The intention of this thread is not to judge or insult people with weight issues. I know many people who have weight problems who are wonderful people in many different ways. I’m also not trying to call out any particular poster.
The only purpose of this thread is to refute the claim that more exercise and less calories will not result in weight loss. I am aware that for a variety of genetic and environmental issues this can be much harder or easier to accomplish for certain individuals. However, I have often heard (or read) both on the Dope and in real life, people claim that it is impossible for them to lose weight, no matter how little they eat or how much they exercise. This is nonsense. I’d fully except the notion that it is not worth the required effort to a certain individual. That’s fine, it’s their life. But I hate the idea of weight loss being scientifically hopeless because some people are just born to be fat. That’s sending the wrong message.
I not only find the message unnecessarily disheartening for people who are trying to lose weight, I also find it mildly insulting to people who are fit. I put a lot of effort into diet and exercise so that I look good. And the implication is “No, SecretaryofEvil doesn’t look good because he’s well disciplined about diet and exercise. The amount of hard work you put into exercising and dieting has nothing to do with how fat you are.”
Once again, I realize that if circumstances were different, exercising or dieting might be much more difficult for me. For example, if I was badly injured in a car accident, that would probably make exercising considerably more onerous for me than it currently is. I’m just saying it’s wrong to claim that no matter how little one eats or how much one exercises that it is impossible to lose weight.
However, I cannot lose weight because no matter how much I diet and exercise, the chloroplasts in my mutant skin cells continue photosynthesizing light into calories, which my body turns into fat.
I have known people who make the claim that it is impossible for them to lose weight, and I have no reason not to believe them. I am from two small, fit, and slender built parents- so weight is not a problem; but I am in no position to judge people with other body types and metabolisms, and I do not find it insulting when they say how difficult it is for them.
I’ll agree with you and take it one step further. You can actually lose weight by ONLY exercise or ONLY diet as long as the “out” total is bigger than the “in” total.
I don’t eat very carefully and in fact have periods of total non-healthy eating. But I exercise my ass off…literally. And it just so happens that I burn enough off that I stay at a very healthy weight.
It’s the difference between saying “difficult” and saying “impossible” that irks me. I don’t possess the ability to eat whatever I want and not gain weight. It’s hard work for me, and I imagine it’s considerably harder for other people. I’m ok with someone saying, “Yeah I eat too much and don’t exercise enough but I’m happy with that.” I’m not ok with the irrational stance that some people take claiming exercising and dieting just plain don’t work.
If you think everyone is the same, good for you. I know I tried strict diet and exercise for 18 months and did not have the results I would have liked. I know you’ll have something to say - I wasn’t working hard enough or I was eating too much - but I was following my trainer’s instructions. I weighted 250 when I started and 202 when I had to quit the trainer and the gym due to money issues.
I have struggled with my weight all of my life and it has only gotten worse as I age. My husband and I eat the same diet; he’s very thin and does not exercise any more than I do.
I have learned not to let people with the attitude you have bother me; I really don’t care what you think. If it makes you happy to think I sit on the couch and eat all day, I’m glad you’re happy. I could show you a note from my doctor saying you’re wrong, but I doubt that would change your mind.
I know a person who tries to exercise and eat a nutritionally balanced diet, but it seems like the weight loss for him is always only temporary, and he seems convinced that it is impossible to loose weight and keep it off long term.
I know that his parents and siblings are all overweight, and a few are morbidly obese. They are all in fear of heart disease, etc. and my heart goes out to them, but it seems a nature/nurture thing in that family, and IMO beyond blame, as they do make efforts to help themselves and to change.
Today I hit my goal weight. Actually, yesterday I ate like five pounds of candy and washed it down with a bunch of wine and I still lost that last pound for my weigh in this morning.
I’ve been doing Weight Watchers since Thanksgiving, went up and down a bit, ultimately lost 28 pounds. Go figure.
