The reality of obesity (page 3)

ashitaka

I too am about 75 pounds overweight. I'm around 6 feet tall and weigh 245, and have been that exact weight for three years, no matter what I do. I eat less, but better, or eat more, smaller meals, or give up beer altogether. I lost four pounds in four months doing that. Just doesn't seem worth it to me.

Still, I just went to the doctors, and my Bad Cholesterol is only 60. So, for all of the weight I have, I must eat pretty healthy. It's just something that my body does. I'm polish, and we slavs have a tendency to be a little bigger anyway.

My bodyweight means nothing to me, but if I was a woman, it would be a different story. It's a shame that there's such a doublestandard for men and women. Men want women within 20-30 pounds of their 'ideal' (i use that term loosely) weight, but guys can be fat, and not have to worry. That sucks.

ash

hillary_step

stillajwexelder,

I like rounded curvy women with a bit of meat on them

My preference is for fillet minon, medium to well done, preferably hanging around the neck by means of a delightful woven chain of sheep entrails.

HS

Country_Woman

My whole life I have been like a yo-yo: started with 50 pounds off - gained 60 pounds. after at least 4 times of losing and gaining, I did not bother to try to loose any weight at all.
Until my condition went that bad that I had to do something.
I went to a fitnesscentre (dec.2002) for cardio-gym and to my surprise I
lost several pounds (without eating less sweets and so on - in fact, from the fitness I went to the baker-at-the-overside-of-the-road for pastries).
I started to walk more with my dog (having a sitting-work-life).
Each time a little further, and because I was losing fat, I even put myself on restrictions with sweets, bars and fancy cakes.
Then my mother got sick and practical refused to eat.
I stopped making meals for us (she didn't take a bite and I lost my appetite) and started to make salads for myself, which I enjoyed very much.
And I lost weight, which feels very good.

Today, eating very healthy (for my feelings without a diet) and each day a walk from approximately 6 km with my 3 dogs, I have lost 44 pounds (am able to buy my clothes in a normal shop and size now) but I still have to loose another 24 pounds before I have an acceptable weight and I feel great!!

The moment I start eating sweets again, I know I will gain weight again.
But since I lost all that fat, this time without the hard work, I think I will be able to keep this result (or even better).

I know however that I am genetically predisposed (back at home, when I did eat the same as my brothers and sis in a week, I gained 6 pounds and they nothing at all). One of my girlfriends is eating each day more then twice what I am eating - and she is 20 pounds UNDER weighted.

It is true that a low self-esteem, comes with to much fat, especially when your partner lets you feel that you are unattractive due to your overweight...
In fact, it took years before I realised that my friends do appreciate me for myself - not for what I can do for them - regardless of my figure

and yes, Hamas is right: it is a luxury problem. It is too easy to buy very delicious un-healthy food.

Mulan

Men want women within 20-30 pounds of their 'ideal' (i use that term loosely) weight, but guys can be fat, and not have to worry. That sucks.

I don't know if that's true really. I wouldn't be attracted to a grossly obese man. Overweight is one thing, but fat..............no. But that's me.

I am 30 pounds overweight and feel gross. I am 5'7" but small boned. I think I look awful too. It's my own self image. My husband thinks I am "just fine".............he says I am "fluffy".

I know I talk too much about my weight, and I have friends and family much more overweight than I am, and it must hurt their feelings to hear me stressing over 30 pounds. I am trying to be better about that.

I have the blood type diet book and it is not me. I am type "O" and if I ate the way that book recommends, I would be sick and really fat.

hillary_step

Lee,

Thank you for this post. I am intrigued by the aspect of genetic disposition toward gaining weight and the calorie / food ratio 'burned' by people. It does seem that obesity is an issue that seems to be increasing in a modern world. For example, pull out a photo album and look at people in the 1920's -40's. It does eem that the average weight of people in the Western world was much less then that it is now.

I have read reports that seem to make sense that link body weight with body type, but how do modern eating habits and types of food, a more sedentary lifestyle and employment, impact the issue of genetic pre-disposition? I would be very interested in source material for the statistics your present.

Thank you for an interesting post - HS

wednesday

ash,

u may not be 75 pounds overweight.If u are trying to get to an ideal wieight,. one u had at 18-25, u may seeking the impossible. Dr. phil suggests a more realistic approach. say u are 6ft. and the range according to him is-177-197-217.The low number for small frame, the middle for average frame, and the top for large frame. so if u are an average man, 6ft. then 197 are about 200 # is ok. he suggests one get to a realistc weight, one that u can maintain. we all have a ideal weight that we looked supreme at, but can u maintin it? is it realistc now? If u are still 18, maybe, but if u are over 30, maybe not. If u have to starve to maintain a weight, it is not realistic.

For woman, lets take an average woman 5'5'the range is 122-135-148, again the low being the small bone, the middle the average , and the top being the large bone.

u can measure your wrist for bone structure. For woman, anything over 6 3/4, i believe is large bone.

i find his idesas to be very realistic and doeable. check out the book. u will like it. its not just for girls

wednesday

mulan,

dr phil says for 5''7' the range is 130-145-160 again the bone structrue small-avg, large. most people are in the small to avg , unless u have had your wrist measured an know for sure u are large bone. ( i am, wirst nearly 7 inches)to be sure measure your wrist. u may have to consult a diet book for the figures, i don't have them-i just know over 61/2 to 63/4 is large for a woman.

Special K

Hey guys..

I went to a gym for a year and never lost .. ONE.. darn pound..

so, like SANFRANCISCOJIM.. I gave the Atkins diet a try.

A family member, who I'm just starting to know again, told me about the atkins diet.. so I thought I'd buy the book and give it a try..

First diet i have ever been on.

I've lost 20 lbs.. in 2 1/2 months. and I'm very happy about that... and back at the Gym..and so far so good.. continuing to loose little by little on the Atkins way.

The biggest thing you cut out on his diet is .. sweets (which is on about every diet).. and all the high carbohydrate foods like breads, potatoes, pastas... (which turn to a form of sugar as soon as you swallow it)...I eat lots of high protein and lots of veggies...now..

Instead of looking at fat content.. I look at carbohydrate count on food items...

sincerely

special k

MrMoe

I always had issues with getting "heavy" and yet I eat like a mouse. (10-30 pounds extra, so nothing MAJOR, but still...) Then I found out I had a multi-nodular goiter on my thyroid because this much needed gland stopped working, my doc actually found it on a routine physical when he looked at my neck, he actually pushed at a spot on my throat and suddenley I felt like he was chocking me and I couldn't breathe, so he was like "Ok, soemthing is up with your thryoid, time for some tests." I lucked out big time by picking such a GOOD doctor to notice something like that just by looking at my throat. After months of testing and ultrasounds etc it was confirmed my throid wasn't workign well AT ALL, which is why I never ate but was chunky, always tired, alwyas cold (even in a Florida summer,) and lethargic, depressed and had dry skin and stuff... the goiter is from where my thyroid KNEW it wasn't working, so the gland kept growing.

Now I am on synthroid and eat a lot more than I used to and don't have to battle being chubby. I have the energy to work out, don't get cold and my skin isn't dry anymore. I am not in great awesome shape, but it's no longer a nasty battle of the 20 pound yo-yo.

termite 35

Although my weight is fine- I still spend an incredible amount of my day active as I can't bear to feel inactive- I don't like how it makes me feel.

I remember reading that the human body is designed to move- constantly; and that our intake of foods is too much and too high in protein.

Basically, it was said that exercise is the answer (running in particular-which helps me keep my spirits up too as it calms me and stops the depression completely)

I sometimes lift weights-used to do them 4 times a week-the muscle has to burn fat to stay muscle-so that works- but my job is very physical-so i'd rather use my time running as it clears my head.A controlled study was done which showed that the seriously depressed improved incredibly when they started running.Id recomend it to anyone capeable- and most people are if they take it slowly to start with-just walking and breaking into a run-then slowing down again- building up the time sensibly.

I cycle alot- 5 or so miles a day-mountain biking -pretty hard work- and have recently gone back to running as this is the most effective for me-I can eat what I like and loose weight if I run only 3-4 miles a day.

So i'm a advocate of exercise rather than diet for weight stability.If you want to feel good and loose weight this way you can expect to loose 1-2 lbs a week if you run for 30 mins a day- which is all I do,,,

And it makes you happier than dieting

The reality of obesity

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