Why exercise wont make you thin

[Xray the Enforcer]

The virus theory is fringe-y as hell. I'll have to check, but I think it was reported in a single study and there was merely correlation -- NOT causation.

[SwordoftheMorning]

I didn't say anything about the government. Last time I checked, this backwards country HATES the idea of government supplied healthcare. But that's the subject for another thread.

I fit just fine in a plane seat, a bus seat, and any movie theater I've ever been in. Some have been tight. Once on a small commuter plane, I needed an extender. But whether or not I pay double for the same service is determined by whatever asshole I sit next to? Fuck that.

I seriously don't know where people find the time in their days to take time out and deliberately put themselves through torture for little to no positive return. Fuck exercise.

Wow Odie, I was feeling for ur position for a minute there, but that last line makes it plain that you are expecting, no, demanding that the world and all the people in it make sure you are accommodated and if that should require extra "whatever", then so be it cause u say "fuck exercise".

I could say the same thing, getting up at 5:30am instead of sleeping til 7 every week day could be described as a form of torture. So could the strain in my arms with all the reps of weights I lift, or the burn in my legs as I try to lower my personal time in the 2 mile run. But you know what ? knowing what the alternative is. The likehood that if I don't exercise, I'll prolly end up with maybe toes, feet or even legs chopped off as the diabetes becomes more severe due to my sedentary lifestyle. Little or no positive return ? u actually believe that ? More of the "when your time is up, you are gonna die, no matter what you do" crowd ?

I see the old(er) fellas & ladies in grocery stores slowly crusing thru the aisle in the electric carts. and I honestly dread the thought that one day it could be me. Maybe it will be, no matter how much I work out and try to be healthier. Shit happens. But the truth of the matter is shit most often happens to those who refuse to do anything to avoid it.

[Eurytus]

The virus theory is fringe-y as hell. I'll have to check, but I think it was reported in a single study and there was merely correlation -- NOT causation.

That is correct I believe. Only correlation.

Quite possibly there's a higher percentage of fat people who have goatee beards too (or bloatees as they are sometimes known) but I doubt growing a goatee causes you to become fat.

[ljkeane]

The ONLY person I've ever known who lost a significant (100+ pounds) of weight was because her rich parents paid for her to have gastric bypass surgery.

Come on dude, I've seen several people lose significant amounts of weight (6-7 stone) with doing a reasonable amount of exercise and not even paying that much attention to their diet.

Regarding the OP I've never really paid that much attention to my diet but when I do more exercise I lose weight and when I don't (like at the moment) I tend to be a bit of a fat bastard.

[Liffguard]

Surgery, either removing excess fat or gastric bypass

Pointless. If you remove the fat then it will just come back again in no time since the person will still have all of the same unhealthy habits that led to them being fat in the first place. A gastric bypass might help weight, but it has it's own complications and won't address the other health risks that come from a sedentary lifestyle and bad diet.

[Balefont]

Treatments, if there truly is a viral cause in some cases.

Surgery, either removing excess fat or gastric bypass. And NOT have the expense be out of pocket, if you're covered by some type of health insurance. These treatments exist, but are unreachable for most people,

Sweetheart, from what I've read, fat cells will come back so it's only a temporary fix for those who don't otherwise change their habits. Also, gastric bypass is for treating quantity not quality. If you eat junkie stuff (including 'delicous' homestyle meals), you aren't getting the nutrients your body needs. By reducing the quantity, you're making it worse because your body needs more to live.

There are a lot of cooking options that would help reduce fats and oils yet still leave your food tasting great. Cooking long grain/wild rices & rice mixes in chicken or vegetable broth instead of adding butter for flavor. Steaming fresh veggies instead of adding butter. Not eating deserts cooked in Mountain Dew and piles of sugar (tho gods that looked soooo damn tasty :) ).

You don't have to go all South Beach health nut. The thing is, as you cut back on your oils, fats and salts, you crave them less. And over time when you actually do indulge in a little junk, you feel like shit after a few bites.

Trust me, Odie, I love tasty food yet even I can get down with tasty and healthy. You just gotta give yourself time to adjust...when you're ready that is. xoxox

[Odie]

Bale, I think we made those apple things once, maybe twice. It's certainly not standard fare! :)

And I agree, rice made with chicken stock/broth is tasty and doesn't need butter. I haven't put butter on my rice in years.

[Balefont]

The article may be crappily written, although some of the responses here are probably just bandwagon hopping. But no one seems to explicitly tackle the premise that vigorous exercise depletes your 'self control muscle' so I presume that anecdotally for everyone here it doesnt. Lets all publish our results in Newsweek or Salon.

Sorry, cyr, I just loathe Time and CNN... :P

I don't agree that it depletes your self control in the slightest. I agree with others that it in fact improves your self control. For me, I'd prefer to eat a diet that fuels my body with the right ingredients for peak performance. It's one of the reasons why I'm giving up alcohol (with the exception of my birthday weekend, of course) during my black belt training this fall. I don't want anything getting in my way.

[Eurytus]

Bale, I think we made those apple things once, maybe twice. It's certainly not standard fare! :)

And I agree, rice made with chicken stock/broth is tasty and doesn't need butter. I haven't put butter on my rice in years.

I didn't even know that putting butter on rice was an option. Surely if you're having it with curry or Chinese food or something you don't need it because the sauces make the rice moist enough.

[Balefont]

Bale, I think we made those apple things once, maybe twice. It's certainly not standard fare! :)

I understand, m'dear. It did look fantastic, tho. That was my second thought after first thinking "heart attack!". :P

But I hear you, there are cultures (I hear the Italians and perhaps the French) who value a good meal and it's a real shame that our society demonizes food so much. The only solution I have is to make delicous, healthy and filling meals. This means more time and money, something we all want and need more of, I know. Yet, it also means I get the best of both worlds.

Also, I know I'm positively evil if I haven't sweated a good sweat several days a week (preferably every day).

[Angalin]

Heat kills my appetite. Doesn't matter if I'm exercising in it or not. It also makes me crave fresh things. I'm less likely to actually want fast food in the summer.

IIRC, your body wants less food, and definitely less heavy food, in the summer. In the winter, your body wants the warmer, heavier foods to keep you warm. Air conditioning in the summer throws this response off, because you're in a cool environment. I also heard the other day that a/c is geared towards keeping men in wool suits cool. :stunned: No wonder the malls are like giant fridges!

The ONLY person I've ever known who lost a significant (100+ pounds) of weight was because her rich parents paid for her to have gastric bypass surgery.

My cousin lost ~120lbs by walking two miles a day and cutting out refined sugar. It was slow but effective.

Cyrano, you mentioned the article's comments on self-control getting used up. The NYT, I think, reported a study on that recently (no link, no time, sorry). The gist of it was that if you rely on self-control to keep you from eating the stuff you crave, eventually you'll crack and eat it. The trick seemed to be not giving yourself the option: eg, don't buy potato chips -> there are none in the house -> there aren't any for you to be tempted by.

I posted a link to an interview in Salon which said some of the same things, and talked further about how the neural stimulation of the push-pull of wanting a certain food makes it more attractive. (Again, gotta run, ztem might remember the guy's name.)

eta: I thought the self-control being used up was in the context of stopping yourself eating something, not the making yourself exercise?

[Nichole]

Also, I know I'm positively evil if I haven't sweated a good sweat several days a week (preferably every day).

Same here. This is why I make no apologies for being sweaty sometimes. Deal with it world!

[Vethnar]

I don't agree that it depletes your self control in the slightest. I agree with others that it in fact improves your self control. For me, I'd prefer to eat a diet that fuels my body with the right ingredients for peak performance.

That's similar to how I feel, except that it is not even conscious: Regular exercise makes my body crave healthier food. Exercising starts some kind of positive feedback loop. When I start exercising, I automatically start eating more and healthier. This makes me restless and energetic, and causes me to exercise even more. Which makes me eat even more, and so on. Eating too much is never a problem: Exercise and calorie consumption balance each other automatically, and there is no need to think consciously about my diet.

I should add that I probably have a very high natural metabolism, due to completely undeserved luck in the genetic lottery.

It's one of the reasons why I'm giving up alcohol (with the exception of my birthday weekend, of course) during my black belt training this fall. I don't want anything getting in my way.

Exercise or not, nothing is ever going to make me give up alcohol. :)

[lessthanluke]

http://www.rxmuscle.com/articles/romanos-r...whole-seat.html

Lol.

[Eponine]

Not eating deserts cooked in Mountain Dew and piles of sugar (tho gods that looked soooo damn tasty :) ).

Now I'm curious. I don't actually like Mt. Dew, but I've never hear of a dessert being cooked in it.

***

Is it true that "yo-yo dieting" ultimately makes weight loss harder? I have a friend considering a lap band, and I'm frustrated with her enough that I won't discuss the subject with her. I don't doubt that it's harder for some people to lose weight, but over the last few years, I've watched her jump from one fad diet/fitness program to the next, and then quit when it "doesn't work" (after one month). She won't listen to anything I have to say because "you've always been thin so you don't understand how hard it is to lose weight". Now she's telling everyone that she ate healthy and exercised for years and it didn't work for her, so she NEEDS the surgery. I feel sure that if she would stick to one moderate plan for those few years, she'd see (boring, undramatic) weight loss, but she won't hear of it.

[Nichole]

Once I get into healthy habits of sleep and exercise, my temptation for unhealthy food goes down big time.

I notice when I'm not sleeping well I want to eat unhealthy foods more.

I don't mean to pile on, but I just have a hard time when people are willing to give up. I was trying to convince myself that I was eating healthy when I wasn't. That it was too hard and giving up would be easy. Bullshit, I was not being honest with myself. I wanted to have my cake and eat it too. Like in Epinine's story about her friend, I wanted to tell people I had been eating healthy. But I hadn't been, it was just easier to be a victim.

[Balefont]

Holy shit, you really are a ninja in training?! That's awesome.

Duh, silly. :P

[Mo Sneachd]

Plane seats: I guess it's a part of human nature to be annoyed. You are annoyed if you had to pay extra. I am annoyed that my seat neighbour may weight thrice what I weight and yet is allowed the same luggage allowance. Windmills, anyone? *shrugs*

Virus: I'm not a virologist, but that doesn't sound remotely likely. And if the Xray doesn't believe it, I consider it to be a non-peer-approved piece of research.

(and I lied when I said I wouldn't get involved. Sue me.)

I've been dieting on and off all my life. Some people have the metabolism to eat cake and not show it. Others don't. You may not look like *insert role model of choice* after a month of exercise and diet, but I'm fairly sure that there haven't been any studies saying that healthy food (which is tasty. Seriously. Like all acquired tastes, it just takes time getting used to. And don't tell me that you don't have time to chop a few tomatoes and pour a fat-free dressing over it - takes less time than queuing in a fast food place) and exercise (nobody expects you to lift an olympia boxer's worth of weights after two days) is bad for you.

There are some things you can only fix with money and surgery, sure. Life is cruel that way, and don't think I don't know what I'm talking about. But there are things you can fix with patience, frequent walks, cutting down on alcohol and sugar and fat, and putting a threadmill in front of your tv. It just doesn't happen overnight.

[Odie]

I have also noticed you seem to have jealousy issues with anyone who is perceived to have more money than you. The comment above, plus your comments about the plane tickets.

Jealous? Hmm. I certainly don't think I feel that way. No more than the average person, anyway. I mean, how are you supposed to feel about this issue? Not having access to money hurts you, the ones you love, and your hopes and dreams. Are we just supposed to smile and shurg our shoulders because other people have the resources to get what they want out of life?

I guess I'd describe it as bitter. I'm definitely bitter about a lot of things (obviously). But in real life I try not to let it affect me. When we delve into it in writing like this, it comes off as very harsh. In real life though I just try to live my life without discussing any of these issues.

And I'm sorry, but if someone takes up two seats, they should pay for two seats.

There's a big difference between what they consider "encroachment" and "taking up two seats". Very few people truly take up two whole seats.

[14th Dragon]

And therein lies your problem. Finding time is incredibly easy. How much time do you spend watching TV? I'll bet its more than an hour a day. Spend that hour in the gym or jogging and eat better, problem solved.

Really I hate statements like these. Since it really makes no sense what-so-ever. There are 24 hours in a day, period. That makes it very finite the amount of time you can allocate to each activity. Which is why whenever it comes out that you need to be more active, while at the same time you need more sleep, it never really takes root. But somehow I can magically find time for things. Here is my currant day routine, you find the extra hours in there:

Work: 10 hrs/day

Driving: 2 hrs/day

Cooking+Cleaning: 1.5 hrs/day

Bathing: .5 hrs/day

Studying: 1 hr/day

Sex: .5 hr/day (If self control is a muscle, good sex is like a rest day)

Gym: .75 hr/day

Dinner: .5 hr/day (TV off talking with my fiance while eating something we cooked together)

Sleep: 7 hrs (which is why I am chronically sleep deprived)

Torture? I fucking love being in the gym.

Once more. Fat people are lazy.

I hate you too. Why would anyone love going to the gym? Other then the occasional bit of eye candy, the gym is offensive to all five senses. All the equipment is ugly, the sounds of people excersising is pretty disgusting, the smell is terrible, the cold metallic feel of a wieght or the rubbery surface of a treadmill are not pleasent and the water from the fountains is tepid and metallic. I much prefer when the weather is pleasent and I can get my work-outs outside where it is not a human hampster wheel.