Do you see the irony in what you just asked for?

[Bright_Star]

IF someone is SERIOUS about losing weight then all they have to do is eat SENSIBLY & start & maintain an excercise plan that works for them.
Wishing for something that you can either eat or drink & just sit back expecting you to lose weight is absurd.

[PaRaGaS]

First of all, I'd like to say hello to the forum - It's my first posting here, and I actually registered for this thread

I live in Poland, where the number of overweight people increased dramatically after 1989 (you can guess the reason). It went up from like 7-8% to over 30% now, I think.
Unfortunately, I was born in 1989 and it seems my mother (who is chubby herself) has quite successfully fattened me up in my first years. To a point where at age 13 (I think it was 13, might've been 14 tho) I weighted 112kg (247lbs). I'm 170cm (5'7") tall, mind you. I didn't really feel that bad about it, but it was then that I decided that it's the end of the line, and that I have to do something.
It was an instant decision, the next day I went on a self-imposed diet - not very extreme, I just stopped eating white bread, most flour-based products, potatoes, sweets. Not a big fan of fast-foods, so that was never an issue. Started exercising - I'd do acouple hundred push-ups, knee bends, sit-ups, etc. a day. My exercises were limited by what I could do at home, I was (still am) too cheap to buy a gym membership
I had consulted a doctor for the first time after I've already lost the first 20kg (44lbs), which took me about a month, maybe a month and a half. I've had my ups and downs during the course of the workout, sometimes I went months on without losing any weight, sometimes I actually gained a few kilograms back.
Now I'm almost 18 and at 65kg (143lbs), I think I did a very good job
To illustrate, this weight loss is equal to losing about 38cm (15") in girth. And it's only now that I really realized how FAT I was.
I actually found a pair of my old jeans a few months ago, it was hilarious putting them on.

No magic pill will substitute for a steady diet and some exercise. Ever.
It's also a matter of attitude. Perhaps attitude is the most important factor here.

PS. I'll be working at a local McD's in july and august, so I might have a few SC stories to share

[symposes]

I wouldn't go for diet pills. Hell, I'd have the same effect if I were to take 2 dried peas three times a day. Most diet stuff comes with an eating and exercise plan, and THAT'S what causes the weight loss.
Me, I'm still overweight. Why? I'm lazy. I admit it. But I'm making an effort - if I don't go to gym, I still walk my dog every day for at least half an hour. If I'm feeling energetic enough, I'll run a bit with him (which he LOVES). My eating is getting a little better, I'm trying to add more variety. The chances of me sticking to a proper eating plan are higher if I eat more than the basic chicken, broccoli and rice.

I would have thought running from the taxis would have been plenty of excersize...

[Ljt09863]

can i chime in something here. nothing is wrong with being big, so long as you take care of yourself.

while im not going to use Alli, my reasoning for losing weight is my health. later on, i can have health problems that i can avoid by losing weight. its not the fact that i want to be skeletal, i want to be healthy. while there are those who want to lose weight to be "hot", there are those who want to lose weight to be more healthy.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


At my store, the diet pills (including Alli, I think) are located next to the Depends! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

thats how it is at my store too.

i never thought of that....next to the depends, and across from the diapers....

[mischugenah]

minor rant

Flattery aside, I can't seeing the outlines of rib-cages on women. It's NOT sexy, and it makes me want to sit them down and make them eat some steak and potatoes. I definitely agree with whoever said that a woman should have a bit of meat on them. Fortunately for us guys, the 'ideal' image for men in the US is rather healthier. Not always obtainable, since it pretty much relies on having a frame with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, but lean and muscular is much better for you than anorexic.

You know, not all of us skinny girls are anorexic. Some of us were just born that way. And believe it or not, we get really sick of people's comments, too. "Would you look how skinny you are!" "You really should eat more." "You need some meat on your bones!" "Are those your RIBS?" Yes, I know I'm skinny, I do own a mirror, you know. I don't eat more because overeating gives me a stomach ache; I eat until I'm full and then I stop. I've tried putting meat on my bones. I've tried putting FAT on my bones. It doesn't work. And if my ribs offend you, maybe you should find a 'no ribs' swimming pool to go to. I've been this way since the day I was born, despite being a complete chow hound in my younger years. My doctor says I'm perfectly healthy, my body simply doesn't store much fat, and I have lean muscles. So thank you for your concern about my diet and welfare, but I'm fine, I don't need your health advice. [/end rant]
Altho if you want to feed me steak and potatoes (on your tab), I won't for a second object!

[cinnamaniac]

Thanks, JustADude. I'm hoping thats what the problem is. Being single is starting to suck, especially when you want to look for the right person and not just go around dating people because they are there. I find it hard to date because I don't like most people. I get hit on by lots of "macho men" and I would just prefer someone who is intellectual, has goals in life and is a computer/game geek. lol.

its not the fact that i want to be skeletal, i want to be healthy. while there are those who want to lose weight to be "hot", there are those who want to lose weight to be more healthy.

That's true too. When I lost weight it was because I was having lots of pain in my legs to the point where I had to have an elevator pass for school because I couldn't make it to the 7th floor without losing my breath and having massive pain in my legs. I was tired of it. As I said earlier, I have a small frame, so the weight I was putting on my legs and ankles was too much for me to handle. Once I started losing weight, it did help me feel more confident and such.

Like my previous post said, some people who lose weight think it's going to solve all your problems, get all the guys to adore you, make everything go your way, etc. like it's some magical power and it's not. Not at all, and I hate that the media portrays it that way. In fact, most of the time I get comments from people at work about the way I eat and how I'm bulimic or anorexic. Then when I decide to eat a piece of cake or something during my break, I get called fatty. It sucks. This is a weight I am comfortable at and my metabolism is so fast now that I couldn't gain weight if I tried. Either way though, people can't win. Too fat? You get made fun of. Too thin? People make cheap shots at you.

I get so tired of walking in the street, minding my business, when some girl with her boyfriend gives me a dirty look because she thinks that I'm trying to "steal" her man because she thinks he's going to look my way. One couple on the train actually ARGUED because he looked at me when I came in. I got off the train and went into the next car because it annoyed me to no end. I don't even like attention from men, maybe I'm just a tad psycho, but when men in the street look at me and say things, 99.9% of the time it ticks me off. The other day, I was walking to my friend's house after getting off the train and some guy stops with his friend and goes "What's the matter? Gotta look for a new club to hit? Avalon(popular club in NYC) got too boring for you?" I just shot him a dirty look and kept walking. I don't know what crawled up his behind, but 1) I'm honestly just a nerdy girl who does nothing but play video games, work and go to school, I don't even like clubs. 2) I wasn't even dressed for a club. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. It's like because someone is skinny, they don't deserve to be treated like a real person sometimes.

Sorry for the long rant, this is just such a sensitive subject for me. I've been on the heavy side, where people can be cruel and treat you like you don't matter and then now on the thin side, where people think you're anorexic and guys around here think it's grounds to speak to you however they please.

[Kiwi]

My mum has been morbidly obese for my entire life, shes shorter than me and close to 300 lbs (I dont know her exact weight). This only caught up with her last year when she tumbled down the stairs in our house and broke/tore/sprained various things.
She now needs a knee and hip replacement, she has to wear special shoes etc, the knee specialist said however that he would only do the operation once she was under 200 lbs. So now our family doctor has been pushing diet pills and lap band surgery down here throat left right and centre.
My mum finally had to take ownership and now goes to overeaters anon, has a personal trainer 5 times a week who helps her water walk and has a dietition create her diet, but shes losing it so slowly because shes almost 50 and she has been so unfit for many years. Shes used to crash dieting and losing 5 lbs a week, shes only been losing 2.

She uses drive throughs alot because she walks with two canes and has balance problems, its not because shes lazy (anymore). She even has to have her foodmarket deliver her food and a cleaning lady come in 4 hours a week. She even has to cook sitting down.
I guess Im saying, know someone before you judge them.... perhaps that woman in the car was like my mum, desperate to do anything to get her excess fat off. My mum knows better now but thats only after a year of doctors cramming it in her head.... some people are too ashamed to ask for help.

[GingerBiscuit]

My ribs show. I am healthy- I eat healthily, with a balanced diet and exercise. I've always been on the skinny side- even when I had puppy fat. I havea ridiculously fast metabolism and am very active- it takes me six months of eating more than 1000 calories over my daily reccomended amount to gain half a stone.
Lets just say that no-one deserves to have rude comments and judgements made about them based on how much fat they carry around with them. t's hurtful and makes the person making them look ignorant.
However, there are health problems with being both overweight and underweight- not for everyone certainly, but for the vast majority, and for that reason the wests unhealthy emotional relationship with food is a killer.

Edit- and not every man likes a certain body type, no matter what it is. My partner likes girls who are athletic slender, or he wouldn't fancy me. And for that matter, why should your body fat percentage matter.

It doesn't matter what you look like, what you weigh- as long as you are healthy and happy.

Oh, and diet pills are a load of tosh. Healthy eating and exercise and your body will stabilise where it wants to be.

[Seshat]

cinnamaniac:
Your sister has my sympathy and understanding; and my admiration for successfully losing weight while suffering something that awful.

Bright Star:
You're right: unless they have an actual medical condition preventing that from working. In which case, they need to seek treatment. I know a lot of people use 'I have a medical condition' as an excuse, but I also know a person who really does take all the advice and treatment that's available and can't lose weight.
For anyone who's feeling discouraged by that: this is the person I mentioned before who's bedridden by an extremely rare mix of several nasty illnesses. It's a highly unlikely situation.

Many commenters:
My opinion is that human bodies come in a wide range of natural shapes and sizes. If you're close-enough to what Nature intended for your body, great. If not, think about doing something about it. In almost all cases, that's 'eat healthy, exercise, and get any medical issues that affect your metabolism treated'.

The remainder - like me - need to get other medical issues treated. Or deserve sympathy, because of untreatable conditions.

BookstoreEscapee:
As noone has yet responded, I'll give you my accumulated wisdom.

1. Get a checkup. Verify that you don't have anything making exercise unduly difficult for you.
If you do, get that treated and seek a physiotherapist's, occupational therapist's, or other appropriate expert's opinion on how you can exercise without affecting your condition. Listen to their advice, it'll be better than anything a non-expert can tell you.

2. Assuming you're healthy other than whatever weight loss/gain you wish, learn how to eat sensibly. My rough-guide is:
Every day, eat at least five handfuls of a variety of fruit and veg (seven is better), a couple of handfuls of grain products that AREN'T sweet and overprocessed, and either a) enough lean meat to cover the palm of your hand, or b) a mix of legumes and grains that's at least a handful when dry.
Drink two litres of water.
Make sure to include essential fatty acids in your diet: ie, olive oil, avocado oil, oily fish, or ask a nutrition expert. A teaspoon of olive oil sprinkled over a salad will do nicely.
If you're still hungry after that, you're probably either gaining muscle, or should check with a doctor in case something's wrong. If you can't eat that much without feeling overfed, try to ensure you at least eat some of everything on the list.

Treats are fine, as long as you acknowledge that they are treats, and eat accordingly. As soon as you realise you're no longer actually enjoying a treat food, stop eating it. Your body doesn't need it, and you've gained the entertainment value you paid for. The remainder can go into the bin.

(I use 'handful' as a measure because it changes with the individual's skeletal structure.)

3. Start exercise slowly.

I mean it. Start SLOW. Figure out the smallest amount of exercise you want to do, and do half of it. Assume that your heart is not accustomed to it, and your lungs aren't used to it, and you will need to build muscle for them as well as everything else.

A) Try a new exercise 'set' four or five times, on both good and bad days for you. Figure out how many you can do in the set without feeling awful. (or how much time you can do it for) The average is your baseline: do one less than the average. (or about 20% less time)

B) Do your exercise every second day. Keep track of how you feel. If you feel consistently bad (not just 'an off day'), reduce your number of repetitions or amount of time. Once you've felt just fine doing your one-less-than-baseline for a full week, add one or two repetitions to your 'set'.

C) Repeat (B) until you're happy with how many you can do.


Note that this technique is based on the recommendations for increasing activity for people with chronic pain illnesses - it might be too slow for people who are actually fully healthy. Start with this technique anyway, you can modify it by adding more repetitions, or reducing the amount of time before you increase your number of reps.

Note also: an exercise only gets easier AFTER the body has built the extra muscle. Give yourself time. Muscle isn't built in a day. (Actually, I believe it's built over two or three days, in a healthy person. But only in small increments.)

[Maximillion]

It's nice that someone finally made a post about the whole weight-loss thing. I applaud everyone.

I'm 5'7" 175lbs and I wear between a size 13-15 depending on the pants. To the common observer, I look like I weigh less because I too wear stuff that brings out my better features and hides unwanted fat.

I've had a self-esteem problem since I can remember so sometimes I'm okay with the way I look and sometimes I'm not. When I see those beauty and diet commercials, I feel like I should look like that so I berate myself for allowing myself to end up the way I am.

I have a bundle of energy that comes out better when I drink an energy drink or coffee. It's hard for it to come out on its own.

I work at a fast food joint but I do a lot of running around because unfortunately I'm one of the few hard-working people working there. Drive-thru is no joke but I do tend to eat the food there. And I walk there almost everyday and that takes ablout 15 minutes depending on traffic. I know about the calories but when my money supply runs low, I eat it. I do have a coworker who brings me a fat-free yogurt or pudding everytime she works because she's on a diet and she knows I want to lose some fat.

Honestly, I don't really care how much I weigh, it's more about how I feel physically and emotionally, and I could use more internal energy so I don't have to spend a bunch of money on Red Bull all the time. I'd be happier if I lost some of the fat in my tummy.

I also have a Gazelle but I never use it because it makes a loud squeeky noise and my time management skills are horrible. My salary is usually $330-ish a check but I never know what to buy as far as food is concerned and I also have toiletries I need.

My neighbor's sister has some Tae-bo dvd's he said I could borrow so I could excercise that way, but I still need to eat better. I guess I could ask my cowo for advice. One of my managers is also on a diet and I could ask her too.

But is it wrong that I weigh as much as I do? my mom says some of the weight is in my bust. (it's bigger than I'd like it to be but at least it's real) I'm mixed so both sides of family have had stuff to say about my body. my mom who is Black feels that I have a nice body and that i should leave it alone. My coworkers, many of whom are Black, also tell me that my body is small compared to how it could look and that I'm well-proportioned.

I'll be honest, when I get home from work, I have enough time to exercise and I generally have enough energy by then, but I'm LAZY and FORGETFUL. I have a noticable stomach and it's getting bigger it seems.

What should I do? I could use some advice...PLEASE!

[GingerBiscuit]

Ok, for Maximillion, some basic advice.
Diet: Try and make lunch the evening before. I make a salad for lunch to take into work with tons of veg, and I mix some lean protein and some complex carbs in first.
Eat as many fruit and vegetables as you can. Bulk up all meals with them. They are low in calories and filling and very good for you. So buy lots of them.
Carbs: Complex carbs ratehr than simple. Simple carps are white pastas, breads, ices and refined sugars. Complex carbs are the brown versions and honeys rather than sugar.
Protein- lean- chicken, tofu, fish.
Fats- unsaturated. Vegatable oils etc, not animal fats. Each meal should aim to have a good balance of all these- mainly veg, with about a fist sized portion of protein and about a teaspoon of fat.

Excercise- doesn't need to be classes or videos- if you drive to walk, try and park a little further away so you've got to walk more. Aim to do 15-30 mins brisk walkign every day. You can start including more when your energy is higher.

And give up the energy drinks. You'll feel awful to start with but at the moment your body is relying on them, and you'll have more energy once you've broken the habit.

Ginger biscuit, nutritionist-in-training, signing out!

[BookstoreEscapee]

Seshat, I did get a few responses by PM too but thanks for the advice. I did get a checkup a few years ago becuase I was struggling with depression/anxiety (which started long before) but I got a general checkup and thyroid and some other things checked out and everything was fine. I have since been taking Effexor (antidepressant) which has helped my state of mind considerably, so I am under a doctor's care to some extent (not a drug that needs constant monitoring but I do check in more often than I otherwise might). So I don't think any particular condition is a problem. I read a lot of health/fitness magazines so I know all the things I should be doing; I guess my biggest problem is a lack of motivation and energy. I don't eat as well as I should but I try.

Some advice for others who are having trouble - take a look at your sleep habits. Lack of sleep can mess with certain hormones (cortisol being one) that can affect your weight (especially belly fat, so they say). I know a lot of people have odd retail schedules and it can be hard to get those 7 hours (or whatever you need) but it could be a contributing factor. (*This coming from the girl who watches The Daily Show far too often and often sleeps till 2 on Saturdays.) Cortisol levels are also affected by stress so try to fit in some relaxation time every day, even a few deep breaths between customers is better than nothing .

Complex carbs are the brown versions

Just a note - check labels for "whole" grains (whole wheat, whole oats, etc.) as the first ingredient (or at least high up on the list); some "wheat" breads are basically white bread with a bit of caramel coloring and have little if any fiber or whole grain.

[Seshat]

But is it wrong that I weigh as much as I do?

<snip>

What should I do? I could use some advice...PLEASE!

If it's not affecting your health and you like your body, it's not wrong to weigh whatever you weigh.

If the optional-extra tissue is primarily muscle, it's not unhealthy. So if you like your body, it's not wrong to weigh whatever you weigh.
(Okay, taken to extremes it might be unhealthy - if you have so much muscle you look like a female Arnold Schwarzenagger, get a doctor to check your health.)

If your optional-extra tissue is primarily fat, it may be affecting your health.

So what is optional-extra fat?
You need enough fat to be an insulator and a cushion (and do some other stuff inside you, but that's harder to tell).
You have cushion-fat on the soles of your feet, on the palms of your hands, and near the 'sitting bones' of your butt.
You have insulation fat immediately under your skin.
(My best friend is a skinny type, and last winter she told me 'hey, I'm not feeling cold all the time'. She was just a little bit more fat-padded last year than ever before, and had always felt cold all winter in the past. So we decided that she probably needs that level of fat-padding for proper insulation.)

Anything beyond the cushion, insulator, and interior fat is optional-extra. You don't need it for health, and it can cause some health problems.
Anything beyond the muscle level that lets you go through your normal routine is also optional extra. You don't need it, but if you have some metabolic conditions, it can help reduce them.

As for the aesthetics issue? In the eye of the beholder. There are people who prefer all body shapes and types.

Is it wrong to weigh what you do? I don't know. It's your body. YOU decide what's important to you.

If you want to maximise health, you'll probably want to carry approximately the necessary body fat and little or no more, and have muscle just a bit in excess of your regular needs. As for how to achieve that - Ginger Biscuit and I both gave some advice.

If other things matter more to you, that's your decision to make. There's nothing wrong with deciding to have 'good enough' health rather than maximising it. Life is for living, not for fretting over.

[Killer Bees]

Just what we need, another "Miracle Weight Loss Drug". Seriously. Personally, I stepped on the scale back in mid-april and got a shock, I weighed 250, and I am only 5'10". Pretty bad for someone who ran cross country in college not too long ago. So, I cut out Soda, Fast Food (really restaurant food period) and have made it a point to exercise every day. So far I have lost 35LBS in just under 2 months. I really want to get down to 190-200, but I have reached a plateau of sorts it seems at 215. Everyone I know seems to be so amazed by this, I know people who want to have that gastric bypass surgery because all they do is take the "miracle products", but don't try to limit their calories or do any exercise, and then wonder why they don't lose any weight. I even know someone who got that lapro-belt thing I think it is called. Geesh.

Diet and Exercise people, Diet and Exercise.

Gastric bypass surgery is ridiculous. It should be banned unless you have tried at least twenty other medically approved ways to lose weight and you've kept a food/exercise diary monitored by your physican.

I found out that gastric bypass limits you to less than a handful of food a day and you have to take vitamin supplements for the rest of your life otherwise you can become malnourished and die

Plus, the reasons why you overeat in the first place (usually emotional) won't go away unless you actually deal with them. So popping your gut because you've had a bad day at work isn't worth it.

Why do you think so many people blub all the time on those weight loss reality shows? It's because their fatness is mainly emotional.

[JustADude]

You know, not all of us skinny girls are anorexic.

I do apologize for that. I guess I got as bad there as the people that say skinny is the only way to be beautiful. Let me try to wedge my size 15 out of my mouth and give it another go:


I've known several absolutely gorgeous women (platonically, as I was engaged at the time) who developed severe eating disorders because they had curvier figures by nature and kept trying to starve themselves into being that skinny, and it's left me with a big chip on my shoulder about dismorphia (broad name for having an unhealthy obsession with getting a 'perfect' body).

There is, to me, an immediately noticeable difference in the appearance of a woman who is naturally slender, such as yourself, and one who has starved themselves because they don't want to admit they have a naturally larger frame than the current fashion-rag ideal. It's hard to describe, very much just a subtle wrongness about them, but the 'I can see her whole ribcage' thing is a lot easier to comprehend for most people.

Again, I apologize for the gross generalization. How do you want your NY Strip?