I mentally put them in the same category as the childless person who gives advice on how to raise children, or the coworker who knows the answer to everyone's medical problems, or the bankrupted person who gives out financial advice..............
In my diet I am finding that sometimes I am eating more ! It simply is a matter of frequency to boost my metabolism. Before I'd skip breakfast, have a snack in the late after noon and then a big, but notoriously healthy dinner of fish, rice, veggies and miso soup that my bf made me. I was gaining weight, and then when I ate a little bit of chocolate bars even more so. For me it wasn't the amount of food, but the hidden calories in oils, and seemingly small treats like chocolate really packed in more calories than a serving of ice cream. My metabolism was also ruined from losing 20 lbs in a month from the stomach flu. I think we all get this when usually it isn't the case about amount.
I'd have to bust out a version of a retort from Miss Manners: "Omigod, how incredibly ignorant! You must be so embarassed to have said that out loud!" For the record, Miss Manners only approved the second part of that ...
I have got to remember that! One simple comment, so many situations to use it.
If it losing weight were 'that easy' we'd all be thin already!
I show them a photo of my daughter. 5ft 2" eats like a horse and NEVER gains weight. She is always 8 stones. She eats like a scabby eyed sheep dog and is the only person I know who can sneeze and lose weight.
I use the saying, eat less, exercise more. Never thought it would offend anyone. And I don't literally mean starve yourself. I mean use portion control and more around more than what you eat in order to lose.
I say this, too, but always in response to the "What are you doing to lose weight?"
I know the person asking is looking for a magic solution, so I just say "I'm eating less and exercising more." They look so disappointed.
Alright not to be the devil's advocate or anything but...
I think when people overthink their responses to the "Just eat less" comments, that's what fuels the "fat people are just full of excuses" stereotype. Can we please be honest with ourselves? I study molecular & cellular biology, I can tell you all kinds of "sciency" ways our body processes fat and calories... I can also definitely tell you that people burn fuel in different ways... But let me tell you, from *my* perspective... When I hear someone say that their genes make them fat, I have to hold myself from rolling my eyes all the way back to my brain. It really does boil down to eating fewer calories and exercising more. Eating some foods, like spicy foods, might temporarily help you burn more calories, but you've gotta eat a LOT of tobasco to lose weight.
So if someone told me to "just eat less," I would say, "Well, I'm eating less calories and making better food choices, as well as exercising most days of the week... Do you have any tips that could give me an extra boost?" And leave it at that. Or else you might spout some extremely bogus science information to the wrong person!
The majority of fat people are not are idiots. Most of us do understand the truth in the statement. And I think most of us also recognize condescension when we hear and see it (as opposed to genuine motives).
"Eat less, move more," is not offensive advice - unless it's paired with the "it's easy," part.
There are a lot of factors that make it far less easy than it would outwardly appear.
The cure to poverty is equally simple (and equally offensive), "it's easy, just get a job (or a job that pays more, or a second job)."
Lizzie originally postedAlright not to be the devil's advocate or anything but...
I think when people overthink their responses to the "Just eat less" comments, that's what fuels the "fat people are just full of excuses" stereotype. Can we please be honest with ourselves? I study molecular & cellular biology, I can tell you all kinds of "sciency" ways our body processes fat and calories... I can also definitely tell you that people burn fuel in different ways... But let me tell you, from *my* perspective... When I hear someone say that their genes make them fat, I have to hold myself from rolling my eyes all the way back to my brain. It really does boil down to eating fewer calories and exercising more. Eating some foods, like spicy foods, might temporarily help you burn more calories, but you've gotta eat a LOT of tobasco to lose weight.
Lizzie, it is not the the science of "Just eat less" that causes our reaction. I agree that if I had eaten less (and moved more) all my life, I would never have been morbidly obese. Someone saying "Just eat less" does not understand the complexity of the problem. It is like telling an alcoholic to just drink less or telling a drug addict to just say no to drugs. If it were that simple, we would not have any alcoholics or drug addicts or morbidly obese people.
i agree with the other lizzie that i hate hearing people say the "my genes make me fat" line. i really think that if you come from "fat stock" it's more to do with the lifestyle in the house. I think back to the kinds of thing we would eat for dinner and it was quite obvious that it wasn't our genes making us fat- it was the hamburger helper and poptarts with butter on them, the loaves and loaves of wonder bread... so on.
as for the other- when you really break down whatever diet you're on- it comes down to eating less and moving more. but obviously it's not that easy. I would say that for most of us who are at least more then just overweight - it's the underlying emotional issues that need to be dealt with more then anything.
Friend - WOW I am stuffed I ate SOOOOO much today. I must have eaten like 1500 calories.
Me - WOW I am starving I ate really carefully today and all the right (healthy satiating etc.) foods but I still feel like I could chew the leg off the table. I need to keep it around 1500 calories but it just doesn't feel like enough.
My genes dont make me fat, but I definitely have always had just a plain bigger appetite. Its one of the reasons I dont do well with intuitive eating. I can EASILY be on the healthiest cleanest food plan in the world and desire 2500-3000 calories a day to feel satisfied. Something is definitely wired differently than my friend who eats 1/2 a bagel and a cup of coffee and is stuffed for hours.
