help (vegetables, overweight, doctor, weight loss)

[glass_of_merlot]

My husband weighs 320 pounds. According to every calorie table, a 300 pound person has to eat 5000 calories per day to maintain that. Well, I know him, and he does not eat 5000 calories per day. More like 2000 calories per day.
He even monitors his calorie intake.
Any thoughts?

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Have him visit a doctor. That is my thought on this.

If those supposedly 2000 calories you think he's eating contain a lot of calories from FAT (i.e., bad food) then its still likely that he would stay overweight.

[Joliefille]

Definately start with a check up. He could have an under active thyroid or diabetes.

Next, I would bet dollars to donuts he's cheating somewhere or underestimating his portions. He's pretty heavy for only eating 2000 calories per day.

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by Joliefille

Definately start with a check up. He could have an under active thyroid or diabetes.

Next, I would bet dollars to donuts he's cheating somewhere or underestimating his portions. He's pretty heavy for only eating 2000 calories per day.

I know for a fact he is not cheating.I cook the meals and i am in good health and weight. His sister had thyroid problems and had thyroid removed at a early age. She was also severely overweight. Even when he was in the Army and did PT everyday he was overweight, but only by 20 pounds or so.

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by LaoTzuMindFu

Have him visit a doctor. That is my thought on this.

If those supposedly 2000 calories you think he's eating contain a lot of calories from FAT (i.e., bad food) then its still likely that he would stay overweight.

But I thought calories was calories.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot

But I thought calories was calories.

Which is better:

1500 calories from eating fresh vegetables

OR

1500 calories from eating Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal with super sized fries and coke

????????

I recently started a thread in the "Exercise" forum about its sooooo much more than just "Calories In and Calories Out" - http://www.city-data.com/forum/exerc...-out-lose.html

Of course, there are a few knuckleheads who posted in their who OBVIOUSLY dont know what they are talking about, but it is DEFINITELY more to losing weight than just simple "calories in and calories out".

[glass_of_merlot]

Originally Posted by LaoTzuMindFu

Which is better:

1500 calories from eating fresh vegetables

OR

1500 calories from eating Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal with super sized fries and coke

????????

I recently started a thread in the "Exercise" forum about its sooooo much more than just "Calories In and Calories Out" - http://www.city-data.com/forum/exerc...-out-lose.html

Of course, there are a few knuckleheads who posted in their who OBVIOUSLY dont know what they are talking about, but it is DEFINITELY more to losing weight than just simple "calories in and calories out".

So, counting calories is not as good as I thought then. I mean, If I eat 1200 calories a day in just white chicken meat and veggies, will I loose weight faster than if I eat 1200 calories a day in form of hamburgers?

I know that eating veggies are better for us. A few weeks ago we started to walk together an hour a day on a forest trail near by our house. They also have some step-up benches half way around the trail that my husband do about 15 step ups every time he pass them. We do this in the morning before work and already, after 2-3 weeks, he has noticed improvements in the way he feels. Mu hubby is a big guy but for his size he is doing pretty good. I know people who are at a perfect weight that are in worse shape. It seems that the only thing that will help him loose his weight is working out.

[brooklynborndad]

lao is confusing two issues - general health, and weight loss

for general health, as you already know, fresh is good, veggies are good, fried foods are bad, sodium is bad, etc, etc

for weight - calories is calories is close to true, but not exactly. The body uses more energy to digest proteins than carbs or fats, which is NOT reflected in food labeling, so listed calories from protein ARE effectively less than the same number from fats/carbs. And the body uses energy to digest zero calorie fiber, so foods equal in labeled calories but with different amounts of fiber will have different weight effects.

To think in a different box - oil is oil, but tar sands oil has MORE net impact on CO2 than other oil, because more energy is used in the process of extraction.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot

So, counting calories is not as good as I thought then. I mean, If I eat 1200 calories a day in just white chicken meat and veggies, will I loose weight faster than if I eat 1200 calories a day in form of hamburgers?

marginally.

Vegetables have few calories, so in the former case most of your calories would be from the chicken, which is mostly protein.

In the case of a broiled/grilled hamburger, the calories would be from protein and fat, so the 1200 calories would have slightly more impact - but not so much if the hamburger is made with very lean beef.

There could of course be other health differences.

[LookinForMayberry]

Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot

Any thoughts?

My immediate thought is that if a 320lb person ate only 2000 calories per day, the person would be losing weight at a dangerous rate. I suspect that either the intake log is not including all intake, or the spouse is not getting all the report.