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So true. Anytime I read a post or hear someone talk about being "deprived" like "I want to lose weight, but I dont want to be deprived of eating my ............." Im like well, good luck with ever losing any weight.
When people learn that good clean healthy eating is NOT deprivation they are on the fast track to losing weight and becoming healthy.
The reason they say that, is because they don't want someone recommending a food-type-elimination diet. Such as "eat plenty of this, some of that, and do not eat ANY of those." Or "don't eat ANY of that for the first two weeks; you can have a half teaspoon of it on alternate thursdays the month following."
They want to know, that if they really get a craving for ice cream - they can have a spoonful and not feel like they've fallen off their diet.
For people like this, portion control COMBINED with calorie count is what will probably work best. They can certainly have ice cream - but they can't have a double-scoop hot-fudge sundae with whipped cream, marshmallow, strawberry, and caramel topping. Instead, they can have a kid's sized scoop of fudge ripple with a cherry on top. Or if they're feeling whimsical, they could do a soft-serve (which is ice milk, less fat), with hot fudge and sprinkles. Or if they want to really go nuts, they could have a half scoop of vanilla and a hot baked apple with cinnamon - and chopped walnuts.
They want to know that IF they crave something, it's okay to have some. If you tell them "okay - but you can only have a tiny bit, and only sometimes," chances are, it'll be something they can live with. If you tell them "absolutely not" then they won't stick with the diet because they will feel deprived of the types of foods they really like.
I wouldn't be able to go on a no-flour diet, because I love bread, and pasta. I can live without both a couple days in a row, but telling me I can't have it at all is a deal-breaker.
They can certainly have ice cream - but they can't have a double-scoop hot-fudge sundae with whipped cream, marshmallow, strawberry, and caramel topping.
you can have a giant sundae if you want and still be thin. you just cant do it every day. on weekends, ill get a couple of desserts.
fat people arent worried that someone will tell them "you cant eat any of x." they are worried that they wont have an excuse for their obesity. all they want is the excuse. slow metabolism, its genetic, im starving, etc. they dont want to lose the weight, they want the excuse.
ill adjust that. when they are pigging out on twinkies and coca cola and look in the mirror, for a moment they say that they want to lose weight. but once it comes to actually making an effort, they want the excuse.
you can have a giant sundae if you want and still be thin. you just cant do it every day. on weekends, ill get a couple of desserts.
fat people arent worried that someone will tell them "you cant eat any of x." they are worried that they wont have an excuse for their obesity. all they want is the excuse. slow metabolism, its genetic, im starving, etc. they dont want to lose the weight, they want the excuse.
ill adjust that. when they are pigging out on twinkies and coca cola and look in the mirror, for a moment they say that they want to lose weight. but once it comes to actually making an effort, they want the excuse.
I guess I'm using myself as the example, since I'm technically obese (not morbidly, which is a different category of obesity).
I don't eat twinkies, I don't drink soda (diet or otherwise). I LOVE ice cream, but I also know that if I bought a pint of it, I'd go through that pint in only 2 days and end up feeling like I failed. So rather than buy a pint, I'll now go out to Friendly's or the local small-batch shop, and get a kid-sized scoop. No leftovers = no binging.
I also LOVE bread, especially Pepperidge Farm roasted garlic. I don't know what it is about it, but it has just the right amount of mush, crunch, bite, tang, and oil. Normally I'd heat the whole loaf and have half of it for dinner, let hubby have 1/4 (he doesn't want a full half) and eat the other half the next day. But lately, I've taken to heating only half a loaf at a time. He gets half of that, I get the other half, and the part that's still frozen gets heated the next week.
I'm also a carb junkie, and I realize that people do need carbs. So I can't eliminate them entirely - but when I get them, I crave more. And so - I'm trying to eat healthier carbs. I had french fries for lunch yesterday - it was the first time in four months that I've had any potatoes at all. I'm trying to stay lighter on the starches, heavier on the veggies - and I prefer raw veggies to cooked, so that isn't a problem anyway.
These are the things that come to mind when I think of people who are fat (such as myself) who will ultimately fail if they feel they are "depriving" themselves.
I'm learning to adjust not merely what I eat, but how I eat. I can still eat what I like - but in smaller portions, and fewer carbs, fewer starches, less cheese. I even found this taqueria nearby - their tacos don't come with cheese at all and they're delicious as is. Just spiced, chopped lean steak, cilantro, white onion, on heated (not fried) corn tortilla.
I've been taking more care for the past 6 or so weeks, and I've lost around 7 pounds. Considering that it took me 3 years to gain the 40 I need to lose, I'd say that's a solid, satisfactory accomplishment. Without "dieting", at all.
The reason they say that, is because they don't want someone recommending a food-type-elimination diet. Such as "eat plenty of this, some of that, and do not eat ANY of those." Or "don't eat ANY of that for the first two weeks; you can have a half teaspoon of it on alternate thursdays the month following."
They want to know, that if they really get a craving for ice cream - they can have a spoonful and not feel like they've fallen off their diet.
For people like this, portion control COMBINED with calorie count is what will probably work best. They can certainly have ice cream - but they can't have a double-scoop hot-fudge sundae with whipped cream, marshmallow, strawberry, and caramel topping. Instead, they can have a kid's sized scoop of fudge ripple with a cherry on top. Or if they're feeling whimsical, they could do a soft-serve (which is ice milk, less fat), with hot fudge and sprinkles. Or if they want to really go nuts, they could have a half scoop of vanilla and a hot baked apple with cinnamon - and chopped walnuts.
They want to know that IF they crave something, it's okay to have some. If you tell them "okay - but you can only have a tiny bit, and only sometimes," chances are, it'll be something they can live with. If you tell them "absolutely not" then they won't stick with the diet because they will feel deprived of the types of foods they really like.
I wouldn't be able to go on a no-flour diet, because I love bread, and pasta. I can live without both a couple days in a row, but telling me I can't have it at all is a deal-breaker.
Baloney!!! The reason most say that (just as CaptNJ said above) is because they want an excuse. Well, maybe its a combination of wanting an excuse and also being ignorant to the wonders of having a clean healthy diet. I mean really, fat/obese people should understand that it is MORE important for them (and especially if they have kids) to NOT eat ice cream, drink soda, chow down on doughnuts, etc. because their health would continue to deteriorate and soon their children will be mommy-less after paying for funeral expenses. So I say to the obese, do you want to continue eating ice cream and soda and die, or do you want to get your health in order?
I will always always always tell those who are fat/obese who want to lose weight to cut out ALL soda and ice cream. I mean go totally cold turkey on that stuff becuase IT WILL KILL YOU!! This is a huge problem why people fail so miserably in their diets because someone who maybe doesnt know much at all about training and helping other people tell them "Oh, its okay to eat ice cream and fudge and toppings, and ......blah blah blah". This is bad friggin' advice. One soda per week is too much. An ice cream sundae (even childs size) once every two weeks is too much. MORESO if the person is battling to lose weight. Different if they are already at their targeted weight and on a consistent exercise schedule/routine.
you can have a giant sundae if you want and still be thin. you just cant do it every day. on weekends, ill get a couple of desserts.
fat people arent worried that someone will tell them "you cant eat any of x." they are worried that they wont have an excuse for their obesity. all they want is the excuse. slow metabolism, its genetic, im starving, etc. they dont want to lose the weight, they want the excuse.
ill adjust that. when they are pigging out on twinkies and coca cola and look in the mirror, for a moment they say that they want to lose weight. but once it comes to actually making an effort, they want the excuse.
Man, what a hateful lot you guys are over here. Maybe this forum should be called "Exercise and Fitness and what's wrong with fat people".
What you don't realize is how people get fat. Yes, Yes, I know, because you're not fat and you've never struggled, it MUST mean that you're an authority on the subject, right?
My buddy from work years ago was a weight lifter and did competitions and because he won the genetic lottery, he figured that he was the perfect person to dole out advice. And looking at him, of course you'd do whatever he tells you, because he looked like Arnold, but he was an idiot as far as nutrition goes, and he looked great DESPITE what his diet was, not BECAUSE of it. He would tell me to eat a big bowl of plain pasta every night - no sauce, no butter, just plain. Because it's the sauce that's making me fat.
Now that I've figured out why my body reacts to carbs the way my friend's body didn't, I've dropped the weight. A lot of you people don't get it - and you're lucky to not have to deal with it - but it's a mistake to think you can judge someone else's situation.
When I read your posts and see words like "excuses" "pigging out" "lazy", it just tells me how ignorant you really are.
1. Reducing caloric intake - Before you start to diet, figure out how many calories you eat in a day. Reduce it. I would go down to like 1500, but you can check with your doctor. FEWER than you're eating now will definitely make you lose weight. I used websites to check the calories for the foods I ate that weren't marked. So, while dieting "count" the calories.
2. Exercise more - If you don't exercise at all...LUCKY YOU...because any exercise you do at all will be more than you're doing now. You will burn more calories and lose weight. Lift a couple of weights. Building up muscles will even cause you to burn calories while sitting still.
3. Reduce White starches and sugar - Oddly enough, sugar has only a few calories. The only problem is that they're absorbed faster into the body, and turned like IMMEDIATELY (almost) into fat if you don't use them right away. Try avoid eating sugar unless you do something active afterward.
Man, what a hateful lot you guys are over here. Maybe this forum should be called "Exercise and Fitness and what's wrong with fat people".
What you don't realize is how people get fat. Yes, Yes, I know, because you're not fat and you've never struggled, it MUST mean that you're an authority on the subject, right?
My buddy from work years ago was a weight lifter and did competitions and because he won the genetic lottery, he figured that he was the perfect person to dole out advice. And looking at him, of course you'd do whatever he tells you, because he looked like Arnold, but he was an idiot as far as nutrition goes, and he looked great DESPITE what his diet was, not BECAUSE of it. He would tell me to eat a big bowl of plain pasta every night - no sauce, no butter, just plain. Because it's the sauce that's making me fat.
Now that I've figured out why my body reacts to carbs the way my friend's body didn't, I've dropped the weight. A lot of you people don't get it - and you're lucky to not have to deal with it - but it's a mistake to think you can judge someone else's situation.
When I read your posts and see words like "excuses" "pigging out" "lazy", it just tells me how ignorant you really are.
Yeah pretty much. Back when I used to train (as in, amateur body-building and distance bicycling), carbs were the end-all-be-all for getting in shape. You had to eat bowls of pasta for lunch, and use bread to sop up the extra sauce. Half a roaster chicken was an appropriate dinner, along with mashed potatoes and gravy, and stuffing, salad, etc. etc. Work big, eat big. That was the rule. If you didn't eat big, your body would go into shock from having to work without fuel, and you'd die.
That was what all the fitness experts said.
Fortunately, I didn't pay much attention to what the fitness experts said, and ate til I was full, enjoyed my carbs but didn't eat bowls of pasta every day. There was no way I could fit half a chicken in my stomach, let alone all the rest of the stuff that came with the suggested meal.
As I said in my previous post, it took me three *years* to gain all this weight, and most of it I gained because I quit smoking and didn't pay attention to how my appetite had completely changed gears. I knew plenty about nutrition. I just didn't know plenty about my own reaction to no longer having an appetite suppressant coursing through my lungs every 5 minutes of my waking hours.
This past year I got to the point where my clothes from when I got married 20 years ago didn't fit anymore, and I was feeling lethargic and vaguely depressed, and realized I needed to do something to get fit again.
I'm working out again, eating more appropriately, and slowly losing the weight I gained.
If that makes me a fatty, or lazy, or whatever other thing Lao wants to call me, then I guess that just makes him overbearing, arrogant, rude, and wrong. Personally, I'd rather be fat. It's easier to handle losing weight, than it is to be put in one's place. Hopefully, he'll wise up before that happens.
These are the things that come to mind when I think of people who are fat (such as myself) who will ultimately fail if they feel they are "depriving" themselves.
True dat! Ice cream is the planet's most perfect food. I routinely eat a pint of it (Ben and Jerry's American Dream Cone) - like every three days or so. I also drink sugary drinks (sodas, iced coffees, sweet tea...), and will have pasta from time to time. I do NOT have washboard abs (I think Peyton Manning's commercial said it all...), but am in the best shape of my life. If I wanted the washboard abs, I would have to eliminate almost all of my goodies.
You are also dead-on about the carb thing. Unfortunately, everyone was doing nutrition according to what the beautiful people did back then. The carb thing is likely going to stick, as it is grounded by scientific research.
Individuals are not destined to be bound by genetics either. My mom and sister are fat (well over 200lbs each), and my dad has skinny legs and a huge gut. I just watch what I eat, WHEN I eat, and how much I eat.
If you lost seven pounds, you are obviously doing the right things (congrats). Just be prepared to shake things up a bit after your body adjusts to your current lifestyle. Many people like the high-intensity stuff, because it is the ultimate shaker-upper.
A lot of you people don't get it - and you're lucky to not have to deal with it - but it's a mistake to think you can judge someone else's situation.
When I read your posts and see words like "excuses" "pigging out" "lazy", it just tells me how ignorant you really are.
i dont have to deal with it because i control what i eat. you take my diet and compare it to a fat person's diet, its very different. i have the same desire as any fat person to eat more. they just choose not to control it while i choose to control it. thats the difference.
Interesting thread and I haven't read all the responses. I have successfully lost over 100 pounds in less than a year but it was HARD...I am still losing though. I did go through some self deprivation the first 6 to 7 months because I had a goal in mind and I was not going to let a damn slice of cake or a strawberry margarita beat me to my goals!
I had someone slap reality in my face and it has worked somehow. I had a doctor tell me I was killing myself with my behavior and I didn't want to believe I was doing that. So, I got off my fat ass and did something about it. I gave up alcohol and all the other foods that were KILLING me..i.e. cake, ice cream, sodas, desserts, fried foods, etc...
I started working out (kickboxing, salsa, bootcamp, walking, etc), counting calories, being more diligent about the type of foods I would eat....started going to mostly plant based meals although I am no vegetarian by any means.
If you want to see my before and after pic, let me know..I've lost 113 pounds from April 2010 to about March 2010. I did this naturally with no pills, surgery or injections...there are NO QUICK FIXES...there is however, the need and willpower to say NO to food...how much willpower do you have.....are you stronger than a slice of pizza...it really does come down to that type of stuff.
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congrats). Just be prepared to shake things up a bit after your body adjusts to your current lifestyle. Many people like the high-intensity stuff, because it is the ultimate shaker-upper.