Why Women Lose Weight—or Don’t

You know, I'm so sick of everyone thinking they're the victim in everything. "It's in my genes" or "It's genetics", such a lame excuse. Every female in my family except me is obese, some morbidly, and they all use that as their excuse too. Well thats all it is is just an excuse, an excuse to eat anything they want and not worry about getting the proper nutrition or exercise they need. I mean really, am I just the lucky one to not be super fat???? NO! I watch what I eat and I bust my ass at the gym. I'm in control of me! And so are all of you fat people. Noone is a victim of their life. You have so much control over so many things in your life. Stop taking the easy way out and blaming everything on someone or something else. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions.

I read a few comments about people saying "it's not what you look like on the outside that counts it's whats on the inside". Let me guess, those statements all came from fat people???? Thin, fit people don't say dumb stuff like that and this is why. One, noone ever said that just because your fat, you're a horrible, terrible, heartless person. Infact, some of the fattest people have the biggest hearts. Two, because it's just not true!!!! What you look like on the outside is a direct reflection of who you are on the inside!!!! That is true!!! You see a fat person and you know they're weak individuals, they don't have a good self esteem, they're not in control of themselves, and maybe they even have an addiction problem, which is again just a weekness. You see a thin, fit man or woman you know they're strong willed, have self control, and a self esteem. They don't make excuses. They're not victims! It's hard work but they say no to McDonalds every day and yes to the stairs.

Lets stop talking about appearance for a minute and focus on health. Not only is it terribly unhealthy to be over weight or obese just because of the fat you're carrying around, but think about how unhealthy the food is that your eating that makes you look that way. Fat, sodium, cholesterol, sugar, more fat.... This crap will kill you even if it doesn't make you fat! Everyone is in control of what they put into their mouths!

Stop being sissys! Get some will power, stop making excuses, take responsibility, and take control of your lives!

Boo-hoo. Most people in America are fat because they are lazy. They want to eat fast food, junk food and loads of unhealthy stuff and not excercise. For the lady with the thyroid problem, I am sorry for your struggle,but you are not the norm. The norm is the American fat ass that needs to get off the sofa and stop eating ho hos.

Being fat is should NEVER be normal. People are just looking for EXCUSES for allowing themselves to get that fat. People shouldn't alter sizes and accept being obese, its not okay or healthy. If someone is obese they need to take a hard look at themselves and do something about that cus people will whisper and point. Plus, its just cutting several YEARS off their life. Being fat is never normal and never will be. Accept it.

I have 3 Sisters. My sisters were always skin and bones growing up. I was not fat......I am big framed. My oldest sister is now 45 and weighs in at 350lbs. She was the worse growing up as far as the names and the cruelty. Karma got her in the end!She is getting gastric bypass surgery this January. She is now buying clothes for the new thin her. Her goal is to be a size 10 and she is telling me she is saving her fat clothes for me. The next sister is 43. She is addicted to diet pills and laxatives. She has overdosed on these pills and nearly died from
them yet she still pops them like crazy. She feels she is OK because she over exercises and
vomits excess foods. She maintains a size 4 this way. Her first husband divorced her because she gained 45lbs during her pregnancy and couldn't get it off fast enough for him. She is now so screwed up trying to stay thin so she can keep a man. Me.....I am 37 and I have listened to my older sister. I tried to keep up with her. At age 16 both of my older sisters were giving me speed(Black Beauties,Robin eggs) because I was so fat at the weight of 155. I have lost weight the right way 1 time in my life. It took me nearly a year to get from a 14 to a size 6. Everything was good until I got married. I got comfortable and started gaining weight rapidly. I have been with my husband for 17 years now. He tells me he loves me for me and if I got huge he would tell me.No....He wouldn't. I am big and he still loves me. I have 1 younger sister...age 35. She always looked sickly skinny. It was not her trying to be skinny. She could never gain weight. It was nothing for her to eat a large bag of potatoe chips a day on top of 3 meals. She never exercised. She just stayed very skinny. She was 5' 8' and weighed 95lbs. She had 2 kids and left the hospital with her pre-pregnancy clothes on. Her and I both had a total/radical hysterectomy within 6 months of each other. She has struggled with her weight ever since. She now is 180lbs and I think she looks wonderful. She cries over her weight gain and is starting to follow my older sisters and their sick weight loss regiments. A lot of things play into obesity. In my case I know what my problems are. I just need to get out of my rut and do the right thing. I am very protective over my 4 year olds weight. I never want her to be fat. I watch everything she eats and I guess I have worked on teaching her what she should eat since birth. I am the one hiding behind a locked door eating the bad stuff so she can't see what I am doing. I am ashamed. I want to change. I feel Obesity is as big of a disease as anorexia or belemia.

To all those who fail to realilze how subjective this all this, or for those who have never experienced weight gain, stop condemning others for your feelings. Yes being obese is dangerous. I have always been a size 12 and NO it wasn't because I was overweight. And yes people do metabolize differently. If science had the all the answers, we wouldn't spend millions each year trying to attain a body image that society dictates.
And a comment on food, unfortunately, the socio-economic status of people in the lower classes, which is the majority, realize that going the fast food route is far cheaper than healthier choices. Just take a look and compare! Who is the real culprit!
Addictions come in all shapes and sizes and for those with an addiction to food, it's about modifying your behaviours, not eating for comfort, getting your highs from exercise and at least giving it an effort.
Those that condemn people for being overweight, EVER stopped to ask if they are at least trying????? Shame on your for thrawting a persons attempt to be healthy. Maybe they need help! And just trying lugging around all that weight when you exercise....I bet you can't! So get off your high horse and contribute to the solution, not make more problems!!! Last time I checked, we are human right? Show some compassion!

Only in America, where our diets are among the worst in the world, where grease is king and vegetables are for the faint of heart, is being morbidly obese considered acceptable. It's going back to the days when smoking was cool and a man wasn't a man unless he was a beer guzzling alcoholic. Don't dress up your lack of self control in designer fashion (Yes, I'm talking to you, Lane Bryant). Get off your "it's what's on the inside that counts" soapbox and realize that you are overweight. When was the last time you heard "Sure, he smokes crack, but it's what's on the inside that counts". Pass the salt please, and while you're at it, pass the guilt. Own up to your own short comings and don't make the rest of us feel like we're bad people when those "shortcomings" won't allow your pleasantly plump physique to squeeze into a seat in coach. We know, we know...the airlines discriminate...blah, blah, boo hoo hoo.

WOW, WHAT TIRADES in these blogs!!! Can we PLEASE move on to some SOLUTIONS???

Any formerly obese people out there who lost tons of weight, got healthy doing it, and have maintained their health and weight for longer than a year? Will you share what worked?

I'd especially like to hear from people who achieved that by doing something RADICALLY DIFFERENT...something that isn't being hyped and sold commercially to people desperate to lose weight. I don't know, something like drinking raw apple cider vinegar every day...any success stories like that out there? Anyone? (And by the way, is there a way to search this site for stories like this and eliminate all the blogs from whiners, holier-than-thouers, criticizers, and just plain nutty people???)

By the way, I don't have a weight problem myself...but I know people who do, and I would LOVE to pass on to them something that will work and not cost them a fortune in the process!

Here's to good health for all!!!!

It is very easy to sit back and judge others. You have no idea what or why they are the way they are. You use Hollywood as a guidelne but they are also married one day and divorced the next. They encourage sleeping around, drinking and drugs. They "adopt" children for publicity not love. They expose their thin bodies on tv and movie screens and promote other lifestyles that encourage pregnancy, aids and other harmful things to those that follow their examples. Aids is more of health risk than obesity and we are wanted to pay for this through our tax dollars not only in the US but other countries as well. Why not up those premiums for aids, alcohol and other sex related diseases. Why? Because this is their lifestyle and they think it is ok. So, no one wants to go against that. Aids is also being spread to the elderly and young innocent children due to various ways, tainted blood etc. Helping others is a good thing including aids research, cancer research but not at the expense of crucifying others. Not everyone has the funds and time to go to a gym. It is getting increasingly dangerous for women to jog or walk outside without getting attacked. Children aren't safe to play outside anymore without constantly being watched and people are having to work longer hours and sometimes more than one job. The article says fat friends encourage others to be fat. NOT true. My aunt was a nurse and adopted a child. My aunt was heavy but her daughter never was. She ate fast food and didn't excercise alot but she was still thin. I have friends that don't gain weight due to my size. I am however treated with disrespect many times in public because I am overweight. People will come to me and ask for money or help but when I need help (like a flat tire) no one helps. I've tried to lose weight since I was a kid and was very active. I have tried all my adult life. I have a thyroid problem but even with taking the medicine I still gain weight. People that don't have a problem with it don't understand how hard it is. They are the 1st to criticize. It is a struggle and the drug companies enjoy the money they make. Ridicule from doctors only makes you not want to go see them. I did a 300 a calorie a day diet for a year at my doctors recommendation and gained weight. People need to be little more understanding. We don't enjoy the weight, the clothes you have to wear because the nice ones are always in another size but the struggle is frustrating.