LogFAQs > #956089400

Knowledge of the mechanics of weight loss isn't the only factor. Mental/emotional health and financial/time management matter as well, as do individual biology (I'm NOT talking about metabolism) and environment. The only thing a vast majority of fat people have in common is that they're taking in more calories than they burn. The variation in reasons behind that is endless though, so you can't give such general advice like it's all that matters, even if it is functionally sound.

It's not enough to know that you're eating too much and that you should eat less. You have to figure out why you eat so much in the first place and/or why you can't continue eating like that, and either one of those things can potentially be a very daunting undertaking. It can include things like changing lifelong habits, confronting a painful past, or compromise/sacrifice in social or professional situations. That can take time and effort far beyond the act of cutting portions in half.

On the other side of things, consequences can be a powerful motivator. It took the looming specter of death to finally get me to change. Then again, even that might not be enough to make someone change. Humans will take all kinds of things, turn it into a problem, then complain about it while doing nothing to change as the situation just gets worse and worse. Meaningful action can be hard to come by the further you get into a bad situation.

When the compulsion to overeat, wherever it comes from, meets the inability to stop, it's terribly easy to get stuck in a negative feedback loop. It's a very rich tapestry that can quickly and easily complicate even the most simple and reasonable requests, like eating less. Navigating all of that is a bitch.

KINDERFELD posted...

You'll actually begin to feel better about yourself once you begin to lose weight.

That's far from a guarantee and another oversimplification. Weight loss has benefits that can include a boost in self-esteem but it can also have drawbacks, especially for heavier people or people who've been fat for a long time. It is a dramatic process with all kinds of adjustments to make along the way and upon completion. There are lots of things to be found and lost through weight loss, and they're not neatly categorized between the good and bad.

I can say from personal experience that the mental adjustment has been rough in ways I never anticipated and I've had to really dig deep for the persistence and toughness to get through it, though I contend it is entirely worth it.

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