I have to admit I was less forgiving for people that couldn't get the concept of calories in vs calories burned contributed to body weight. I know it is a complex topic, but the basic concept is simple just harder to implement.
I have friends that EAT.OUT.ALL.THE.TIME and then try to exercise twice a week to try and loose weight. They try to eat moderate portions by they just can't connect the dots that restaurant food, even if it several levels above fast food, is still made with the purpose to sell more, be flavorful, feel fulfilling, ect. It is not made to good for your health or control your weight.
So what to they do, they join Weight Watches, which you have to pay to be part of the program, on top of the food that you get from them, which is much more than a home cooked meal per calorie, due to processing, packaging, and shipping. The thing is even the food is not as healthy as a home cooked meal because of the processing and preservatives. So they are restricting their calories which makes them feel deprived.
So what happens, in about 5-8 months, they fall of the wagon and then gain some if not all of the weight back.
I am trying to find ways to kind of lead them to the realization that eating more raw and unprocessed foods will be more effective, and cheaper, than buying the Weight Watchers food. The thing is for them and some people every meal has to be a feast or an 'experience', which for me was always absurd. Ever since college I thought how we eating was very inefficient, the time it takes to prepare, cook, chew and swallow was such a big was of time. People say that buying food is more efficient than cooking, but I disagree, the time it take to go somewhere to eat, order, wait for the food to come and come back home takes just as much if not more time than to prepare your own meal, it's not even including the time you have to work to pay for the meal. For me eating was mostly a function of calories and nutrients. I guess that's why oatmeal and salads are my go to meals, quick and nutritious. Do I like a good steak, spicy dishes, and sweets, sure but having it every meal would be exhausting.