Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was a college athlete from a family of athletes with a dietician mother. I was never really around overweight people until I began my career and my job is to help people lose weight and get in shape. I understand that once you're at a certain point it is difficult to lose the weight and I also understand how much the extra weight can inhibit your life. That is my greatest motivation to keep myself lean and healthy. I don't want to lose my breath walking up stairs or chasing the kids. I don't want to stress about my dress for my sisters wedding. I don't want to stress about heart attacks, heart disease, or anything else that would take me away from my kids early. By the time I begin interacting with overweight and obese people we have a huge journey ahead of us. I'm just wondering how it gets that far before someone tries to catch it. It's truly not a judgement thing. It's about understanding so I can help my clients better.

Weren't supposed to learn that stuff before you started charging for it?

OP, what do you do for a living?

In my home country I worked as a personal trainer specialized in special populations. Back home, to be a PT you must go to school for 5 YEARS. And still I think it was not enough.

Anyway, I worked in a SPA. There a SPA is a special hotel where people go to lose weight. They check in and spend 7, 14, 21... Days relaxing, exercising, doing therapy, educating themselves about healthy habits and finding themselves. It was none of my business but often they'd share with me how they got there. Most of them because they were emotionally scared and a small parcel had metabolic issues. Thanks God I never dared to judge them. I did my job without asking any questions, I only helped what they were there for.

Now, FF 6 years, I'm 50lbs overweight myself. After I got married I started gaining weight, even though I was eating healthy and exercising... My hair started falling, I had bald spots in my hair and hair growing between my breasts, on my face, inside my nose. It was so gross and sad.

I managed to have 2 kids in between and developed a condition that impaired me physically for months after having my second child.

I'm ashamed of going home, I dont take pictures anymore and I rarely look in the mirror. I'm the one who needs help now and unless the person giving me advice has walked on my shoes she/he should shut the fuck up and only do their job.

I hope you got the message

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was a college athlete from a family of athletes with a dietician mother. I was never really around overweight people until I began my career and my job is to help people lose weight and get in shape. I understand that once you're at a certain point it is difficult to lose the weight and I also understand how much the extra weight can inhibit your life. That is my greatest motivation to keep myself lean and healthy. I don't want to lose my breath walking up stairs or chasing the kids. I don't want to stress about my dress for my sisters wedding. I don't want to stress about heart attacks, heart disease, or anything else that would take me away from my kids early. By the time I begin interacting with overweight and obese people we have a huge journey ahead of us. I'm just wondering how it gets that far before someone tries to catch it. It's truly not a judgement thing. It's about understanding so I can help my clients better.

You seem to think that anyone who is obese didn't try to lose weight before. I, and I assume most other obese people have tried and failed to lose weight more times than I can count. But if fail, I often gain back the weight lost and 15 pounds, then try again, etc

It's difficult for me to believe that OP is in the profession she has stated if she has these kinds of questions.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP. You don't seem to have much empathy for the clients you hope to have. Perhaps you need some more education on the subject.

+1

OP - I suggest you contact your college alumni office to see if you can audit a class in the psychology department. Hopefully you can find a class that works with your schedule. Many recent grads take advantage of the alumni audit option.

I get depressed and stress eat. I am about 30 pounds overweight and hate it. Struggle to not care but do.

I have a friend that was always thin, but looked good. All her life she heard "what is your secret?" because she looked so in shape, but mostly had genetics to thank. She did NOT have an eating disorder, unlike so many thin women I know.

Now she is gravely ill. There is nothing so far that can make her better. Without going into her health/illness history - none of OPs business. My friend is an amazing woman and a phenomenal mother to her children. I don't know what they would do without her and hope they do not have to, but they might. Yes, my friend looks far larger than she used to - easily twice or more of her old self. It is not easy for her. In fact, every day is extremely difficult for her. She has side effects from her treatment that she never imagined.

Not only is her illness debilitating, but the side effects of treatment is debilitating.

HOW DARE YOU OP. YOU ARE IN THE WRONG PROFESSION. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING PEOPLE. BOT JUDGING THEM. D.C. DOES NOT NEED ANOTHER USELESS JUDGMENTAL PERSON. I am yelling. If you were in front of me, I'd throw a drink in your face.

How dare you.

NO problem wearing a bathing suit.

I have had weight problems all my life. I was at a good and comfortable weight after my second baby was born. When he was just over a year old I started rapidly gaining weight. I gained nearly 70lbs in just under three months. I had my thyroid tested and it wasn't working at all. I started synthroid and it kick started my thyroid. It's operating on the lower side of normal but still normal enough that they don't want to medicate me.

A couple of years later I was diagnosed with another medical issue (something that took 20 years to be diagnosed) that requires several medications and the side effects include weight gain. I work out, watch what I eat, and have been able to maintain my weight at 235. At my height I should weigh about 100lbs less. Oddly enough though my other condition is made worse when I am thinner.

My blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar are all perfect. My body isn't beautiful and I am aware of it. I have accepted the fact that I have been doing all I can to stay healthy. I am able to keep up with the kids and I am not letting my weight hold me down. Oh, and I have problem wearing a bathing suit. I don't care what other people say.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think there is something horribly wrong with other people's bodies?

Being overweight and obese isn't healthy and is not the way humans were meant to be. I'm not saying everyone should be skinny little supermodels, but healthy is something you owe yourself if not your family.

You can be at a normal weight and unhealthy. You can be overweight and healthy. Weight is the not the only factor.

And in some cultures, being overweight is accepted (or was).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think there is something horribly wrong with other people's bodies?

Being overweight and obese isn't healthy and is not the way humans were meant to be. I'm not saying everyone should be skinny little supermodels, but healthy is something you owe yourself if not your family.

OP, how old are you? I don't mean this to be snarky, honestly, but it sounds like your life experience is pretty limited.

I agree with the PP. You don't seem to have much empathy for the clients you hope to have. Perhaps you need some more education on the subject.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was a college athlete from a family of athletes with a dietician mother. I was never really around overweight people until I began my career and my job is to help people lose weight and get in shape. I understand that once you're at a certain point it is difficult to lose the weight and I also understand how much the extra weight can inhibit your life. That is my greatest motivation to keep myself lean and healthy. I don't want to lose my breath walking up stairs or chasing the kids. I don't want to stress about my dress for my sisters wedding. I don't want to stress about heart attacks, heart disease, or anything else that would take me away from my kids early. By the time I begin interacting with overweight and obese people we have a huge journey ahead of us. I'm just wondering how it gets that far before someone tries to catch it. It's truly not a judgement thing. It's about understanding so I can help my clients better.

If it's really that hard to understand than perhaps you're in the wrong line of work.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was a college athlete from a family of athletes with a dietician mother. I was never really around overweight people until I began my career and my job is to help people lose weight and get in shape. I understand that once you're at a certain point it is difficult to lose the weight and I also understand how much the extra weight can inhibit your life. That is my greatest motivation to keep myself lean and healthy. I don't want to lose my breath walking up stairs or chasing the kids. I don't want to stress about my dress for my sisters wedding. I don't want to stress about heart attacks, heart disease, or anything else that would take me away from my kids early. By the time I begin interacting with overweight and obese people we have a huge journey ahead of us. I'm just wondering how it gets that far before someone tries to catch it. It's truly not a judgement thing. It's about understanding so I can help my clients better.

Obviously no one wants those things, OP. You have a lot to learn if you're ever going to be able to help your clients. I don't think a message board is the way to go. Are you still in school?

Anonymous wrote:Why do you think there is something horribly wrong with other people's bodies?

Being overweight and obese isn't healthy and is not the way humans were meant to be. I'm not saying everyone should be skinny little supermodels, but healthy is something you owe yourself if not your family.