Eat Less, Move more!! - why is it so difficult for people? (calories, buy)
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I've posted this before, but I learned I had high cholesterol back in the 80's. At the time, I believed the answer was to eat the lowest fat diet I could. So I cut out all fat possible, and ate all the carbs I wanted, including simple carbs. I was already of normal weight, so my objective wasn't to lose weight, but I did, and rapidly. I would eat all kinds of crappy no-fat dessert items and the weight still fell off me effortlessly. So to say you can't eat carbs and lose weight is false. Simple carbs should be moderated for overall health, but even they won't keep you from losing weight.
People try to believe otherwise, but it is the total calories that govern weight loss.
That is true.
BUT
Some people find it easier to reduce overall calorie intake using a low-carb approach. Higher protein levels reduce cravings for some people, who then find themselves eating less food.
Some people find it easier to reduce overall calorie intake using a low-carb approach. Higher protein levels reduce cravings for some people, who then find themselves eating less food.
It really is that simple.
If the approach is high protein, like Atkins, the result is a chronic state of ketosis, which does suppress appetite.
I am just not convinced that it is a good idea to be ketotic for long periods, and, as I said, my brother was ready to kill for a piece of bread after a while when he did Atkins.
The weight loss plan to choose is the one that will work for you personally, but if it is too radically different from what you will eat for maintenance, then the risk of regaining is high.
Other than the majority of fit people are not overweight.
Maybe. But there are plenty of people who are "slim" and nowhere near fit.
Fit is as fit does. If you do sufficient exercise to be fit (and adopt healthy eating habits), you will be fit you may not be slim depending on your body chemistry.
Although this might be a literally true statement, it doesn't take into account how these various macro-nutrients effect your body. Gary Taubes and others have written books recently about how insulin is the hormone that controls fat accumulation in our bodies. This is not a new or particularly controversial idea.
Taubes was wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzy_q2010
All the macronutrients --- carbs, fats, and protein --- feed into the body's energy production mechanism. As you consume food, some will be used for immediate needs and some will be stored as glycogen. Once you max out glycogen, the rest is stored as fat, whether it started as carbs, fat, or protein. If you take in too much energy, you will store some as fat.
Which approach to reducing calories is best depends on the individual. Telling someone who likes carbs that the only way to lose weight is to reduce carbs sets that person up for failure.
I was with my brother at a restaurant once when he was doing Atkins. He looked at a man at the next table and told the guy he could tell the cops he was mugged for the bread on his plate.
It is possible to lose weight by reducing carbs or reducing fat or reducing protein --- though many people do not eat a lot more protein than is good for them.
Or, you can reduce portion sizes and keep pretty much the same diet you always eat, presuming it is nutritionally reasonable overall. Increasing fiber and veggies helps you feel fuller.
There is also no point in a diet that cannot be maintained permanently. The weight just comes back when you stop the diet. Which is the big problem with Atkins.
Excellent post as usual!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MUTGR
History has proven that most people can't maintain success by simply eating less and exercising more, which is the big problem with that advice.
Because they almost always underestimate calorie intake and overestimate activity levels. Studies done on this show the margin of error to go anywhere from 25% to 60% on average.
Quote:
Originally Posted by d2mini
Exercise all you want. If you don't cut carbs, sugars and fake stuff you will still be a fatty.
People try to believe otherwise, but it is the total calories that govern weight loss.
First of all, I agree with this statement in the abstract. However, people have been told to cut calories for decades and it hasn't made a dent in western society's obesity epidemic. In fact, it keeps getting worse. Although you can no doubt find individual examples of it working, on a macro level, diets that simply restrict caloric intake are proven failures.
I would suggest it is because this simple formulaic approach does not take into account how our bodies tolerate different foods. One calorie of protein or fat may have the same total energy as a calorie of carbohydrate, but they effect our bodies differently. Until we come to grips with that we will not make a dent in the obesity problem.
You keep talking about maintenance -- telling people to simply cut calories is the approach that is a proven failure for most people with a weight problem.
Why? People don't last on "diets" when they feel hungry all the time. They might for awhile, but not for the long term.
If you properly follow a low carb diet, your hunger is under control. You ultimately end up eating fewer calories -- there we agree, but it is how you get there and how you maintain it. I would suggest that most people who properly follow a low carb diet will find this type of diet easier to maintain than simply restricting calories -- because you can eat when you're hungry until you are satisfied. Sure, you might crave bread, as your brother did. If you cut him way back on calories, he's going to crave food all the time!
And if you move beyond the stereo-type of Atkins, you learn that it is only the initial part of the diet (minimum 14 days, you can move on if you wish) that is very restrictive, and even then you can eat up to 20 grams of carbs a day, primarily in the form of leafy green veggies. After the initial restrictive period, you can add in additional carbs (mostly veggies, later nuts, etc.) until you find the point at which your body begins to gain weight again. Sugar, flour, white rice is out --- but most other things you can enjoy, although those with carbs only in moderation.
I've personaly dropped 35 lbs, my lipid profiles, blood pressure, etc. are all in normal ranges, and my appetite is under control. I don't count calories - I simply eat when I'm hungry and eat until I'm satisified. Because I'm not eating any refined carbs, my blood sugar does not spike, which is what causes hunger.
I never used to be a fatty, and I was eating carbs, sugars, and preservatives (what I assume dmini means by fake stuff).
I gained weight by eating too much food, and exercising way too little.
So now, I eat the same carbs, sugars, and preservatives, but I eat a lot less of them. I eat a lot less of everything. AND I'm getting more exercise. Whaddya know - the weight's coming back off. It took me 4 years to gain 45 pounds, so I'm okay with it taking a year or so to lose it again. I've lost most of it, just a little more to go. Once the weather is more conducive to bicycling, I'll be able to get more exercise than just my visits to the gym and the rest will come off probably before bikini season.
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