Losing weight why is it so hard for so many people?

[Chaotic Harmony]

Nope.

I read an article in L.A. Yoga that stated that it's really not enough to just go to the gym and get on the walking machine or what have you if your ass sits at a desk 10 hours a day, and advised that people constantly attempt to stand up or move around while working at a desk job, taking the stairs, etc.

No, it's not just about type of exercise, it's sum total of time being sedentary versus being active.

This is why I get up every hour and make a lap around campus or just stand up at my desk and stretch. I hate sitting.

 

[PeaceBaby]

I think you have to take into account the emotional role that food plays for some people ...
So I think cultural (or subculture) norms play a role...
In addition, your exposure earlier in life to physical exercise influences how much of a role you think it should play in your life...

Yes, I agree to all of that. But at the fundamental, bottom line level, it is still math. Your post helps explain some of the elements in the equation that make it harder for any given individual to lose weight, but losing weight is ultimately calories in vs calories out. Other aspects in the equation would include gender, genetic expression of genes that encode for metabolism, hormonal reactions to stress, possibly what your mother ate while carrying you and what you ate as a toddler, bad advice to follow fad diets etc. etc.

Allergies also play a significant role in weight retention (particularly water, but also fat).

Agreed. And as you say, that's not fat. Seeing it for what it was what ultimately solved that riddle.

After discovering I was celiac (through a friend - I had been to about 10 doctors with no results and finally got tested for that at her suggestion) and going off gluten, I started losing weight with very little effort. I am still not at an ideal weight, but am also aware that I should be cutting out dairy entirely, as it is a problem for my guts too. Socially though, I find it difficult to be off both dairy and gluten on a long term basis.

Yes, it is difficult. We feed cattle grain to fatten them up, so that initial weight loss when you first go GF is certainly tied into the abundance of calories found in grains. The key to not gaining it all back is to not replace all of the wheat things with rice or corn substitutions.

Anyway, weight loss isn't solely about calories in and out, even though I think in our culture that is a significant issue and the sheer availability and cheapness of non-nutritious food makes the struggle worse, especially when coupled with stressful lifestyle and not much time.

Edited to make better sense : Yes, weight loss is solely about calories in vs calories out, regardless of the myriad of other factors we take into account.

There's not a single person who won't lose weight on a calorie-restricted diet. Even a calorie-restricted junk food diet. Even a diet that makes you sick due to allergies or other considerations.

 

[Lark]

Some people find losing weight and getting fit easy but they must've found the opposite easy too in order to have to have the experience of exercising and needing to lose weight in the first place.

I dont think its all will power or assorted and associated vagaries when it comes to losing weight and gaining fitness, its not that easy, at the same time I dont think its impossible and people make a lot of excuses. I've never made excuses, I've always known I could or should do better but there's so many hours in the day and they cant all be spent working out and the day be a satisfactory day, at least for me.

 

[Stanton Moore]

I think it's important to develop a routine that you can stick to, rather than go too hard at first, burn out and quit. Just get yourself to the gym, or on the bike, or on the floor, or where ever you exercise.
Same thing goes for food. try to get a salad instead of fries. Make new habits that you can stick to. then you can adjust the amount based on results and how you feel.
I started eating a lot more fiber and smaller meals on most days of the week. I also greatly reduced sugar and most (but not all) fats.
Most people use food as a reward, and you have to learn to stop this habit, or at least control it. You can still enjoy a piece of cake if you have delayed that gratification. Just remember that when you want to eat something really badly, you still can do that tomorrow instead of right now.
Deep breathing is really important for calming yourself and staying on track, expecially when you're hungry (or think you are).
Another trick: eat only until hunger goes away, and no more. this is not easy at a restaurant, but if you get in the habit of listening to your body, you will eat less naturally.
2 cents...

 

[Chaotic Harmony]

I think it's important to develop a routine that you can stick to, rather than go too hard at first, burn out and quit. Just get yourself to the gym, or on the bike, or on the floor, or where ever you exercise.
Same thing goes for food. try to get a salad instead of fries. Make new habits that you can stick to. then you can adjust the amount based on results and how you feel.
I started eating a lot more fiber and smaller meals on most days of the week. I also greatly reduced sugar and most (but not all) fats.
Most people use food as a reward, and you have to learn to stop this habit, or at least control it. You can still enjoy a piece of cake if you have delayed that gratification. Just remember that when you want to eat something really badly, you still can do that tomorrow instead of right now.
Deep breathing is really important for calming yourself and staying on track, expecially when you're hungry (or think you are).
Another trick: eat only until hunger goes away, and no more. this is not easy at a restaurant, but if you get in the habit of listening to your body, you will eat less naturally.
2 cents...

At a restaurant, another good way to handle not overeating is to get a to go box and pack half the meal up. Most restaurants in the US serve far too large of portion sizes anyway. It's getting ridiculous.

 

[Such Irony]

Several reasons:

People try too hard at first. Overexercising and giving up all their favorite foods. Not too difficult in the short term but difficult to keep up such a drastic change over a long term. As a result, people lose weight quickly at first only to gain it all back later.

Lack of confidence. If you think you're going to fail, you probably will.

Lack of support. If you're trying to live a healthier lifestyle and your family, roommates, etc. gorge on junk food and don't seem to care, it's more difficult then if you're with people who support your goals and help you along the way.

Lack of time and convenience. Fast food is quicker than making a good wholesome meal. Working out takes time. It's not like you have to take out a huge chunk of your day out for it, only about 30 minutes or so but if you're working a really demanding job, have alot of other committments, kids to take care of, etc. That 30 minutes or so may not be so easy to squeeze in.

 

[ceecee]

At a restaurant, another good way to handle not overeating is to get a to go box and pack half the meal up. Most restaurants in the US serve far too large of portion sizes anyway. It's getting ridiculous.

I think this reason is far too understated. We have no idea what a portion size even is until we start seeing it. Saying - a serving is the size of a deck of cards is all fine and well. Until you actually see it, you don't know. It's impossible to visualize, at least it was for me. I watch portion size more and watch what I eat less. Not to say eating a McDonalds cheeseburger every day is ok because it's small but if people saw the amounts they should eat, I think weight loss would be somewhat easier. And....people have got to start cooking for themselves. This is the only way to control what you're eating.

 

[Rail Tracer]

Was contemplating whether to post or not. If anything sounds snarky or something, it was unintended

Yes, I agree to all of that. But at the fundamental, bottom line level, it is still math. Your post helps explain some of the elements in the equation that make it harder for any given individual to lose weight, but losing weight is ultimately calories in vs calories out. Other aspects in the equation would include gender, genetic expression of genes that encode for metabolism, hormonal reactions to stress, possibly what your mother ate while carrying you and what you ate as a toddler,

That is the gist of it, although I don't count calories. It takes me about 2200 (sedentary) to 3000(very active) to gain the weight I need. While some can easily get to that much calories in 1 or 2 meals, I tend to have a harder time. For someone like me, I always try to add an extra apple/orange to my meals (protein shake if I am exercising.) This principle can be applied to people trying to lose weight. But instead of taking away the apple, it would be slowly taking away the snacks, the ready-made/fast-food, or the easily-made foods. That doesn't mean that people trying to lose weight have to give it up though.

The biggest offenders tend to be processed or canned food. So whenever I am buying food, I always look at the back of the label for a few things (Doesn't always apply with fruits, vegetables, and meat, but the portions can be guessed.)

What I tend to look at:
Calories
Vitamins/Minerals...particularly Sodium (there is not an aisle at the supermarket where there are more items that have more potassium than sodium in it,) Potassium
Simple Carbs vs Complex Carbs.
"Regular" fats vs trans-fat(just because it says 0g trans-fat doesn't mean it is 0g.... companies have leeway in that if it is 5g or less, they can say that there is 0g of trans-fat)

There is a whole plethora of things that I can say. Some may think a particular food is "healthy," but I see so much sodium added to the food, it might as well be junk.

A big deal of the American Diet can be absolved by just looking at the label. I'd rather not fix my eating habits after I get diabetes, high blood pressure, or a heart attack.

bad advice to follow fad diets etc. etc.

Fad diets, or what people call diets in general, makes me cringe. Not only that, easy weight gain meal plans also make me cringe.

For most of them, it takes the thinking out of the person trying to lose/gain weight out of the person's hands, and that is the last thing a person should do if he/she wants to sustain losing/gaining weight.

 

[Quinlan]

In over/under feeding studies people react very differently to the exact same diet and exercise regime, some lose a lot some lose a little all the while their calorie intake and intentional exercise is being carefully controlled. Some people are just built to survive (or even thrive) on very little, either through their heritage (thrifty gene hypothesis) or their development in the womb and early childhood (babies with small birth weights tend to have a high set point in later life that overcompensates as a genetic response to what the body/genes see as an environment where food is scarce).

 

[Chaotic Harmony]

I think this reason is far too understated. We have no idea what a portion size even is until we start seeing it. Saying - a serving is the size of a deck of cards is all fine and well. Until you actually see it, you don't know. It's impossible to visualize, at least it was for me. I watch portion size more and watch what I eat less. Not to say eating a McDonalds cheeseburger every day is ok because it's small but if people saw the amounts they should eat, I think weight loss would be somewhat easier. And....people have got to start cooking for themselves. This is the only way to control what you're eating.

My mom also pointed out that when she was younger the size of an actual meal at McDonald's was the size of what a Happy Meal is now. It's crazy how our portion sizes have doubled and tripled over time. It always kills me when I read a review of a restaurant and someone complains that the portion size is too small.

 

[jixmixfix]

My mom also pointed out that when she was younger the size of an actual meal at McDonald's was the size of what a Happy Meal is now. It's crazy how our portion sizes have doubled and tripled over time. It always kills me when I read a review of a restaurant and someone complains that the portion size is too small.

Really? Mcdonalds portions are small other than the fries I think. It's loaded with fat and salt though so it really doens't matter.portions only really come into play when you're eating something high in fat or sugar and carbs. Eating two plates of vegtables instead of one wont make you gain weight as much as eating 2 burgers. The question is more of what you are putting into your system instead of how much.

 

[Chaotic Harmony]

Really? Mcdonalds portions are small other than the fries I think. It's loaded with fat and salt though so it really doens't matter.portions only really come into play when you're eating something high in fat or sugar and carbs. Eating two plates of vegtables instead of one wont make you gain weight as much as eating 2 burgers. The question is more of what you are putting into your system instead of how much.

The fries and the size of the burgers is what she was talking about. And that was a fairly obvious statement about vegetables vs burgers. Unless of course you load those veggies down with salts and butters like a lot of people do.

 

[jixmixfix]

The fries and the size of the burgers is what she was talking about. And that was a fairly obvious statement about vegetables vs burgers. Unless of course you load those veggies down with salts and butters like a lot of people do.

The size of the burgers are small are you serious? the meat is paper thin this is how mcdonalds makes their money. I'm trying to show the difference between healthy vs unhealthy it's an obvious statement that most people can't grasp since most of people get fixated on calorie count which isn't as important as what you are actually putting into your body.

 

[Chaotic Harmony]

The size of the burgers are small are you serious? the meat is paper thin this is how mcdonalds makes their money. I'm trying to show the difference between healthy vs unhealthy it's an obvious statement that most people can't grasp since alot of people get fixated on calorie count which isn't as important as what you are actually putting into your body.

Sigh... My mom is coming up on 60. Back in the day their burgers weren't stacked three high like they are now. There wasn't a Big Mac back then. Angus Burgers weren't around. The burgers in their Happy Meals are smaller than the burgers in their regular menu selection. Yes, I'm serious. I watch my stubborn ass husband get them when I'm busy and not fixing a meal. I still can't fathom why they have a combo meal that comes with two cheeseburgers. It drives me insane.

I'm not arguing with you on the second part considering I'm on a raw/organic foods diet the vast majority of the time. I follow Dr. Axe's site, radio show, etc and that's exactly what he's all about. Focusing more on the nutrient dense foods and less on how many calories, fat, carbs, etc something has. And guess what? I don't think it tastes terrible. I actually think it tastes better and sure as hell makes me feel better.

 

[Chiharu]

I think it depends on how much weight you're trying to lose. There have been studies that show that once you reach a certain weight some distance from your equilibrium weight, your body loses some of it's ability to prevent fat from accumulating. It's usually simple to maintain a healthy weight if you've never gained a significant amount.

Plus, if one is fat because of the food that they eat (which is not the case with every person) refined grains and sugars and chemically altered foods are addictive. So in that respect it's like asking someone why it's so hard to quit smoking if you've never touched a cigarette.

There's a book called Fit2Fat2Fit, in which a health-nut personal trainer gained 75 lbs in order to prove that it wasn't so hard to lose weight. He came out of the experience with a very different attitude.

 

[Thalassa]

Sigh... My mom is coming up on 60. Back in the day their burgers weren't stacked three high like they are now. There wasn't a Big Mac back then. Angus Burgers weren't around. The burgers in their Happy Meals are smaller than the burgers in their regular menu selection. Yes, I'm serious. I watch my stubborn ass husband get them when I'm busy and not fixing a meal. I still can't fathom why they have a combo meal that comes with two cheeseburgers. It drives me insane.

I'm not arguing with you on the second part considering I'm on a raw/organic foods diet the vast majority of the time. I follow Dr. Axe's site, radio show, etc and that's exactly what he's all about. Focusing more on the nutrient dense foods and less on how many calories, fat, carbs, etc something has. And guess what? I don't think it tastes terrible. I actually think it tastes better and sure as hell makes me feel better.

You are correct. Even around 1980 the average size for an adult meal was what would be considered a small or even child's size drink, a small fry and a regular hamburger or cheeseburger.

Big Macs are mostly bread, but I guess people accept double cheeseburgers as the norm now, with large fries and a huge drink

Huge drinks are often the problem, too, if it's just a big ol container of high fructose corn syrup flavored water.

 

[Quinlan]

I don't buy all this talk of burgers, portion size and gluttony, there were obesity epidemics well before people started eating Big Macs and supersized cokes.

The introduction/availability of grains and or cane sugar is all it takes to induce an obesity epidemic in some populations.

 

[jixmixfix]

Sigh... My mom is coming up on 60. Back in the day their burgers weren't stacked three high like they are now. There wasn't a Big Mac back then. Angus Burgers weren't around. The burgers in their Happy Meals are smaller than the burgers in their regular menu selection. Yes, I'm serious. I watch my stubborn ass husband get them when I'm busy and not fixing a meal. I still can't fathom why they have a combo meal that comes with two cheeseburgers. It drives me insane.

I'm not arguing with you on the second part considering I'm on a raw/organic foods diet the vast majority of the time. I follow Dr. Axe's site, radio show, etc and that's exactly what he's all about. Focusing more on the nutrient dense foods and less on how many calories, fat, carbs, etc something has. And guess what? I don't think it tastes terrible. I actually think it tastes better and sure as hell makes me feel better.

You get the same portions for what you paid back then, than you do now the difference is that the selection has changed allowing you to buy bigger or smaller portions.the selection now days is much greater which is meant to make people buy more food thus generate more buisness.

 

[Within]

I believe people make losing weight harder than it actually is, I've been able to lose a lot of weight by eating right and doing a doing cardio routine maybe 2-3 times a week? It doesn't take a rocket science book to figure this out. Chances are if it tastes nasty and green and makes you fart, it's probably pretty damn good for you, gobble that shit up.

It's comforting to know that we have a mind that encompasses all psychological and physiological factors that exist throughout the human race, on this forum.

 

[highlander]

It's not that healthy foods taste bad, it's that they have no flavor until you dip them in ranch dressing or put them on a cheeseburger. Who the hell wants to eat food with no flavor?

That coupled with the fact that exercise is downright painful the first few weeks you start and remains uncomfortable after that discourages many people from following through on it.

This in my mind is really the issue.

I've lost 8 pounds over the last couple months by eating well and exercising. It's not difficult. I miss pizza though.