# weight loss



## SarahNorthman

So I am having the usual new years resolution of getting in shape. Only this year I am determined to stick with it! I figured if I blog about it, on top of my determination I will feel more... I don't want to say obligated but more encouraged to stick with it. I am wondering if here in this thread would be a good place to do it. I have met nothing but sweet and encouraging people here. Your opinions?


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## Ingélou

I am hesitant about giving my opinion, but since you ask, I will be honest, Sarah.

I don't know. Might it lead to an obsession? I only say that because in my late teens/ early twenties I got fixated on diets and worried about my weight with the result that I was always crash-dieting and then collapsing, bingeing on food, and putting it all back on and more. As soon as I shrugged my shoulders and got on with my life, I had no more problems with weight. But I sometimes wonder if all that crash-dieting is the reason why I never had children.

Hopefully, you are more sensible. I think people are very nice here, but surely if you're healthy, you don't need to worry too much? From your photo, you are an attractive person. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

I hope that if you *are* going to get 'in shape', you take a long term approach to it. Take six months or a year to reach your target weight, don't set it too low, and incorporate exercise into the programme, and you have much more chance of keeping weight off and adopting a healthy lifestyle.


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## Triplets

So Sarah, I'm a Physician, and my specialty is Medical Weight Loss. I'll post more later.


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## Guest

Support will flow to you here, I'm sure.


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## GreenMamba

The latest fad diet in the US involves putting butter in your coffee. But not just any coffee, you have to buy special beans from the guy who invented it. 

It's hard for anyone to answer this without knowing you and your habits. You mention "getting in shape" rather than simply losing weight, so maybe that jogging or biking. I'd just say: be careful about your friends. They can really work against you here ("Hey, you want to go out to dinner tonight?").


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## PetrB

My personal take on weight loss, or any arrived at personal resolution to change something about yourself, is that by asking friends or any community for support is most likely to lead to an ultimate failure... i.e. you are in a manner asking those about you to keep you on track to your goal, tantamount to initially declaring you do not have what it takes to do it on your own.

The very real problem there is that psychologically, you've announced that you have in a way, a weakness, and do not have the interior strength to do it on your own -- which reinforces "I can not do this."

For the rest, the classic business is about two very prime elements:
Revising your diet. Many think of this as temporary, where what and how we eat has very much to do with _habit,_ and a temporary veering away from that habit is but temporary. Ergo, that revision of diet must be something you want to do, and it must be _permanent._

The other element, of course, is exercise, to boost the metabolism, and again, some of that exercise must be permanently adopted.

From the photo - without a full body shot, it looks to me like you have little weight to lose, if you need to lose weight at all, and that some of 'what you look like' is a combination of mere youth, a bit of residual 'baby-fat,' and that women have that little extra layer of fat. Really, from what I see, I'm guessing a bit of exercise and toning is going to lose you whatever slight few inches you want to lose, without much or any change of diet. Exercising, BTW, can have anyone "losing inches while gaining pounds," the inches lost are from tightening up muscle, which gets denser, so for instance, the waist gets reduced while stomach muscle has increased. That said, it is 'a size' you would be aiming for and not a particular weight, so don't obsess about the weight, but the shape 

Really a bit of encouragement in some pursuit never hurt, but those who reach goals and stay there do not do so successfully depending much, if any, upon outside encouragement.


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## SarahNorthman

Ingélou said:


> I am hesitant about giving my opinion, but since you ask, I will be honest, Sarah.
> 
> I don't know. Might it lead to an obsession? I only say that because in my late teens/ early twenties I got fixated on diets and worried about my weight with the result that I was always crash-dieting and then collapsing, bingeing on food, and putting it all back on and more. As soon as I shrugged my shoulders and got on with my life, I had no more problems with weight. But I sometimes wonder if all that crash-dieting is the reason why I never had children.
> 
> Hopefully, you are more sensible. I think people are very nice here, but surely if you're healthy, you don't need to worry too much? From your photo, you are an attractive person. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'
> 
> I hope that if you *are* going to get 'in shape', you take a long term approach to it. Take six months or a year to reach your target weight, don't set it too low, and incorporate exercise into the programme, and you have much more chance of keeping weight off and adopting a healthy lifestyle.


I am not interested in crash dieting, or any weight loss fads. This is more a getting healthy for the long term. Despite my picture I am not in good health. This is my resolution to change that. I definitely am not doing this for anyone but myself.



PetrB said:


> My personal take on weight loss, or any arrived at personal resolution to change something about yourself, is that by asking friends or any community for support is most likely to lead to an ultimate failure... i.e. you are in a manner asking those about you to keep you on track to your goal, tantamount to initially declaring you do not have what it takes to do it on your own.
> 
> The very real problem there is that psychologically, you've announced that you have in a way, a weakness, and do not have the interior strength to do it on your own -- which reinforces "I can not do this."
> 
> For the rest, the classic business is about two very prime elements:
> Revising your diet. Many think of this as temporary, where what and how we eat has very much to do with _habit,_ and a temporary veering away from that habit is but temporary. Ergo, that revision of diet must be something you want to do, and it must be _permanent._
> 
> The other element, of course, is exercise, to boost the metabolism, and again, some of that exercise must be permanently adopted.
> 
> From the photo - without a full body shot, it looks to me like you have little weight to lose, if you need to lose weight at all, and that some of 'what you look like' is a combination of mere youth, a bit of residual 'baby-fat,' and that women have that little extra layer of fat. Really, from what I see, I'm guessing a bit of exercise and toning is going to lose you whatever slight few inches you want to lose, without much or any change of diet. Exercising, BTW, can have anyone "losing inches while gaining pounds," the inches lost are from tightening up muscle, which gets denser, so for instance, the waist gets reduced while stomach muscle has increased. That said, it is 'a size' you would be aiming for and not a particular weight, so don't obsess about the weight, but the shape
> 
> Really a bit of encouragement in some pursuit never hurt, but those who reach goals and stay there do not do so successfully depending much, if any, upon outside encouragement.


There is some very good information here and thank you for it. Though, a lot of it is completely dependant on the person. One may go farther by just working at it alone and others may need that encouragement. Considering I am always told I can't do it and am degraded for my weight, I tend to fall in the second camp.



GreenMamba said:


> The latest fad diet in the US involves putting butter in your coffee. But not just any coffee, you have to buy special beans from the guy who invented it.
> 
> It's hard for anyone to answer this without knowing you and your habits. You mention "getting in shape" rather than simply losing weight, so maybe that jogging or biking. I'd just say: be careful about your friends. They can really work against you here ("Hey, you want to go out to dinner tonight?").


Yes I have heard of this and I think it's repulsive.


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## starthrower

It shouldn't be too difficult to get in shape, since you look like a young woman. Me, on the other hand? I'm over 50, and it's much tougher to stay thin. Sitting in front of the computer isn't helping.


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## Morimur

Coffee with butter? BAHAHAHA! Only in America.

Eat plenty of vegetables and exercise. If you can afford it, buy organic produce and poultry. Works for me.


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## SarahNorthman

Morimur said:


> Coffee with butter? BAHAHAHA! Only in America.
> 
> Eat plenty of vegetables and exercise. If you can afford it, buy organic produce and poultry. Works for me.


Yeah it's awful. You'll never see me trying it. I'm actually planning on growing my own fruits and vegies this coming year.


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## PetrB

Many people, I was one, are completely unaware of how much sugar, and salt, are part of their intake. Both are found in many an otherwise 'healthy' frozen vegetable packet, for example. Honey is still sugar, just not the bleached refined sugar cane, so soft-pedaling that is key as well.

I once cut out a bad Cola habit, supplemented by a small bag of potato chips, and within weeks I dropped a fair amount of gained weight I did not want, and felt better not just physically, but in frame of mind as well.

If you've got sugar, even in moderation, as a regular part of your diet, I heartily recommend abandoning sugar cold turkey 

Even moderate exercise, a bit of regular power-walking before you go into the jar your skeleton running (_really not good on so many levels, the running_) or a similar added and then maintained regime, nothing extreme at all, will also help.


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## Ingélou

SarahNorthman said:


> I am not interested in crash dieting, or any weight loss fads. This is more a getting healthy for the long term. Despite my picture I am not in good health. This is my resolution to change that. I definitely am not doing this for anyone but myself.


This is reassuring, Sarah. In that case, the very best to you in your scheme, and I hope people here can be of help. I didn't want to be a wet blanket, but I felt a bit worried: there are an awful lot of eating disorders around. But I am sorry to hear that your health isn't good.

Okay then - I shall now proceed to offer you my own twopennyworth! 

Exercise is the key, and avoiding sugar.

For* exercise*, you don't need to go to the gym. Walking is the best. This autumn, I lost half a stone on the 'husband in hospital' diet, when I was walking to and fro to the hospital twice a day - it is only about fifteen minutes walk away, and car parking expenses are steep, so worth it, and it added up. You should also have some trimming exercises that you do every day when you get up - just bends from side to side, and forward, nothing too onerous or you will start skipping them. But above all - start *dancing*, whatever sort suits you. It's no effort at all, when the music gets to you! 

Now, *sugar*: earlier this year, my weight dropped by over half a stone in the space of several months, not intentionally, but because I gave up drinking fruit juice. A lot of medical researchers think that the current wave of obesity in Britain among young people is because of all the *fructose* in the fruit juice, especially from concentrates, that we are all drinking now. I drink mineral water instead, and eat fresh fruit, and I have actually got my waist back. I've had a trim waist most of my life, but had lost it in the last couple of years, which I'd put down to ageing. Not so.

:tiphat: Good luck with whatever you decide to do - whether it's getting in shape on your own, getting in shape with the support of other people, or putting the plan on hold for a while.


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## Jos

Just find a sport that you realy enjoy, it's easy then to keep going.
I train 4 times a week and can drink as much beer as I like


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## SixFootScowl

Aerobic exercise combined with reduced calorie intake works best.


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## Cheyenne

Have you considered, perhaps, the unofficial sport of "air-conducting?" It kept Bernstein slim!


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## Ingélou

The best thing you can do, apparently, is *not* sit. Moving around at intervals or working at one's desk standing is the thing to do. But I'm afraid I'm a wooden-chair fiddler - or maybe just a wooden fiddler! :lol:


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## sharik

SarahNorthman said:


> weight loss


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Cheyenne said:


> Have you considered, perhaps, the unofficial sport of "air-conducting?" It kept Bernstein slim!


Slim? What was that round thing on his abdomen that appeared in the 80s? Or maybe 70s...


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## Figleaf

I think this has the potential to be a very useful thread, and not just for Sarah!

To cut a long story short, I had a great figure for most of my life- I wish I'd taken more photos- even after babies #1 and #2. After baby #3 (a whopper of nearly 9 1/2 months gestation) I was severely obese and looked like a human beach ball for the first year at least. Very surreal experience. ('Who is that old, fat person in the mirror? Oh it's me. OK!) I didn't do anything about it for various reasons, not least because I'd never had to make any significant effort to stay slim in the past. I just assumed that dramatic, involuntary weight loss was right around the corner. Fast forward several years to this summer, and I finally made the decision to actively lose weight. (It may have something to do with a grotesque photograph that my eldest daughter took of me. All chins and belly. Eww.) I found that I lost a lot of weight very quickly and people were noticing and complimenting me, but after the initial euphoria wore off a couple of months in, I was backsliding quite a lot and the weight was creeping back on. So this thread, plus the austere post-Christmas atmosphere of New Year resolutions, could help me. I'm happy to offer moral support to anyone else trying to lose weight, though I don't think I would be the person to go to for practical advice.

So, thank you for this thread Sarah, and let's do this thing!


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## Musicforawhile

Jos said:


> Just find a sport that you realy enjoy, it's easy then to keep going.
> I train 4 times a week and can drink as much beer as I like


Yeh I think this is important. If you can incorporate exercise into your life in a way that is fun rather than a chore than it will become part of your life in the long term and you'll get in shape and enjoy yourself. If you did lose weight through denying yourself foods and doing repetitive exercises...how do you keep it up in the long term? Therefore I would say fun must be a big part of this. Team sports perhaps - basketball, netball, rowing? If you like dancing as Ingelou said, thats a great one - you could do partner dances like salsa, jive, and ceilidh is really fun. Going jogging with someone. I quite like aerobics videos that you can do at home, you could do those with a friend as well. Then there's little things that go along way like: taking the stairs instead of the lift (elevator), walking to the next bust stop, walking places instead of taking the underground/bus. From the sounds of your cheesecake making you love food just as much as me, and I could never deny myself food. So, I just don't think that will work in the longterm and could make it all an unhappy experience. Sometimes I just want to munch on something...it's not even about the food, just the physical munching lol. So in that case I get a bowl of baby spinach leaves...but don't know if that suits everyone.

I don't know who it is who is putting you down, and I don't understand why they think they can do this. Your main concern here is health. That is very understandable. As for you thinking you're a bit too heavy...as the others have said you look lovely in your picture and well it would be boring if we all looked the same and were all slimmies. I definitely would rather be on the bigger side than on the skinny side - and I am.


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## spokanedaniel

Since your goal is not weight loss, but fitness, then the main thing you need to do is exercise. Build up to it gradually. Find something you enjoy, because if you don't enjoy it you are less likely to stick with it. (Depends, of course, on how motivated you are. I use the exercise bike and/or the treadmill 5 days a week even though I hate them both, because I am extremely motivated to stay in shape for my favorite activity, which is hiking in the mountains.)

Walking is an excellent start, but for someone as young as you and not obese, a truly aerobic work-out will require moving up to something more vigorous. A well-rounded program includes cardio, weights, and stretching. A trainer can help you develop a good program, but you shouldn't need a trainer once you have a program.

On diet, plenty of vegetables, some fruit, avoid excessive amounts of processed foods. If you eat meat, don't eat a lot of it. Excessive amounts of sugar are bad. High-fructose corn syrup is IDENTICAL to table sugar once it reaches your stomach. Eat sugars in moderation, but it doesn't really matter the source. The problem with high-fructose corn syrup is not that it's different from other sugars, it's just that they put so much of it in processed foods. You'd be surprised how much sugar there is in ketchup, for example, or canned baked beans.

In short, eat a balanced diet of healthy unprocessed foods, get regular exercise, and your health will improve. (Of course, see a doctor if you have an actual medical condition, as opposed to just being out of shape.)

Oh, and there's no nutritional difference between organic and regular foods. In fact, the foods labelled "organic" in the grocery store are a scam, because the law allows that label on foods that have been produced with certain chemicals. The food industry has been diligent and very successful in lobbying for regulations that classify certain chemicals as "organic." And although some folks will jump down my throat for saying this, there is zero scientific evidence supporting ANY difference between GMO and non-GMO foods, other than price. There's a big difference between fresh and stale veggies, though. I look for the freshest, regardless of how it was grown. In season, I go to a local veggie farm where they use no chemicals. But they are not "organic" because they cannot afford the cost of being "certified." I go there because they pick the veggies the same day you buy them.

Good luck with your resolution. I've never managed to stick with a New-Year's resolution. I stick with my exercise because it's a LOT harder to walk up the sides of mountains carrying an extra ten or twenty pounds of fat.


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## Ingélou

New Year Resolutions are hard to keep, but it does feel the right time to start something. Taggart made a New Year's Resolution to quit smoking, way back in the 1980s, and he did! So it does work sometimes.
Good luck, Sarah!


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## SarahNorthman

Ingélou said:


> This is reassuring, Sarah. In that case, the very best to you in your scheme, and I hope people here can be of help. I didn't want to be a wet blanket, but I felt a bit worried: there are an awful lot of eating disorders around. But I am sorry to hear that your health isn't good.
> 
> Okay then - I shall now proceed to offer you my own twopennyworth!
> 
> Exercise is the key, and avoiding sugar.
> 
> For* exercise*, you don't need to go to the gym. Walking is the best. This autumn, I lost half a stone on the 'husband in hospital' diet, when I was walking to and fro to the hospital twice a day - it is only about fifteen minutes walk away, and car parking expenses are steep, so worth it, and it added up. You should also have some trimming exercises that you do every day when you get up - just bends from side to side, and forward, nothing too onerous or you will start skipping them. But above all - start *dancing*, whatever sort suits you. It's no effort at all, when the music gets to you!
> 
> Now, *sugar*: earlier this year, my weight dropped by over half a stone in the space of several months, not intentionally, but because I gave up drinking fruit juice. A lot of medical researchers think that the current wave of obesity in Britain among young people is because of all the *fructose* in the fruit juice, especially from concentrates, that we are all drinking now. I drink mineral water instead, and eat fresh fruit, and I have actually got my waist back. I've had a trim waist most of my life, but had lost it in the last couple of years, which I'd put down to ageing. Not so.
> 
> :tiphat: Good luck with whatever you decide to do - whether it's getting in shape on your own, getting in shape with the support of other people, or putting the plan on hold for a while.


Well thank ya! I too noticed a couple years ago a drop in weight when I gave up sodas. I mostly drink water and tea these days. I do do a lot of walking as I take public transportation. I figure if I was born with perfectly healthy legs I may as well use them.



Figleaf said:


> I think this has the potential to be a very useful thread, and not just for Sarah!
> 
> To cut a long story short, I had a great figure for most of my life- I wish I'd taken more photos- even after babies #1 and #2. After baby #3 (a whopper of nearly 9 1/2 months gestation) I was severely obese and looked like a human beach ball for the first year at least. Very surreal experience. ('Who is that old, fat person in the mirror? Oh it's me. OK!) I didn't do anything about it for various reasons, not least because I'd never had to make any significant effort to stay slim in the past. I just assumed that dramatic, involuntary weight loss was right around the corner. Fast forward several years to this summer, and I finally made the decision to actively lose weight. (It may have something to do with a grotesque photograph that my eldest daughter took of me. All chins and belly. Eww.) I found that I lost a lot of weight very quickly and people were noticing and complimenting me, but after the initial euphoria wore off a couple of months in, I was backsliding quite a lot and the weight was creeping back on. So this thread, plus the austere post-Christmas atmosphere of New Year resolutions, could help me. I'm happy to offer moral support to anyone else trying to lose weight, though I don't think I would be the person to go to for practical advice.
> 
> So, thank you for this thread Sarah, and let's do this thing!


Heck yeah girl. I know I can do it this year. Determination is what I'm all about now.



spokanedaniel said:


> Since your goal is not weight loss, but fitness, then the main thing you need to do is exercise. Build up to it gradually. Find something you enjoy, because if you don't enjoy it you are less likely to stick with it. (Depends, of course, on how motivated you are. I use the exercise bike and/or the treadmill 5 days a week even though I hate them both, because I am extremely motivated to stay in shape for my favorite activity, which is hiking in the mountains.)
> 
> Walking is an excellent start, but for someone as young as you and not obese, a truly aerobic work-out will require moving up to something more vigorous. A well-rounded program includes cardio, weights, and stretching. A trainer can help you develop a good program, but you shouldn't need a trainer once you have a program.
> 
> On diet, plenty of vegetables, some fruit, avoid excessive amounts of processed foods. If you eat meat, don't eat a lot of it. Excessive amounts of sugar are bad. High-fructose corn syrup is IDENTICAL to table sugar once it reaches your stomach. Eat sugars in moderation, but it doesn't really matter the source. The problem with high-fructose corn syrup is not that it's different from other sugars, it's just that they put so much of it in processed foods. You'd be surprised how much sugar there is in ketchup, for example, or canned baked beans.
> 
> In short, eat a balanced diet of healthy unprocessed foods, get regular exercise, and your health will improve. (Of course, see a doctor if you have an actual medical condition, as opposed to just being out of shape.)
> 
> Oh, and there's no nutritional difference between organic and regular foods. In fact, the foods labelled "organic" in the grocery store are a scam, because the law allows that label on foods that have been produced with certain chemicals. The food industry has been diligent and very successful in lobbying for regulations that classify certain chemicals as "organic." And although some folks will jump down my throat for saying this, there is zero scientific evidence supporting ANY difference between GMO and non-GMO foods, other than price. There's a big difference between fresh and stale veggies, though. I look for the freshest, regardless of how it was grown. In season, I go to a local veggie farm where they use no chemicals. But they are not "organic" because they cannot afford the cost of being "certified." I go there because they pick the veggies the same day you buy them.
> 
> Good luck with your resolution. I've never managed to stick with a New-Year's resolution. I stick with my exercise because it's a LOT harder to walk up the sides of mountains carrying an extra ten or twenty pounds of fat.


Thank you for your reply! I am starting with a little walk slash jog everyday. I do have my gym membership that I got for Christmas that I use for the weights.

As for foods. I rarely eat red meats and pork. I'm more a poultry and fishes person. And I love fruit and vegies. I am actually going to start growing my own this coming year.



Ingélou said:


> New Year Resolutions are hard to keep, but it does feel the right time to start something. Taggart made a New Year's Resolution to quit smoking, way back in the 1980s, and he did! So it does work sometimes.
> Good luck, Sarah!


It really does feel that TV way doesn't it. And congrats to Taggart!



Musicforawhile said:


> Yeh I think this is important. If you can incorporate exercise into your life in a way that is fun rather than a chore than it will become part of your life in the long term and you'll get in shape and enjoy yourself. If you did lose weight through denying yourself foods and doing repetitive exercises...how do you keep it up in the long term? Therefore I would say fun must be a big part of this. Team sports perhaps - basketball, netball, rowing? If you like dancing as Ingelou said, thats a great one - you could do partner dances like salsa, jive, and ceilidh is really fun. Going jogging with someone. I quite like aerobics videos that you can do at home, you could do those with a friend as well. Then there's little things that go along way like: taking the stairs instead of the lift (elevator), walking to the next bust stop, walking places instead of taking the underground/bus. From the sounds of your cheesecake making you love food just as much as me, and I could never deny myself food. So, I just don't think that will work in the longterm and could make it all an unhappy experience. Sometimes I just want to munch on something...it's not even about the food, just the physical munching lol. So in that case I get a bowl of baby spinach leaves...but don't know if that suits everyone.
> 
> I don't know who it is who is putting you down, and I don't understand why they think they can do this. Your main concern here is health. That is very understandable. As for you thinking you're a bit too heavy...as the others have said you look lovely in your picture and well it would be boring if we all looked the same and were all slimmies. I definitely would rather be on the bigger side than on the skinny side - and I am.


I actually want to start joining a yoga class and really want to try hot yoga. Though hey rowing sounds like fun! 
I also have no desire to be rail thin. Correct me if I'm wrong, but to me it seems that Americans have such an unrealistic idea of what a woman's (and men's too) body should be like. Oh I didn't know having a body that resembles a prepubescent kids was it. I feel a woman should have more curves. I definitely would not look good waifishly thin. I'm not trying to put down people whiner naturally very slim. More the people who say that's the body everyone should strive for or they are fat. I was shocked (I don't know why) to find out that now a days in America most stores consider sizes 8-10 to be plus size. Rediculous.


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## Couchie

The most significant factor in America's (and the world's) obesity epidemic is the extremely high consumption of simple carbohydrates. These spike blood glucose levels, saturating liver glycogen reserves and the balance is converted to fat by insulin. 

Eliminating soda, fruit juices, desserts, and white flour bakery products and pastas will probably go the furthest to reducing weight. Replace added sugar with stevia or no calorie artificial sweeteners. 

"Coffee with butter": this is typically consumed by people on a severely carb restricted diet in order to add adequate fat to their diet, makes little sense for people not in a state of ketosis.


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## hpowders

I prefer bread with cream myself.


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## Guest

I recently gave up yoga after a year. I decided it wasn't for me; I'm swapping it for swimming in 2015.


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## Morimur

gog said:


> I recently gave up yoga after a year. I decided it wasn't for me; I'm swapping it for swimming in 2015.


Hope you're not allergic to chlorine -- that stuff is poison.


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## Art Rock

You might want to try what we call a balance diet here: you eat, drink and live as you normally do every other day, interspersed with days where you exercise (like taking brisk walks), and eat/drink healthy (no alcohol, no sugar, low fat). Good luck!


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## Guest

I was surprised when I went swimming for the first time in ages just how taxing I found it since I do a lot of running. I think it's perhaps to do with being able to breathe freely when running but having to synchronise it when swimming?

Choose your exercise carefully!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

hpowders said:


> I prefer bread with cream myself.


I wanna have a deep fried mars bar or two or 15. And then for dessert some bread with lard _and_ cream.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Has anyone here had deep fried cheese cake?


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## Triplets

Sorry it has taken a while with the Holidays to get to my promised post...
First, I know that some well meaning people have questioned whether you should worry about it. I think that there is a perception that if young women worry about their weight, they are at risk for developing an Eating Disorder, such as Anorexia or Bulemia, and then out of a desire to avoid that outcome, people are told not to worry. Unfortunately, imo, we are throwing out the baby with the bathwater The best way to avoid a lifetime of weight problems is to not gain weight when you are young. Once your fat cells become stretched out to a certain size, they spend the rest of your life time thinking that is the size they are supposed to be. So you can shrink them by losing weight, but fat cells make a lot of hormones that are designed to make you re- gain weight. These hormones slow your metabolism, increase the efficiency of absorbing calories from a meal that you've eaten, and increase your hunger. Studies show that obese adolescents become obese adults, and that we don't "grow out of it". While we don't want you to develop an eating disorder, being fit and maintaining a healthy weight at your age is the best time, because it becomes much harder to correct and maintain your weight as an Adult. 
I have a Patient to see, so I will have to finish this later. However ,t he "Cliff Notes" version of weight loss is as follows:

1) Don't think of this as a "diet". The first 3 letters in "diet" are...Instead make changes that are permanent, not something that you plan on doing only until you hit a goal weight.
2) Average 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise daily.
3) Decrease your current caloric intake by at least 500 calories a day.

Most people that do 2 and 3 will easily lose 5 to 10% of their weight, which is enough to reap real medical benefits.

To be continued...


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## Ingélou

:cheers: Thank you - indeed it *was* a 'well-meaning' thing to question the intentions of a young person who wants to lose weight with the support of friends on the internet. Fortunately Sarah has made it clear that she is aware of the risks and has a sensible attitude.

I felt I had to ask, as not only did I myself have a borderline eating disorder at university, but I also had a friend who had to be taken out of college by ambulance, having collapsed with anorexia, and she never in the end recovered enough to take her degree; later a promising student of mine was helped to recover from anorexia by my colleague. In the UK two young women have died of anorexia recently having joined 'Anorexia' sites on the web.

:tiphat: Great plan, though, Triplets - and no argument that it's best not to get fat while you're young!


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## Triplets

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Slim? What was that round thing on his abdomen that appeared in the 80s? Or maybe 70s...


I thought those were cartons of cigarettes that he was lugging around...


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## SarahNorthman

Triplets said:


> Sorry it has taken a while with the Holidays to get to my promised post...
> First, I know that some well meaning people have questioned whether you should worry about it. I think that there is a perception that if young women worry about their weight, they are at risk for developing an Eating Disorder, such as Anorexia or Bulemia, and then out of a desire to avoid that outcome, people are told not to worry. Unfortunately, imo, we are throwing out the baby with the bathwater The best way to avoid a lifetime of weight problems is to not gain weight when you are young. Once your fat cells become stretched out to a certain size, they spend the rest of your life time thinking that is the size they are supposed to be. So you can shrink them by losing weight, but fat cells make a lot of hormones that are designed to make you re- gain weight. These hormones slow your metabolism, increase the efficiency of absorbing calories from a meal that you've eaten, and increase your hunger. Studies show that obese adolescents become obese adults, and that we don't "grow out of it". While we don't want you to develop an eating disorder, being fit and maintaining a healthy weight at your age is the best time, because it becomes much harder to correct and maintain your weight as an Adult.
> I have a Patient to see, so I will have to finish this later. However ,t he "Cliff Notes" version of weight loss is as follows:
> 
> 1) Don't think of this as a "diet". The first 3 letters in "diet" are...Instead make changes that are permanent, not something that you plan on doing only until you hit a goal weight.
> 2) Average 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise daily.
> 3) Decrease your current caloric intake by at least 500 calories a day.
> 
> Most people that do 2 and 3 will easily lose 5 to 10% of their weight, which is enough to reap real medical benefits.
> 
> To be continued...


Thank you for this information! I can see it being incredibly valuable to me!


----------



## SarahNorthman

Ingélou said:


> :cheers: Thank you - indeed it *was* a 'well-meaning' thing to question the intentions of a young person who wants to lose weight with the support of friends on the internet. Fortunately Sarah has made it clear that she is aware of the risks and has a sensible attitude.
> 
> I felt I had to ask, as not only did I myself have a borderline eating disorder at university, but I also had a friend who had to be taken out of college by ambulance, having collapsed with anorexia, and she never in the end recovered enough to take her degree; later a promising student of mine was helped to recover from anorexia by my colleague. In the UK two young women have died of anorexia recently having joined 'Anorexia' sites on the web.
> 
> :tiphat: Great plan, though, Triplets - and no argument that it's best not to get fat while you're young!


I know genuine concern when I see it. And I understand it. There are far too many people developing these eating disorders. My eating habits are absolutely atrocious. You couldn't tell by looking at me but I've always only eaten twice a day at most. Though I have been actively working to change this.


----------



## pianississimo

SarahNorthman said:


> So I am having the usual new years resolution of getting in shape. Only this year I am determined to stick with it! I figured if I blog about it, on top of my determination I will feel more... I don't want to say obligated but more encouraged to stick with it. I am wondering if here in this thread would be a good place to do it. I have met nothing but sweet and encouraging people here. Your opinions?


Speaking as someone who lost a lot of weight a few years ago, after years of being fat and fed up I can tell you that it's as simple as eating less.
Cut out some of the worst treats and reduce portion sizes a little bit. Drink less alcohol (if you drink) - small changes that you can live with. Then stick that out for a month or two. You will start to lose weight and your clothes will become looser.
This encourages you to make more cuts and be more strict.
Habit is your worst enemy when you are overweight but you can train yourself and make it your best ally. All the diet advice you'll hear encourages you to "snack healthier" That's rubbish. Don't snack at all! If you snack then a bad day will turn carrot sticks into chocolate bars, because the habit to snack is already there. Wean yourself off snacking and you can control much better what you are eating.

Once you are lighter you will feel more like getting fit. Don't rush into this but start slowly and just walk more, take the stairs, get a wii fit etc. This helps to tone you up and lose even more weight.

Set targets. Buy something that you want to wear that is just a bit too tight. Try it on every week until it fits. Soon enough it'll be too loose!

The first 3 or 4 weeks is tough and it's quite hard to start in January because the dark mornings and evenings and the cold weather make you want to comfort eat. However, it's good to get some weight off before the summer so you can enjoy it more.

More than anything, don't feel that you failed if you fall of the wagon for a day. Just let yourself have that one day and get right back into your stride the next day.

I love being lighter and fitter. Clothes shopping is fun again and long walks and just not feeling out of breath running up the stairs!!

I went from a size 24 to a 10 (UK) and I was in my 40's.

You can do it!! 
Good luck!!


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## spokanedaniel

SarahNorthman said:


> ... I actually want to start joining a yoga class and really want to try hot yoga....


Just be careful with hot yoga. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are serious and can be issues with hot yoga. I tried "warm" yoga once. Not as hot as real hot yoga, but very warm, and I found it extremely unpleasant. I like yoga, though. You get stretching and strengthening. I don't care for the "spiritual" stuff they invariably throw in, but it's a great workout.



gog said:


> I was surprised when I went swimming for the first time in ages just how taxing I found it since I do a lot of running. I think it's perhaps to do with being able to breathe freely when running but having to synchronise it when swimming?
> 
> Choose your exercise carefully!


I had the same issue with swimming, and I was a jogger at the time as well. I attributed it to my lack of upper-body strength. Much of the work of swimming is done by the arms (making it an excellent balanced workout) and as a jogger I had good C/V fitness and strong legs, but no arm strength. Thus I was unable to get my heart rate into the target zone swimming.

The best fitness plan incorporates a variety of exercises for balance. Start gradually, of course.


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## Vaneyes

Exercise, nutrition, classical music. That'll be $200, please.


----------



## Vaneyes

pianississimo said:


> Speaking as someone who lost a lot of weight a few years ago, after years of being fat and fed up *I can tell you that it's as simple as eating less.*
> Cut out some of the worst treats and reduce portion sizes a little bit. Drink less alcohol (if you drink) - small changes that you can live with. Then stick that out for a month or two. You will start to lose weight and your clothes will become looser.
> This encourages you to make more cuts and be more strict.*
> Habit is your worst enemy when you are overweight but you can train yourself and make it your best ally. *All the diet advice you'll hear encourages you to "snack healthier" That's rubbish. Don't snack at all! If you snack then a bad day will turn carrot sticks into chocolate bars, because the habit to snack is already there. Wean yourself off snacking and you can control much better what you are eating.
> *
> Once you are lighter you will feel more like getting fit.* Don't rush into this but start slowly and just walk more, take the stairs, get a wii fit etc. This helps to tone you up and lose even more weight.
> 
> Set targets. Buy something that you want to wear that is just a bit too tight. Try it on every week until it fits. Soon enough it'll be too loose!
> 
> The first 3 or 4 weeks is tough and it's quite hard to start in January because the dark mornings and evenings and the cold weather make you want to comfort eat. However, it's good to get some weight off before the summer so you can enjoy it more.
> *
> More than anything, don't feel that you failed if you fall of the wagon for a day.* Just let yourself have that one day and get right back into your stride the next day.
> *
> I love being lighter and fitter.* Clothes shopping is fun again and long walks and just not feeling out of breath running up the stairs!!
> 
> I went from a size 24 to a 10 (UK) and I was in my 40's.
> *
> You can do it!! *
> Good luck!!


Excellent advice, p. Well done!:tiphat:


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## Triplets

So, in my job we try to help patients in 3 broad ways
1) Diets
2) Exercise Counseling
3) Medical Therapeutic Interventions--this would include Behavior Modification, Prescription Medications, Medications, and Bariatric Surgery

The third is probably beyond the scope of this thread, so I will concentrate on the other two.

Let's start with exercise.

Everything that I state is a summation of the Medical Literature on the subject. I am not going to provide references because this is more of a forum for the general public.

If people rely solely upon exercise as their only weight loss technique, and pay not attention to caloric intake, they do not have long term success losing weight and keeping it off. 
Endurance Training (Cardio) is much more successful than Resistance Training (Weights). People must average a minimum of 210 minutes a week (30 minutes per day). Below that the weight loss drops dramatically. Some experts recommend two to three times this amount.
Interval training is just as good as 1 prolonged session. Doing a treadmill 10 minutes 3 times a day is just as effective as 1 30 minute session. This is important because while people find it difficult to se t aside a large block of time, most of us can squeeze a few minutes out of the day at different times.
Yoga and Pilates are unfortunately not successful for weight loss, in the absence of any other voluntary exercise. They have other benefits, however.
Exercise leads to increased fat loss and protein sparing. It is possible to lose weight without exercise, with diet alone, but those individuals are losing a combination of protein and fat. If you exercise while dieting your body preserves lean muscle and dumps fat.
Exercise has many benefits aside from weight loss. Greater fitness, improved self esteem, improvements in cardiovascular issues such as blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol occur independently of weight loss.
Many people who do not exercise and are in poor Physical shape are afraid to start exercising because they think they will have a heart attack. The Literature shows that his rarely happens.

Next up--Diets!


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## Andreas

I know low-carb is old hat, but I found it works incredibly well. Like, fat just melting away. You don't even have to bother with cardio. It's hard to change your diet, though, but if you're in charge of all of your meals (no cantina food, no family dinners, etc.), it's doable. Just important to keep the carb-free diet as clean and healthy as possible, i.e. lots of vegetables, good protein, good fats. I didn't even have to reduce my calorie intake much, next to not at all. Not sure if low-carb is healthy as a long-term diet, but short-term (maybe 3 months, depending on how much how fast you wanna lose) I found it's really awesome.


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## Triplets

OK, Diets

I actually hate the term. I prefer Lifestyle Change. One of the worse things that people do is try to eat in a way that is radically different from the way that they normally eat, or want to eat, for a brief period of time, until they lose some weight. They then gradually resume the bad habits that made them gain weight and repeat the cycle endlessly. It is preferable to develop a way of eating that you can do all the time, that is healthy and satisfying.
First, some general advice. 
1) avoid fast food, which has 4 times as many fat and calories as home cooked food. More than 50% of the meals in this country are now fast food meals. This one change alone helps many people reach their goals.
2) Avoid sweetened soda and juice, which have High Fructose Corn Syrup, which are empty calories that don't fill people up. Drink unsweetened juice and diet sodas or just water. Again, many people reach their goals just with this change
3) small frequent feedings, especially if the protein content is high, tends to keep appetites down. Eating 0ne ortwo meals a day leads to increased hunger and tendency to overeat.

4) Try to limit calories consumption to 1000-1800 calories a day if you are trying to lose weight. The more you weigh, the more calories you need just to stay the same. If you want to consume below 100 a day consistently, it is best to have Medical Supervision.

Gotta go again. Will finish this later.


----------



## SarahNorthman

Triplets said:


> OK, Diets
> 
> I actually hate the term. I prefer Lifestyle Change. One of the worse things that people do is try to eat in a way that is radically different from the way that they normally eat, or want to eat, for a brief period of time, until they lose some weight. They then gradually resume the bad habits that made them gain weight and repeat the cycle endlessly. It is preferable to develop a way of eating that you can do all the time, that is healthy and satisfying.
> First, some general advice.
> 1) avoid fast food, which has 4 times as many fat and calories as home cooked food. More than 50% of the meals in this country are now fast food meals. This one change alone helps many people reach their goals.
> 2) Avoid sweetened soda and juice, which have High Fructose Corn Syrup, which are empty calories that don't fill people up. Drink unsweetened juice and diet sodas or just water. Again, many people reach their goals just with this change
> 3) small frequent feedings, especially if the protein content is high, tends to keep appetites down. Eating 0ne ortwo meals a day leads to increased hunger and tendency to overeat.
> 
> 4) Try to limit calories consumption to 1000-1800 calories a day if you are trying to lose weight. The more you weigh, the more calories you need just to stay the same. If you want to consume below 100 a day consistently, it is best to have Medical Supervision.
> 
> Gotta go again. Will finish this later.


This one post alone puts a lot of my worries to rest.


----------



## Guest

spokanedaniel said:


> Just be careful with hot yoga. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are serious and can be issues with hot yoga. I tried "warm" yoga once. Not as hot as real hot yoga, but very warm, and I found it extremely unpleasant. I like yoga, though. You get stretching and strengthening. I don't care for the "spiritual" stuff they invariably throw in, but it's a great workout.
> 
> I had the same issue with swimming, and I was a jogger at the time as well. I attributed it to my lack of upper-body strength. Much of the work of swimming is done by the arms (making it an excellent balanced workout) and as a jogger I had good C/V fitness and strong legs, but no arm strength. Thus I was unable to get my heart rate into the target zone swimming.
> 
> The best fitness plan incorporates a variety of exercises for balance. Start gradually, of course.


Spot on! That's exactly why I intend to do swimming as my "cross training" to running. With just running I've got the equivalent of the body of a velociraptor!!!


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## mtmailey

AS for me i use herbs to keep my weight down with walking of course.Colon cleanse can help to lose weight you see the colon can hold pounds of food like 10.


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## spokanedaniel

Okay, this is going to anger some people, but I'm going to tell it like it is:

A low-carb diet will make you lose weight. It will also mess up your body chemistry in extreme ways that play havoc with your health and pose serious risk of heart attack and other life-threatening conditions, assuming you can stick with it, which most people cannot, because your body will be telling you that it needs carbs. As has been stated earlier in this thread, you should eat a balanced diet in moderate quantities.

Colon cleanse has absolutely no health benefits whatsoever. Since it's usually done for a short term, it probably won't do you any harm. But note that normal function of the colon is to keep things moving through. Any time you stop eating solid food, what's in the colon stops moving, and that's a bad thing. The colon does not accumulate "toxins," and therefore there is no purpose in a "cleanse." Unless you are going to have a colonoscopy, in which case you have to empty out the colon so the doctor can see what's there. In that case the doctor will prescribe some really nasty stuff you have to drink and make you fast for a day.

Low-carb diet: Extremely dangerous.

Colon cleanse: Worthless.


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## Triplets

Diets, continued

So there are many diets out there. I would break them down into 3 major types

1) Fad diets. These usually lead to a temporary weight loss by essentially eliminating a major food group, such as athe Atkins Diet, which extremely restricts carbs. When the forbidden major group is reintroduced (major hfood groups are hard to avoid and diets that restrict them are boring and difficult to adhere to long term) whatever metabolic advantage that was obtained by their elimination disapears and the weight rapidly returns.
To use the Atkins example, by restricting carbs to under 20 grams a day, the body rapidly breaks down fatty acids to get glucose. A lot of the fatty acids are incmepletely digeted and form ketone bodies. This makes our blood slightly acidic, suppresses our appetite, and makes people euphoric. When the carbs are reintroduced (eventually you crave an apple or pasta), the ketones rapidly dissapear, the apetite comes back, and the euphoria dissapears.
2) The second type is called self monitoring. Weight Watchers is the classic example--you can eat whatever you want, but they tell you how much. You monitor what you are eating to stay wtihin the restriction. The major problem here is that people notoriously underestimate what they eat.
3) Meal Replacement Diets--ultra slim fast is the prototype here. Small frequent feedings of high protein food aare interspersed with a couple of meals a day. They provide structure and eiminate a lot of bad choices that people otherwise make. The literature shows that MRP diets are the most successful for long term weight loss.


----------



## Couchie

spokanedaniel said:


> Okay, this is going to anger some people, but I'm going to tell it like it is:
> 
> A low-carb diet will make you lose weight. It will also mess up your body chemistry in extreme ways that play havoc with your health and pose serious risk of heart attack and other life-threatening conditions, assuming you can stick with it, which most people cannot, because your body will be telling you that it needs carbs. As has been stated earlier in this thread, you should eat a balanced diet in moderate quantities.
> 
> Low-carb diet: Extremely dangerous.


I'd be extremely interested in hearing precisely how a low carb (ketogenic) diet leads to heart attacks. Ketogenic diets are shown to lower both body fat and blood triglyceride levels, two well known risk factors for heart attack.

I doubt any doctors could ethically prescribe a ketogenic diet to treat epilepsy if the body is put into a state of mortal danger as a result. I'm afraid I will have to disregard your post as uninformed folk nutritional hearsay pending presentation of some primary scientific research.


----------



## Couchie

Triplets said:


> To use the Atkins example, by restricting carbs to under 20 grams a day, the body rapidly breaks down fatty acids to get glucose. A lot of the fatty acids are incmepletely digeted and form ketone bodies. This makes our blood slightly acidic, suppresses our appetite, and makes people euphoric. When the carbs are reintroduced (eventually you crave an apple or pasta), the ketones rapidly dissapear, the apetite comes back, and the euphoria dissapears.


This is simply wrong. On a low carb diet they body primarily converts fatty acids directly to acetyl-CoA to be used in the citric acid cycle through beta oxidation, it is NOT converted to glucose first. Secondly ketones are not some toxic byproduct but are an important source of energy for the body. In fact the body needs absolutely no glucose (or simple carbohydrate) intake through dietary consumption as it is fully capably of converting protein, glycerol, and other compounds to maintain minimum blood glucose levels, and between ketones and fatty acids all the energy requirements of your cells can be met. Ketones only become a problem in diabetics whose bodies are unable to regulate their production.


----------



## SarahNorthman

Couchie said:


> This is simply wrong. On a low carb diet they body primarily converts fatty acids directly to acetyl-CoA to be used in the citric acid cycle through beta oxidation, it is NOT converted to glucose first. Secondly ketones are not some toxic byproduct but are an important source of energy for the body. In fact the body needs absolutely no glucose (or simple carbohydrate) intake through dietary consumption as it is fully capably of converting protein, glycerol, and other compounds to maintain minimum blood glucose levels, and between ketones and fatty acids all the energy requirements of your cells can be met. Ketones only become a problem in diabetics whose bodies are unable to regulate their production.


I'm not trying to be rude but this post is incredibly confusing. I'm a pretty darn smart gal, but to someone who doesn't follow this type of word usage on a daily basis. Laymen terms are probably the way to go.


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## sharik

try start smoking.


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## SarahNorthman

sharik said:


> try start smoking.


That is incredibly bad advice. No thank you.


----------



## techniquest

I'm 57 years old, male and fat. However I'm not as fat as I was a couple of months ago. 
I have never been good at keeping to fad diets and absolutely hate sport, so it's no good saying 'find a sport you like and stick with it' cos I don't like sport. It's like saying 'find an Elvis Presley track you like and just listen to that' when I can't abide Elvis Presley.
I made a few small but very significant changes to my eating habits: 
First I kicked the alcohol. I'm not a big drinker, but I did like a glass of wine or two rather too often. This has stopped (except for a couple of times over this festive period). Instead I drink flavoured still water, or 'no added sugar' fruit drink, or fruity tea.

Second, I keep to as low fat as I can. This has meant no pies, pasties, crisps (potato chips), chip-shop chips (fries), cakes, biscuits, chocolate...When I say 'no....' what I mean is that it is okay to have a small amount on the odd occasion, but personally I haven't eaten a packet of crisps, been to a fish & chip shop or had a pie since I started this change on 31st October. I don't eat red meat, only white now (though I'm fed up with turkey just now!) and I'm allergic to fish so that's not an option for me. Luckily I like vegetables, and you can eat a ton of veggies (but roasties and fries don't count!). 

Thirdly, I keep as low sugar intake as I can. In some respects I have a head start as I never have sugar in tea or coffee, but there is so much hidden sugar and it pays to read labels and search for 'no added sugar' products. Inevitably there will be some sugar, but by keeping a close check you'll be surprised how much you can reduce this. But, like I said above, no biscuits, no cakes, no chocolate, no ice cream, cut way back on sauces and ketchups.
For snacks I have an apple, or crispbread (ryvita with philadelphia soft cheese), or cereal - but be sure to buy pure cereal; even most muesli is cram-packed with sugar.

Fourthly: exercise (uuurgh!). I don't do sport, and there's no way in the world I am going to any gym or swimming pool. So I walk as often as I can; I use stairs rather than escalators or lifts (elevators). 

I started this change on 31st October and weighed 15st 12lb. Now I am 14st 10lb. I've a way to go yet, but the best thing is - this isn't difficult. Good luck with your weight-loss program. Final tip - write down everything you eat and drink - make a weekly chart and see what you have. It's great to help you make changes and stick to them. But you have to be honest: it won't work if you cheat.


----------



## Triplets

Couchie said:


> This is simply wrong. On a low carb diet they body primarily converts fatty acids directly to acetyl-CoA to be used in the citric acid cycle through beta oxidation, it is NOT converted to glucose first. Secondly ketones are not some toxic byproduct but are an important source of energy for the body. In fact the body needs absolutely no glucose (or simple carbohydrate) intake through dietary consumption as it is fully capably of converting protein, glycerol, and other compounds to maintain minimum blood glucose levels, and between ketones and fatty acids all the energy requirements of your cells can be met. Ketones only become a problem in diabetics whose bodies are unable to regulate their production.


With all due respect, I am Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. what are your qualifications?


----------



## Couchie

Triplets said:


> With all due respect, I am Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. what are your qualifications?


I have but a humble degree in biochemical/medical engineering. But let's discuss facts, not appeals to authority.


----------



## Ingélou

Triplets said:


> With all due respect, I am Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. what are your qualifications?





Couchie said:


> I have but a humble degree in biochemical/medical engineering. But let's discuss facts, not appeals to authority.


Personally, I am pleased to read the relevant qualifications, as there is no way on earth that I can judge between these scientific claims. 
I hope the debate is germane to simple everyday practical weight loss, though. :tiphat: :tiphat:


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## pianississimo

I'll say it again. Eating less works. Little else does....


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## Posie

I'm just now getting back into green smoothies. I don't know why I stopped, I feel so much better!

I'm also taking cayenne pepper capsules hoping it will help my metabolism.


----------



## Figleaf

techniquest said:


> I'm 57 years old, male and fat. However I'm not as fat as I was a couple of months ago.
> I have never been good at keeping to fad diets and absolutely hate sport, so it's no good saying 'find a sport you like and stick with it' cos I don't like sport. It's like saying 'find an Elvis Presley track you like and just listen to that' when I can't abide Elvis Presley.
> I made a few small but very significant changes to my eating habits:
> First I kicked the alcohol. I'm not a big drinker, but I did like a glass of wine or two rather too often. This has stopped (except for a couple of times over this festive period). Instead I drink flavoured still water, or 'no added sugar' fruit drink, or fruity tea.
> 
> Second, I keep to as low fat as I can. This has meant no pies, pasties, crisps (potato chips), chip-shop chips (fries), cakes, biscuits, chocolate...When I say 'no....' what I mean is that it is okay to have a small amount on the odd occasion, but personally I haven't eaten a packet of crisps, been to a fish & chip shop or had a pie since I started this change on 31st October. I don't eat red meat, only white now (though I'm fed up with turkey just now!) and I'm allergic to fish so that's not an option for me. Luckily I like vegetables, and you can eat a ton of veggies (but roasties and fries don't count!).
> 
> Thirdly, I keep as low sugar intake as I can. In some respects I have a head start as I never have sugar in tea or coffee, but there is so much hidden sugar and it pays to read labels and search for 'no added sugar' products. Inevitably there will be some sugar, but by keeping a close check you'll be surprised how much you can reduce this. But, like I said above, no biscuits, no cakes, no chocolate, no ice cream, cut way back on sauces and ketchups.
> For snacks I have an apple, or crispbread (ryvita with philadelphia soft cheese), or cereal - but be sure to buy pure cereal; even most muesli is cram-packed with sugar.
> 
> Fourthly: exercise (uuurgh!). I don't do sport, and there's no way in the world I am going to any gym or swimming pool. So I walk as often as I can; I use stairs rather than escalators or lifts (elevators).
> 
> I started this change on 31st October and weighed 15st 12lb. Now I am 14st 10lb. I've a way to go yet, but the best thing is - this isn't difficult. Good luck with your weight-loss program. Final tip - write down everything you eat and drink - make a weekly chart and see what you have. It's great to help you make changes and stick to them. But you have to be honest: it won't work if you cheat.


Aww, don't give up, Techniquest! There's an Elvis song for every occasion. In honour of this thread I have dug out 'Somebody Bigger than You or I'. No, it's not a jibe at anyone here: the 'somebody' is of course God. 






In all seriousness, well done for losing such an impressive amount of weight in what sounds like a sensible fashion!


----------



## Morimur

sharik said:


> try start smoking.


BAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAA! This actually made me laugh -- that fatalistic Russian sense of humor.


----------



## SarahNorthman

Triplets said:


> With all due respect, I am Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. what are your qualifications?


I personally am more inclined to listen to this advice(?). Or take this information to heart. I have been reading all of your posts and there is some very helpful and encouraging stuff here.


----------



## Triplets

Couchie said:


> I have but a humble degree in biochemical/medical engineering. But let's discuss facts, not appeals to authority.


I said at the outset that I would summarize the present state of the Medical Literature but in Lay Terms, but that I would not provide references as this is not an appropriate forum to do so.
I don't want to spend a lot of energy on your statements about ketosis, but i will reiterate that the Medical Literature shows that an extreme carb restricted diet leads to increased fatty acid breakdown, and many of the fatty acids are incompletely oxidized to ketones. The ketosis is not dangerous but it does lead to appetite suppression and a mild euphoria. Once carbs are reintroduced, the fatty acids are then fully metabolized and the ketosis reverses, and along with it the appetite suppression.
An extreme carb restricted diet can lead to long term success if people are able to maintain the carbohydrate restriction indefinitely, and a small minority of Atkins or South Beach people are able to do that and have long term success. Most people find the extreme carbohydrate restriction difficult for long term compliance and therefore regain the weight. I don't recommend Atkins to patients for that reason, but if someone is one it and able to adhere to it over the long term i don't tell them to change what they are doing. If you can follow the restriction, it's a safe diet.


----------



## SarahNorthman

Triplets said:


> I said at the outset that I would summarize the present state of the Medical Literature but in Lay Terms, but that I would not provide references as this is not an appropriate forum to do so.
> I don't want to spend a lot of energy on your statements about ketosis, but i will reiterate that the Medical Literature shows that an extreme carb restricted diet leads to increased fatty acid breakdown, and many of the fatty acids are incompletely oxidized to ketones. The ketosis is not dangerous but it does lead to appetite suppression and a mild euphoria. Once carbs are reintroduced, the fatty acids are then fully metabolized and the ketosis reverses, and along with it the appetite suppression.
> An extreme carb restricted diet can lead to long term success if people are able to maintain the carbohydrate restriction indefinitely, and a small minority of Atkins or South Beach people are able to do that and have long term success. Most people find the extreme carbohydrate restriction difficult for long term compliance and therefore regain the weight. I don't recommend Atkins to patients for that reason, but if someone is one it and able to adhere to it over the long term i don't tell them to change what they are doing. If you can follow the restriction, it's a safe diet.


I must add, and I'm no expert that you can't really argue with results in general.


----------



## Triplets

Ingélou said:


> Personally, I am pleased to read the relevant qualifications, as there is no way on earth that I can judge between these scientific claims.
> I hope the debate is germane to simple everyday practical weight loss, though. :tiphat: :tiphat:


 Everyone should probably be aware that when it comes to weight loss, most Physicians,who are other wise well qualified in their respective fields, don't know what they are talking about. Until very recently there hasn't been much research done into weight loss, and most of that research hasn't made it out of the bounds of my subspecialty and into the gneeral knowledge base of other Physicians. 
And when Professionals are confused and help spread misinformation, it is hard to blame lay people who do the same.


----------



## SarahNorthman

Triplets said:


> Everyone should probably be aware that when it comes to weight loss, most Physicians,who are other wise well qualified in their respective fields, don't know what they are talking about. Until very recently there hasn't been much research done into weight loss, and most of that research hasn't made it out of the bounds of my subspecialty and into the gneeral knowledge base of other Physicians.
> And when Professionals are confused and help spread misinformation, it is hard to blame lay people who do the same.


Well then I suppose we are fortunate to have your input.


----------



## scratchgolf

SarahNorthman said:


> Well then I suppose we are fortunate to have your input.


I'd say we are. When my youngest son was 3 years old he was taken to the hospital with a 106 fever and a huge lump at the junction of his leg and groin. When the 2 male doctors in the emergency room diagnosed it as a hernia they proceeded to attempt to shove the "hernia" back into his abdominal cavity. After multiple, and thankfully unsuccessful attempts, they transferred him to Children's Hospital, where he was correctly diagnosed with a swollen gland and infection, which led to the fever. So, seeing how 2 doctors tried to ram my son's gland into his abdominal cavity, I'm glad we have specialists. I don't ask my dentist for cures to back pain and I wouldn't take the word of a family practitioner over that of a specialist.


----------



## Couchie

Triplets said:


> I said at the outset that I would summarize the present state of the Medical Literature but in Lay Terms, but that I would not provide references as this is not an appropriate forum to do so.
> I don't want to spend a lot of energy on your statements about ketosis, but i will reiterate that the Medical Literature shows that an extreme carb restricted diet leads to increased fatty acid breakdown, and many of the fatty acids are incompletely oxidized to ketones. The ketosis is not dangerous but it does lead to appetite suppression and a mild euphoria. Once carbs are reintroduced, the fatty acids are then fully metabolized and the ketosis reverses, and along with it the appetite suppression.
> An extreme carb restricted diet can lead to long term success if people are able to maintain the carbohydrate restriction indefinitely, and a small minority of Atkins or South Beach people are able to do that and have long term success. Most people find the extreme carbohydrate restriction difficult for long term compliance and therefore regain the weight. I don't recommend Atkins to patients for that reason, but if someone is one it and able to adhere to it over the long term i don't tell them to change what they are doing. If you can follow the restriction, it's a safe diet.


And mild euphoria leads to heart attacks?


----------



## techniquest

Figleaf said:


> Aww, don't give up, Techniquest! There's an Elvis song for every occasion. In honour of this thread I have dug out 'Somebody Bigger than You or I'. No, it's not a jibe at anyone here: the 'somebody' is of course God.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In all seriousness, well done for losing such an impressive amount of weight in what sounds like a sensible fashion!


Dreadful, awful music; but thanks for the comment at the end


----------



## Figleaf

Probably not his most memorable song. But then, I don't think that anyone really uses Elvis as 'thinspiration'.


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## spokanedaniel

Couchie said:


> I'd be extremely interested in hearing precisely how a low carb (ketogenic) diet leads to heart attacks. Ketogenic diets are shown to lower both body fat and blood triglyceride levels, two well known risk factors for heart attack.....


I stand corrected. I was, indeed, basing my opinion of the risks of a low-carb diet on out-of-date information. I was mistaken on that.

But apparently I was also mistaken on thinking that a low-carb diet is any more effective than any other diet. If it works at all, it is by helping to reduce hunger. With any diet, you will lose weight only if your body absorbs fewer calories than it burns, which for practical purposes equates to calories in vs. calories out.

And very few people are able to stick with any extreme diet for long, so they end up re-gaining the weight.

The only really effective road to long-term weight loss is to adopt a balanced diet, eat in moderation, and exercise. Any diet that prohibits a specific food group is going to butt up against the inevitable cravings for that food. Fad diets inevitably fail because they are unnatural and the body craves variety. If you love chocolate, or peanut-butter cookies, or bread, or even (gagh!) meat, and your diet says you cannot have it, you'll go bonkers.

BTW, I'm under the impression that Atkins himself advocated the low-carb plan only as a kick-start for the first two (?) weeks or so, followed by a balanced reduced-calorie diet. I think I read this somewhere.

I know I'd go bonkers if I could not have brown rice and oatmeal and whole-grain bread, and nuts and potatoes and squash. I think just about everything I eat except veggies, fish, yogurt, and the occasional egg has carbs in it. And even some veggies have carbs. A diet with none of those foods in it has got to be deficient.


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## SarahNorthman

Okay so yesterday I really started changing my portion sizes. I've been going with the age old size of your fist deal. Let's see how that goes. I also am getting rid of certain things in my diet. No more bread here. And pasta..... That's a hard one but I am trying. As for drinks, I already don't drink sodas or juice so it's no problem. Alcohol is a special occasion thing and I really don't like coffee. So I'm down to tea and water!


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## Centropolis

I have something to say about it. I've lost 15 lbs in the last 6 months. Now, 15 lbs in 6 months doesn't sound a lot but losing a lot of weight in a short period time generally won't work in the long run.

I think the whole "secret" of long term weight management is in changing of habits. This has already been mentioned. What I did was find a few things in my diet and make small changes to it. I didn't do any more exercises than I normally would. I just made some small changes to my diet.

A few things that I did (and still doing).

- Stop drinking pop and any fruit juices that comes in a container.
- Instead of putting two packs of sugar in my coffee, I just put one or drink them black.
- Eat less at every meal but I don't mean starve yourself. When I go out to eat and the portions are usually way more than I need, instead of eating all of it, I eat 3/4 of it and then leave it for snack later.
- Less unhealthy snacks. This one is the hardest. But learn to love fresh fruits. Instead of picking up a bag of chips, try picking up a few kiwi. (I know it's not even close but.......I did say this one is the hardest.)


----------



## GreenMamba

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but I'd suggest turning into one of those fidgety people who is always bouncing his leg. You can burn a lot of calories that way. I don't know how that's accomplished as I've always been that way.


----------



## Morimur

composerofavantgarde said:


> has anyone here had deep fried cheese cake?


only in america!


----------



## Ingélou

Scotland has the equivalent deep fried Mars Bar...


----------



## Ingélou

GreenMamba said:


> I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but I'd suggest turning into one of those fidgety people who is always bouncing his leg. You can burn a lot of calories that way. I don't know how that's accomplished as I've always been that way.


I'm *married* to one of those fidgety people who's always bouncing his leg. It's gey *annoying*!


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## Taggart

Ingélou said:


> Scotland has the equivalent deep fried Mars Bar...


They've now improved the recipe:


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## SarahNorthman

Morimur said:


> only in america!


Barf. Leave cheesecake the way it is.


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## Vaneyes

I eat and drink anything I want...just less of it. That'll be $500, please.


----------



## spokanedaniel

SarahNorthman said:


> Okay so yesterday I really started changing my portion sizes. I've been going with the age old size of your fist deal. Let's see how that goes. I also am getting rid of certain things in my diet. No more bread here. And pasta..... That's a hard one but I am trying. As for drinks, I already don't drink sodas or juice so it's no problem. Alcohol is a special occasion thing and I really don't like coffee. So I'm down to tea and water!


I would discourage you from giving up all bread. Instead, eat only 100% whole-grain bread, in moderation. Pasta is also okay in moderation if it's 100% whole grain, but it is hard to eat pasta in moderation. I seldom eat it for that reason, but again, moderation, not total abstinence.

The bottom line really is calories in vs. calories out. There are plenty of resources on the internet for looking up calories. If you have the discipline to write down everything you eat and how much it will allow you to see how much you are overeating (if you are) and what foods are the major culprits. Then, cut back on them until you are eating your recommended number of calories. (There are also plenty of on-line calculators that will tell you how many calories you should eat.)

If you try to eliminate anything you like completely, you'll eventually crave it and you'll either fall off your plan or go nuts. That's what's good about Weight Watchers: Every food has a point value (sort of like calories) and you can eat whatever you want, up to your points limit, with strong encouragement to favor a balanced diet strong on healthy foods.

Someone above already quoted Michael Pollan, but it bears repeating: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." Everything else is just details. No food or food group will save you, and no food will ruin you.


----------



## SarahNorthman

spokanedaniel said:


> I would discourage you from giving up all bread. Instead, eat only 100% whole-grain bread, in moderation. Pasta is also okay in moderation if it's 100% whole grain, but it is hard to eat pasta in moderation. I seldom eat it for that reason, but again, moderation, not total abstinence.
> 
> The bottom line really is calories in vs. calories out. There are plenty of resources on the internet for looking up calories. If you have the discipline to write down everything you eat and how much it will allow you to see how much you are overeating (if you are) and what foods are the major culprits. Then, cut back on them until you are eating your recommended number of calories. (There are also plenty of on-line calculators that will tell you how many calories you should eat.)
> 
> If you try to eliminate anything you like completely, you'll eventually crave it and you'll either fall off your plan or go nuts. That's what's good about Weight Watchers: Every food has a point value (sort of like calories) and you can eat whatever you want, up to your points limit, with strong encouragement to favor a balanced diet strong on healthy foods.
> 
> Someone above already quoted Michael Pollan, but it bears repeating: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." Everything else is just details. No food or food group will save you, and no food will ruin you.


I actually can't stand the taste of whole grain pasta. It's not really that hard for me to give it up to be honest. Though since my gallbladder surgery I've noticed I've had to either limit or completely remove certain foods from my diet at the risk of getting sick. Ie: greasy foods, fried foods, potatoes for the most part potatoes. If it sits to heavy in my stomach, it's no good.


----------



## Morimur

Taggart said:


> They've now improved the recipe:


Geez. Would you like some fat with your fat? :tiphat:


----------



## GreenMamba

All this pasta bashing going on, what's going on with the Italians? I believe they are having increasing issues with obesity, but it's not because they recently started eating pasta. 

For me personally, a simple pasta dish (the regular stuff, not the whole grain) fills me up better and longer than just about anything else.


----------



## mtmailey

SarahNorthman said:


> I actually can't stand the taste of whole grain pasta. It's not really that hard for me to give it up to be honest. Though since my gallbladder surgery I've noticed I've had to either limit or completely remove certain foods from my diet at the risk of getting sick. Ie: greasy foods, fried foods, potatoes for the most part potatoes. If it sits to heavy in my stomach, it's no good.


I make homemade bread here but i do not east bread each day also i do not eat pasta that much, potatoes i try not to eat them either they are to starchy you know.I may eat pasta with cheese but no to much.PASTA raises blood sugars fast.


----------



## mtmailey

GreenMamba said:


> All this pasta bashing going on, what's going on with the Italians? I believe they are having increasing issues with obesity, but it's not because they recently started eating pasta.
> 
> For me personally, a simple pasta dish (the regular stuff, not the whole grain) fills me up better and longer than just about anything else.


Well pasta is not that healthy & raises ones blood sugar often.Eating pasta & resting is not good you should walk to burn it off.


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## mtmailey

There are foods on the market that is not good for you like bleached flour,bleached sugar ,sodas ,bleached salt & corn syrup.


----------



## spokanedaniel

SarahNorthman said:


> I actually can't stand the taste of whole grain pasta. It's not really that hard for me to give it up to be honest. Though since my gallbladder surgery I've noticed I've had to either limit or completely remove certain foods from my diet at the risk of getting sick. Ie: greasy foods, fried foods, potatoes for the most part potatoes. If it sits to heavy in my stomach, it's no good.


Potatoes get a bad rap because most people put unhealthy stuff on them. And "starch" is just a bad name for complex carbohydrates, which are healthy in moderation. I eat potatoes with beans or just ground black pepper. I used to be one of those "can't eat 'em without butter" people until I decided to try them without. Yum. Love 'em plain now. Again, moderation is the key. You need carbs, just not a lot of carbs.



GreenMamba said:


> All this pasta bashing going on, what's going on with the Italians? I believe they are having increasing issues with obesity, but it's not because they recently started eating pasta. ...


My sister's Italian mother-in-law, who was born in the 1930's, in Italy, was mountainously obese when I met her in 1966. It was common then for Italian women to be extremely obese. Not so much for the men. Obesity is not by any means a new thing in Italy.

When I visited my sister in Rome back then, supper was an *enormous* plate of pasta with butter and olive oil, followed by a meat course (I still ate meat back then) and plenty of bread. I don't know if this was an unusually big meal because I was a guest, and her daughter-in-law's brother, but I got the impression it was typical.

After returning to the U.S., my sister continued to eat the way she learned in Italy, and became extremely obese. For all they say about the "Mediterranean" diet being so healthy, too much pasta is not. Again, whole grains are very healthful, in moderation. White bread and white pasta are empty calories.


----------



## Figleaf

Sophia Loren attributed her curves to a diet of pasta, did she not? (Looking at the tiny waist she had in her prime, it must have been very small portions of pasta.)

I had a fantastic dream last night: I was really slim, and I was standing in a seductively-lit hall of mirrors taking naked selfies. :lol: Not something I would probably do in reality, but it's good that my subconscious is on board with the whole weight loss thing. I've had a bad week and barely eaten anything for three days, but I'm feeling fine now, and grateful that my diet has been given a fillip. (I don't recommend fasting on purpose, because it tends to be followed by the urge to binge eat: but if you temporarily lose your appetite due to illness or stress I guess it's OK to not eat, as long as the situation is temporary.)


----------



## Ingélou

Figleaf said:


> Sophia Loren attributed her curves to a diet of pasta, did she not? (Looking at the tiny waist she had in her prime, it must have been very small portions of pasta.)
> 
> *In a recent article about her, she said that she didn't ever say that 'everything you see, I owe to spaghetti.'* - *Mollie*
> 
> ... I've had a bad week and barely eaten anything for three days, but I'm feeling fine now, and grateful that my diet has been given a fillip. (I don't recommend fasting on purpose, because it tends to be followed by the urge to binge eat: but if you temporarily lose your appetite due to illness or stress I guess it's OK to not eat, as long as the situation is temporary.)


Quite: I've just lost half a stone on the 'husband in hospital' diet, and I remember about ten years ago getting a very trim figure on the 'dental-problem-followed-by-flu' diet. :lol:


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## Figleaf

Ingélou said:


> Quite: I've just lost half a stone on the 'husband in hospital' diet, and I remember about ten years ago getting a very trim figure on the 'dental-problem-followed-by-flu' diet. :lol:


Those are indeed brilliant ways of losing weight. When I was 18 I went on the 'summer school with gross food' diet, and returned skeletal. It's a shame we can't package up these genuine weight loss stories and sell them as a diet plan, isn't it? 

Thanks for clearing up the Loren quote. I was always sceptical about it, since my pasta-eating times have not coincided with my slim times!


----------



## Taggart

Figleaf said:


> It's a shame we can't package up these genuine weight loss stories and sell them as a diet plan, isn't it?


Who would want to try them? I tried the one where you're nil by mouth and on a drip for two (separate) weeks - *very *successful but ....


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## SarahNorthman

I've had the hospital liquid diet for almost a month. Ick.


----------



## GreenMamba

spokanedaniel said:


> My sister's Italian mother-in-law, who was born in the 1930's, in Italy, was mountainously obese when I met her in 1966. It was common then for Italian women to be extremely obese. Not so much for the men. Obesity is not by any means a new thing in Italy.
> 
> When I visited my sister in Rome back then, supper was an *enormous* plate of pasta with butter and olive oil, followed by a meat course (I still ate meat back then) and plenty of bread. I don't know if this was an unusually big meal because I was a guest, and her daughter-in-law's brother, but I got the impression it was typical.


The aggregate data doesn't really support the notion that Italians have had issues with obesity, at least not at the level of Americans, Canadians or Brits. Or Spaniards. And Italian women are far less likely to be overweight than men.

It is getting worse there, but I don't think that's because they are eating more pasta than they used to. Of course it's not good to eat "too much" pasta, or too much anything.

http://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/49712603.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16639416


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## SarahNorthman

So gym today was really good. Though i went to the Chavez center. I tend to avoid it, mostly because the young gym goers (especially the weight lifters) tend to be very intimidating and stare a lot. Its a bit off putting. I tend to go where an older crowd is. But regardless it was great! I hurt though. Im happy about it, doesn't stop it from hurting though.


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## Posie

I know what you mean, Sarah. That feeling is a good one, as long as it's not too discouraging.

Though I love the way cardio makes me feel, I've stopped relying on it as a weight loss method. If I'm lucky and push really hard, I might burn an average of 350 calories per session. At that rate, it'll take me a week and a half just to loose ONE pound, which isn't bad, but not very encouraging! I've learned that light strength-training along with diet is much more effective.


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## spokanedaniel

There are different kinds of hurt, and it's important to learn the difference. There's the good, almost pleasant, kind of sore muscles you get from a proper lifting session. And there's the hurt that comes from injury which means you pushed yourself too hard or lifted too much or your technique was wrong. There's a good chance those intimidating weight-lifters will be happy to show you proper technique. 

One pound a week is the ideal rate of weight loss. Eating 350 to 500 calories less than maintenance is perfect. You didn't put on your excess weight overnight, and if you try to take it off overnight you will have a VERY hard time sticking with it and keeping it off. If you are losing more than 2 pounds a week you are likely setting yourself up for failure, or for putting it right back on later.


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## Ingélou

This is a very interesting thread. I am glad you're enjoying your exercise regime, Sarah.

I agree with the points made by MarinaSabina and spokanedaniel, and will now add my 'take' on the question of weight and exercise. 
Sometimes exercising may not seem to shift weight fast, but it has so many uses for a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight - maintaining good circulation and muscle tone (which improves the look, whatever one's size) - keeping your metabolism going - stopping one from thinking about food - sharpening people's minds too, as they've discovered recently. So I say, go with an exercise regime that doesn't injure you, that is not an extreme or damaging activity, and most of all that *you enjoy*, and you really can't go wrong.

Last night Taggart and I were out Scottish country dancing. I am tired today, but I feel very 'limber' and flexible and glad to be alive. Exercise :tiphat: is *good*!


----------



## SarahNorthman

Ingélou said:


> This is a very interesting thread. I am glad you're enjoying your exercise regime, Sarah.
> 
> I agree with the points made by MarinaSabina and spokanedaniel, and will now add my 'take' on the question of weight and exercise.
> Sometimes exercising may not seem to shift weight fast, but it has so many uses for a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight - maintaining good circulation and muscle tone (which improves the look, whatever one's size) - keeping your metabolism going - stopping one from thinking about food - sharpening people's minds too, as they've discovered recently. So I say, go with an exercise regime that doesn't injure you, that is not an extreme or damaging activity, and most of all that *you enjoy*, and you really can't go wrong.
> 
> Last night Taggart and I were out Scottish country dancing. I am tired today, but I feel very 'limber' and flexible and glad to be alive. Exercise :tiphat: is *good*!


Oh the pain isn't from an injury it's just from a good hard work out. My body is adjusting to all this. Believe me it hurts but it's also a very satisfying feeling. I would have to say the rowing machine is my favorite. My cousin who went with me was on the rowing team at her university so it was nice to have her there to help with everything.


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## spokanedaniel

A rowing machine (or rowing in a scull) is said to be a really good exercise because it uses the whole body. Be careful of the knees, though. I had to quit using a rowing machine because the leg action was too much like deep-knee bends. Probably I was bending my knees too far. If you haven't already, get someone experienced to check your form and make sure you're doing it right. Then have at it! 

In Seville, Spain, there's an exercise path that runs alongside the Guadalquivir, and in winter, when rivers are frozen in northern Europe, the northern rowing teams go to Seville to do their off-season workouts, and the trainers ride their bicycles along the path, some shouting at their teams through a megaphone, others talking to them on cell phones. When I lived there I did my morning jogging on that path, and it was fun to watch the teams rowing their sculls up and down the river.


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## sabrina

I didn't read the whole thread, as weight loss is not in my interest, though like a lot of stupid women (I am one of them) I'd really like to drop 1 or 2 kg but not more, as I'd drop my BMI too low.
But I am writing this message not to discuss my kgs, but what I know about glucose vs fructose. I'll try to be short. As most of us know, glucose is absorbed and its metabolism is regulated by insulin. Glucose is necessary for our cells to get energy by "burning" glucose and getting ATP. (if there is no glucose, lipids and proteins are transformed into glucose). 
Fructose is absorbed similar with glucose, but takes a completely different course as it is not controlled by insulin or other hormone. The metabolic cycle is identical (Krebs cycle) up to a point, but does not complete the cycle as it goes to replenish the glycogen (storage form of glucose) and when glycogen storage is full, all the rest of fructose is transformed in fat. 
As for example, I have my hubby who at one point was gaining 1kg/week. He was eating many bananas, and of course the other 3 main main meals + occasional snacks. Luckily, he reached a level when he said enough it's enough. He dropped all the bananas from his diet (and no sweet fruits). He ate his normal breakfast, usual lunch, but supper was always before 6 pm. No snacks. That was the biggest problem as he was hungry in the evening...But he had the motivation to respect this and he lost 20 kg in 6-8 months and looked quite fit in the end as he completely lost his pregnant belly, LOL. He did no gym in this time. He started gym after he reached his goal and the diet was slightly more forgiving. So no juices (other than what you squeeze yourself), and not many sweet fruits. Of course sugar in coffee, or tea is forbidden. No cookies either! Good luck!


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## Vaneyes

Damn those cookies and bananananas. Long gone. And, yep, I used to have sand kicked in my face.


----------



## sabrina

Vaneyes said:


> Damn those cookies and bananananas. Long gone. And, yep, I used to have sand kicked in my face.


This is insane! I don't even like it. This is the effect of anabolic hormones on a poor human body...ufff, Schwartzy


----------



## sabrina

I don't really understand the British stones, but I like them as I am just 8 stones and some other units I am again lost, as I didn't know pounds have decimals. It sounds nice but so weird, at least for me. Good old Google...


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## Vaneyes

Isn't a "stone" about 20 lbs?


----------



## sabrina

Vaneyes said:


> Isn't a "stone" about 20 lbs?


According to Google:
1 stone is around 6.35 Kg and 2.2 pounds are roughly 1 kg


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## Ingélou

One stone is fourteen pounds, and one pound is sixteen ounces - which was why we had to learn our fourteen and sixteen times tables at primary school. Needless to say, I've forgotten them both now, and as for relating pounds to kilograms... :lol:

In Britain, ordinary people (at least the older ones) still use 'stones' to describe their weight, and the medical world uses kilograms.


----------



## Figleaf

I broke my bathroom scales when I was fat  so I tend to rely on dress sizes, which is rather unscientific. I'm now wearing a pair of Gap jeans which are a US size 6, which I think is about UK size 10. I'm chuffed because I was a size 14 in the summer, and these jeans were bought before the third pregnancy and wouldn't go on even a month ago. I'm only 5'2 and small boned, so I still need to lose plenty of weight, but as long as my weight is going in the right direction I'm happy!

My bikini days are probably over for good though...


----------



## SarahNorthman

Figleaf said:


> I broke my bathroom scales when I was fat  so I tend to rely on dress sizes, which is rather unscientific. I'm now wearing a pair of Gap jeans which are a US size 6, which I think is about UK size 10. I'm chuffed because I was a size 14 in the summer, and these jeans were bought before the third pregnancy and wouldn't go on even a month ago. I'm only 5'2 and small boned, so I still need to lose plenty of weight, but as long as my weight is going in the right direction I'm happy!
> 
> My bikini days are probably over for good though...


My goal is to actually be an American size 10. Any smaller would look bad on me I think given the fact that I naturally have a curvy body. But you're tiny like me! I'm only 5'1


----------



## Figleaf

SarahNorthman said:


> My goal is to actually be an American size 10. Any smaller would look bad on me I think given the fact that I naturally have a curvy body. But you're tiny like me! I'm only 5'1


Natural curves rule! I wish I had the curves I did when I was younger. But now everything has headed south and the best I can hope for is to be slim, so I can look better in clothes and move more easily.


----------



## elgar's ghost

Marschallin Blair won't like this, but when those pictures of La Macpherson are posted I can't help thinking she could have done worse than stick on a few pounds.


----------



## GhenghisKhan

Lindsey Lohan in her prime > Elle Macpherson


----------



## Figleaf

GhenghisKhan said:


> Lindsey Lohan in her prime > Elle Macpherson


Blimey, Lindsey's not past it already is she?  She can't even be 30 yet.


----------



## GhenghisKhan

Sadly yes. Too much cocaine, drinking,partying.


----------



## ArtMusic

I am not overweight, but there is a goal that I try to have that is related to the topic here. That is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. So I don't think it's about a diet to loose weight per se, or eating less sugary foods or whatever. It's about having a healthy lifestyle that you can live with for the rest of your life. That's the real challenge. And if everybody did that, I am sure there would be less pressure on our healthcare system (public hospitals, taxes/benefits, healthcare in general etc.)


----------



## Taggart

Interesting article in from the Sunday Telegraph - Is it better to be Fat but Fit?


----------



## Figleaf

Taggart said:


> Interesting article in from the Sunday Telegraph - Is it better to be Fat but Fit?


Interesting article. It can't be that long ago that slight plumpness was considered a sign of health, and it's perverse that extreme scrawniness is now considered synonymous with fitness. I think the main problem with the treatment of weight and body image issues in the media is that it's so relentless (constant deluge of skinny worshipping/fat shaming articles) and also too prescriptive, with everyone being encouraged to look a certain way, which may be more desirable and achievable for some people than others. Official government advice must take some of the blame for this: I was annoyed by an NHS poster which claimed that a woman is at greater risk of heart disease and cancer if her waist measurement is over 31 inches. This may be statistically true, but given the variety of heights and body shapes, it's meaningless. My waist was way bigger than 31 inches a few months ago, and it shouldn't have been- but what if I was 5'10" with the sort of masculine figure which doesn't naturally have a lot of waist definition? 31 inches would not have been very big in that case. I think the best one can do is to tune out all the messages- official and commercial- about weight and fitness, and pursue an individual solution which makes sense to us.


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## Figleaf

At the moment, I've managed to lose weight faster by eating one small meal a day and having black coffee the rest of the time. In an ideal world I would be having more regular but low calorie meals and less caffeine, but small regular meals involve spending more time thinking about food than I can really spare, as well as the temptation to eat slightly more at each mealtime than I planned to.

I found the photo, taken last summer, which shocked me into losing weight. It wasn't just a case of being a couple of stone overweight, but I actually look like a 50 year old:









I'm surprised that one didn't actually break the camera, it's so hideous! I don't know what's up with the weird scowl, although you would probably have a permanent scowl on your face if you were as unattractive as that!  Since slimming down a lot, my body may not be as small or as toned as it once was, but my face now looks normal and I look about 10 years younger (as in, younger than I looked when fat, not younger than I chronologically am). I know I already posted this full body shot taken at the weekend, but I include it again for contrast:









I don't want to sound too triumphalist, because I'm still overweight. I just wanted to share my delight at finding out that a lot of my physical deterioration, which I had assumed to be age-related and irreversible, was actually related to obesity and poor diet, and was easily fixed in a few months with a lower calorie diet. You can't tell on the pictures because the camera on the tablet is so crude, but my skin colour has gone from corpse-like grey to a normal healthy pinkish colour. I hope all this selfie posting etc. doesn't come across as too narcissistic- I actually wasn't in any photos at all from late 2009 to mid last year- but I just wanted to show that there is hope for middle aged women who have let themselves go. These things can be fixed with a bit of perseverance!


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## Ingélou

It doesn't come across as narcissistic. If someone wants to make a point about weight loss that is convincing, it's a lot better with examples and photos, and that is what you've provided.
After the first stage of your weight loss, you already look very good, so you can be much more relaxed and long-term about losing any more. Good luck, and good health to you.


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## Jos

I'd go further than that, Fig, don't loose another gram ! 
You look great, I'd say "dish" or "knockout" if this wasn't a classical music forum......

Skinny is oldschool, and not even liked then..."


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## SarahNorthman

Figleaf said:


> At the moment, I've managed to lose weight faster by eating one small meal a day and having black coffee the rest of the time. In an ideal world I would be having more regular but low calorie meals and less caffeine, but small regular meals involve spending more time thinking about food than I can really spare, as well as the temptation to eat slightly more at each mealtime than I planned to.
> 
> I found the photo, taken last summer, which shocked me into losing weight. It wasn't just a case of being a couple of stone overweight, but I actually look like a 50 year old:
> 
> View attachment 62223
> 
> 
> I'm surprised that one didn't actually break the camera, it's so hideous! I don't know what's up with the weird scowl, although you would probably have a permanent scowl on your face if you were as unattractive as that!  Since slimming down a lot, my body may not be as small or as toned as it once was, but my face now looks normal and I look about 10 years younger (as in, younger than I looked when fat, not younger than I chronologically am). I know I already posted this full body shot taken at the weekend, but I include it again for contrast:
> 
> View attachment 62229
> 
> 
> I don't want to sound too triumphalist, because I'm still overweight. I just wanted to share my delight at finding out that a lot of my physical deterioration, which I had assumed to be age-related and irreversible, was actually related to obesity and poor diet, and was easily fixed in a few months with a lower calorie diet. You can't tell on the pictures because the camera on the tablet is so crude, but my skin colour has gone from corpse-like grey to a normal healthy pinkish colour. I hope all this selfie posting etc. doesn't come across as too narcissistic- I actually wasn't in any photos at all from late 2009 to mid last year- but I just wanted to show that there is hope for middle aged women who have let themselves go. These things can be fixed with a bit of perseverance!


guuurl you look great!


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## SarahNorthman

I am aiming for an overall 10 in American sizes. No smaller. I honestly think the waifishly thin look that is all the rage these days would look awful on me.


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## Ingélou

Totally sensible! I think the fashion is changing, and curves are coming back in. But in any case, losing weight is in some ways the easy bit. The hard bit is not putting it all back on again and more. So it isn't a good idea to become thinner than your body type is 'meant to be'. Better to be a few pounds overweight but healthy and full of energy - and much more attractive too, I'd say!

How are you getting on?


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## Novelette

I struggle with maintaining a minimal weight. My metabolism is very fast [though my thyroid is normal], but I am repelled by most foods. I have odd compulsions about comestibles and can tolerate only a very limited diet.

Changing one's approach to eating can be very effective--toning down on snacking and avoiding copious refined sugars.


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## spokanedaniel

sabrina said:


> ... glucose vs fructose. ...


High-fructose corn syrup is made up of glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down in the stomach into fructose and glucose, in about the same ratio as exists in high-fructose corn syrup. The two are therefore pretty much the same by the time they move from the stomach into the intestines.

All sugar is empty calories, so should be taken in moderation if at all. You cannot avoid all sugars and maintain a healthy diet because all fruit has sugar, and many veggies do as well. But eliminating all added sugar and sweet treats won't hurt you, unless you are diabetic and need a controlled amount.

Generally fresh fruit should be eaten in moderation. Not eliminated, and not eaten in excess.

FIT vs FAT:

Apparently your outlook is better if you are fat and fit than if you are thin and unfit. However (and this is significant) it is MUCH harder to motivate yourself to the exercise needed for fitness if you are excessively overweight than if you are at a healthy weight. My second step-father was extremely fit. Then he changed jobs (from an active job to a sedentary one) and gained a lot of weight. He remained very fit for a long time, but his weight finally caught up with him, and from one year to the next he went from very fit to very unfit, and died of a heart attack in his mid-50's, clearly the result of obesity.

I love hiking in the mountains, and when the trail gets steep, I can really feel the difference ten pounds makes. It is MUCH more fun when I'm in the middle of the healthy range for my height than when I'm near the high end of the range. Still "healthy" according to the charts, but what a difference in the way I feel!


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## Flamme

I tried likke crazy to lose weight when my mum was alive, but despite alll my cycling, exercising and working out, I was still pretty chubby. Suddenly when she passed away I lost like 13 kg in 3 months! I was getting thinner by day to a point I was warned by my family TO START EATING, to avoid getting sick...I eat a lot still, maybe different foods but I lost half of my previous self...Stress was pretty extreme and still is and my mums kitchen was pretty plentiful so I guess...


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## SixFootScowl

I was pushing upper 180s and decided to do something about it, so quit snacking after dinner. I got down to 186 and then seemed to stay there, then in late February i was sick for about 12 days and dropped to around 182, since then, trying to conserve food because of the coronavirus and avoiding grocery stores, I lost more, down to 177. Since then we are getting groceries at curbside pickup and I am eating more normal. I seem to have stabilized at 179.


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## starthrower

I gained 13 pounds after my back surgery and tipped the scales at 187. I feel like crap at this weight. I was about 174 before surgery. I'm just starting to feel better after 12 weeks so I'm doing more walking and other exercises.

Sugar intake is a huge factor if you want to lose some weight. As soon as it warms up a bit more I'm going to be walking earlier in the morning before I eat anything. It's the easiest way to burn fat calories. I still have to heal a bit more before I can get back to weight training. The gyms are all closed so I can't do much anyway.


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## Flamme

Such a strange feeling that if I want it NOW I can lose up to 20 kg with no sweat...Very eerie...


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