90 pounds. Took 3 years to get lean the first time around, but only about 6 months of that was after I found MFP. That's when it became easy. We all have a ridiculously effective tool in MFP. I wish I had found it earlier.