Why exercise wont make you thin

[Greywolf2375]

That is 100% right. Most people truly are eating a LOT more than they think. Especially when it comes to snacks. A king size Snickers bar is straight away 510 calories. Over a quarter of the daily recommended for men, more than a quarter for women.

Junk food is even worse. A double Whopper with cheese is 990 calories, large fries another 500 and a large soda another 300. So even for a guy that's pretty much your entire daily allowance in one meal. Its also your entire daily allowance of fat and salt too. A large milkshake has 820 calories so if you had that instead of the soda the entire meal is 2,310 calories. Over the daily limit for a man and quite a bit over for a woman. I can totally see why some people argue that this sort of meal should be labelled with a health warning as with cigarettes.

And sadly the number of calories in those things aren't even close to the worst health impact they have. The moon shot you gave your blood sugr, the fats, the overdose of sodium...

fun fact: found out that you can actually order McD's french fries without the salt added...you need to wait for a new batch to be made so they can get yours before they add it, but it can be done.

[Liffguard]

Why would I pay someone to do what I can do for myself? Count calories and limit food intake? And why does everyone thing WW is the Ultimate Cure For Fat Fucks anyway??

I'd look like a fool if I actually tried to lose weight. People would smile and nod and make a bunch of encouraging noises, but as soon as they turned their backs they'd shake their heads and know I'm setting myself up for a huge disappointment.

ETA: Though I'm not sure if that's worse than everyone presuming that I eat Whoppers and King Sized Snickers bars every day. I guess I'd rather be hated for being a drain on society than pitied.

Some people ARE NOT MEANT TO BE THIN. Sorry folks, I'm inherently flawed. If this makes me a lesser citizen, then I suppose that's life.

It doesn't matter whether or not you're "thin." That's just a meaningless aesthetic. What is more important is being a healthy and manageable weight, eating healthy food and living an active and healthy lifestyle. No one will pity you if you make a genuine effort. I won't lie, it will be very hard. Making long-term lifestyle changes is not easy. But anyone who takes a difficult, proactive step towards changing themselves for the better is worthy of respect, not pity.

[AverageGuy]

On a related note to this thread: I remember reading ages and ages ago that if you were fit and in good shape during your teenage years, you would have an easier time getting back to being in good shape later, even if you have periods of "slacking". Is this total bollocks, or is it a physical effect of "body memory" or something? Or perhaps it's purely a psychological effect of having "been there, done that, know what it is about"?

I would guess, and I have no proof for this, just my own experience, so I realize I'm just talking out of my ass, that it's psychological. And this isn't even a perfect example, but... I wrestled in high school, so I had a lot of fun with weight classes. The most extreme was when I gained 21 pounds in one week (which was about my off-season weight) and lost it in the next. When I was that young and stupid (and beyond the fact I was stupid just for getting talked into it, there are, if not healthy, then healthier ways to gain the initial weight; I just pigged out, which made cutting it again harder), I was willing to put my body through hell. Nowadays I don't think I could repeat that, I wouldn't want to, but it gave me a different sort of perspective. In college, I ended up becoming overweight, but right after graduating I was planning on doing some relatively difficult physical activity endurance-wise, so I started training towards the end of my senior year, and I feel like that was easier than what I was used to before. Well, the training itself wasn't easy but wasn't especially intense (over a few months I built up to doing an hour of cardio Su-Th, two to three hours on Saturdays), it was mostly a matter of getting back in the habit of working out. I lost weight as a consequence, even though it hadn't been my primary goal.

[Security Squish]

If you understand this, accept it and it doesn't bother you, then by all means, continue. You will still be loved and accepted by the people who matter. :love:

I disagree with this statement. Not as it applies to the poster you are reppying too, but there is no way I would accept a loved one destroying themselves, by damaging their body and health through ignorance or self loathing. I would fight them. I would still love them, but I would fight and get angry.

You don't need to accept it when loved ones make really bad life choices, that's called enabling and is not helpful. Love is different.

[Balefont]

I disagree with this statement. Not as it applies to the poster you are reppying too, but there is no way I would accept a loved one destroying themselves, by damaging their body and health through ignorance or self loathing. I would fight them. I would still love them, but I would fight and get angry.

You don't need to accept it when loved ones make really bad life choices, that's called enabling and is not helpful. Love is different.

True. But only true if this is a concern of your loved ones. I can't really explain and don't want to get more personal.

[Security Squish]

True. But only true if this is a concern of your loved ones. I can't really explain and don't want to get more personal.

No problem, just saying that you people don't need to accept it if their loved ones are doing somehting that isn't healthy. Nor should anyone feel preasure to accept someone's health habbits just because they love them. I have seen too much enabling and love being used as a hostage to gain aproval. I mean this generally, not applied to you or any other specific person. :grouphug:

[Eponine]

You don't need to accept it when loved ones make really bad life choices, that's called enabling and is not helpful. Love is different.

Then where do you draw the line? Does this apply only to really bad life choices that some vaguely defined "everyone" agrees are bad? Or is it really just about your own subjective judgment?

[Security Squish]

Then where do you draw the line? Does this apply only to really bad life choices that some vaguely defined "everyone" agrees are bad? Or is it really just about your own subjective judgment?

I draw the line at what I feel is destructive, just as expect other people may draw a line wehre they feel danger lies. I'm not creating a hard and fast rule here, just stating that I think it is ok to not accept behaviour in a loved one that you think is hurting them. That you don't have to feel like you need to keep quiet beause you don't want to hurt their feelings or bretray a trust if there is a real problem.

Something that may seem like a no brainer health problem to me might not seem like so much of a problem to soemone else. I have a little bit of an advantage there. Still I trust my gut and I am not afraid of making people mad at me, I guess I think long term.

Subjective I guess, there really isn't anything that everyone agrees is bad.

[polekat]

Personally, I'm working on healing emotional issues and hoping that healthier habits and a little weight loss will naturally follow. IMO, weight management is such a tricky issue because of the emotional and social components of feeding ourselves. Diet and exercise are key to weight loss, but many people also require a little emotional tune-up to acheive lasting succcess.

And perhaps this is appropos of nothing, but I am vastly happier at age 31 and size 14 than I was at age 22 and size 6. Being thin won't necessarily make you happy with yourself. That said, I would like to get down to a size 10 because it would be easier to find cute clothes that fit me and I would be a better dancer with less weight (from fat) to lug around.

Odie, I know nothing about your eating habits, but would you consider Overeaters Anonymous? A friend of mine has had great success with that program and has kept her weight off for years.

Good luck to anybody trying to get healthier. It's hard work! :grouphug:

[Balefont]

And perhaps this is appropos of nothing, but I am vastly happier at age 31 and size 14 than I was at age 22 and size 6. Being thin won't necessarily make you happy with yourself. That said, I would like to get down to a size 10 because it would be easier to find cute clothes that fit me and I would be a better dancer with less weight (from fat) to lug around.

:agree: Except substitute love of beer for emotional issues and dancing for karate.

[zollo]

True. But only true if this is a concern of your loved ones. I can't really explain and don't want to get more personal.

It is ok, I have given this a lot of thought over the past 4 minutes and I hereby grudgingly accept you as you are.

*insert frosty hug*

[Mackaxx]

Which is what I was trying to show by pointing out the hypocrisy of calories in < calories out. Even if I eat less than my body needs to survive, I will still weigh 300 pounds.

You will lose weight. If you didn't you'd be breaking the laws of chemistry, not to mention physics. Your not that special a little snowflake I'm afraid.

And you're not listening to most of what everyone is saying. You should probably take the time to read responses and take them in instead of just repeating yourself. Way to waste everyones time who believe it or not thought they were being helpful. You obviously pretty down right now but still, pay attention and actually integrate the knowledge.

Have fun with the dietary deficiencies and other stuff that will come along with the starvation idea soonish and the feeling of despair and failure when it all goes pear shaped anyways.

Do it right as people have recommended here. The people that don't care about you arn't going to laugh at you because you know what? They don't care enough about you to laugh. The people that do care about you arn't going to laugh at your because believe it or not, they care.

[Balefont]

It is ok, I have given this a lot of thought over the past 4 minutes and I hereby grudgingly accept you as you are.

*insert frosty hug*

Can I feel your arm muscle? I'm not sure if I accept you as you are.

[zollo]

Can I feel your arm muscle? I'm not sure if I accept you as you are.

Sorry, I only let creepy middle aged men feel my arm muscle, whilst my friend looks on and laughs.... wait, that is your line.... :leaving:

[Balefont]

Sorry, I only let creepy middle aged men feel my arm muscle, whilst my friend looks on and laughs.... wait, that is your line.... :leaving:

bitch

[needle]

Why would I pay someone to do what I can do for myself? Count calories and limit food intake?

Because you'd get advice about hitting the right level of calorie reduction, which clearly, you need.

Jeez, Odie. Using Si's calculator, your resting intake should be 2800 calories a day (you mentioned 300lbs, right?). you've cut that down to 850. That's a 62% cut.

That flat goes against what every single person has said in the thread, including me who was the one who uttered the fateful words energy out>energy in (which I really wish I hadn't said now, as it has lead to you doing something so crazily unhealthy).

No, not everyone is meant to be thin. Not everyone has an identical ideal weight, and most people will agree that the 'official' range of normal weight is pretty narrow. But I doubt you'll find evidence anywhere that 300lbs is A. a healthy, sustainable weight, or that B. It is a direct result of genetics or a fat virus.

People here haven't offered you advice because they hate fat people. They've offered you advice because you have come over as bitter and unhappy about weight issues, and if someone is bitter and unhappy the reasonable assumption is they want to stop being that way.

I'm not really sure what hypocrisy you are trying to prove here, but screwing around with your health by going on a starvation diet isn't going to prove anything to anyone except that you're being stubborn and refusing to listen to reason.

[Lyanna Stark]

I can't see how you feel that you can't try diet and exercise - which, as a lifestyle change, is THE proven method of long-term weight loss, and would like to wait around hoping for all of us (in the form of socialized medicine) to pay for gastric bypass for you. You seem to pooh-pooh the very real risks of surgery complications including death, and also IGNORE the 10% failure rate of gastric bypass surgery; which is brought about individuals expecting the surgery to take care of everything, and who still consume high-calorie liquids and foods.

Incidentally, it is also pretty hard to get a gastric bypass done under British UHC since they expect you to really try with dieting and exercise, and the waiting for one is not only due to waiting lists, but due to an inherent block in the system, so that people who are overweight and want a gastric bypass will have to try other methods first.

So yeah, not even socialised medecine will issue quick and easy fixes to something that doesn't have a quick and easy fix. :)

Also agreeing with Chataya on the risks: I'm a bit scared by how easily people want to subject themselves to this type of very invasive surgery as there is always a risk of complications and death, perhaps even more so if by being obese, the patient is in poorer health (which is often the case, including heart problems and Diabetes T2).

Odie:

Why would I pay someone to do what I can do for myself? Count calories and limit food intake? And why does everyone thing WW is the Ultimate Cure For Fat Fucks anyway??

Bullet points with some basic facts of why WW (or similar) work

* They offer you a structured approach and A Plan so that instead of being stuck with guessing, or hiring your own nutritionist, you get a set schedule to follow which will enable you to lose weight at a steady pace. This is the main and huge plus of these types of programmes: structure and assistance where you need it the most.

* It helps you make better choices. Easy to use information booklets on various foodstuffs can tell you whether a prawn baquette with mayo is a worse dietery choice than a slice of cheesecake, for instance. Or how much of your daily intake of calories a pizza is, or a packet of coleslaw.

* It won't restrict your eating to stuff like "no carbs" or "no sugar, ever!". You can make your own choices, but it provides the framework so you know what you have to work with.

* The information packs, recipes etc. give you helpful tips and tricks on how to eat less, but still feel full. I was amazed when I went on WW that I actually felt MORE full than before, and that my bloodsugar stayed more even. Of course, again it's up to yourself how you tailor the meals, but there is a lot of help to eat healthily while still not being hungry (this was a huge thing for me as an old ulcer patient since hunger meant paaaain).

* It focuses more on health than on looks. Sure, looks are also important, but overall, the health benefits are highlighted.

* It promotes a healthy level of exercise and taking care of your body. Nobody expects anyone to run a marathon either, exercise can be to walk 30 min a day, to park further away from the shop, or to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Small, everyday things that won't require hours sweating in a gym. Then with gradual increases when people feel ready.

* You set your own goal weight, and in many of these type of organisations, once you reach your goal weight (which is set up by yourself) you get free or discounted membership and further assistance to stay at your goal weight.

* Helpful and supportive staff and group members who can give you advice, answer questions or just give a pep talk if you need.

I am not looking forward to shedding my baby pounds, but if I can't do it myself within 6 months, I know where to go: WW

It's not at all shameful or strange, to me it is a matter of health and being happy with my body. In the beginning I was doubtful it would work as I am an old ulcer sufferer and at least used to suffer from severely distorted hunger feelings, weird food intakes (close to bulemia type eating) and a lost sense of what was a correct level of food for me.

Turned out it worked wonderfully and having a set schedule was made of pure win for me and even helped combat the return of the ulcer.

[ztemhead]

er, what the heck is WW?

and for the record, I'm all about low carb, especially for people looking at losing 20% or more of bodyweight. It's the only thing that works for me, for a number of reasons.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

er, what the heck is WW?

and for the record, I'm all about low carb, especially for people looking at losing 20% or more of bodyweight. It's the only thing that works for me, for a number of reasons.

WW=Weight Watchers

[ztemhead]

ah cheers. if I had money and time to devote to it, I'd be all about Weight Watchers. Even for a crusty old one like me, I'm sure there's stuff they could teach me that I don't already know. As it is though, reading the threads and sweating in my gym will have to suffice.