How in the hell do you guys do it? (exercise, foods, healthy)

[miamiman]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

And you'd be wrong. Mainstream eating philosophies haven't changed much in the past 25-50 years. Most educated people put more to a lifestyle that has steadily moved away physical activity and sports in favor of technology. As televisions, video games and computers became more common and more advanced, the obesity rate followed.

They clearly have. People are sizes they have never been before. Roughly 12 percent of adults were considered obese in 1962. Nearly 32 percent of adults were considered obese in 2008. Please do not tell me that this incredibly startling change is due solely to technology. Are there more channels on TV than there were in 1962? Certainly. Does the internet play a factor is some people being more sedentary? Yes. However, to completely blame the exponential increase in obesity on technology is ludicrous.

There are substantially more restaurants lining our streets than there were in 1962, because people are going out to eat more. I remember my family taking me to restaurants to eat a maximum of once or twice a year. I didn't have my first slice of pizza until I was almost in college. What we ate was prepared at home and it was a balanced meal. These restaurants serve nothing but carbs, with the foolish masses thinking that the salad items are healthy when they're loaded with carbs.

Frozen dinners did not exist. What also did not exist were Hot Pockets, frozen mini-hamburgers, frozen chimichangas, and all that other crap that people buy and shove down their throats as soon as they can tear the microwave doors open.

There weren't 59 types of Cheerios and 35 types of Corn Flakes, either. Sugary cereals were largely non existent. You ate regular Cheerios and that was that.

There have clearly been changes in the way we eat. Look at Starbucks. They just introduced the Trenta size for drinks because Venti is not enough for some. The people who used to order Venti lattes will now go to Trenta lattes and the downward spiral will continue.

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

It's also worth noting that about 20-25 years ago was when the AMA went on their "low fat" kick. I'm personally of the opinion that their philosophy had a much smaller negative effect on the obesity rate as the aforementioned technological issues, but it certainly didn't help.

They went on their low-fat kick right when people started eating like human vacuum cleaners.

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

That's a pretty laughable statement when you consider that there are more low carb diets than you could shake a stick at. Your statement would be akin to dismissing the entire West Coast Offense as one philosophy despite the fact that Sean Payton's version is significantly different in both it's rules and applications from say, Mike Shanahan's version.

Yes, there are. They are all fads and scams. Why people nowadays substitute common sense for these schemes is beyond me. You would think if these diets worked that our obesity rate would be dropping. Why isn't it? Just eat balanced meals and the weight will come off. Will you drop 25 pounds in 3 hours like people want to do now? No. But you will slowly and healthily drop to a healthy weight.

Who in the world are Sean Payton and Mike Shanahan?

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

Now there have been some spinoffs of the low carb diet that are fads, but the overall philosophy has been proven to be a safe and effective way to eat and lose weight. Low carb diets were used over a century ago to treat various physical ailments. Athletes of all varieties have used it in various forms for almost as long and today it is basically the only accepted method of nutrition inside the bodybuilding and weight lifting communities. Pretty hard to call something a fad with over 100 years of use to it's credit, wouldn't you say

Eating a balanced meal without reading the nutrition facts with the intensity that the Pope reads the Bible makes more sense to me. If you need to waste your time and try all these fads that screw up your metabolism even more, fine.

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

HA! Go try selling that lie somewhere else, because no one here is buying.

I don't care whose buying. The obesity rate is still rising, so if fools want to keep up with all the diets that don't work, go ahead. They can go blind and have their limbs hacked off from gangrene if they want. I am healthy and slim without foolishly following some diet.

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

Yes, people easily lost weight in years past and have just recently decided to complicate the whole issue and forget everything they knew, right?

Some people have gotten into a unhealthy lifestyle change. Most slim people know that balanced meals are key. All of this don't eat bread, one glass of wine a month, blah, blah, blah is bullhockey.

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

I agree, hence why I have used some form of low carb eating for quite some time now. My body is adapted to burn fat...not carbs...for fuel, the way our bodies are naturally meant to work.

Very simple, isn't it?

It is very simple. People just choose to make it difficult.

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Thanks for the compliment but I'm in my 50s. I know what people looked like from personal observation back to the 60s and from photos back to the mid 19th century. Keep in mind there are also demographic factors that explain today's "obesity epidemic" such as an aging population (aided by longer life expectancies), a different mix of immigrant groups, and a reduction in smoking.

I second all the excellent points Bosco55David made above. I strongly believe the switch to a "low-fat" diet philosophy actually did more harm than good. People just substituted sugar for fat, a really bad trade-off.

Please read my post above. I cannot believe that people refuse to accept that the primary reason for our obesity crisis is the fundamental reason for weight gain, FOOD.

Originally Posted by roneb

There is something to what miamiman is saying. The out of control obesity rates in this country ARE a fairly recent phenomenon. We are more sedentary as a population in general and we eat more processed, calorie dense foods than we did a generation ago. Super-sized fast food meals are a relatively recent phenomenon as well. One interesting side note: The average diameter of a dinner plate USED to be about 8-9 inches, now its about 11. And you know how we like to fill our plates!

Excellent points! I am glad that there are people who get it!

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by miamiman

Frozen dinners did not exist.

I was around in the 60s. You don't remember the Swanson TV dinners and chicken pies? I do. I also remember how people ate vegetables out of cans rather than fresh. Perhaps because the food was so bad, they ate less of it.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by miamiman

They clearly have. People are sizes they have never been before. Roughly 12 percent of adults were considered obese in 1962. Nearly 32 percent of adults were considered obese in 2008. Please do not tell me that this incredibly startling change is due solely to technology. Are there more channels on TV than there were in 1962? Certainly. Does the internet play a factor is some people being more sedentary? Yes. However, to completely blame the exponential increase in obesity on technology is ludicrous.

You need to go back and read because I never said eating choices. I said eating philosophies. Two drastically different meanings. What was considered healthy eating 50-60 years ago is still essentially the same today. It wasn't a rash of unhealthy diets invading America that lead to this obesity, as you imply.

There are substantially more restaurants lining our streets than there were in 1962

Got any statistical data to back that up? We've already established that your memory is hazy (diets books in bookstores) so you'll have to forgive me for demanding proof.

I remember my family taking me to restaurants to eat a maximum of once or twice a year. I didn't have my first slice of pizza until I was almost in college. What we ate was prepared at home and it was a balanced meal. These restaurants serve nothing but carbs, with the foolish masses thinking that the salad items are healthy when they're loaded with carbs.

I fail to see what relevance this has to the discussion, especially considering your experience is counter to that of mainstream America for that time.

Frozen dinners did not exist.

Like hell they didn't! TV Dinners were patented in the early 50's by Swanson.

Word of advice. The next time you try to BS someone on history, you might not try doing it to the guy who was born and raised in the same city where TV dinners were invented and produced, not to mention had family who actually worked in those factories.

Sugary cereals were largely non existent. You ate regular Cheerios and that was that.

Wrong again.

Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide - General Mills Page Two

There have clearly been changes in the way we eat.

No one is disputing that.

Yes, there are. They are all fads and scams. Why people nowadays substitute common sense for these schemes is beyond me. You would think if these diets worked that our obesity rate would be dropping. Why isn't it? Just eat balanced meals and the weight will come off. Will you drop 25 pounds in 3 hours like people want to do now? No. But you will slowly and healthily drop to a healthy weight.

You're not one for logic, are you? If the obesity rate is proof that low carb diets are fads and scams, then the eating balanced meals diet is also a fad and a scam, as are all of them.

Gotta love the transitive property.

Eating a balanced meal without reading the nutrition facts with the intensity that the Pope reads the Bible makes more sense to me. If you need to waste your time and try all these fads that screw up your metabolism even more, fine.

I can't speak for anyone else, but the version of the carb cycling diet I've been following for a couple years now requires paying a fair amount of attention to labels, and I'm in great shape with excellent metabolism. Impressive for a diet that is a scheme and a fad ain't it?

Some people have gotten into a unhealthy lifestyle change. Most slim people know that balanced meals are key. All of this don't eat bread, one glass of wine a month, blah, blah, blah is bullhockey.

You're gonna have to be a bit more specific because about what diets you're talking about because none of those sound familiar to me.

[lemon&lime]

I do it to survive. One day you're gonna wake up & figure it out; let's hope for your own sake its sooner rather than later.

[stan4]

Going out to eat used to be a treat.
Now a home-cooked meal is a treat.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

Like hell they didn't! TV Dinners were patented in the early 50's by Swanson.

looking at the impact of frozen dinners without noting the impact of the microwave oven, is like noting the impact of the automobile while ignoring the impact of the interstate highway system.

Just sayin'

[brooklynborndad]

the rise in obesity is clearly a funtion of changes in activity level, in amount of convenience food consumed (including frozen, restaurants, etc, etc) in portion sizes (related to the above). I think it has relatively little to do with the mix of macro nutrients, and very little to do with ANY diet plans, whether the short lived "anti fat" approach, low carbs, or (a fortiori) approaches that focus on portion control and activity.

[lemon&lime]

To get the best long term results you have to eat correctly for your blood type & genetics. I have done this for over a decade and at 40 am hanging on to a size zero skinny jeans. What's great is I look like I was born to wear this type of pants-- long and skinny, makes my legs look great. I don't have "fat" days and don't compare myself to others.

I was a chunky teenager on a meat free diet of wheat and milk; a real total disaster. Going on the blood type approach is one of the best things that ever happened to me and I continue to do it because it WORKS.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by lemon&lime

I was a chunky teenager on a meat free diet of wheat and milk;

so like ANY sane eating plan would have reduced your weight, right?

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

so like ANY sane eating plan would have reduced your weight, right?

No. Only the blood type diet works. Never mind that she actually broke alot of it's "rules" and still lost weight.

Get with the program man!