Fatties and their Haters

[BroomJockey]

If you *really* wanna lose weight. Count your calories. Do things that make you happy. And start slow. Just go take a walk after dinner! It's really not that hard.

5 months ago, I started walking to and from work every day. 5 days a week I walk half an hour in the morning, and half an hour in the afternoon. I've also cut back on the amount of food I eat, and generally it's of more nutritional value.

Since then, I've gained 30 lbs.

[Talon]

When has public ridicule ever been a force for positive change in an individual?

Apart from the occasional SC adult-child who has just never been called out, I say NEVER. I say the public screechers are pathetic ego-projectors, can't feel good about themselves unless they're attacking someone else.

That being said, people who whine and sue their doctor for daring to suggest they need to lose weight to improve their health: would they, along with the ego-projectors, please hurl themselves out of a flying 747 and land anus-first on the spire of Winchester cathedral

[DesignFox]

5 months ago, I started walking to and from work every day. 5 days a week I walk half an hour in the morning, and half an hour in the afternoon. I've also cut back on the amount of food I eat, and generally it's of more nutritional value.

Since then, I've gained 30 lbs.

Yikes. I wonder why that is? Is it muscle weight you've gained? Or did the flab just stay? (trust me, no matter how many sit ups I seem to do, my tummy flab doesn't seem to go anywhere...so far)

Do you elevate your heart rate at all? The other thing I've been told is that the best way to drop fat is to get the heart really going. (which is what I'm adding to my current regimen- we'll see what happens!)

Also, again I guess because it's written word I better say it all (since I left it out before)- there are exceptions to every rule.

Obviously, I am not going to ridicule someone who works their ass off but still can't seem to lose weight. But if you sit there having a pity party with a box of cookies in your hand (and devour the entire thing) I'm apt not to be as sympathetic.

That's my point. I don't point at random people on the street and make snide remarks. Because I don't know which end of the spectrum they fall in! And it's really none of my business.

But. That said. I don't think a majority of people are overweight due to meds or bad genetics. I really think they eat too much and excercise too little.

[Nyoibo]

(trust me, no matter how many sit ups I seem to do, my tummy flab doesn't seem to go anywhere...so far)

Sit-ups will do nothing for tummy flab, they will however tone the muscles underneath the flab so when it's gone you'll have a six-pack.

[AdminAssistant]

I cut back. It was the easiest thing in the world to do. I simply watched my caloric intake. I started taking walks before or after dinner. I cut out sugary drinks. ...

- but at least I look normal again!

I'm really happy it was easy for you. It's not easy for many. To me, having to count calories would be a mini-hell. I like to enjoy my food, not have to statistically analyze every little thing I put in my mouth. I do plan on trying to get serious (again) after I get back from my trip home, and thoroughly enjoy all the wonderful unhealthy food the South has to offer.

I'm overweight (technically, I'm "obese" but I don't look it so whatever). I look "normal". Just because I wear 1X shirts and size 16-18 pants doesn't make me a freak of nature. Although the clothing designed for 'plus-sizers' might make it look that way.

The fact is, many people don't have time to exercise. I'm a grad student. My life during the school year is the definition of busy. Exercising on many days would cut into my sleep time...and I have to have my sleep time. I suppose you'll all say that I need to make time to exercise, but I also need to make time to have friends and make time to stay in touch with my family and make time for relationships and make time for schoolwork and make time to write lectures and (do you see where I'm going with this?)

Besides, for many people, including myself, there are underlying reasons why we eat. I'm a stress eater. I have a bad day, I make myself feel better with a pizza. For many, it's not as simple as take a walk and eat a carrot. And it's a little insulting to imply that it is.

[BroomJockey]

Yikes. I wonder why that is? Is it muscle weight you've gained? Or did the flab just stay? (trust me, no matter how many sit ups I seem to do, my tummy flab doesn't seem to go anywhere...so far)

Do you elevate your heart rate at all? The other thing I've been told is that the best way to drop fat is to get the heart really going. (which is what I'm adding to my current regimen- we'll see what happens!)

I'm pretty sure it's a mixture of muscle weight and flab, and yes, I do up my heart rate. I continually try to push myself to make the journey faster. So far, I've actually managed to shave off about 3 minutes of my trip, and I feel less crappy after doing so.

If it keeps up, I'm considering going to a doctor and seeing if I might not have some hidden issue. Because I gotta tell you, it's a little disheartening to cut out the foods you like (I used to have a bag or two of chips every weekend, now it's not even a bag a month, if I bought a box of cookies, it'd be gone in a few days, now I've a box getting over a month, and it's still half-full, etc etc) and still not see any kind of positive result in body shape.

And I think that might actually be part of what keeps many people heavy. They try something, stick it out for like a month, and then don't see anything change, and since they're likely doing it alone, they just give up. I know that you need to stick with it more than a month to actually see anything, but it's getting on half a year now. You'd think I'd have at least *maintained* my weight. *shrug*

[DesignFox]

<snip>

Besides, for many people, including myself, there are underlying reasons why we eat. I'm a stress eater. I have a bad day, I make myself feel better with a pizza. For many, it's not as simple as take a walk and eat a carrot. And it's a little insulting to imply that it is.

I'm not trying to be insulting. But the fact is, you have to do SOMETHING. You can't sit around and do nothing and expect to lose weight. I used to do the very same things- eat a pizza, complain there was no time to excercise (and trust me, I went to college, I can sympathize). But when I became unhappy with the state of things, I decided to stop complaining and do something about it.

And just because I count calories doesn't mean I'm eating carrots. I just take a look at the caloric content of that cheeseburger and revolve the rest of my day around it. It takes time for your body to become accustomed to it. And it is HARD. I was hungry A LOT when I first started. But you do adjust. Just because I said it was "easy" doesn't mean that the results were insantaneous or that there weren't certain frustrating side effects...

<snip>

And I think that might actually be part of what keeps many people heavy. They try something, stick it out for like a month, and then don't see anything change, and since they're likely doing it alone, they just give up. I know that you need to stick with it more than a month to actually see anything, but it's getting on half a year now. You'd think I'd have at least *maintained* my weight. *shrug*

I agree. I've been up and down with trying all sorts of different things to convince myself to excercise. Most of them fail after about a month.

The calorie counting thing stuck because I did actually see results- first in the fact that I maintained and stopped GAINING weight, then as I added some excercise, it started to drop.

Plus, at the moment, I have significant incentive to stay slimmer- my horseback riding has improved dramatically since I dropped those extra pounds. And the extra core strength has helped with my ability to stay put when the horse acts stupid, or as we're going around a course of fences. My instructor is the one who "ordered" me to do push-ups and sit-ups every day. She wants to see me get up to 50 sit-ups and at least 25 push-ups (I've finally managed to get to 30-35 sit ups and 20-25 push-ups after doing this for a little over a month).

Anyhow. I can see how it gets frustrating. And I agree that that is part of what makes it so difficult. Going from overeating, to eating properly or bouncing around trying to find the right amount of intake for your system takes its toll. If you have no "moral support" or real goal in mind it can make it tough.

I'd definitely say, at least in your case, that you seem to be doing the right things. I would certainly ask a doctor if it all doesn't improve.

Mine thought I had a thyroid issue initially (I assured her that I really was just eating like a pig- and then tried dropping the weight to prove it- in my case, that WAS the problem).

[Cat]

I'm a calorie counter as well, and for me that worked. I know if I have a yummy treat that has more cals then I should be eating...I make up for it....either my walking more or cutting down on a meal. And there are days when I don't count ( I call them the weekend, lol) I'm not super anal about it now, but it has helped me become more aware about what I am eating.

We started a walking club at work...it started as a few of us walking for a mile duting lunch break. Well, I took it upon myself to eat lunch at my desk and then use my hour to get 2.5 mile in. Granted, this works for me, not for everyone and esp if your work sechdule doesn't allow it.

It isn't easy, but if it is something you want, you work for it, like anything else in life.

I'm also an avid hiker and an in traing to hike some decent mountains soon, so I have my reasons to lose the weight

[Flyndaran]

...She's a bit too skinny, in my opinion; her arms are like matchsticks and she's constantly on a diet. She gets every cough, sniffle and cold going; yet there are people who'd point to me and say I was the unhealthy one, just cuz I have meat on my bones, and that she was the ideal. -.-

My best/only friend is like that. She is skinny, but hugging her feels like hugging a pillowcase full of mashed potatoes and sticks. I'm the fat one, but never get sick, and am in absurdly good shape for being a lazy bum.

..
Wonder how that would work if we applied it to a homosexual person, a black person, or someone with a birth defect.

You know of ways as easy as eating less to "fix" being gay, black, or birth defects?
Seriously, giving strangers advice is rude no matter how "helpful" they think they are being.

...
If you *really* wanna lose weight. Count your calories. Do things that make you happy. And start slow. Just go take a walk after dinner! It's really not that hard.

If you don't want to do those things, I won't ridicule you. But don't *complain* to me that you're fat, either.

THAT'S the difference!

No, for many people it is hard. For many people, living every single day worrying about calorie count is not living a happy life. For others, their very own body will fight, so that weight may actually go up when cutting back on food. My girlfriend is much heavier and more active than I am, but she eats far less. This isn't magic, but it isn't as simple as diet and exercise.
You aren't everyone. What's easy for you could be impossible for others.

How about me? I was once up to 270. Then the weight just disappeared for no reason. I didn't exercise, eat less, or anything. 50 pounds just left over a couple of months. If that can happen to me, why can't the opposite happen?
Biology is almost never simple.

[DesignFox]

I didn't say biology was easy.

I just said that I will gladly sympathize with someone doing their best to remedy something they are unhappy about.

I will *not* sympathize with someone complaining that they are heavy who isn't even trying. (or has any other problem they refuse to *try* to resolve)

I accept that it isn't easy for everyone. I accept that not everyone is fat because they eat too much.

But many people are.

Can we all stop being offended now?

[Flyndaran]

I didn't say biology was easy.

I just said that I will gladly sympathize with someone doing their best to remedy something they are unhappy about.

I will *not* sympathize with someone complaining that they are heavy who isn't even trying. (or has any other problem they refuse to *try* to resolve)
...

Can we all stop being offended now?

I wasn't offended. I just thought that you may be oversimplifying things.
How do you or any of us for that matter really determine who is and is not trying? That's the thing that bothers me about judging others. I do it, but with how many normal activities are simply too hard for me, I try to give others the benefit of the doubt with regards to thier lives.

[AFPheonix]

And he skewed the results by fudging a formula to fit the data(squaring height) because otherwise it didn't work

That's what he claims, but you'd think a self-proclaimed math expert would understand that squaring and cubing numbers in equations has to do with calculating area. Obviously cubing the number isn't going to be correct, since people's frames get narrower respectively as they get taller. Frankly, squaring isn't quite right either, hence the comment in my last post that noted finding a multiplier in between a cube and a square would be more accurate.

Um no it didn't-that was the lead in
"Americans keep putting on the pounds — at least according to a report released this week from the Trust for America's Health. The study found that nearly two-thirds of states now have adult obesity rates above 25 percent.

But you may want to take those findings — and your next meal — with a grain of salt, because they're based on a calculation called the body mass index, or BMI. "

and then it goes to rip apart why the BMI is bad science, and useless.

"the formula tacitly assumes low muscle mass and high relative fat content. It applies moderately well when applied to such people because it was formulated by focusing on them. But it gives exactly the wrong answer for a large and significant section of the population. Averages measure entire populations and often don't apply to individuals."

Ah, missed that, but again, he's really only arguing what I've said, which is that BMI, when used correctly, applies to measuring the adiposity of a population. I've not claimed that BMI can necessarily be applied well to individuals, although it can be a starting point for evaluation for an average person.

We are getting much better bone density and a large portion of the city I live in goes to health clubs several times a week-we're also pretty bicycle friendly.

So is Portland, but I'm seeing an increase in those Lil' Rascal scooters, too. I strongly doubt that bone density and bicycling are the major contributing factor in the explosion in BMI over the last 20 or 30 years or so, especially since overall Americans are more sedentary due to less physical jobs.

Insurance companies sometimes charge higher premiums for people with a high BMI. Among such people are all those fit individuals with good bone and muscle and little fat, who will live long, healthy lives during which they will have to pay those greater premiums.

They did the same thing with blood pressure-change the definition of disease-broden it and catch more people to medicate and charge higher insurance premiums to.

Normal is now not. What was classified as normal or high-normal blood pressure (a systolic pressure of 120-139 mm Hg and diastolic pressure of 80-89 mm Hg) is now categorized as prehypertension.

This meant that 45 million Americans who had gone to sleep with normal blood pressure woke up with higher-than-healthy blood pressure.

45 million people now unhealthy with the stroke of a pen-makes it look like the number has gone up significantly if you don't realize the definition was changed and the people stayed the same.

This article on abnormal PSA readings for prostrate cancer explains the issue pretty well.

They found that if all US men aged 40-69 (those most likely to be screened) were tested using PSA with a 4.0 ng/mL threshold, about 1.5 million of them would have a PSA level abnormally high enough to justify a biopsy. Lowering the threshold to 2.5 ng/mL would call for an additional 1.8 million men to receive biopsies. This group of "abnormal" men would comprise 10.7% of all US men between the ages of 50 and 59, and 17% of men between the ages of 60 and 69.

To put things into perspective the authors point out that in the next 10 years, relatively few men are expected to die from prostate cancer--0.3% of men aged 50-59, and 0.9% of men aged 60-69.

While I don't agree with insurance companies basing premiums on a measurement not meant for individuals, I can't say that I'm too surprised, either. After having to deal with the suckers on a daily basis for the last 5 years, I've decided they've made a pact with the devil.
As for the blood pressure thing, health recommendations are subject to change as scientists learn more about our physiology as a species. That's a good thing. Being rigid to a set of numbers because it's what we've always done is generally bad medicine. Isn't that the point you're attempting to make with wanting to ditch BMI?

[DesignFox]

I wasn't offended. I just thought that you may be oversimplifying things.
How do you or any of us for that matter really determine who is and is not trying? That's the thing that bothers me about judging others. I do it, but with how many normal activities are simply too hard for me, I try to give others the benefit of the doubt with regards to thier lives.

I guess I'm just getting tired of having to restate things three ways from Sunday.

I stated in my original post that I do not make snide comments to people based on their weight. Especially, if I don't know them or their circumstances.

I also stated that if said person had told me their situation, I'd be sympathetic- assuming they aren't eating a whole tub of fattening food while they're complaining. Everyone of every weight and body type should enjoy what they want to enjoy- but understand that if you don't do it in moderation, it's going to affect you and you don't get to whine about the consequences.

Much as I'd love to lose the belly fat, I admit that I eat a few too many M&M's for my own good...I'm making an effort to change that, but in the mean time I don't go crying over my tummy flub. (not that it's that noticable, anyway, thankfully- and when it was, I cut the M&Ms out of my diet)

That's all I'm saying. Nothing's simple for everybody. But for the majority of people, they have the power to make simple changes and see results.

[BroomJockey]

I
That's all I'm saying. Nothing's simple for everybody. But for the majority of people, they have the power to make simple changes and see results.

Yep, and as you said, it can be different changes that people need to make. No "magic bullet" solution. =\ Which is too bad, really. I bet I could make an absolute fortune.

[DesignFox]

<snip> =\ Which is too bad, really. I bet I could make an absolute fortune.

Doesn't stop drug companies and other random companies from trying though...

I wish it was so simple that all I had to do was "drink a shake!" or "take this pill!"

Trust me, there were days when I was first starting the "watching the intake" thing that I absolutely felt like I was starving. But after a few months, I stopped noticing. And it got to a point where I didn't miss the desserts. Certain sweet things actually started making me feel ill.

I'm back to eating dessert now- (as I posted about liking M&Ms and such). They don't make me feel oogy anymore. But I really do make an effort to minimize any desserts to a handful of M&M's or 1 cookie. And IF I get dessert when I go out, I always share it or box most of it up and take it home.

I've also noticed that once I stopped drinking sugar sodas (that was probably 3 or 4 years ago) and stopped putting cream in my coffee, I absolutely CANNOT drink them anymore. Insta-headaches and nausea. Weird. But true!