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If maintaining goal weight was a matter of money, then there wouldn't be any overweight rich people (Shatner, Orson Wells, Bill Gates, Ryan O'Neal, Elvis, etc).
95% of weight control is food control.
Exercise has very little to do with weight control. For every five calories you burn exercising, you become six calories hungrier.
Fat people aren't fat because they don't exercise, thin people aren't thin because they do.
People aren't thin because they run. They run because they are thin.
There are three types of people: thin people, overweight people, and temporarily thin people. If you are overweight, then you are overweight. If you are thin, then 1) you are thin or 2) you were overweight, you lost weight but you are almost certain to put it back on.
Overweight people are in one sense destined to be miserable the rest of their lives: They'll either be overweight and miserable or hungry and miserable.
It's easier to lose 40 pounds in six months than it is to keep five pounds off for six months.
The easiest way to lose weight and keep it off for good is to change your genes.
The only diet that has ever worked is the HNM diet: Hungry 'N Miserable.
People aren't really fat, they're just short for their weight.
I've got a great body, unfortunately it is inside this one.
Some of these seem true on the surface, but are not very true to facts. Many people forever lose weight once they change their relationship with food. It's not a bout fad diets..it's about eliminating/reducing fats, sugar, simple carbs, junk and fast foods and refined foods.
It makes me sad to see so many people trying to follow restrictive, impossible to stick with diets when they could simply switch to eating whole foods, good grains such as lentils, brown rice, barley, and whole wheat and loads of fresh vegetables and fruits--and lose and keep the weight off forever--and never be hungry.
It's really not that complicated, but it does involve some real soul-searching and changing our relationship with food-- a step many are loathe to take in their never-ending search for the quick fix...hence yo-yo dieting and the multi-billion dollar diet industry.
I'm an advocate for this as it's the way I eat and my weight stays constant at a healthy level. Exercising faithfully at least 3x a week (aerobics/resistance training) and riding my bike on errands helps, too. I'm middle-aged, and no athlete, believe me.
When my weight ballooned after menopause, I just read some books on nutrition (I like Dean Ornish, T. Colin Campell, and Michael Pollan) and planned my eating accordingly. Simple, really. Anyone can do it. If you're willing to take charge of your relationship with food.
It makes me sad to see so many people trying to follow restrictive, impossible to stick with diets
You mean like "eliminating/reducing fats, sugar, simple carbs, junk and fast foods and refined foods"?
There are some people (maybe you) that really don't have an appetite for junk. Some people are born that way. I had a coworker once who looked my straight in the eye and told me that he would prefer a bowl of fruit over a bowl of ice cream even if the ice cream was (hypothetically) nutritionally equivalent as the fruit.
However, a lot of people are not born that way and it comes down to discipline and deprivation, period.
We all know about what healthy foods are. We all know how much is the right amount of food.
Those people aren't failing because they know less than you do. They are failing because they are 1) physiologically different than you or 2) are less disciplined than you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleDolphin
Anyone can do it. If you're willing to take charge of your relationship with food.
That's like saying "Anyone can be a millionaire if they work hard enough." or "Anyone can go to Harvard if they study hard enough".
You make it sound like it is as simple as flipping a switch.
You're likely right. I do seem to have found discipline or have gotten to know myself pretty well when it comes to food.
Sweets, especially creamy things liked whipped cream and ice cream and salty things like chips were my downfall in the past. For instance, I know that if I have a container of ice cream in my freezer, I'll eat it steadily til it's gone. Maybe in one night. Same with cookies, candy, potato chips and other sweet and salty treats. So I don't buy them, don't bring them home, into my car, my office...if they're not here, I can't eat them, I figure.
When I go to the grocery, I pretend I have blinders on and only shop the produce, the dairy and the beans/rice aisles and shy away from the bread, doughnuts and baked goods and snack aisles. Why? Cause I'm as weak as the next binge eater.
Right now if I want a snack my choices are apples, oranges, bananas, grapes or little cans of tuna or salmon. Raisins, walnuts, sunflower seeds. That's about it. Usually I'll just drink a big glass of water with lime in between meals.
So I didn't mean to sound smug, what I was trying to say if you know your Achilles heel, it's possible to do a work-around and avoid the trigger foods.
All of us have the capability of addiction--I used to smoke, so I know. I used to binge on garbage foods, but a lot of personal research and reading made me realize it was emotional/comfort eating and that helped me to stop. Guess I started being honest with myself--if that makes sense.
When my thoughts turn to ice cream, I ask myself, "What's going on? Are you feeling scared, upset, angry, insecure--or what? Why do you want the comfort of ice cream??" That helps me get to the bottom of the emotional eating...but I do understand not everyone wants to probe this deeply--sometimes it's easier just to give in to the craving...been there, done that.
I dont agree with many of your trueisms - they seem to be all self defeating ideas - If you eat the right foods you will not be a hungry "thin person" and a strong toned body that gets lots of exercise will burn more calories than a flabby body - muscle burns more calories than fat even while resting -
Exercise is key to any LONG TERM weight loss - anyone can diet.
All of us have the capability of addiction--I used to smoke, so I know.
The thing with addiction is (I think) the longer you abstain, the less the desire is. For example, an alcoholic who hasn't had a drink in five years probably doesn't want a drink as much an alcoholic who hasn't had a drink in two days - this is just a hunch, but I think I am correct. Same for smoking or coke, or anything addictive.
You can't quit food.
Abstinence is ten times easier than moderation.
Let's say you like Lays potato chips (the reader can pick his poison); It is easier to eat no chips than one chip. That's (one of the reasons) why when a plate of cookies or donuts or candy is passed around in a public environment like at work or something, overweight people say "no". Non-overweight people say yes because they can stop at one. Overweight people need six - doesn't look too cool pigging out in public - overweight save the gorging for behind closed doors. (The other reason they say no is because they don't want people whispering "Look at big Alice over there, like she needs that cookie....")
And I think you're right. Abstinence is likely easier than moderation. But what about abstinence from your personal trigger foods? What about no ice cream, no potato chips....at all? Can that behavior modification not take place? It has for me. None in the home means no binging behind close doors.
I've read somewhere that it takes 10 days to break a habit and instill a new one. Ten days without trigger foods and maybe the craving will begin to fade. Personally, I think it takes support, some psychological help and behavior modification to help break strong addictions. My smoking cessation program was sponsored by the American Lung Association and involved weekly group meeting in a hospital setting for 10 weeks. I quit cold-turkey with their help. Tried a couple of times to quit on my own--and failed. And hated myself for failing...
If you've been going it alone and failing on permanent weight loss, maybe it's time for some support with experts who know how to help you 'get 'er done." Many, many have lost weight--and kept it off for years, forever. I have friends who have. Most went through programs to do it...insight on why you're overeating and binging is the first step in behavior modification...
I think it is more like 80/20. I honestly don't think anyone can lose weight and keep it off without incorporating exercise into their lifestyle.
2. Exercise has very little to do with weight control. For every five calories you burn exercising, you become six calories hungrier.
I disagree with this. Exercise is a HUGE part of weight control. I don't get hungrier when I exercise. I may mentally sometimes think, well I can eat so many calories more because I exercised and talk myself into it. As a matter of fact, when I have days where I do nothing but sit on the couch, I have bigger cravings.
2. Fat people aren't fat because they don't exercise, thin people aren't thin because they do.
They are fat because they consume more calories than they burn. Thin people are thin because they burn more calories than they consume. IT is that simple. If all you did was walk for 30 minutes everyday, if say you were 100 lbs overweight and had remained at that weight for some time and didn't change your eating, then you would lose weight. It might be very slow but you would be burning more calories than you are consuming. Now if you eat more because you exercise, well that is different.
4. People aren't thin because they run. They run because they are thin.
Not necessarily true. I know plenty of people that run so they can eat fairily nonrestricively.
5. There are three types of people: thin people, overweight people, and temporarily thin people. If you are overweight, then you are overweight. If you are thin, then 1) you are thin or 2) you were overweight, you lost weight but you are almost certain to put it back on.
No wonder you haven't been successful with your weight loss then with such a defeatist attitude. Again, I know plenty of people that have lost weight and kept it off. My aunt was very chubby as a teenager. She one day just decided in her early 20s she was going to lose weight. She is now in her late 50s and is considered a "thin" person and has been ever since I can remember.
6. Overweight people are in one sense destined to be miserable the rest of their lives: They'll either be overweight and miserable or hungry and miserable.
Only if you let the food consume you. I've been on my diet for two weeks. Sure I'm hungry sometimes and boy would I love to eat a chocolate bar but I am far, far from miserable. Some people eat to live and some people live to eat. I am determined to change my lifestyle to eating to live.
7. It's easier to lose 40 pounds in six months than it is to keep five pounds off for six months.
I disagree. The hard part is learning new and healthier behaviors. Now it might take a very long time to learn those new behaviors, years even.
8. The easiest way to lose weight and keep it off for good is to change your genes.
TOTALLY disagree. Unless there is something physically wrong, a disease or whatever, genes have nothing to do with it. Genes determine your build. Jennifer Lopez is never going to look like Paris Hilton. Eating right/wrong is a learned behavior. Noone has special genes that make them burn more calories or that makes them crave fried chicken and big macs.
9. The only diet that has ever worked is the HNM diet: Hungry 'N Miserable.
Nope, I can be hungry and happy and eventually my body won't be hungry anymore unless I really need food. I am very hungry right now. Just had a 200 calorie snack and I am still hungry but I am far from miserable.
Most people binge because they are emotional eaters. They eat because they correlate food with love or whatever. Boredom is also a big factor. I get cravings at night when I go to watch TV.
[quote=LittleDolphin;8853012]Never thought of it that way before, Charles.
And I think you're right. Abstinence is likely easier than moderation. But what about abstinence from your personal trigger foods? What about no ice cream, no potato chips....at all? Can that behavior modification not take place? It has for me. None in the home means no binging behind close doors.
[quote]
This is what I think. I think that when you are still "addicted" to the binging that it is next to impossible to just have the one cookie or the one potatoe chip. But I do think that over time you can have the behavior modification where you only eat the one cookie and it doesn't consume you.
In some ways eating is easier because you can replace it with something else. If you can teach your body to crave veggies or healthy snacks.
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