How can some people not get why they are overweight?

[Tigger&Belle]

minmate,

I don't know what you're eating, of course, but sometimes people who don't eat enough can't lose weight because their body feels like it's starving.

I've heard the same thing, that the body basically goes into starvation mode, thinking it has to conserve calories. Something for a person to keep in mind when severly limiting their consumption of calories.

T&B

 

[skiwee1]

LOL - DW will demand I change my sig picture if I tell her people think she looks fat in it. For the record, she is 5'2" and weighs 125. That gives her a BMI of 23 which is just fine.

Well honestly that picture makes her look pretty big. I am 150 and she looks easily as large as that or more. I to am 5'2". Perhaps she is afraid to really tell her weight to you for fear of posting it on the DIS! LOL!

 

[PryncessChrysty]

Well honestly that picture makes her look pretty big. I am 150 and she looks easily as large as that or more. I to am 5'2". Perhaps she is afraid to really tell her weight to you for fear of posting it on the DIS! LOL!

I'm sorry, but that just seemed like a personal jab. Why bring his wife into this? I don't remember him insulting anyone directly.

 

[JennyMominRI]

http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm
I'm, shocked that this thing has me in the 28th percentile for my height and age.. 72 % of the people my age and size weigh more than me..I'm not thinby any means.. By butt is big..My waist is big..My arms are flabby. That's really shocking

 

[Viking]

I have to admit that it's always kind of a shock for my wife and me when we arrive in the USA and are suddenly surrounded by so many obese people.
Especially at WDW with all those obese people scooting around on those ECVs. We always ask ourselves: Do they use those contraptions because they are fat, or are they fat because they use those scooters
We've seen people leaving a shopping mall, boarding their car, driving it over to the next entrance, parking again, and entering the mall again.
We usually arrive at the parks very early and park our car i.e. in EPCOT very close to the entrance so it's just 400 or 500 yards, which we walk of course - Those obese people wait for the tram

We are also shocked by the package sizes of food in America: Potato-chips in bags that wouldn't fit into an average European compact car Buckets of ice-cream instead of cups, etc.
We always see people in the parks munching those disgusting monstrous turkey legs while walking - in the morning : Eating should be a conscious thing not to be done on the go. I've seen people during many cruises on Disney-ships carrying plates of desserts to their cabins - well after midnight!!

I also have to watch my weight: When I quit smoking more than seven years ago I gained about 40 pounds in two years, but with a strict workout I managed to shed half of it and turn the other half into muscle. The price I have to pay for it: I work out 5 to 6 times a week for about two hours each. I run about 30 miles a week, pump a lot of iron, play Badminton, do aerobics, in-line skating, etc. I eat lots of fruit, veggies, mainly poultry and fish. I avoid fast food. But nevertheless I eat chocolate or gummybears nearly every night. I don't drink alcohol - except when I'm on vacation.
And I walk as much as possible: In the office I try to walk over to people instead of using the phone, I use stairs instead of elevators, I always park my car far away from the grocery store's entrance - Mainly to prevent door-dings from kiddie-carriers , but also to burn some extra calories.

When I do squats with a 200lbs+ barbell on my back I always ask myself 'What a strain it must be to carry that weight all day?' What kind of feeling must it be not to be able to run a mile? Not to see your feet? Having to pay all the extra expenses for XXXXXXL-clothes? Not to able to fit into an aircraft seat, etc?
But rest assured: It's not an exclusive American problem: Over here we are headed in the same direction:More and more obese kids, diabetes caused by malnutrition even in young people, etc.
A few people are fat due to a disease (i.e. glands, bad genes), but most fat and sick people are sick because of their weight: Diabetes, coronary problems, worn joints, etc. are very often caused by excessive weight.
My wife is a nurse on an orthopedic ward: 9 out of 10 hip replacements they have to do are on obese people. What for? If those people don't lose weight their new hip will have to be replaced very soon again. And who has to pay for it? Society!!
I guess meanwhile there is more damage done to the society by obesity than by smoking - But I've never seen a warning by the Surgeon General on a cup of Ben & Jerry's Don't get me wrong: IMHO the battle against smoking is a just cause, but the same is necessary to fight obesity!!

 

[tmq2766]

Bump...

 

[ashjohnson80]

How many calories per day should someone eat if they are trying to lose weight? I thought 1000 and that is what I've been trying to base my diet off of but my mom thought that was too low. I don't know.

 

[dumboiu]

Off to make another cup of green tea..........the m&m's are calling to me and I am trying my best to ignore them!!!

 

[chadfromdallas]

How many calories per day should someone eat if they are trying to lose weight? I thought 1000 and that is what I've been trying to base my diet off of but my mom thought that was too low. I don't know.

Make a chart. Track what you eat for about a week or so, recording the calories and such. Then, start from there.

 

[JennyMominRI]

How many calories per day should someone eat if they are trying to lose weight? I thought 1000 and that is what I've been trying to base my diet off of but my mom thought that was too low. I don't know.

I believe that small an amount will put your body into starvation mode. That means it will take some the food you consume and store it as fat

 

[Miss Jasmine]

How many calories per day should someone eat if they are trying to lose weight? I thought 1000 and that is what I've been trying to base my diet off of but my mom thought that was too low. I don't know.

Well it depends on a lot of things, your body type, your height, what you weigh now, how much you exercise, etc. That said, I think 1000 calories is a bit low. You need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound. An easy way to lose one pound a week is to cut 300 calories from your diet and exercise off 200 calories per day.

 

[Viking]

http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm
I'm, shocked that this thing has me in the 28th percentile for my height and age.. 72 % of the people my age and size weigh more than me..I'm not thinby any means.. By butt is big..My waist is big..My arms are flabby. That's really shocking

Don't give to much on the BMI: Although it is better than older formulas, it has its limitations. I.e. if you are very muscular it won't work. Simply punch in Arnold Schwarzeneggers data when he was mr Olympia: 6' 2'' and 128 kilogramms -->BMI 36.2/Obese
I'm not a bodybuilder, more the fitness-type, but my BMI is 26.9/overweight. Nevertheless my bodyfat is around 19%, my blood-pressure is 110/60, my resting pulse is below 60, and my maximum heartrate is 207 - at age 41. I run a mile in 8 minutes and can keep that speed for 2 two hours. When I just do a mile I do it in under 6 minutes.

 

[dlbwright]

Ok I have some issues with BMI calculators. I go to the gym everday and run about 4 miles and lift weights. So clearly I wiegh more b/c muscle weighs more than fat, and then I get a higher BMI, which people interpret to mean I'm fat. How on earth does this make sense?

I know what you mean. I do the same thing. I do a fitness program called the Firm. They have a studio in SCarolina and have had infomercials on for the past few years. They have taught that you should go by your pant size instead of weight. One of the instructions, who is amazingly fit, is actually considered obese for her weight and height. There is no fat on this woman, but according to the BMI chart, obese is her calculation. I just go by how my pants fit, along with eating healthy and trying to work out 3-5 days a week. I have a drs apt next week and I have really cut out the little bit of junk I have been eating. I have already lost a few inches.

 

[Chicago526]

To the person that asked how many calories they should eat to lose weight, I believe it should be around 1400 to 1500, a bit more for men or if you are very tall. But don't quote me on that...

 

[disneysteve]

Ok I have some issues with BMI calculators. I go to the gym everday and run about 4 miles and lift weights. So clearly I weigh more b/c muscle weighs more than fat, and then I get a higher BMI, which people interpret to mean I'm fat. How on earth does this make sense?

This is an extremely common myth. Muscle DOES NOT weigh more than fat. A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat. So where did this myth come from? You have to think in terms of density. A pound of fat is very soft and gel-like. A pound of muscle is firm and compact. So a pound of fat is a lot bigger than a pound of muscle even though they weigh the same amount.

What does this mean from a fitness standpoint? If you participate in a good fitness program including weight lifting and strength training, you will build more muscle and decrease body fat. You will tone up and lose inches. Your pants will be looser and you may go down a dress size or two. But its very possible that you won't lose any weight in the process even though you look and feel better. Your BMI won't change a bit so yes, BMI can be deceiving. It is only a guideline and doesn't assess your fitness level.

Now look at it from another angle. If you are overweight and decide to lose some extra pounds purely by decreasing your calorie intake but not exercising, you will lose muscle mass along with some body fat. So even though your weight and BMI decrease, your % body fat will increase which is not a good thing. If, instead, you include exercise as part of your weight loss plan, you'll maintain or even build muscle mass and decrease your body fat.

So why is that important? All tissues in your body have a natural metabolism to them. They need calories to stay alive. Fat is very energy efficient. It needs very few calories to survive. The more body fat you have, the fewer calories you burn to stay alive. That just makes it easier and easier to gain more weight. Muscle, however, has a much higher metabolism. It demands more energy to function and stay alive. So the more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns even when you are doing absolutely nothing. Would you rather have your body in a condition where very few calories are being burned or a condition where calories are being consumed at a pretty good rate even when you are asleep?

That's why the only effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to reduce your calorie intake AND participate in a regular exercise program. Diet alone causes you to lose weight AND muscle which is bad. Exercise alone causes you to lose body fat but no weight. You need to do both to succeed.

Does that make sense?

Looking at professional athletes is also deceiving. Right now, they may be in top condition even though their BMI has them solidly in the obese range. But think about what happens in 10 years when they have retired from the game, stopped working out 3 hours a day and still are the same height and weight. Their muscle mass will have diminished and their body fat will have increased and they will be in the same position as every other person with a high BMI. Those NFL players who are 350 pounds will have a higher incidence of diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, etc. Even though they are in great shape today, long term that weight still poses a risk.

 

[disneysteve]

How many calories per day should someone eat if they are trying to lose weight?

There is no simple answer to this question, but I'll give you one anyway for what its worth.

You need to reduce your caloric intake by 3500 calories per week below your maintenance need in order to lose 1 pound.

So what does that mean? Keep a detailed food diary for 7 days. At the end of the week, figure out how many calories you have eaten during the week. If your weight during that time has been stable, you need to cut about 500 calories per day going forward to lose one pound. If, however, your weight increased during those 7 days, then you need to cut more than 500/day. This all assumes that your activity level remains constant. If you boost your exercise, then you could accomplish the weight loss with less than a 3500 calorie reduction.

There are several fairly complex equations to calculate your body's basal metabolic rate which then gets adjusted for your activity level and other factors to come up with an accurate calorie need. Any nutritionist could run those numbers for you.

 

[chadfromdallas]

So what does that mean? Keep a detailed food diary for 7 days. At the end of the week, figure out how many calories you have eaten during the week. If your weight during that time has been stable, you need to cut about 500 calories per day going forward to lose one pound. If, however, your weight increased during those 7 days, then you need to cut more than 500/day. This all assumes that your activity level remains constant. If you boost your exercise, then you could accomplish the weight loss with less than a 3500 calorie reduction.

Wow, Chad was right Alright, I said something a bit more simple and less information, but I was right!

 

[skiwee1]

I'm sorry, but that just seemed like a personal jab. Why bring his wife into this? I don't remember him insulting anyone directly.

It isn't a personal jab. It is an honest question. If someone is going come on here and talk about confidential info between himself, a doctor, and a patient then I think I have every right to ask about a pic he has in his post. It is there for the public to see. I really just thought she looked heavier then he lets on. Perhaps he should not be critizing others when his wife has a weight problem.

 

[Christine]

It isn't a personal jab. It is an honest question. If someone is going come on here and talk about confidential info between himself, a doctor, and a patient then I think I have every right to ask about a pic he has in his post. It is there for the public to see. I really just thought she looked heavier then he lets on. Perhaps he should not be critizing others when his wife has a weight problem.

Why are you being so "hyper" critical? Steve's patient had a BMI of 34 and he labeled her "obese." I think we can all visualize what that looks like. Steve's wife, if she even is overweight, is nowhere near being obese or even bad looking. Plus you can't tell a darn thing from pictures. I am 5'7" and I weigh 140 lbs. I wear a size 8. Yet, if you were too look at a picture of me, my face, chin, etc look a little pudgy because I've always had a "fatty" kind of face and if I pick up ANY extra weight it goes around my cheeks and chin (even though my legs might be long and lean ). His wife looks to have a full-face. That's it. Her arms don't even look big to me at all.

Having said all that, his wife does not appear to even be in the same league as his patient. There's a big difference in being 10-20 lbs overweight as to being 50-100 lbs overweight.

 

[Talking Hands]

Ok I am diabetic and I know I am overweight. I have arthritis, sciatica, and fibromyalgia as well so I can't exercise well although I do ride an exercise bike 1/2 hour a day. I maintain an HB1Ac of less than 6.5 usually less than 6. My cholesterol is in the normal range as well.
I'm fairly careful about what I eat but stilll cannot lose all the weight I need to although I have lost 75 pounds.
My lowest weight as an adult was 115 pound. It is really hard to lose weight when you are only 4'8" because on all the diets the nutritionist want to give you you virtually are hungry 24/7. I have been put on diets as low as 500 cal a day. It is a miserable existance. I won't do it anymore. As long as I can keep my Hb1Ac under 6.5 with diet and insulin I will accept that I will always be a fat person.