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Monday, July 2, 2012

Everyone is a Weight Loss Pro

Do you notice that?

That the second someone loses 10 pounds they automatically become and expert in all things weight loss.  They begin using blanket statements like "Losing weight is easy.  Eat less and exercise more."  They fail.

I'm no expert.  Heck, I've tried to make it transparently clear that I'm just a fatty bumbling along and sharing with you what has worked or failed for me.  If I haven't, I apologize.  Let me say it again:

I'M NOT A PRO!

Why is this important?  Because few people are.  Even the so-called professionals are guilty of weight loss tunnel vision and failure to take into account that everyone is different.  Not just when it comes to motivation, ability, and number of pounds to lose.

Here are my major rants for the day:

*Not everyone trying to lose weight needs to eat healthier and less food.

  • Guess what?  I was under-eating.  My caloric intake barely cracked 900 cals on most days.  I was never hungry.  I ate when I was.  
  • The reason my per-day caloric intake was so low was because I already was eating healthy foods.  I would gorge myself on mixed greens with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.  Super tasty!  So my lunches hardly cracked 100 calories all counted.  My breakfasts we usually a piece of peanut butter toast and then I'd snack on cheese, nuts, and raw veggies all day.
*Not everyone is fat.
  • Just because someone asks for diet advice, doesn't mean they are looking to reduce their caloric intake.
  • Some people want to gain weight.  this can be just as difficult as losing.
  • Just because YOU think someone looks perfect, doesn't mean you can belittle their attempt at change.  Generally speaking, I think women want to feel pretty.  I'm not saying women should push themselves to lose weight that their body wants to keep, but they can certainly reshape their body with exercise.  Get that toned and athletic figure.
*Just because it worked for you, doesn't mean it's a good idea.
  • Almost daily I see people defending their questionable choices.  HCG diets are the big one.  People going on and on about how great it is and that they lost oodles of pounds practically overnight.  Whether orally or injected, why would you think that putting hormones or chemicals in your body is a good thing?  And 500 calories is all you eat on some days...  yeah, sounds healthy.  Did you even bother to read ALL the negative reviews on the diet?  I've found nothing but reports of people who gained it all back within a year of ending the program.  Because the bad habits that made them fat in the first place haven't been addressed so they continue to do the same old crap.
  • You didn't gain the weight overnight, why would you expect it to disappear that fast.  Good things come to those who wait.
*Everyone is different.
  • What works for me might not work for you.  Some people bloat at the first sign of salt, or wheat, or sugar, or soda.  Other people would have to eat a lb of salt before they start retaining.  The only real truth is that water does indeed help flush out your system and that your body IS constantly striving for homeostasis.  Help it out.
  • I lost weight eating lots of veggies.  If veggies make you want to vomit, don't force-feed yourself.  just find another healthy alternative that gets you all the good stuff out of food.  I still love food.  If I don't like it, I don't eat it.  A diet that feels like torture is a diet that's easy to give up on.  I would and wouldn't blame you.

*END RANT*