Question:
Looking for good analogies to explain the emotional effects of yo-yo dieting
I have a couple of well-intentioned people in my life who just cannot understand what years and years of yo-yo dieting does to a person emotionally. They don't seem to "get it" when I try to explain that I don't have it in me to try one more diet. How do you explain to a non-obese person what it does to you after a while to have lost weight many times in your life only to regain the weight plus some? It seems to me that after a while any sane person would become a bit gun-shy about trying again. Kinda like that old joke, "Hey doc, it hurts when I do this" -- "Well, stop doing that!" I know there has to be a way to explain this so that the proverbial lightbulb will come on, even if only for a few moments! — Lynne S. (posted on June 26, 2003)
June 26, 2003
It's like shoveling sand, against the tide.
— Phiddy B.
June 26, 2003
It's like trying to nail Jello to a tree.
— PEARL B.
June 26, 2003
It's like trying to catch fish with a net of wet toilet paper
— mellyhudel
June 26, 2003
LOL! I love the answers you have gotten so far! I teach Creative Writing!
LOL!! Anyway... "Skinnies" just can't understand. They have no
concept of what it is like and no matter what metaphors or similies we use,
they still won't get it... but we try! I "pull" light bulb
switches by people's ears... people I know well, at least... and tell them:
"Chi'ching! Hello?" LOL! Anyway... it is like trying to lick ice
cream off a hot sidewalk; it's like stapling fur back onto a cat, it's like
driving a car down a one-way street, getting into an accident and two days
later doing it again! With the feelings of stupidity for even trying! It's
like waking up on a hot summer's day to three feet of melting snow; it's
like trying to take white off of milled rice; it's like making orange juice
from lemons; it's like working your butt off for that raise, only to have
someone else who has never lifted a finger get the raise instead; it's like
all the bad things you can imagine happening over and over again and you
can't stop it from happening. Shall I go on! :~) This is kind of fun!
LOL!! Some people will never get it, no matter what you do. Hugs!
— Sharon M. B.
June 26, 2003
Been there done that - hasn't worked yet. Compare what you have to lose
and what they have to lose in terms of miles and walking on a treadmill
nonstop if you stop then you'll go backwards - similar to the weight gain
when you stop dieting. So to go 20 miles or lose 20 pounds nonstop takes
effort but to go 100-200 or more is a tremendous chore.
<p>
Another way of illustrating the weightloss issue when they bring up
"will power" factor is this. First of all they discovered that
appetite is tied into a hormone called Ghrelin that triggers the desire to
eat. For someone of us we have higher levels of Ghrelin or we have
problems regulating the shut down of Ghrelin production once full. Sure we
can exert will power to overcome the compulsion to eat but we will have to
exert much much more will power than a skinny person with lower levels of
Ghrelin. So compare food addiction to drinking for instance... Say you
like to have a cold beer/wine whatever but you are not an alcoholic. Sit
accross from an alcoholic and place your favorite alcoholic drink between
you two and see who will have last the longest without going for the
bottle. Both of you have to exert will power however the alcoholic will
have to exert much greater willpower to resist taking the drink. As we
have to exert much more willpower to resist food than a skinny person.
What makes food addiction all that worse than alcoholism is that you can
totally give up drinking all together. However you can't give up eating.
Imagine how much harder it would be for alcoholics to quit drinking if they
have to drink atleast 1-3 times a day to stay alive?
<p>Now that I'm 4 months post op... I don't have the appetite I used
to (A Vets Admin hospital conducted a study that showed Gastric Bypass post
ops have a tremendous decrease in Gherline levels - which accounts for the
higher success rates with bypass versus the simple stomach stapling of
yesteryear). I now can easily turn away food without interest or just take
a bite for a taste and be content.
<p>Take Care, Be Well, Be Happy!
For me it was being 35 years old and still losing the battle against
obesity. Sure I can lose the weight but
— John T.
June 26, 2003
Have your friends seen the movie "Groundhog Day? ;O) Mea
— Mea A.
June 26, 2003
My explanation: Yo Yo dieting was the most emotionally painful experience
I have been through. I was completely obessed with losing weight only to
gain back even more...(yeah --I know we've all been there!) I ask my
friends to imagine dealing with that obession 24/7, to imagine all the time
throughout my life (49 years) that was lost, to be able to do accomplish
all your goals in life except weight management --- they (family and
friends) finally started listening and understanding prior to my surgery!
— debmi
June 27, 2003
Its like trying to put tooth paste back into the tube, while you are
standing on the tube. But seriously, its being so proud of yourself for
losing, giving away all your fat clothes,swearing to never gain it back
etc. Then being ashamed to face people, feeling like you let everyone,
especially yourself, down and staying home because you hate to go out and
buy larger clothes again.
— Tawnda C.
June 27, 2003
There's an old ALCOHOLICS ANNONYMOUS saying, about repeating the same
behavior and expecting different results.
When I was 13 years old, I became a lifetime member of WW and reached my
goal and lost 40lbs. Then in my 20's I lost 90lbs. Then in my 30's lost
136lbs. Three strikes and I was out looking for a different way, so I could
get different results. In my 40's {closer to 50's} on February 11,2003. 4
1/2 months ago I had lap RNY, so far my journey has been promising and if I
didn't have all those years of yo yo dieting to fall back on I wouldn't be
happy with the surgery. All those years of dieting and learning good
nutrition are helping me now to make the right choices for my self and the
surgery is a wonderful benefit.
— janice L.
June 28, 2003
In stead of spending so much time & energy thinking up a way to explain
to a thin person what it feels like to be a fat person; my first question
is: it is necessary for these people to understand this? Unless this is
someone especially close to you or immediate family, I'd just not bother!
However, I'd probably pick an analogy like stopping smoking, or going off
alcohol as similar. You want it, you try to hold back, you are successful,
then you think you've got it licked and think you can handle small amounts,
then boom, you're back to the start again - repeatedly. Just remember
that as long as your mind is settled on this, it really isn't necessary
that everyone else's is. Good Luck!
— Karen M.
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