Coworkers baffled me...
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Packerjohn wrote: »MostlyWater wrote: »People just don't know. It's not taught at school.
Sorry, don't buy this. I don't believe a normally functioning adult doesn't know that eating too much will make one fat.
They know that, but they probably have a fuzzier notion of what "too much" is. I once had to explain to my brother that he couldn't just burn off a whole family-sized bag of chips with a quick 20 minute run.
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Packerjohn wrote: »MostlyWater wrote: »People just don't know. It's not taught at school.
Sorry, don't buy this. I don't believe a normally functioning adult doesn't know that eating too much will make one fat.
They know that, but they probably have a fuzzier notion of what "too much" is. I once had to explain to my brother that he couldn't just burn off a whole family-sized bag of chips with a quick 20 minute run.
^^This.
I know because I thought the same way. Hey I worked hard (no I didn't) for this Big Mac, Fries and a coke. There is a big difference between understanding the concept and putting even reasonable numbers to it. I think it's the UK that is putting calories and equivalent exercise on menus now for just this reason.15 -
Packerjohn wrote: »MostlyWater wrote: »People just don't know. It's not taught at school.
Sorry, don't buy this. I don't believe a normally functioning adult doesn't know that eating too much will make one fat.
When I finally meet a normally functioning adult, I'll check. Just because I haven't met one yet, doesn't mean they don't exist!
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Packerjohn wrote: »MostlyWater wrote: »People just don't know. It's not taught at school.
Sorry, don't buy this. I don't believe a normally functioning adult doesn't know that eating too much will make one fat.
They know that, but they probably have a fuzzier notion of what "too much" is. I once had to explain to my brother that he couldn't just burn off a whole family-sized bag of chips with a quick 20 minute run.
I believe it's pretty simple to identify when it's too much.
Like when your pants don't fit anymore in the waist.9 -
"They shrink! They keep shrinking! I wear elastic now..."
Denial. It ain't just a river in Egypt no more.20 -
I have an office full of co workers that eat a salad once a week - catered in just like the rest of their lunches and no doubt their dinners as well and wonder why they can't lose weight...they ate a salad after all.
Its a hopeless mindset. When anyone comments on my lifestyle I just shrug my shoulders and leave the room. Probably think I'm rude - but if you can't say anything nice......9 -
Been living with this exact attitude for 4 and a half years now. Been with the same team for the last two, I've watched them diet - slimming world, weight watchers, clean 9, detox, fasting, juicing, slimfast, go to the gym, don't go to the gym, low carb, high protein, you name it they've tried it and all the while wondering 'how do you do it when you eat so much, eat whatever you want, eat all day, blah, blah, blah.
Truth is they don't want to hear it. My initial weight loss came relatively easy, I hit the right combination of diet and training that worked for me first time. The reality of maintenance isn't, it's hard work, day in day out. They want the magic bullet/pill that will do all the hard work for them. I'm over it now, I just do my thing.14 -
Packerjohn wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »MostlyWater wrote: »People just don't know. It's not taught at school.
Sorry, don't buy this. I don't believe a normally functioning adult doesn't know that eating too much will make one fat.
They know that, but they probably have a fuzzier notion of what "too much" is. I once had to explain to my brother that he couldn't just burn off a whole family-sized bag of chips with a quick 20 minute run.
I believe it's pretty simple to identify when it's too much.
Like when your pants don't fit anymore in the waist.
Lagging indicator. By that time is already happened.
People aren't simple, they behave in perverse ways. That's why marketing is so effective, and the diet woo industry spend a lot on marketing.
Marketeers, third up against the wall come the day of the glorious revolution...10 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »MostlyWater wrote: »People just don't know. It's not taught at school.
Sorry, don't buy this. I don't believe a normally functioning adult doesn't know that eating too much will make one fat.
They know that, but they probably have a fuzzier notion of what "too much" is. I once had to explain to my brother that he couldn't just burn off a whole family-sized bag of chips with a quick 20 minute run.
I believe it's pretty simple to identify when it's too much.
Like when your pants don't fit anymore in the waist.
Lagging indicator. By that time is already happened.
People aren't simple, they behave in perverse ways. That's why marketing is so effective, and the diet woo industry spend a lot on marketing.
Marketeers, third up against the wall come the day of the glorious revolution...
I don't know that I'd call one our near-universal cognitive biases perverse. We evolved for life on the African savanna, where cause and effect are usually connected in fairly immediate ways, and where we couldn't go too wrong by assuming they are even when they were not. It's therefore not so easy to grasp on the most basic level that your expanding waistline was caused by your eating habits of the past 2 or 3 decades. (Hell, during the Paleolithic we were lucky to even live that long.)
Since the long term is hard to see, we instinctively look for something more immediate instead. It's this or that specific food or nutrient -- or it's not us; it's our clothes or other people are wrong or something like that.
This is why, until we hit on a means to consistently correct for our cognitive biases (that is, science) human knowledge advanced very slowly, and we believed in magic, astrology, and all kinds of other nonsense.9 -
IRL, I don't know anyone (besides my husband) who doesn't engage in magical thinking about weight loss or anything related to it. I'm mostly surrounded by people who engage in chronic confirmation bias to substantiate their own poor life choices based on the latest internet quackery. My personal choice to lose fat and have stronger muscles is offensive and misinformed apparently. I just keep my head down and move on.15
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100_PROOF_ wrote: »MostlyWater wrote: »People just don't know. It's not taught at school.
It's definitely taught in school. My kids did it in 6th and 7th grade health class.
They where given a pad of paper and told to write down their foods for the weekend and look up the USDA nutrition values associated with the food choices.
Then they where shown how many calories most people need in a day verse what most people consume.
My children go to a American public school and I could easily go ask for the lesson plan to prove that kids are taught this in school.
As a former principal of an American public elementary school, I can tell you that it is very hard to penetrate the culture of cupcakes and doughnuts for birthdays, even HALF birthdays. The few allowed parties were full of cookies to decorate .. cupcakes, candy, even soda! Luckily, the feds outlawed soda, so that was an easy fix.
We decided as a staff to cut it out. We had a huge push, with lessons and posters and healthy choice examples for recess and "special day" snacks. We had "Garden Parties" in our school garden with tasty treats from the vegetable garden to test taste. Then we put our foot down and said, "NO" to birthday treats (you can't imagine how many birthdays and half birthdays 32 students could have) Then our few parties became "Kindness Activities" and instead of decorating huge cookies, where the main purpose of the party was to scarf down snacks while creating a giant cookie snack, the purpose became whatever project the kids had chosen. .. like making dog blankets or letters to soldiers.
While it is great for students "learn about" healthy eating, but then if the school participates in regular opportunities to celebrate based on poor food choices, that is all pretty hollow. I did earn the title of "Cupcake Nazi" Of course, we still had treats, we just made them more about regular food and not desserts only. Small desert choice, large vegetable, and protein choices. I even changed the chocolate jar for the teachers to in-season lunchbox size fruits and once a week a little chocolate treat.
At the same time, we increased active lifestyle choices at recess, free time and after school .. but that is another side of the "Fit for Life" coin and a discussion for another day.
I'm imagining 64 birthdays and half birthdays for 32 students, with roughly 48 of those days occurring during a nine-month school year, for an average of 4 to 5 birthdays and half birthdays a month, or about one a week.
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BattyKnitter wrote: »Ugh yes, a few months ago, way before I started on this site I signed up to bring something in for "Wednesday Treat Day" that day is coming soon and it is stressing me out! I don't know what to make that won't tempt me too much!
Bring in a tray of healthier but tasty foods such as fruits, veggies, cheeses, and low fat dips. Sandwich wraps. etc. Things that you like. Costco and other grocery stores has trays you can bring. Just a suggestion.4 -
My fellow student was complaining about how she can't eat after 7 pm because she gains weight if she does. My friend and I said 'well in the end it comes down to your calories, you could eat all of your maintenence before bed and it would work the same as before 7pm. Sometimes we have to do that if the day gets really busy.' and all she had to say was "thanks but I don't believe you two. You are already thin and have metabolisms of a gazelle. I can't take you guys seriously" like um, okay but that doesn't change the fact that the calories is all that matters???? I guess its easier for her to allow herself to eat whatever during the day and assume that she won't gain weight since it wasn't after the magical window.10
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karhamersma wrote: »KickassAmazon76 wrote: »My coworkers full a table right by my desk full of cookies, treats, dainties, cheeses, chips, donuts... Every. Damn. Day.
It's been so stressful at work lately that I've been having a hard time leaving them alone, and my scale has shown it.
Back to logging and a deficit for me. I'm tired of feeling horrible AND stressed!
It’s hard being in that position! I’d suggest requesting moving the snack table to another location. The hardest but best thing to do is to be honest. I’d say “Guys, I’m working really hard on a new lifestyle and don’t want to blow it. Having the snack table within reach is really just too much temptation for me. Can I please move it somewhere else? I’d really appreciate it!”
Yes, you SHOULD do this. Just be prepared - your co-workers may see it as an indictment of their lifestyle, even though that's not your intent. They know what they're doing is detrimental but people don't usually like to be called on their behavior. On the other hand, you may unwittingly influence another co-worker, who may influence someone else . . . etc.3 -
My fellow student was complaining about how she can't eat after 7 pm because she gains weight if she does. My friend and I said 'well in the end it comes down to your calories, you could eat all of your maintenence before bed and it would work the same as before 7pm. Sometimes we have to do that if the day gets really busy.' and all she had to say was "thanks but I don't believe you two. You are already thin and have metabolisms of a gazelle. I can't take you guys seriously" like um, okay but that doesn't change the fact that the calories is all that matters???? I guess its easier for her to allow herself to eat whatever during the day and assume that she won't gain weight since it wasn't after the magical window.
You'd think that maybe she'd see how thin you are and instead figure that just maybe it meant you knew what you were talking about.
I have the same problem with my sister in law. She's always doing these fad diet things, usually low carb, making up all kinds of restrictions for herself that prevent her from eating most of her favorite foods. The fact that I lost a bunch of weight just by eating less and moving more, and have kept it off by continuing to regulate my intake, has made no impression at all. Because she's different.10 -
I remember colleagues in my first job regularly having a teaspoon of weightloss product called PLJ (pure lemon juice) before eating a lunch that would have fed a small village as "the acid dissolved all the calories" funnily enough they all remained quite large.7
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My fellow student was complaining about how she can't eat after 7 pm because she gains weight if she does. My friend and I said 'well in the end it comes down to your calories, you could eat all of your maintenence before bed and it would work the same as before 7pm. Sometimes we have to do that if the day gets really busy.' and all she had to say was "thanks but I don't believe you two. You are already thin and have metabolisms of a gazelle. I can't take you guys seriously" like um, okay but that doesn't change the fact that the calories is all that matters???? I guess its easier for her to allow herself to eat whatever during the day and assume that she won't gain weight since it wasn't after the magical window.
You'd think that maybe she'd see how thin you are and instead figure that just maybe it meant you knew what you were talking about...
I know, right? Why would you disregard the advice of a person who has successfully lost and maintained their weight? It makes no sense at all. Whatever your goal is (fitness, education, hobbies, career), you should seek out people who are good at it and find out what they do to be successful. And then do the same! That's a no-brainer. You don't just sit there and try the same stuff over and over again that hasn't been working and listening to advice from people who are also perpetually struggling. They seem to feed off one another.
I also have the sister-in-law who clings to old diet mythology, insists she knows exactly what she's doing yet makes no progress, asks me for advice and then blows it off, says I was born lucky, what I do won't work for her - I guess she's special - etc...so I get where you are coming from. The worst thing is that now she's training her teen daughter in the art of self-sabotage as well.
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »MostlyWater wrote: »People just don't know. It's not taught at school.
Sorry, don't buy this. I don't believe a normally functioning adult doesn't know that eating too much will make one fat.
They know that, but they probably have a fuzzier notion of what "too much" is. I once had to explain to my brother that he couldn't just burn off a whole family-sized bag of chips with a quick 20 minute run.
I believe it's pretty simple to identify when it's too much.
Like when your pants don't fit anymore in the waist.
Lagging indicator. By that time is already happened.
People aren't simple, they behave in perverse ways. That's why marketing is so effective, and the diet woo industry spend a lot on marketing.
Marketeers, third up against the wall come the day of the glorious revolution...
Pant size may be a lagging indicator, but in most cases it changes with a 20 pound or so gain. Significantly easier to right the ship at that point rather than letting it sink.
People just want to look for easy way out instead of doing the work or be "uncomfortable". That is why the B.S. diet industry is so successful.4 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »"They shrink! They keep shrinking! I wear elastic now..."
Denial. It ain't just a river in Egypt no more.
LOL, wearing elastic related to weight is planning to fail IMO.1 -
Well, I've been wearing it for awhile as I've shrunk, too. Saves me a bit of $ on a new wardrobe. Now that I'm down to the last few lbs and my progress has slowed down, I'm getting more fitted skirts, etc. But for the last 16 months? It's been helpful.8
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