Is It Ok If I Post Here?
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| Mon, 09-25-2006 - 10:32am |
Thanks everyone who wrote, for your ideas on my last post!
My sister asked why I was posting here on this board and not on a board with other people who lost their weight. She said that it seemed as if I was boasting that I lost the weight and probably made me an unliked person here. That made me not post here for a while. I went back to another board with people on maintenance who lost their weight and I have to say I feel more comfortable here than there!
On the board I was on, one terrible person (that's not the word I want to use) actually called her co workers foul names because they aren't on a diet. I got so angry that anyone on a board dealing with diets and weight loss could call names that I asked that no one be nasty to anyone with a weight issue there.
The responses I got from many people were terrible and filed with vitriol and prejudice and hatred. How can people who had a weight problem now be nasty to someone who still is struggling? I truly don't understand and I can't feel comfortable with people who think that way.
After a lifetime of going through dieting hell, where I really worked HARD to stick on each diet, truly hard and didn't lose anything, I can't stand hearing nasty things said about heavy people and dieting. I spent years not eating, and all it did was make me gain weight when I could no longer stick to really unnaturally stringent diets and ate a normal way. I tried to exercise a lot and pushed myself hard -- and that didn't help me lose one ounce.
The diet that took my weight off worked so well and so easily, I still can't really believe I've lost so much weight and look so different. I mean, it's like I'm dreaming and I might wake up and I will be at my old weight again, so I can't ever say nasty things about anyone because it would be like calling myself names. I was never lazy and I didn't constantly eat bad foods and stuff myself. I get so angry when I hear people say heavy people eat too much. Not every person gains weight the same way.
I still remember the phone call I had with my Nutrisystem consultant (www.getns.com/skatss) when she told me that I should NEVER feel hungry on my diet and to eat when I had the urge to. She also told me that any exercise plan I tried should never make me feel bad. Never go for the burn -- exercise for your own satisfaction and pleasure!
My first reaction was to think she was wrong, but she explained that stressful dieting and exercising makes the body go into stress mode and will read that stress as a cue to protect itself. All the body knows is that it isn't getting food is working hard and that there might be a famine going on and that there might not be food to be eaten. The metabolism will go slower to protect the body from starvation even when you are exercising.
I still didn't believe her but thought that I'd try it. I made certain I wasn't stressed out about eating or hungry and I always had a salad or veggie snacks, or very low calorie snacks to eat when I was hungry. I didn't force myself to exercise. All I did was take leisurely walks at first. I made sure to enjoy my strolls and look around and take pleasure from it. To my surprise I lost weight like mad!
My loss proved the point I was trying to tell people my whole life. It wasn't how much you ate but really what you ate. Not how much you exercised but that you moved around at all.
I'm sorry for going on like this, but it bothers me so much that there is such prejudice heaped on heavy people, and that somehow it's OK to voice that. Why is that so? I know I am overly sensitive to the topic, but I can't forget what I went through my whole life, of being tortured because of my weight -- and I'm not sure I want to.
This board is supportive of people and I need to be around kind, supportive people, not arrogant bigoted ones like at the other board I tried to be a part of.
If my posts rub anyone wrong on this board, then just say so and I'll just lurk, I can understand why I might not be liked here because I somehow managed to find a diet that helped me lose the weight. I can see that it looks like I'm boasting, but really, I'm not. I'm still surprised I lost any weight at all.
Sorry I've this post was so long. After the other board, I just needed to visit a place with nice people on it, so I came here.
Irene

Irene,
It's great to hear such a great success story. It is baffling why people who have lost lots of weight cannot find compassion for others who are struggling to lose, isn't it? I'm sorry that others gave you a hard time when you found compassion for those other people.
There is a memeber here, Colleen, who had been asking about nutrisystem and how it works. I'm sure she will be curious to talk to you and about your success.
Congratulations to you for finding success with something that works for you! I wish you much happiness.
♥danielle
Ya know, some people may try to think you are boasting but I choose to think you are sharing your story to let us all know that there is hope of success. I personally have not found that magic diet for me, everyone is different and different things work for different people. I am glad you found one that worked so great for you. IT gives hope that I will find one that works for me too. I know what you mean about people automatically thinking the way you gained weight was by sitting on your rump and eating non-stop when in fact that isn't the case most of the time! I personally gained mine from meds and kids not from eating. I do eat a lot don't get me wrong, but I always have and have had a hard time adjusting my intake to match my metabolism as it slows down. I don't however, sit and eat bon bons all day as I heard suggested on a debate board.......LOL The comment was something along the lines of SAHM were spoiled and sat and ate bon bon's all day. yea IF ONLY WE COULD BE THAT LAZY!! I still am shocked that chasing a toddler isn't enough exercise in itself but I am told over and over that isn't exercise. Oh well!! Thank you for posting about your success, and making sure everyone understood that you aren't boasting but rather looking for people who understand how you felt the whole time and unfortunately still feel prejudiced against. I am truly sorry you still get that.
Angela
HI,
It's nice to read success stories. It's great that you found something that works for you.
Congratulations on you weightloss!
I'm glad you like it here and you are always welcomed! I'm just speaking for myself, but I definitely don't want you to go away just because you have lost your weight! I'm sure no one else here feels that way either :). I think that being 100 or more pounds overweight and deciding to lose that weight puts people in a different position than those who have signifcantly less to lose. We all know how hard it is to lose and I personally think it's motivational to see someone who has done it and is maintaining it, because it's a source of hope. You are always welcome here and I'm sorr that you've had such bad reactions elsewhere!
Staci
p.s. I believe we have at least one other member on this board who has lost all her weight, too, so you aren't alone :).