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It's not simple math. As someone who has struggled with overweight their entire adult life it feels more like an addiction. And it is heavily influenced by your
by INTPenis 4y ago
It's not simple math. As someone who has struggled with overweight their entire adult life it feels more like an addiction. And it is heavily influenced by your mental state.
I've been known to experience blackout-like behavior where my brain just disconnects and I end up buying some unhealthy snack because I subconsciously want it.
It has gotten a lot better with age though, just last week a girlfriend called me "fit" and I was shocked. So I have lost a lot of weight and I've worked hard on managing my purchases. Just like drugs, as long as it's not in my home, I won't use it.
But any snacks, candy or ice cream in my home gets eaten. In my later 30s I started throwing shit out, like candy into the trash, ice cream in the sink, just like an alcoholic. It's not just math. It's a very difficult mental health problem.
And it's absolutely exasperated by in-store displays of candy and snacks. They're selling death to addicts, in color.
- cercatrova 4y agoWeight loss being math and being difficult emotionally are not mutually exclusive. It is difficult, yes, but it still comes down to the math of calories in < calories out. I think it's important that we not think it's complicated from a math point of view lest people start thinking that only the quality of their foods matters, not their amounts; some people actually think that eating fat itself (lard, butter, etc) is the primary cause of what makes you fat, which is false.
- INTPenis 4y agoNo of course not, and I'm smart enough to know the basic formula. But to simplify a lifelong struggle down to "simple math" is kinda disrespectful to all those struggling.
- mkmk3 4y agoI really respected your post, I like the recognition of behaviours that can cause obesity as being common across other types of addiction. I also like the parent your responding to though, because while you make an insightful point, it's helpful to keep it grounded. You have the sense for the parents post to feel obvious, but I think others do overcomplicate it. The function can be simple math, and the factors psychologically/emotionally difficult to deal with. Recognizing that is not lessening the struggle, from where I'm standing
- elenaferrantes 4y agoThe complexity is not in the math. The complexity is how normal people eat _just the right amount_ of calories to maintain the same weight.
- chrismorgan 4y ago> exasperated FYI: exacerbated.
- INTPenis 4y agoThank you. I knew something was wrong and I actually realized like 20 minutes ago on a dog walk that I had used the wrong word.
- andrelaszlo 4y agoDid it turn in to a dog jog when you realized?
- INTPenis 4y agoNaw I don't care about online shit lol. I do care about being accurate though.
- axus 4y agoI'd agree, not buying extra calories is easier than limiting consumption of things in reach. It's more complicated when the food is a shared resource, and you don't want to punish the people who already have good self control.