Snarl -
 

I swear to god if one more person gives people struggling with their weight pithy little one line sayings like

"eat less move more" and my current rant starter

"eat food, not too much, mostly plants"

I am going to blow a gasket.

I love how people who have never struggled have weight loss and weight maintenance all figured out. I am not disrespecting the Pollan book - I think he has a lot of good to say. Just people who think that anyone who struggles with their weight just needs to hear those specific 7 words over and over and over and over.

Haha. Those words a little too oversimplified ya think?

Well, we all know that it is simple. Simple, yet so very difficult. Grrrr.

I find it helpful to think those particular seven words over and over ;)

But I do know what you mean. It's one thing when a concept is helping you and you're working it, it's another when someone else is ignoring the complexities you face, or trying to make THEIR solution YOUR solution.

ennay - I have to agree. We all know why we have a weight problem, we've been dealing with it, for some of us, a very long time. Those that talk about being 'fat' when they gain 5 pounds, I find especially irritating. All the helpful ideas and encouragement that we receive from each other here, is what we need and what will help. By the way, what are the 7 words?

"eat food, not too much, mostly plants"

If it really were that easy, we wouldnt have alarming obesity rates!

Easy and simple aren't the same thing.

I find a lot of concepts that break something down to a simple form are irritating at first. But at some point, I find I'm more ready for it to be that simple. In the end, the simplicity really speaks to you.

But if you're not ready, you're not ready. You have to go with what works for you right now. It eventually changes itself, but you can't force it.

I don't know the book you refer too, but "eat less move more" is true, if you do these two things you will lose weight.

bargoo - I am not saying it is WRONG, just that it ignores the complexity of most peoples problems.

And when said in response to someone who is asking for HELP it very condescending.

Keeping in mind that we are all different, my story agrees with "eat less, move more" saying. I started losing steadily in August when I followed Atkins'72 and did portion control plus upped my activity level. My original loss of 85 pounds in 2003 began with a daily walk of 10k rain or shine.

I also know that those sayings can irritate the heck out of someone in the midst of the struggle. I remember running to catch the bus at 240 and the slim, young bus driver saying "you need to move more". Throwing gas on the fire is what it is because I know the weight gain had complex reasons behind it.
:newyear:

"Eat less, move more" was my mantra all the way down to goal so, for me, it is not over-simplified. It is simply truth, and sometimes truth is simple.

I do not think it matters what short pithy sentence a thin person directs at a heavier person -- often, no matter what they say (Especially if they have never had a weight problem...), it feels like he or she is being condescending. Sometimes it is true and sometimes it isn't, but whenever it happens, it points out to the overweight person that this THIN person thinks he or she is FAT.

It is an uncomfortable, unpleasant feeling, and then when the thinner person follows it up with some little "saying", it seems to add insult to injury. But the truth is that, for most people, unless there is a thyroid problem, a disability or some other medical condition, BOTH those phrases are absolutely accurate. I think they are annoying because they are so simple...but also the truth.

Recently a friend asked me how I lost my weight-- I said "less in, more out" and then immediately after seeing her, called her cell to apologize for being so glib.

And acknowledged how difficult managing weight is.

When I saw her again, a few weeks ago, she repeated my lines and said-- that about sums it up, huh? (She has put on many pounds d/t an injury and steroid treatment) Then she called ME to tell me the next time she went to the cupboard, she thought of me and shut the door.

We ALL go thru it.

:hugs:

100% ture.

But no one ever said it was going to beeasy. Simple yes. Easy no.

One of my favorite quotes:

"If we would just recognize that life is hard, things would be much easier".

We have no way of knowing which phrase or comment is going to spur someone on to make a change in their lives or what will be someone's "lightbulb" moment.

I agree it is the truth. However, there is so much pain in the world and none of us knows what the next guy is dealing with so in mindfulness meditation we are taught to watch our speech and another mantra is to treat all sentient beings with kindness. We know that being hit in the face with reality has rarely changed people's habits. The pithy sayings used did not start my journey. For me it was fear I would die before seeing my niece (whom I raised) get married and have kids. With my goal being reached I am hopeful now of seeing my grand niece/nephew who is coming in 2009!

Blessings!