Are fat people just lazy and make excuses?
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No. That is, not any more lazy than the general population. You may have some people who just aren't interested in losing weight but are productive in other areas of life. I wouldn't call them lazy. Then there are some people who are trying to lose weight but haven't figured out their formula to do so. (Hint: it's CICO, but we've all got to identify the techniques that work for us).
It's easy for people to look back after they succeed and say "well, obviously it was foolish to eat infinite low-fat foods" or "gosh, I can't believe I just let all of those midnight snack runs slide", thus "people who don't know everything I know now must be lazy". But before someone has that knowledge they can feel that they are doing everything possible and I don't think that's lazy.
I have seen so many people (on the forums and in real life) try to implement some 1,000 calorie restrictive "no gluten, no sugar, low carb, only eat red foods on Wednesdays, etc." diet. They go out to the store and spend a fortune on groceries. They come home and they spend hours prepping snacks and making meals. They wake up at 4am each day to go on a 5 mile run. They eat their pitiful and unsatisfying food. They get through an entire week (or two or a month) and aren't seeing the 5 lbs/week loss they were guaranteed. They're starving and frustrated and angry with themselves. They quit. I don't think that's remotely lazy. I'm shocked at their stamina in making it through 4 hours of that. Just thinking about some of the things people do makes me want to take a nap.
They just haven't figured out what works for them. For some people it takes time to figure out what will really work. And there's so much information and misinformation that even contemplating weight loss is a task in itself. Then there's the trial and error when you put it into practice.
I'm not sure why formerly fat people try to diminish their own efforts by pointing to overweight/obese people and saying "they're just lazy". Many of us had to go through a mental process to get to the point where we could start losing weight. That takes effort.9 -
I became fat because I loved food. I have always been mostly active since I walk everywhere instead if driving. (Locally) Some days I have walked up to 20 miles total.1
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I really like a lot of articles on Peter Attia's site. It was very helpful in understanding why I was starving after eating a meal and why I wasn't losing weight even on low calories with high energy expenditure. I have come to strongly understand his answer to this very question: http://eatingacademy.com/quick-faq#fat-lazy
I'd never been actually overweight before pregnancy. During those months, I'm sure I ate more sugar than in the previous 5 years combined. I knew a lot about nutrition, but I truly felt that only a few chocolates, bowls of ice cream or cheerios, or something greasy would quell the general malaise. Oh did I gain. Now, you may call that laziness or lack of discipline, but I can tell you now... given the same hormonal mix, I'd probably do it again. I *remember*. The cravings were real and I harbor no resentment toward my pregnant self. Cravings are stronger for some than others.
And after birth, I returned to lifting and running and ate a nice balance of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and protein. And dropped calories and absolutely nothing more than a few pounds came off. We checked my thyroid and all was fine. I got reassuring pats from my doctor who assured me that she didn't lose her last pounds until she stopped nursing. In the meantime, I trained for a half marathon, cut calories more... and continued to not lose. So there's one anecdote - among many more than others can tell, I'm sure - that doesn't support the fat = lazy equation.
And there are many other times in my life when I was trying to cut to more muscle definition and the calories in and calories out energy equation didn't work.
I'm 100% convinced that there's a lot more to fat composition than calories, exercise, and macro-level discipline.0 -
MynameisChester wrote: »snowflake930 wrote: »Simple answer. Same as any prejudice, it is wrong, unfair and ignorant.
I agree!
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In case some here forget, losing weight is mostly about eating less calories than you burn.
It is not necessary to exercise to lose weight. It is necessary to eat less calorie than you are burning to lose weight.
Prejudice, plain and simple. Shame on anyone who was once overweight condemning others as being lazy. Speak for yourself, not anyone else. Walk a mile in their shoes. You have no conception of what anyone else is going through. You did it, or are doing it. Great for you! Just try a little compassion for others not as impressive as you.7 -
when I was fat I was lazy and made excuses.
I can't lose weight
too tired to exercise
I am a smoker
nothing works
Same here, minus the smoker. Another trap I fell into was "my family is overweight, so it's heriditary and there's nothing I can do about it anyway." It didn't occur to me that we all liked eating..a lot.
So I've lost most of the weight, but I'm still lazy at times, haha.
As snowflake said, I also think it's an unfair prejudicial view.3 -
I wasn't lazy. I just had hobbies that made me sit a lot. And I like eating. A lot. So if I had some 'exercise' (ok that meant walking more than 10 minutes) I'd reward myself with more food.
Seriously, most of the overweight people I know are not lazy - they just like food too. And it's a vicious cycle because when you're heavy, exercise is much harder, so less enjoyable, so you're less likely to do it...8 -
I agree and think this whole thread is stupid. Isn't Myfitnesspal designed to be uplifting and helpful? So, why would you want to get on here and act like and jerk and assume that just because someone is overweight that they are lazy. I am overweight and I am not lazy at all. Do I work out all the time? No, but that doesn't mean I am lazy. I work a full time job, work in the yard, take care of a home, walk my dogs, go hiking, participate in a lot of things, but still I have battled with being overweight. So, instead of starting a judgmental thread, this person should have started a thread that maybe providing tips on weightloss. Just sayin...4
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I wasn't lazy...not on purpose, anyway, but being fat made activity very painful. I did, however, make lots and lots of excuses. "I'm eating what's 'normal' so it must be my metabolism." "My mom and aunt were always heavy so it's probably genetic." "I don't have the willpower to cut carbs/fat/fast food/salty snacks/demon food of the month, and therefore trying to adjust my diet is pointless."
Yes, I was lazy and making excuses. I just didn't realize it until I found MFP and CICO finally clicked. Now I don't mind admitting that I was a big fat idiot. But that's just me.2 -
How exactly do you define "lazy"? Is anyone here NOT lazy when it comes to working to obtain a Harvard PHD degree?
Give people a break, man. We are who we are and only we have to live with the consequence of our choice.6 -
Sometimes it's true. Sometimes someone will simply have excuse after excuse as to why (s)he can't exercise, or can't watch what (s)he eats, or some other such excuse.
Other times the overweight person simply doesn't know what really works and/or where to get started. (S)he has heard/seen/read too much BS regarding various fads that don't do anything.
Other times, there's a medical condition that hinders weight loss.
Procrastination and lack of weight loss education is what holds people from losing weight. Understanding how our body Works is essentially the tool one needs to shed pounds; one has to be motivated and have that drive and eagerness to reach their goal. Many of us have tried different diets; where they either gave up too soon or were overwhelmed not seeing quick weight loss results. Weight loss is something that happens with time. So are fat people lazy? Obese not fat people who have tried and have not seen success; is simply because they lack the tools to help them reach their weight loss goals. Average size people struggle with their weight for the same reason. What you eat, how often you eat and exercise, and intake water is will determine your weight loss.
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My husband is obese. He is highly educated, type A, successful, driven etc.. But he is a young type 2 diabetic because he is mentally lazy. You have to think and put work and change habits. It's not easy by any means. He knows all this. You can lead a horse to water but even the thirstiest kitten wont take a drink!3
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when I see the proliferation of electric shopping carts that were intended for use by the handicapped only being used by obese people, well yeah I think "they" are lazy. I also look at the items they are putting in their basket and trust me, they aren't trying to remedy their plight. That said, do I look at a "fat" person and think "lazy" no I do not.1
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I find intellectual laziness common, but I've started to see thinking as an exercise in it's own right. Thinking takes effort. If anyone truly believes obesity or being fat is always due to laziness, ironically, they are lazy. Intellectually lazy. But I'm too chilled these days to get worked up about it.6
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so I read the rest of the responses and mostly yes...people here who were fat or are currently losing admit it we were lazy and made excuses.
Lazy being not making the changes required to lose the weight.
You can work 60-80 hours a week and be lazy
You can have an immaculate house and be lazy
Lazy is defined as "unwilling to work or use energy."...
losing weight requires energy put forth into that area.6 -
You can't just lump all fat people into the same category saying they're lazy. That's like saying all thin people are active or all blondes are dizzy. Some people may be lazy and make excuses and some may not.6
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This is a tricky question to answer, but here's my personal experience:
I have PCOS, and losing weight is very difficult, even with proper medication. Since it was so difficult, I made excuses not to try. Some of the excuses were rooted in genuine concerns, such as finding time to exercise. Some of the excuses were because I just didn't want to get my butt up and moving, so yeah, laziness. Some excuses were a fear that I would fail. It wasn't until I decided that it was a priority (thereby removing the "I can't find the time" excuse, since we all know we FIND time for things that are important to us) that I began to have success.
So no, I don't think that's entirely true. Is laziness a contributing factor? For a lot of people it could be. But being overweight and trying to decide if it's worth losing the weight is a much more complicated issue than just laziness. There are emotional, psychological, mental, and physical issues that can all be wrapped up in this, and everyone is different in what issues they have and what motivates them to change.2 -
Someone's hating on SezxyStef and going around flagging her posts! I don't see anything wrong with the post above.
Anyway " Lazy is defined as "unwilling to work or use energy."..." is a poor definition.
At the least, people also need proper thinking and emotion in order to be willing to work, use energy.3 -
ChxSurf782 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Is she thin because she is high energy or is she thin because she seems to subsist primarily on coffee, alcohol, and smoking weed?
Alcohol is a depressant and overindulgence definitely hinders fat loss.
Smoking marijuana is mostly linked with being a depressant (and hallucinogen) and has no tangible effect on adipose tissue.
Coffee is likely not the cause for her being "high energy," as regular coffee drinkers develop a tolerance to the stimulating effect; this typically maintains a baseline of normalcy vice a noticeably "energetic" effect.
You misquoted, that wasn't me.
I was at my thinnest when I drank excessively, though, since I didn't care much about food at that time.0 -
Some people, sure. But generally, it's not that simple.1
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