An observation

I notice a lot of people on weight loss boards that have become super experts about nutrition and some on fitness I think that is great. I am a complete novice compared to some of these people! And a lot of them were severely obese (and some still are, but are working on it).

I find it an interesting observation because I wonder if the intense need to know about nutrition is because they need to know more because it's harder to keep the weight off than it is for people who somehow manage to just eat less and have portion control.

Or is it that many obese people don't know moderation - moderation in eating and moderation in nutrition - and even exercise I suppose. We do so many things all or nothing. Maybe it's part of the personality?

I think I fall along that last part. I either go WAY overboard with eating or I go way overboard in something else. When I want to plant a garden, I don't just get one or two plants, I dig up my entire front yard and plant hundreds of plants. When I want to clean the house, I don't just do a room here and there, I have to do all of it (or none of it). It's part of my personality.

My husband who is more moderate and has no problems staying thin because he can regulate his eating normally, doesn't tend to all or nothing with most anything else either.

And, of course, the trait of going all out has problems (overeating), but has advantages (a lot gets done and done well).

Has anyone else noticed this? Are we trading one 'obsession' (food) for another - knowing everything about our food and perhaps radically changing a diet not just based on the need to lose weight, but on other things too. Like when an obese person who used to drink sugary soda doesn't just switch to diet, but gives up all soda all together. Or gives up all sugar, etc.