Because I am annoyed - What Is The Point?

Well I've been guilty probably of what you're talking about to an extent. Someone posted a question about eating sweets a while back. I posted about how I still eat sweets and still lose just fine. Of course my sweet thing is those mini magnum ice cream bars or 1 square of chocolate. My point with that was to say that you can still have sweets and have success, not to brag about this like it's easy. Would I rather have a whole pint of ice cream at times?? Absolutely!!! It is definitely not easy, but the math is simple. To lose what I want, I have to fit everything in my calorie goal.

LokiGrrl wrote: »

I've been seeing a lot of threads on this forum where people talk about how it was so easy for them to lose weight and there were no issues and it required very few changes and was no challenge and they eat whatever the hell they want and keep losing weight and everything is so goddamn great they're practically living on the moon.

I don't understand the point of posting these threads on the General Diet and Weight Loss Help forum. Perhaps they'd be appropriate for the Success Stories forum? Otherwise, to me, it just seems like crowing about how awesome you are, which is not helpful.

I admit I have a jaundiced eye toward this sort of thing, but I think it's counterproductive, and I don't have a lot of patience for people who post that sort of thing on this particular forum. Possibly I'm just a grumpy *kitten*, and if so I'll STFU, but I'd like to see more general diet and weight loss help.

I had been trying to lose weight for 15 years- losing, maintaining, gaining, repeat. Weight loss can be hard and frustrating. There are so many diets and confusing claims out there. The easiest and most sustainable loss I have had in all that time was as simple as just watching my calorie intake using MFP. I was relieved to come on these forums and see others say eat what you want just stick to your calorie deficit. It takes a little bit of work to log food. It is harder closer to a healthier weight. It does not however require an ultra restrictive diet with the bare minimum of calories for most people to lose weight. It does not have to be that hard or complicated.

LokiGrrl wrote: »

I've been seeing a lot of threads on this forum where people talk about how it was so easy for them to lose weight and there were no issues and it required very few changes and was no challenge and they eat whatever the hell they want and keep losing weight and everything is so goddamn great they're practically living on the moon.

I don't understand the point of posting these threads on the General Diet and Weight Loss Help forum. Perhaps they'd be appropriate for the Success Stories forum? Otherwise, to me, it just seems like crowing about how awesome you are, which is not helpful.

I admit I have a jaundiced eye toward this sort of thing, but I think it's counterproductive, and I don't have a lot of patience for people who post that sort of thing on this particular forum. Possibly I'm just a grumpy *kitten*, and if so I'll STFU, but I'd like to see more general diet and weight loss help.

I don't think you're being grumpy, I think everyone on the forums has felt this way about something over the course of losing weight. I've seen plenty of successful people speak on their walls about being fed up with weighing food all the time, or annoyed that it takes forever to lose the last 10 lbs, or just wanting to be able to eat all the food they want (and not talking about fruits/veggies/lean protein) without only having a small portion or having to space it out over time. And yes, the calorie deficit can get to you after awhile, since for many people it ends up being 2000 calories or less, even with exercise.

On one hand, those posts are helpful because they emphasize that weight loss is fairly simple as a concept, and that yes, you can do it. On the other, sometimes it is nice to see the processed humanized and people open up about the parts that are difficult or frustrating for them.

rankinsect wrote: »

I don't know, I think this message is a good one for people to hear. I don't think it's bragging, I think it's a good way to counter the very prevalent perception that weight loss or dieting needs to include a lot of suffering and sacrifice. Suffering through a diet you can't stand is probably one of the largest causes of yo-yo dieting out there - coming to the realization that it doesn't need to be that hard is an important step in breaking out of that cycle of loss and gain.

I wasn't a yo-yo dieter... I only ever tried dieting once, a few years ago. Most of the time I didn't even feel like trying because of that exact perception you mention - that it involves suffering and sacrifice. I wasn't prepared to give up the foods I enjoy for ever.

MFP was recommended by a friend who'd lost a lot of weight, and coming here to find out that I could eat chocolate (just not too much of it!) and still lose weight was such a relief! Suddenly I felt like there really was hope for me after all, and seeing posts from people who say they "eat what they like" (and I do realise that doesn't mean "as much as I like") helped me to feel that I had a good chance of success.

That said, I do sometimes find it easier to relate to the posts from people who've taken some time over losing their weight and struggled a bit. The stories of those who've lost a lot of weight in just a few months and found it "easy", while I'm happy for their success, just don't really resonate with me. Some of them have done so by methods that they might have found easy to stick to but would not have worked for me, so I don't necessarily find them helpful. But of course, for other people those posts might be just what they need to see! We're all different in what works for us.

It's like others have referred to upthread, about the difference between "easy" and "simple" - the concept is simple, but the execution of it might not be easy. Reading about different people's methods, and what they personally found easy or not, can be helpful in formulating our own plan of attack.

@Bearbo27 look up Halo Top ice cream. It is 240-280 per pint and doesn't taste like sadness. Tell your local grocery store to stock it, you won't be disappointed.

Maybe it's people saying what they started to do that helped them stay in a calorie deficit. That is great advice for general diet and weight loss.

rankinsect wrote: »

LokiGrrl wrote: »

I've been seeing a lot of threads on this forum where people talk about how it was so easy for them to lose weight and there were no issues and it required very few changes and was no challenge and they eat whatever the hell they want and keep losing weight and everything is so goddamn great they're practically living on the moon.

I don't understand the point of posting these threads on the General Diet and Weight Loss Help forum. Perhaps they'd be appropriate for the Success Stories forum? Otherwise, to me, it just seems like crowing about how awesome you are, which is not helpful.

I admit I have a jaundiced eye toward this sort of thing, but I think it's counterproductive, and I don't have a lot of patience for people who post that sort of thing on this particular forum. Possibly I'm just a grumpy *kitten*, and if so I'll STFU, but I'd like to see more general diet and weight loss help.

I don't know, I think this message is a good one for people to hear. I don't think it's bragging, I think it's a good way to counter the very prevalent perception that weight loss or dieting needs to include a lot of suffering and sacrifice. Suffering through a diet you can't stand is probably one of the largest causes of yo-yo dieting out there - coming to the realization that it doesn't need to be that hard is an important step in breaking out of that cycle of loss and gain.

This. A thousand times this!

I think that some people just find it easier to stick to an eating plan, and over time, it becomes "easy". I really like the eating/exercise plan that I've worked out, and although it was tough at the beginning, it's now more like a routine.

I do know the posts you're talking about though. The ones where people crow about eating ice cream and chocolate every day, and still losing weight? Or insert whatever food it is that we think is forbidden. The thing is, every single food is okay to eat, as long as it fits within your calorie goal. I make room daily for a cocktail (3z vodka +soda) in the evening, and it truly does get me through the day and makes it seem easier.

If the job weren't broken down in to manageable bits, who would dare start?

Weight loss is a long game so it has to be made as pleasurable (or least unpleasant) as possible.

It should not be made more complicated than it needs to be, and reducing the daily calorie intake is as simple as it can get.

The struggle is in habit change I would say.

PS Often the grumpies come from needless deprivation (as in, no more chocolates for eternities).

LokiGrrl wrote: »

Oooh I would die without chocolate. I eat dark chocolate on the reg! I dunno what made me so grouchy last night, maybe I'm just turning into a crotchety old lady, LOL. Most of the time I really do shrug things off when they annoy me, but once in a while I become Oscar.

Too late now, you can't unring the bell

I've seen many ranty mcrant threads and posts on here, sometimes you just gotta vent

LokiGrrl wrote: »

Christine_72 wrote: »

LokiGrrl wrote: »

Oooh I would die without chocolate. I eat dark chocolate on the reg! I dunno what made me so grouchy last night, maybe I'm just turning into a crotchety old lady, LOL. Most of the time I really do shrug things off when they annoy me, but once in a while I become Oscar.

Too late now, you can't unring the bell

I've seen many ranty mcrant threads and posts on here, sometimes you just gotta vent

Glad folks are forgiving in this neck of the woods, then!

I think many people can relate to your post.

Christine_72 wrote: »

One thing that annoys me, and it's not their fault is when people say "I eat back ALL of my fitbit calories and lose exactly at the rate i chose". My fitbit overestimates by quite a bit, if i ate back all of my exercise calories I'd be putting on weight pretty quickly.

Again, absolutely not having a go at these people. I'm just more annoyed that I can't eat them all back.

I hear you. I have the charge HR and anxiety that causes the hr to go haywire. Once, the anxiety was such a doozy that fit bit thought I went for a bike ride....at 3:30am. I tend to eat back up to 50%. Actually, I haven't got my fit bit linked to mfp anymore and just add purposeful exercise.