perChance
Member
Perhaps I should have said healthy eating habits and more exercise. From what I have read about weight loss, people start crazy diets, lose the weight, then return to the same bad habits.
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My Observation Today About What Americans Weigh
- Thread starter fmdog44
- Start date
Yes, that 98% regain usually comes with more pounds than we started with.
I weighed 110 pounds after I was done having my baby at age 20, and then I started smoking and stayed that thin until I was 45 and quit smoking. My eating habits were about the same., but I gained weight and my doctor says I'm much better off than if I had continued to smoke.
So, during my lean years, I would hear how thin people talk about overweight ones, "How could she let herself go like that?" "Isn't she ashamed?" etc. I never liked to hear such judgmental talk and I always knew it was far more complicated than they think.
Most people only gain about ten pounds a year but over ten years that can really add up. To gain that extra weigh all anyone had to do was decide they needed to eat more fruit and so add a 100 calorie apple to their daily intake. The picture some people have of overweight people gorging on Big Macs and bags of chips is usually not the case.
NorthernLight
Well-known Member
- Location
- Northern BC
Thank you, @Della . I get so upset when I read "just eat less" or "stop eating [fat, sugar, whatever]," because it just isn't true for everyone. I find it difficult to even respond. You expressed what I couldn't say.
I think we all know thin people who live on cake and candy, and fat people who starve themselves.
It's fine to say, "This is what worked for me." But it might not work for everyone.
Similarly, certain diets do work for some people, and shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.
I think we all know thin people who live on cake and candy, and fat people who starve themselves.
It's fine to say, "This is what worked for me." But it might not work for everyone.
Similarly, certain diets do work for some people, and shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.
Yes, it's a.......huge problem.
Paco Dennis
SF VIP
- Location
- Mid-Missouri
Maybe we are addicted to sugar? Simple. But, very hard to stop...it is in almost everything we eat.
JaniceM
Well-known Member
- Location
- still lost between two shores..
Sounds like he was an intelligent fellow.
NorthernLight
Well-known Member
- Location
- Northern BC
I'm not advocating feeling sorry for oneself. I'm all for finding a solution to one's problems.
But those who criticize others' choices might not know what they're talking about, and are not being helpful.
I speak as a person who is healthier than most people my age, and who has successfully lost weight. But then all I hear is "That can't be healthy," along with irrelevant and unwanted diet advice.
But those who criticize others' choices might not know what they're talking about, and are not being helpful.
I speak as a person who is healthier than most people my age, and who has successfully lost weight. But then all I hear is "That can't be healthy," along with irrelevant and unwanted diet advice.
Did he say that to people with incurable diseases, deformities, or birth defects? If they replied that they couldn't change something because they were born that way or there was no cure for their disease did he accuse them of feeling sorry for themselves?
Not every problem in the world has a solution and many people just have to learn to live with their circumstances. It makes me sad to hear that others are blaming these people for the unfortunate hand they are dealt.
Nemo2
Senior Member
- Location
- Belleville, ON
A lot of "Whatabouts...".....perhaps we should tell the entire world that it's not their fault about anything?
Knew a guy, since passed, who as a young fellow helped his parents move to a new house. He was tall, so tall that when he looked out the upstairs window his knees were above the sill.......so that when he lost his balance he had nothing to stop him falling.
Woke up a paraplegic........no cure.....worked at getting on the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball team......traveled overseas with the team.....held a steady job......never a "Poor me".
Couldn't change it, couldn't fix it...but never complained.
Knew a guy, since passed, who as a young fellow helped his parents move to a new house. He was tall, so tall that when he looked out the upstairs window his knees were above the sill.......so that when he lost his balance he had nothing to stop him falling.
Woke up a paraplegic........no cure.....worked at getting on the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball team......traveled overseas with the team.....held a steady job......never a "Poor me".
Couldn't change it, couldn't fix it...but never complained.
NorthernLight
Well-known Member
- Location
- Northern BC
Seems the only people complaining on this thread are those who think others are eating the wrong things.
Victoria
Member
- Location
- San Diego, California
I love that!
And it doesn't help that clothing sizes are not consistent either for women. One brand's medium is another brand's large. One brand or store's size 6 is another brand or store's size 10. So sometimes they could be getting bigger clothes and think they're getting the same size. It's almost like they deliberately set up as many booby traps as they can. Obesity creates health issues and health issues generate money. If they really wanted obesity gone, they could get rid of it without policing people. Just stop selling bad food and people won't be able to buy what's not there.
It's because the survival instinct is so strong. The body fights against low calories because it goes into survival mode. It's like trying to kill yourself by holding your breath. Your body won't let you. The worse that will happen if they manage to hold it long enough is the person will pass out and then they'll start breathing again. The only way is to trick the body by losing very gradually. 200 fewer calories a day is like eating one less granola bar a day. But the 200 will add up to 1400 fewer calories a week and do that over time and the weight will slowly come off. But people want instant results, they want to see the scale drop quickly or they feel like it's not working.
I remember reading a study about how even thin people if they start dieting to lose like 10 pounds, eventually it screws up their body and it leads to actual weight gain once they are done. Trying to lose weight the wrong way triggers something in the body. The body gets PTSD and starts overeating. How many teens and young people who are a healthy size start out trying to just lose 5 or 10 pounds for some occasion or to look better? It starts something in their body that is very hard to undo.
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Victoria
Member
- Location
- San Diego, California
Sugar and salt. Yes it's in everything processed. Whole food plant based is the only way to avoid too much of it. We're supposed to have no more than 2300mg of salt/sodium a day. Read the food labels of just about every processed food. Tons of sodium in it to the point where 2300 mg seems impossible. It's crazy.
Yes, I heard a nutritionist say, "Most foods you should eat come from a plant; not made in a plant."
Victoria
Member
- Location
- San Diego, California
My son's a vegan, everything he eats comes from a plant, and he still weighs 230 lbs.
Is that a "whatabout?" I'm not clear on that.
I think what happens on lots of these threads about weight is that the people who are overweight and talking about it are seen as whining when they're really just sharing their experiences, and people who aren't overweight have heard bits of advice they want to tell us about to "help" us, but we've already heard it many times and given it a try to no avail, so it doesn't go down well.
I've lost weight a half a dozen times by counting calories on a balanced, healthy diet, eating about 1200 calories a day, losing at a slow 1 pound a week for a few months and then only a half pound a week for the rest of the year. Yes. I usually stick to it for about a year, without a single cheat day, and lose to my desired weight. And then the weight starts coming back even while I'm still counting calories. I'm not whining about it I'm stating a fact.
I'm not saying my weight isn't my "fault." I'm just saying it's not anyone else's business. It's not against the law. It doesn't impinge on your rights, it's not a crime, it isn't hurting you, it's not a moral failing, it's just a little more adipose tissue on my body than on yours.
Maybe you have something about your body that isn't perfect. Do you have long thick hair? I do. I'm not looking down my nose at people with thinning hair, making unwanted suggestions I heard on YouTube, telling them their hair is their fault and they should do something about it. Do you have all your teeth? My brothers and I never had a cavity because of our well water when we were young. I don't nag people about their teeth, tell them it's their fault and they should find a solution to their problem. It's their business.
Look at it this way, I've never had a traffic ticket in my entire life. Have you? If you've had even one speeding ticket then you've endangered the health of others more than my few extra pounds have. So just leave me alone with it and try not to be so upset that the fat acceptance movement is trying to keep young girls from hating themselves.
Is that a "whatabout?" I'm not clear on that.
I think what happens on lots of these threads about weight is that the people who are overweight and talking about it are seen as whining when they're really just sharing their experiences, and people who aren't overweight have heard bits of advice they want to tell us about to "help" us, but we've already heard it many times and given it a try to no avail, so it doesn't go down well.
I've lost weight a half a dozen times by counting calories on a balanced, healthy diet, eating about 1200 calories a day, losing at a slow 1 pound a week for a few months and then only a half pound a week for the rest of the year. Yes. I usually stick to it for about a year, without a single cheat day, and lose to my desired weight. And then the weight starts coming back even while I'm still counting calories. I'm not whining about it I'm stating a fact.
I'm not saying my weight isn't my "fault." I'm just saying it's not anyone else's business. It's not against the law. It doesn't impinge on your rights, it's not a crime, it isn't hurting you, it's not a moral failing, it's just a little more adipose tissue on my body than on yours.
Maybe you have something about your body that isn't perfect. Do you have long thick hair? I do. I'm not looking down my nose at people with thinning hair, making unwanted suggestions I heard on YouTube, telling them their hair is their fault and they should do something about it. Do you have all your teeth? My brothers and I never had a cavity because of our well water when we were young. I don't nag people about their teeth, tell them it's their fault and they should find a solution to their problem. It's their business.
Look at it this way, I've never had a traffic ticket in my entire life. Have you? If you've had even one speeding ticket then you've endangered the health of others more than my few extra pounds have. So just leave me alone with it and try not to be so upset that the fat acceptance movement is trying to keep young girls from hating themselves.
Nemo2
Senior Member
- Location
- Belleville, ON
A long post "full of sound and fury"...(and non sequiturs)...I thought the premise of this thread, (but hey, I've been wrong before), was the high percentage of obese individuals.
The bottom line is "Yes, there are"........right alongside that is "Do I give a rodent's rectum?"
People have been attempting to suggest to those who are obese, and don't want to be, approaches they might take and attitudes they might adopt in order to swing the pendulum.
If the obese consider themselves 'happy' with the status quo...."Carry on.."
Seriously? I went back and read your post looking for the suggested approaches and only saw a lot of complaints about complaining.
(Is that short enough for your attention span?)
Nemo2
Senior Member
- Location
- Belleville, ON
I said PEOPLE, not MY post....sheesh. (I typed that slowly in order to make it easier to comprehend.)
Anyway...I'll leave you to keep dreaming of the day when Rubenesque is synonymous with skeletal.
Nemo2
Senior Member
- Location
- Belleville, ON
"L'esprit de l'escalier"........
JaniceM
Well-known Member
- Location
- still lost between two shores..
or simply don't want people to DIE sooner than necessary...
and/or are seriously concerned about the effects of this so-called 'movement' on young kids..
Mojaveoutdoors
New Member
"Maybe"? The American Heart Association says the average American Adult eats 60 pounds of sugar a year. So I would say instead of maybe, that we are definately addicted to sugar. Refined sugars are a highly addictive thing and it is clearly the #1 reason so many Americans (as well as many people across the globe) are overweight or obese.
Think about it. The average adult in the 60's was a normal healthy weight. The percentage of very overweight or obese people then was in the single digits. Yet people still ate a relatively high fat and high calorie diet. What they did not do is consume the insane amount of sugar we now do. And they were more active throughout their day. Drinking an 8 ounce bottle of pop at the end of the day was a treat then. How many people now polish off numerous large cups of soda pop and other sugar filled drinks through the day ?
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Jean-Paul
Member
- Location
- Paris,France
In France, we spot the American tourists kilometers away, they are so overweigh and out of shape.
Weight is simple Thermodynamics....energy input = energy consumption no change
More energy ( calories) than needed excess stored by body as fat, weight gain
visa versa
Diet..cut sugar, fructose, veg oils except Virgin olive oil, alcohol.
I am a veggie for decades, walk 5..9 km/ day
Bon courage
j
Weight is simple Thermodynamics....energy input = energy consumption no change
More energy ( calories) than needed excess stored by body as fat, weight gain
visa versa
Diet..cut sugar, fructose, veg oils except Virgin olive oil, alcohol.
I am a veggie for decades, walk 5..9 km/ day
Bon courage
j
If you mean naturally-occurring sugar like that found in fruit (as opposed to added sugar), there's a good reason for that - it's our main energy source. That's why we convert 100% of carbohydrate we eat into glucose.
In fact it's the main energy source for every living thing, including carnivores. Animals that don't eat carbohydrates also run on sugar (glucose). Their systems are set up to convert a high percent of protein to carbohydrate.
The sugar we don't need is added sugar/processed sugar, found in "Fun Foods."