Something that has been bothering me lately is that a lot of people, when they ask me how I have lost the weight, seem bothered by the fact that I don't have a quick fix answer for them. A lot of them say that diet and exercise just don't work for them. This really bothers me because diet and exercise works for EVERYONE (unless you have a medical condition that makes it not work for you). If someone thinks that they are staying within their allotted calories for the day and they still can't lose anything then they really need to examine whether or not they are counting every calorie they consume. You can't just take bites here and there without counting them. That kind of cheating will completely sabotage your weight loss. If someone sticks to 1200-1600 calories a day and honestly only eats that amount... even without much exercise... they WILL lose. I am just tired of the excuses, I guess...

First of all, congratulations on your weight loss. You're doing incredible and 120+ pounds lost is amazing! People should definitely listen to you if they're asking for diet tips.

I've lost my first 50lbs even without exercise. Weight loss is not only possible for most people it really isn't that difficult. Everything is a choice--cheeseburger and fries or chicken and veggies? Ice cream or yogurt? Coke or water? It's just about choosing the right thing and continuing to do so even if you slip up. Like you said, people who say it doesn't work for them probably made a common mistake like eating better but still overeating or not counting a cookie or two in the evening, which does a lot of damage.

I disappoint people too. The dental receptionists yesterday said
1. You've lost more weight, haven't you?
Ans: Yes. thankyou for noticing.
2. How much have you lost?
Ans: About 80lbs.
3. What's that? (maths calcs going on)
Ans: About 5 stone 10lbs.
4. So How are you doing it?
Ans: Eating less and moving more.
5. ????????

It was kind of them to comment but they were so weirded that it wasn't a fancy-named plan.

Obviously, there are people whose health conditions mean it's not that easy but for me, 100% (less food) + (more exercise) works every single time. (Memo to self: so DO IT!)

Thank you for posting this.

Dieting brings out a variant of the Lake Woebegone effect: everyone has a slower metabolism than average.

Here...here!!! Stop the EXCUSES!!! Arrrrggghh!

Thank you for posting this!

It only bothers me when people have to explain why they can't do it: "I envy you, my kids keep me too busy". We all have 24 hours in a day. If you have things that are more important to you than losing weight, that's fine--that may well be the best possible choice--but I make real sacrifices to find the time.

Even worse that that are the people that use "I have no time to exercise" as an excuse to eat whatever they want. It's comforting to believe that exercise is everything, because then when you can't exercise, you can eat pizza. When people get really fixated on my exercise habits, I set them straight--yes, I exercise a lot, but the impact is tiny compared to my diet.

The reaction I find amusing is that they're absolutely shocked that it was diet and exercise and not some pill/powder/surgery/magic wand.

It's like diet and exercise was the last thing that they were expecting to hear.

You do make a good point, losing weight is really simple calories in vs. calories out. However, it can be more difficult to lose the weight if you have an emotional attachment to food, or do not want to give up certain foods. I think that is why some people find it hard to "diet" and eat a certain amount of calories. I have trouble staying in my calorie range because a lot losing weight for me is psychological. It is not just the actual process of eating less and exercising.

I had my cousin tell me that she wasn't losing weight and had been trying for months. She was eating way too many calories when I asked her about her foods. I think there needs to be more education on weight loss released to the general public.

So so true!!! I have 2 friends who started out on this journey with me in May. Sad to say, I am the only one who has been successful because I am the only one who stuck with it. They continually ask me what else am I doing - my answer is always (to their disappointment) eat less and move more.

I worked damn hard for this, this was not done by some magic pill!!

Congrats on your weight loss - fantastic!!!

I have to say that nobody told me that diet and exercise doesn't work for them; but I was asked how I lost the weight, my answer was "Exercise". I am not really dieting - I am simply not stuffing my face with pizza and burgers and what not. Also, I am not counting calories.
But, my co-workers or whoever asked me, very excitedly, how I lost the weight all put on a VERY disappointed face when I said it was exercise. They ALL hoped for some miraculous method, something painless that does not involve getting the body off the couch and a strong willpower. :-)

I have had people, including one at the gym yesterday, just walk away in the middle of my answering them when they realize that my answer isn't some magic something they can use for a quick, easy fix. They ask me about my body bugg all the time and they get all excited. I explain to them that it counts the calories I burn and I count the calories I eat and they get all deflated. What? Did you think it was sitting there sucking all the fat out of me through my arm? If only it could be so easy! Silly people!

Sadly, I know this now, but you couldn't have told me this a year ago. And I'd have argued with you too. What a different response I'd have posted a year ago.

A year ago I'd have said: But I do exercise, and I do so like a mad woman. I hit the gym 6 days a week, sometimes three hours at a time. And I follow South Beach without even one cheat. I am ridiculously honest with myself and still the weight does not come off. I am broken.

Today I can say: It's about persistence as much as it is about being on plan. Being really strict is great, but it must be sustainable. If you're going to go all out, that's fine, but you have to keep up with it and give it time because stalls happen to everyone. It wasn't that the weight wasn't coming off, it was that the weight wasn't coming off fast enough for me, especially when I compared myself to others.

So yep...given time, diet and exercise works and I now believe it can work for anyone with an exception rate of only maybe 1%.

The nurse at the doctor's office asked me the other day how I had done it, and I told her counting calories and working on being more active. She said, "oh weight watchers?" and I said no, just on my own...and she just kind of looked at me and said "people don't just do that". I know she knows it's possible, but large weight loss is rare. I agree with you - I find the equation fairly simple...but I do believe you need to be READY to make the change in your life. I wish I could tell people how to make the mental switch, because I do believe that's the key.

It's that mental switch that people aren't willing to do. I wasn't ready for YEARS. What? Give up eating whatever I want, whenever I want and pick up moving around, on purpose? It's easy to just live day to day without turning on the brain. Without feeling the problems it's creating. Avoiding the doctor's office just because you don't want to know!

Switching the mental key is the hard part. Being ready to make a lifestyle change is extremely difficult. ANYONE can lose 10 pounds or 20-30 pounds, but how many can maintain that loss? Obviously most do not, otherwise there wouldn't be a term such as 'weight loss industry'.

I even ask myself and look around at others here - how many will still be here a year from now? I sure plan to be and believe I will be, but don't we all plan to take it off and KEEP it off?

What are the percentages anyway? How many people actually keep it off for at least 2 years? How about 5? 10? Life?