Just exercise and eat less 'a non-believer'

reneeot
reneeot Posts: 773 Member
edited October 4 in Motivation and Support
* you are obviously not counting your calories right!
* you need to exercise more
* why are you eating bacon!!!
* it's simple just eat less!!

Have u heard it and read the above remarks a thousand times!!

If are losing weight at 1-2 lbs a week, you have no concept of what many are going through to lose weight. Think about your words and don't assume they are doing something wrong! It took me a year to lose a mere 25 lbs despite a complete regimen change including adding exercising. another friend started 4 months ago and lost 25lbs with no exercise. Only has 10 more to lose.

Why can't there be acceptance that weight loss for some can be extremely difficult ' not impossible' but extremely more difficult than others. The typical 3,500 calorie deficit a week and drop 1 lb a week does not reap the results for many people.

Yes, there are those who do not realize how much they are eating or do not stick to their dietary regimen. But there are those who do and find all their effort produce very little results.

All I can advice is that those little results add up... And while many have their success in a short time 6 months or a year. You too will have your final success it will just take much longer. Your changes for better health are of value even if you don't see it on the scale!!

Yes, I'm a non- believer in just 'eat less and exercise more 'as the answer for ALL weight loss!! For those who can do that and
have success 'happy for yah'! But not all are so fortunate!!!

So don't be discouraged by the posters who feel they are 'all knowing'. I bet if they followed their regimen they are on and discovered they were losing only 1/4th of what they did, they would be more open to understanding the struggles and not so quick to post their rote comments!!

Replies

  • getitamb
    getitamb Posts: 2,019 Member
    I feel you.. I have lost weight quickly before and guess what? As soon as I stopped not only did it come back but with a vengance. Slow is always better.
  • CassarahW
    CassarahW Posts: 93 Member
    Amend! Finding a healthy weight is a mind/body/spirit search. There's much more to it than mere science. To truly find a healthy weight a person's whole life must be taken into consideration and many things worked on. I'm a firm believer that if you want to lose weight you need to focus on total health all around. There are plans in place that we couldn't possibly understand.
  • rodneyderrick
    rodneyderrick Posts: 483 Member
    This sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. At least once a day somebody posts a message complaining because they've had problems losing weight, and then they slam other people, because they simply made a suggestion. If you post a message complaining that you aren't losing, people are going to make a suggestion; otherwise, keep your thoughts to yourself if you don't want people giving their point-of-view. The people who are thin, eat to be thin. The people that are not thin, are eating the amount of food it takes, to not be thin. I have people on my list who have logged every day for years. They live a life of fitness, and never complain or make excuses or slam somebody that makes a suggestion. If you are an intermittent logger, or you eat foods that you didn't log, then don't complain, because you're doing all the things it takes to impede your weight-loss.
  • reneeot
    reneeot Posts: 773 Member
    This sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. At least once a day somebody posts a message complaining because they've had problems losing weight, and then they slam other people, because they simply made a suggestion. If you post a message complaining that you aren't losing, people are going to make a suggestion; otherwise, keep your thoughts to yourself if you don't want people giving their point-of-view. The people who are thin, eat to be thin. The people that are not thin, are eating the amount of food it takes, to not be thin. I have people on my list who have logged every day for years. They live a life of fitness, and never complain or make excuses or slam somebody that makes a suggestion. If you are an intermittent logger, or you eat foods that you didn't log, then don't complain, because you're doing all the things it takes to impede your weight-loss.

    Thank you, your comment makes the point I was making very well about many people "not understanding what it means to struggle to lose weight." I'm proud of my 25lbs loss even if it is slow. Many people need to know that just because they are not losing the same as many does not mean they are doing anything wrong as you so pointed out "not logging and not eating to be thin or a bunch of excuses" .
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    I see...
  • maryd523
    maryd523 Posts: 661 Member
    This sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. At least once a day somebody posts a message complaining because they've had problems losing weight, and then they slam other people, because they simply made a suggestion. If you post a message complaining that you aren't losing, people are going to make a suggestion; otherwise, keep your thoughts to yourself if you don't want people giving their point-of-view. The people who are thin, eat to be thin. The people that are not thin, are eating the amount of food it takes, to not be thin. I have people on my list who have logged every day for years. They live a life of fitness, and never complain or make excuses or slam somebody that makes a suggestion. If you are an intermittent logger, or you eat foods that you didn't log, then don't complain, because you're doing all the things it takes to impede your weight-loss.

    Thank you, your comment makes the point I was making very well about many people "not understanding what it means to struggle to lose weight." I'm proud of my 25lbs loss even if it is slow. Many people need to know that just because they are not losing the same as many does not mean they are doing anything wrong as you so pointed out "not logging and not eating to be thin or a bunch of excuses" .

    I took a look at your diary, and it's funny, because you are NOT eating to be thin. According to your diary, you are eating around 400-700 calories per day, with intermittent logging. Hmm.....what was your point again?
  • Gigi_licious
    Gigi_licious Posts: 1,185 Member
    This sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. At least once a day somebody posts a message complaining because they've had problems losing weight, and then they slam other people, because they simply made a suggestion. If you post a message complaining that you aren't losing, people are going to make a suggestion; otherwise, keep your thoughts to yourself if you don't want people giving their point-of-view. The people who are thin, eat to be thin. The people that are not thin, are eating the amount of food it takes, to not be thin. I have people on my list who have logged every day for years. They live a life of fitness, and never complain or make excuses or slam somebody that makes a suggestion. If you are an intermittent logger, or you eat foods that you didn't log, then don't complain, because you're doing all the things it takes to impede your weight-loss.

    I agree with this. I'm an intermittent logger.....but I also don't complain about me not losing because I know it's my fault.
  • Bratkins
    Bratkins Posts: 47
    People are naturally helpful. Or at least they try to be. The great thing about advice is that you don't have to take it. Sometimes if I have a certain reaction to something and it makes me feel like I need to defend myself I have to ask myself a few things. 1) Why am I getting offended? 2) Is there a kernel of truth in what they are saying, and am I getting upset because I know it?

    The truth is that everyone need to do what is right for their body. I get opinionated when I hear people talk about losing 10 lbs in a week because I know it isn't healthy. I keep my mouth shut, but not everyone will. People don't necessarily have a right to impose their opinion, but the have the option. And you have the option of smiling and nodding and letting it go. :)
  • rodneyderrick
    rodneyderrick Posts: 483 Member
    This sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. At least once a day somebody posts a message complaining because they've had problems losing weight, and then they slam other people, because they simply made a suggestion. If you post a message complaining that you aren't losing, people are going to make a suggestion; otherwise, keep your thoughts to yourself if you don't want people giving their point-of-view. The people who are thin, eat to be thin. The people that are not thin, are eating the amount of food it takes, to not be thin. I have people on my list who have logged every day for years. They live a life of fitness, and never complain or make excuses or slam somebody that makes a suggestion. If you are an intermittent logger, or you eat foods that you didn't log, then don't complain, because you're doing all the things it takes to impede your weight-loss.

    Thank you, your comment makes the point I was making very well about many people "not understanding what it means to struggle to lose weight." I'm proud of my 25lbs loss even if it is slow. Many people need to know that just because they are not losing the same as many does not mean they are doing anything wrong as you so pointed out "not logging and not eating to be thin or a bunch of excuses" .

    If I can give 8 hours to the man, then I can give at least one hour of physical activity to myself. I saw pages of missing entries in your diary, so there really isn't any reason to keep up this conversation. If you logged as well as you complain, you'd look like the girl from the Matrix. There are people that have a problem losing weight, but you're probably not one of them. You're just not consistent. Congratulations on your 25lbs. I'll run six miles tonight in the hope that you'll log and do a little bit of logging and exercise yourself. By the way, I took a gander at your friend's list, and people that want to lose should associate with people motivated to lose. You have a whole lot of red on that friend's list. It was like being in a bloodbath.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    Firstly, congratulations on your progress so far. You obviously do care about what you eat and are training hard. Secondly, and in the nicest possible way, you're wrong.

    Weight loss is simple maths, calories in minus calories out. Anyone who thinks other wise just isn't logging honestly. I'm on maintenance and I still weigh and log everything I eat, and measure every exercise I do as far as humanly possible.

    Guess what -over a week if I eat more than I burn - I gain weight. If I eat less, I loose it. I struggled to bring my weight under control for 6 years and doing this I lost 30lb in 7 months. I am nothing special - I just followed the rules.
  • Gigi_licious
    Gigi_licious Posts: 1,185 Member
    Guess what -over a week if I eat more than I burn - I gain weight. If I eat less, I loose it. I struggled to bring my weight under control for 6 years and doing this I lost 30lb in 7 months. I am nothing special - I just followed the rules.

    Not true, you're totally special! I heart my friends!! :flowerforyou:
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    I don't think any reasonable person would suggest that we are all the same. Some people are, obviously, going to lose slower than others. People who are morbidly obese who go on a 1,500 calorie per day diet are going to lose weight much much faster initially than someone who is overweight on a 1,500 calorie diet. Men eating 1,400 calories per day will, for the most part, lose more than women on the same diet. Why? The deficit is larger in people whose TDEE is higher (TDEE = (roughly) BMR + calories burned from activity). Even aside from this, every person's body is different. Some will lose a ton of weight never hitting a plateau on the way down, and some of us lose much more slowly with a lot of stops and starts. MFP's BMR calculations can be very wrong. A person who is 190 lbs and 40% body fat will have a lower BMR than someone who is 190 lbs and 20% body fat. There's a good article on TDEE and what affects it here: http://www.shapefit.com/basal-metabolic-rate.html

    In the end, it really does come down to calories in vs. calories out.
  • getitamb
    getitamb Posts: 2,019 Member
    This sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. At least once a day somebody posts a message complaining because they've had problems losing weight, and then they slam other people, because they simply made a suggestion. If you post a message complaining that you aren't losing, people are going to make a suggestion; otherwise, keep your thoughts to yourself if you don't want people giving their point-of-view. The people who are thin, eat to be thin. The people that are not thin, are eating the amount of food it takes, to not be thin. I have people on my list who have logged every day for years. They live a life of fitness, and never complain or make excuses or slam somebody that makes a suggestion. If you are an intermittent logger, or you eat foods that you didn't log, then don't complain, because you're doing all the things it takes to impede your weight-loss.
    You know, you do make a good point. I see both sides. I eat a lot, but I workout with intensity for life an hour and a half a day. A little brutal, but honest.

    Thank you, your comment makes the point I was making very well about many people "not understanding what it means to struggle to lose weight." I'm proud of my 25lbs loss even if it is slow. Many people need to know that just because they are not losing the same as many does not mean they are doing anything wrong as you so pointed out "not logging and not eating to be thin or a bunch of excuses" .

    If I can give 8 hours to the man, then I can give at least one hour of physical activity to myself. I saw pages of missing entries in your diary, so there really isn't any reason to keep up this conversation. If you logged as well as you complain, you'd look like the girl from the Matrix. There are people that have a problem losing weight, but you're probably not one of them. You're just not consistent. Congratulations on your 25lbs. I'll run six miles tonight in the hope that you'll log and do a little bit of logging and exercise yourself. By the way, I took a gander at your friend's list, and people that want to lose should associate with people motivated to lose. You have a whole lot of red on that friend's list. It was like being in a bloodbath.
  • txmike64
    txmike64 Posts: 57 Member
    The equation works. It just works in different ways for different people. The key is understanding it and being precise with food and exercise recording.

    Calories eating minus calories burned through life functions and exercise must equal net calories. A deficit in net calories must result in weight loss.

    Water intake minus water evaporation minus "evacuation" MUST equal net water weight.

    These are two facts which are determined by laws of biological functions a calorie is a calorie and work uses these calories.

    Fact: most people are understating their calorie intake. It's easy not to be honest about the extra bites off the kid's plate, or over scooping mac and cheese (scooping 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup through "estimations"). Eating that 3 ounce piece of chicken breast which really weighs 6.5 ounces. Or eating those 2 crackers before bed. I have a scale and 4 sets of measuring cups and spoons to support my use. And I use them. I can tell you I have 5.2 ounces of baby carrots in my bag today. MOST people would not be able to tell you this on any given day.

    Fact: most people are overstating their exercise. Intensity, duration what feels vigorous may in fact be much less than vigorous. What is the activity in METs? Only a few can answer. I know my elliptical workouts are in the 7.0 MET range, 6.7-7.1 typically for 35-55 minutes...that can be placed into an objective formula for weight, age, and time. Most people know they walked for x minutes, and that's it.

    Water retention IS a factor, but only can be so far. I have a pattern of plateau and major drop of weight. In fact I reach a level, then I spike up about 1 pound or more, then within 4-7 days go down 2-3 pounds suddenly, but following the average, it's nearly a straight line. I see the changes in the body water % measurement, it spikes up and down between a moving 2% window. You can weigh different things at different times of the day. Afternoon I have been known to weigh as much as 4 pounds over what I did that morning, but by the next morning have shed all but .5 pound. As the fat is reduced, it's ability to hold in water is diminished. As I burn fat my water% increases, until it releases through the bladder system.

    But a factor to consider is that some aren't burning the same calories for the same work, maybe due to medication, maybe due to personal metabolism. But exercising and eating less is NOT invalid, it just means that person's exercise isn't burning enough calories. If someone is only exercising 200 calories per session and just eating what they normally eat, it will still take 2 1/2 weeks to lose one pound (and some of that might be replaced with muscle.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    I guess it depends on what you define as a "fast loss"... so if someone has 25 lb to lose, taking a year to do so is very healthy. that is about 1/2 lb a week... but then if they lost more like 1 lb a week (which is still healthy) it might only take them 6 months to do so... so i guess it depends on what is considered a fast weight loss.
  • reneeot
    reneeot Posts: 773 Member
    This sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. At least once a day somebody posts a message complaining because they've had problems losing weight, and then they slam other people, because they simply made a suggestion. If you post a message complaining that you aren't losing, people are going to make a suggestion; otherwise, keep your thoughts to yourself if you don't want people giving their point-of-view. The people who are thin, eat to be thin. The people that are not thin, are eating the amount of food it takes, to not be thin. I have people on my list who have logged every day for years. They live a life of fitness, and never complain or make excuses or slam somebody that makes a suggestion. If you are an intermittent logger, or you eat foods that you didn't log, then don't complain, because you're doing all the things it takes to impede your weight-loss.

    Thank you, your comment makes the point I was making very well about many people "not understanding what it means to struggle to lose weight." I'm proud of my 25lbs loss even if it is slow. Many people need to know that just because they are not losing the same as many does not mean they are doing anything wrong as you so pointed out "not logging and not eating to be thin or a bunch of excuses" .

    If I can give 8 hours to the man, then I can give at least one hour of physical activity to myself. I saw pages of missing entries in your diary, so there really isn't any reason to keep up this conversation. If you logged as well as you complain, you'd look like the girl from the Matrix. There are people that have a problem losing weight, but you're probably not one of them. You're just not consistent. Congratulations on your 25lbs. I'll run six miles tonight in the hope that you'll log and do a little bit of logging and exercise yourself. By the way, I took a gander at your friend's list, and people that want to lose should associate with people motivated to lose. You have a whole lot of red on that friend's list. It was like being in a bloodbath.

    I don't log my food on MFP, I stopped logging in January on purpose, it took me about 6 months to fine tune how I ate, I know what I eat, so I know what my caloric intake is. I use a simple app on my phone to enter in calories as I eat when I track periodically to make sure where I'm at., based on info I got from MFP when I was logging. I only log once in a while when I'm trying to figure out something new, like fiber intake or carb intake or fat intake. Or if I've stalled and making sure I'm still eating in my range. I do exercise I swim 3x a week. I took swimnning lesson this year at 41 so I could do an activity after back surgery this year. So I've actually increased my activity quite a bit from last year, I was walking 3-4 miles 5-6 times a day.

    And leave my friends in the red alone, when they return I will be here to suppport them!

    Renee

    And I wasn't complaining I was making a post, to help others who have had struggles losing weight. But this is the last time I will respond to you, because you just don't get it. And that's fine.
  • reneeot
    reneeot Posts: 773 Member
    Firstly, congratulations on your progress so far. You obviously do care about what you eat and are training hard. Secondly, and in the nicest possible way, you're wrong.

    Weight loss is simple maths, calories in minus calories out. Anyone who thinks other wise just isn't logging honestly. I'm on maintenance and I still weigh and log everything I eat, and measure every exercise I do as far as humanly possible.

    Guess what -over a week if I eat more than I burn - I gain weight. If I eat less, I loose it. I struggled to bring my weight under control for 6 years and doing this I lost 30lb in 7 months. I am nothing special - I just followed the rules.

    I said it doesn't work that easy for everybody. I did follow MFP rules for 3 months and lost the same amount doing it my way. 1-2 lbs a month-Both ways, that is slow for being on a low calorie diet of 1200-1400. This is what I have experienced myself. My point was not complain as some think, I don't think I complained about anything in my post, it was just to offer encouragement for those who have slow weight loss too.
  • reneeot
    reneeot Posts: 773 Member
    The equation works. It just works in different ways for different people. The key is understanding it and being precise with food and exercise recording.

    Calories eating minus calories burned through life functions and exercise must equal net calories. A deficit in net calories must result in weight loss.

    Water intake minus water evaporation minus "evacuation" MUST equal net water weight.

    These are two facts which are determined by laws of biological functions a calorie is a calorie and work uses these calories.

    Fact: most people are understating their calorie intake. It's easy not to be honest about the extra bites off the kid's plate, or over scooping mac and cheese (scooping 1 cup instead of 1/2 cup through "estimations"). Eating that 3 ounce piece of chicken breast which really weighs 6.5 ounces. Or eating those 2 crackers before bed. I have a scale and 4 sets of measuring cups and spoons to support my use. And I use them. I can tell you I have 5.2 ounces of baby carrots in my bag today. MOST people would not be able to tell you this on any given day.

    Fact: most people are overstating their exercise. Intensity, duration what feels vigorous may in fact be much less than vigorous. What is the activity in METs? Only a few can answer. I know my elliptical workouts are in the 7.0 MET range, 6.7-7.1 typically for 35-55 minutes...that can be placed into an objective formula for weight, age, and time. Most people know they walked for x minutes, and that's it.

    Water retention IS a factor, but only can be so far. I have a pattern of plateau and major drop of weight. In fact I reach a level, then I spike up about 1 pound or more, then within 4-7 days go down 2-3 pounds suddenly, but following the average, it's nearly a straight line. I see the changes in the body water % measurement, it spikes up and down between a moving 2% window. You can weigh different things at different times of the day. Afternoon I have been known to weigh as much as 4 pounds over what I did that morning, but by the next morning have shed all but .5 pound. As the fat is reduced, it's ability to hold in water is diminished. As I burn fat my water% increases, until it releases through the bladder system.

    But a factor to consider is that some aren't burning the same calories for the same work, maybe due to medication, maybe due to personal metabolism. But exercising and eating less is NOT invalid, it just means that person's exercise isn't burning enough calories. If someone is only exercising 200 calories per session and just eating what they normally eat, it will still take 2 1/2 weeks to lose one pound (and some of that might be replaced with muscle.

    I said I did not agree with "just exercise and eat less" because it's not always as simple as that. That was the point I was making. And encouraging those who were struggling along. Seems many people feathers are ruffled.
  • reneeot
    reneeot Posts: 773 Member
    This sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. At least once a day somebody posts a message complaining because they've had problems losing weight, and then they slam other people, because they simply made a suggestion. If you post a message complaining that you aren't losing, people are going to make a suggestion; otherwise, keep your thoughts to yourself if you don't want people giving their point-of-view. The people who are thin, eat to be thin. The people that are not thin, are eating the amount of food it takes, to not be thin. I have people on my list who have logged every day for years. They live a life of fitness, and never complain or make excuses or slam somebody that makes a suggestion. If you are an intermittent logger, or you eat foods that you didn't log, then don't complain, because you're doing all the things it takes to impede your weight-loss.

    Thank you, your comment makes the point I was making very well about many people "not understanding what it means to struggle to lose weight." I'm proud of my 25lbs loss even if it is slow. Many people need to know that just because they are not losing the same as many does not mean they are doing anything wrong as you so pointed out "not logging and not eating to be thin or a bunch of excuses" .

    I took a look at your diary, and it's funny, because you are NOT eating to be thin. According to your diary, you are eating around 400-700 calories per day, with intermittent logging. Hmm.....what was your point again?

    I don't log my food on MFP, I enter when I'm messing around figuring out new meals, looking at new options for carb intake, fat or etc. I have it all listed what I eat, I took 6 months to fine tune it last year. So I purposely quit logging in January. since I have all the info needed at my fingertips and not online. My point again for some its difficult to lose weight and people should just understand that.
  • reneeot
    reneeot Posts: 773 Member
    I'm keep responding on behalf of all the posters who get frustrated at the rote comments I'm hearing here on my post. Fortunately for me it does not bother me. I find it interesting the inablility to believe not all things work the same for everyone.

    And thanks to the ones concerned about the whiplash of making a post, but still contacting me!! I hope I can be of further encouragement!!!

    I was the same as many of the above posters several years ago, I lost weight merely by restricting calories. But when I gained weight 2 years ago and tried to do the same a year ago, by restricitng calories I did not get the same results. Everything I'm hearing is what I would have said several years ago because it was so easy to lose weight. This is my 2nd time in my adult life to lose weight. The first time I lost weight was a breeze , this 2nd time is taking a lot of effort and I actually am exercising and eating way better than I did the first time several years ago.

    I spent a year online and off, meticously tracking and logging. And I realized it was just going to be different this 2nd time around. My DR is even impressed because my bloodwork is dramatically different than 1.5 years ago. So I guess I must be doing something right!

    Please continue to friend me!!!

    :-)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories