# I can be silent no more.



## Vraille Darkfang (Nov 4, 2006)

After having gone to the Buffet & Wal-Mart, I can keep quiet no longer.

LANDWHALE HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

We be hunting the Great, White Land Whale; and Thar she blows!

And thar He Blows!

And Thar!

And Thar!

Thar be a whole Pod of them!

Quick!  Line the Harpoon up towards the Dessert Isle!

When some Anthropomorphized Walrus sits across from us at Golden Corral (overlapping the chair on 3 of 4 sides, stomach half-hiding knee caps) & bitches (Very, very) loudly about how it isn't their fault they are fat (in this case the whole low metabolism line).....

Maybe, just maybe, they are right.  Their low metabolism is the reason for their obesity.  In our town, a local girl has a condition where her body can only metabolize 3-4 Tablespoons of Glucose a day; the rest gets converted to fat.  She has to starve herself & force her body to convert the fat back into energy.  Of course, when she begins to eat, her body just tries that much harder to convert as much sugar as possible to fat.  Thus a vicious cycle is born.

However.  might I suggest that, while, you may indeed possess a slow metabolism;  the Second Cheesecake (not slice, entire pie) may be a much larger key than you give it credit.  The 3 bowls of Ice Cream (with Sprinkles) ain't helping.  Nor were the 5 trips for Fried Chicken.

When the Doctor use the term Morbidly Obese he doesn't mean the fat is in danger of dying & just dropping right off.  He means, that statistically, your girth will MURDER you.

If Daily Caloric Expenditure x 8 is another way of saying "Lunch" Metabolism is waaaay down on the list.

I live in the Rural Mid-west.  Every year I see more and more of these Land-Whales.  I see them at the Restaurants, I see them at the Grocery Store, I see them at the gym.....  Wait, strike that last one.

Simple facts is.  I see what you eat.  I see what you buy to eat.  I see what you buy your kids to eat.  As well as Drink (Mountain Dew, while the Drug of Choice for Many Gamers; ain't low-calorie).  What I don't see, is you getting off your couch and walking around outside.  Having seen the evidence, I feel safe in my contention that, for the vast majority, you are fat, becasue you eat too much, what you do eat is poorly chosen, and an utter lack of physical activity merely compounds 1 and 2.

Every Day, I see obese (not fat; I mean walking Walrusi; 300-500+ lbs overweight).  I see kids 2' tall by 2' wide.  I see the choices you make.  They are very poor choices.  

CHOICES.  As in CHOOSE.  You can choose.  I am not claiming it is easy.  I know. The last time I went to the Doctor, I was border-line overweight.  It is not easy to change your lifestyle.  Unless you drop dead of a heart attack.  Stops things like Breathing.

Too many people don't want to take responsibility.  There is no Magic Pill (despite what the Ads say).

Calories Out > Calories In.  That is how you lose weight. It is a pretty simple Formula.

Exercise, Age, & Genetics (OK, even Medicine) can help with the first.  Good Common Sense & a little Research, can help with the second.

I know that some of the people I see have real medical conditions.  Most don't.

My wife's Favorite Aunt is starting to Push 400 lbs.  She gets winded walking more than 100' or so.  She.  She just doesn't want to change.  And one day (probably sooner than later) I'll be heading to a funeral where the Pall-bearers need assistance from a Hydraulic Cart.

In the end.  Even if they don't care about themselves; there are others who do.  And they are hurt just as much as the Morbidly Obese 800 lb guy broke a reinforced table.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 4, 2006)

I'm going to hunt you down and sit on you until you understand the pain of what it means to be big boned. 

At 5' 7" 250lbs, I'm fat & I know it.  I am also actually big boned- an MD determined that (at my fittest) my 0% body fat weight was still 15lbs over the "obese" rating on the Height & Weight charts.

But there are a lot of factors that go into causing obesity.  Slow metabolism is one- a hypothyroid condition like my mom's can be hellish- it took them decades to determine the proper meds for her to take.

A build like mine doesn't contribute to obesity, but makes it harder for you to determine your healthy weight.  And even so, the extra mass is still a factor in heart disease, even if that extra mass is bone and muscle.

Other factors include eating disorders (its not just anorexia and bulemia).  Studies have shown that people with a weight problem are more likely to clean their plates than those who are fit or underweight...even when the amount of food is well beyond what would be comfortable to consume.  That is why the American trend towards larger portions and even all-you-can-eat buffets is so devastating.  When I go to a holiday buffet, it is actually an effort for me to just eat normal amounts of food.

Severe depression also contributes to the party.  You'd be surprised how many people who are depressed wind up spending time raiding the 'fridge in their house, downing prodigous amounts of high-calorie foods.

Americans are more sedentary than ever before.  More and more, your job involves you sitting in one place all day...and more and more, so does your free time if you like video games or message boards.

The American love affair with soft-drinks is also a killer.  When I was a freshman in college, I was 5'4" and 250lbs- much rounder than I am today because I wasn't just shorter, but also less muscular.  My beverege of choice was soft-drinks.  When I did a little math, I realized I was taking in about an extra 3000 calories a day in sodas alone.  I gave them up cold turkey.

Another hidden factor for me, at least, was a hidden case of sodium-dependent hypertension.  I take in salty food, I drink- just like everyone else.  In my case, though, I retain much more water than others because my body holds onto more salt.  When I was finally diagnosed, I was almost 285lbs, and my BP was 215/201.  That is NOT a typo.  Proper diuretic meds made me into a human firehose, and I lost 20lbs of water weight in 2 weeks.

All of these factors, and others besides, can add up to a kind of snowball effect.  Once rolling downhill, they can be damn difficult to stop.


----------



## Crothian (Nov 4, 2006)

It's almost as bad as people ranting about pointless things on message boards


----------



## Joker (Nov 4, 2006)

I actually thought it was pretty funny.  And it's hardly pointless.  Venting is good for the soul.  Well, your soul, not the ones you are venting about.

In fact, if I may take this opportunity to vent myself:

I just got fired from work, which in and of itself isn't terrible as I have another job aswel.  It's just the fact that my boss neglected to tell me that I wasn't gonna be rostered in anymore that ticked me off.

It took 3 weeks, 3 phonecalls and 4 visits to the workplace to finally find out that I had been fired.

Rant over.  Please continue.


----------



## Vraille Darkfang (Nov 5, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> But there are a lot of factors that go into causing obesity.  Slow metabolism is one- a hypothyroid condition like my mom's can be hellish- it took them decades to determine the proper meds for her to take.
> 
> Severe depression also contributes to the party.  You'd be surprised how many people who are depressed wind up spending time raiding the 'fridge in their house, downing prodigous amounts of high-calorie foods.
> 
> Americans are more sedentary than ever before.  More and more, your job involves you sitting in one place all day...and more and more, so does your free time if you like video games or message boards.




I've got all those same factors as well.

Obesity is a medical Condtion.  The factors that go into to in are myriad.  I know several people whose obeisty is casued by various medical factors.

I know a lot more people whose obesity is caused by their own sloth.  

I'm just tired of hearing people complain about how THEIR obesity is caused ENTIRELY by outside factors beyond thier control.  When, in fact, they are making no effort to control what is within their power.

If you take command of your diet & exercise.  AND then you still going no where.  Fine.

I realize that any obese person I see on the street may be due to a medical conditon.  Their own laziness, or a combination of the two.  I'm even willing to accept that even some of those gorging themseves silly at the Buffet are in the middle of a rare occurance and who spend most of their time trying to managet their weight.

I have nothing against those who suffer from true, real medical conditions (especially those living with undiagnosed problems).

But....

Don't hide behind these people.  If you are unwilling to change your eating habits & activity level, don't hide try to lump yourself in with those with real problems.

My dad is overweight.  Obese.  Probablly close to morbidly so.  The last time he came to visit made me wonder how many more times I'm going to get to see him.  His weight is harming his quality of life pretty bad.  He has no medical condition (Actually he now has Obesity Related Arthritis and High Blood Pressure).  He's had about every test there is.  He just refuses to chage his diet.

Our family can't change him.  He won't be around as long as he could be.  That is about as simple as it is.

I will try not to look at any INDIVIDUAL obese person and think "Lazy fool, put the Pie Down"

I have no way of determining on an individual basis the cause of a person's obesity.

On the Aggregate however, the widening girth of the average American ain't due to medical conditions; its due to bad diets & sedentary lifestyles.

Part of this rant is to rid myself of that way of thought.  That every obese person I look at is a lazy bum, who'll only get off the couch if the remote is missing or the Pizza Guy is there.

I know that while that might be the Whole Story, it is far from the Individual to Individual story.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 5, 2006)

Well, then...

Some of the best things you can do are:

1)  Drop the sodas- at least, the non-diet ones- completely from your diet.

2)  Minimize the number of snacks you keep in the house.  I don't bring ice-cream- one of my major demons- into the house.  I only eat it when I'm out.  Instead of spending a few bucks on  a big tub of Blue Bell and some Hersheys, I spend the same amount on a scoop of whatever the restaraunt has...and I can't go back for seconds as easily.

Snacking is OK.  Uncontrolled snacking isn't.

3)  Learn how to cook.  You'll master portion control, alter the proportions of good vs bad foods you eat, and learn a valuable (and some say sexy) skill.  Better yet, you'll save money.

4)  Read nutrition information- even in restaraunts, if you can.

5)  Minimize the number of fast food you eat, and modify your selections when you do eat it.  My favorite pizza was a Pepperoni.  Now I almost exclusively eat Mushroom & Onion.  The simple act of dropping the American cheese from a burger can cut the sodium in half, since it contributes @ 400mg to the sandwich.  Subbing Swiss is almost as good- it only has 15mg.

6)  Minimize alcohol intake, and when you do drink, make sure its a good drink for _your_ particular health concerns.  Alcohol is HIGH in calories, but the other stuff in your drinks are just as important.  Beer is low in sodium but high in calories, while a single Bloody Mary may have as much as 800mg of sodium- 53x the amount in a beer, but only a fraction of the calories.  Things like Piña Coladas, OTOH, are high in sugars.

Some of this will be tough.  You may find it costs you a lot of money at first.  When my BP was diagnosed, I cleaned out the family pantry and took out EVERYTHING that was high in sodium.  $1000's of food got donated to shelters.  And I have had to radically re-work dozens of recipes.

There are certain eateries I haven't visited in 3 years...and some friends with whom I simply can't go out to dinner on a regular basis.


----------



## Vraille Darkfang (Nov 5, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> 1)  Drop the sodas- at least, the non-diet ones- completely from your diet.
> 
> 3)  Learn how to cook.  You'll master portion control, alter the proportions of good vs bad foods you eat, and learn a valuable (and some say sexy) skill.  Better yet, you'll save money.
> 
> 5)  Minimize the number of fast food you eat, and modify your selections when you do eat it.  My favorite pizza was a Pepperoni.




1)  Already done it.  I only drink Diet Pepsi Jazz or Diet Dr. Pepper (the only diets I can Stomach.  If it's on sale I'll grab a Diet Rite.  But the biggest thing is I mainly drink tea.  I bought a $20 Eletric Kettle from Wal-Mart a Japanese Cast Iron Tea Kettle from Enjoying Tea.com (I can't recommend them enough.  They always have one pot on sale & 30 bucks cheaper than anything I can get around here.  I then got a wide selection of loose-leaf teas, varius Blacks, Greens, and Caffiene Free Roobios.  High quality tea = no sugar needed.  (Check out Alton Brown's Good Eats Tea Episode or Douglas Adam's Essay in his last    book.

3) Yep.  Learning to cook yourself enables youto eat much better, much healthier, and much cheaper than going out.  Last weekend I perfect French Onion Soup.  I'm also pretty good with the Asian Stir Fry.  And the Crab Legs (Look up Alton Brown's reciepe involving the microwave at Food Network; it works like a charm).

5)  I've cut out almost ALL fast food.  It was really easy too.  I simply married a woman allergic to Corn.  Yep.  Corn.  As in High Fructose Corn Syrup. Corn Syrup.  Corn Starch.  Modified Food Starch.  Dextrose.  Fructose.  Vitamin C.  Powedered Sugar (Corn Starch to avoid caking), and a list about 300 items long.  The Corn industy has been very good about putting their product into just about every processed food we eat (around 90% of processed foods).  In fact, me & my wife only can go to about a dozen restaurants around where we live; all of which cook from scratch.

As for Pepperoni, have you Tried Turkey Pepperoni?  On a pizza, it tastes nearly the same.  Our store even carries a low-sodium version.  I've also tried Veggie Pepperoni.  The box said "Tastes Just like Pepperoni"  They must have taste-tested with people lacking Tongues and Olfactory senses.  Stay away from the Veggie Pepperoni.

As for my Dad, I think Mt Dew Code Red will be the death of him.  At least he's having trouble finding it now.

My wife and I are more than willing to pay a little more & take some time, training, and invest in some good cooking equipment.  If you look at the bottom line at the end of the year.  Our initial investment in Culinary Equipment has already been returned twice over in what we use to spend going out to eat.

PS.  Don't invite Gamers over for Home-Made Lasagna, unless you wish to see what a model of a Dust-Bunny vs a Dirt Devil looks like.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 5, 2006)

> I simply married a woman allergic to Corn.




I have the same allergy.  Fortunately, its not so severe as to prevent me from eating Mexican food.  I also have an allergy to Chocolate- also not too severe.  I still enjoy the occasional Toblerone, though it lasts me a week instead of a few minutes.

However, I can't eat both corn and chocolate within 24 hours of each other without getting quite ill.

Still- it could have been worse.  Soy and Peanuts are just as omnipresent, and they both tend to be more severe than corn allergies.  I've got a buddy who is so sensitive to peanuts, he gets sick from a few Jelly Belly jelly beans (peanuts are use to thicken them).


> As for Pepperoni, have you Tried Turkey Pepperoni? On a pizza, it tastes nearly the same. Our store even carries a low-sodium version.




My general take on substitutes is that if I'm going to be bad, I'm going to be bad.  I'll eat pepperoni pizzas a couple of times a year- usually in the Spring or Summer when I've been doing something good for me, like helping someone move or playing a sport.  When you're dehydrated, packing on a few extra pounds of water isn't the worst thing in the world, and I may even need the extra salt.

My biggest challenge has been changing recipes when cooking at home.  There was a Creole chef (whose name escapes me) who was the challenger on Iron Chef America recently, who won against Mario Batali (sp?) in the Andouille Sausage battle.  As the judges were tasting his creations, he quipped that he didn't know veggies could be cooked without bacon until he was an adult.  Creole/Cajun cuisine (esp. veggies) use a LOT of ham and bacon as seasoning. 

So when it came to altering old family recipes for greens, eggplant, red beans and gumbo, it was a real challenge.

The best 3 discoveries on that front have been:

1) Cooking and marinating with dry wines (good enough to drink- "Cooking wines" are little more than wine-flavored salt water) or certain beers, or using white vinegar marinades go a long way towards making up for the flavor of salt.  Bonuses- when you actually cook with them, the alcohol burns off, keeping those calories out of your system, and your meats come out juicy and tender.

2) Lemon juice is another good salt substitute, esp. fresh.  However, you can also find powdered citric acid (the substance which gives lemon juice its tang) in some groceries.  CAUTION- use it sparingly!  Its powerful stuff.

3) Beef or Pork Ribs, cut into short pieces (and smoked or pot fried in a little salt-free butter or olive oil) are ideal substitutes for ham or bacon in many recipes.

As you learn to cook, you'll learn to taste ingredients in other people's products, which will help you figure out new stuff for yourself.

I had some shrimp at Razoos a few years ago, and their Cherry-mustard sauce was merely OK...until I jazzed it up with some Tabasco.  But Tabasco is cayenne pepper, salt and white vinegar...and more salt.  

I got home, cooked up some fresh cherries (after removing the pits, of course) with some yellow mustard, some mustard powder, vinegar, peppers (cayenne, black, jalapeño, and serrano) and some other ingredients and got a concoction that was zero fat, low sodium, and tasted like a traditional Texas BBQ sauce.  We tried it on beef, pork and chicken- all of which all disappeared quite quickly.


----------



## Marchen (Nov 5, 2006)

Go vegan!   

Anyway. So back in my highschool days/first to second year of college, I was a pretty heavy guy. At my heaviest I was probably around 270lbs or so, although I am very tall (6'5") so I carried it alright. I did eventually decide that my unhealthy lifestyle was absolutley no good for me, and I completely changed my diet and exercise habits. I lost weight. A lot. At my lowest I was down to around 160lbs. 

I'm still way into nutrition and healthy-clean living, but I've evened out at a decent 180lbs. I'm working on easing into a vegan lifestyle. It appeals to me greatly.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 5, 2006)

I'd go vegan, but I don't like the meat selections on that diet.


----------



## BOZ (Nov 5, 2006)

yeah, that's pretty much my handicap with veganism as well.  

not to mention, having to give up milk, cheese, butter... man, depriving yourself like that just isn't natural.  

we have a vegan in our gaming group, and we order pizza just about every week.  he says it's like torture, because he _loves_ cheese, but hasn't eaten any in like a decade.

not for me, man, no thanks.


----------



## Jesus_marley (Nov 5, 2006)

I tried eating Vegan once. But he screamed and ran away when he saw the knife.

Seriously though, While I myself am not exactly skinny (290lbs, 6'2") I agree that most people who classify as morbidly obese are like that solely due to their own lifestyle choices. The fact that society tacitly accepts and in some ways actively promotes these choices makes it that much more difficult to convince those that are morbidly obese that it is their own choices that made them that way. Instead of accepting personal responsibility, it is jsut easier to blame others.

As for me, I know that I am fat, but I am also very active. I could easily stand to lose 50 lbs and I know I would be better off for it. But it is a difficult struggle and one that I am not winning... although I am not exactly losing either. I have been at my current weight now for 3 years with not a pound gained or lost in that time.


----------



## Dioltach (Nov 5, 2006)

As Jasper Carrot said, "This hole up HERE is bigger than that hole down THERE."


----------



## Ferret (Nov 5, 2006)

Jasper is funny.

I am quite skinny though, I'm 5'11" and about 60-65 kilos (last time I weighed my self I was 63kg), thats just under 10 stone (140 pounds). And I do eat quite a bit. I regularily snack on things from the fridge, but this is like ham and stuff not sweets. I've not got a very sweet chocolatey tooth, and I've not eaten a packet of crisps for a while now. If I do have sweet stuff its from coffee, but I rarely drink that.

My Girlfriend on the other hand loves sweets and choclates, and I don't think shes learned to have them as treats. She is currently overweight (about my weight but a foot shorter), but she looks nice like that. I do realise she is unhealthy, but I'm not sure what to do. Oh and she has pretty bad asthma which doesn't help. :\


----------



## Merkuri (Nov 5, 2006)

I once heard of a study where they took a bunch of people and gave them soup to eat.  Half of the people had a normal bowl of soup, but the other half had special bowls that would slowly refill themselves through a tube connected to the bottom of the bowl.  The people with the normal bowls of soup stopped when the soup was gone.  The people with the neverending bowl just didn't stop.  They stuffed themselves.

That's one of the things about an American diet, is that we're so used to eating much larger than normal potion sizes that we've long forgotten how to tell when we're full.  I remember complaining once when I was younger that my Dad (who is not a land whale, but is larger than he should be) would eat all of the good leftovers before anyone else got to them, rather than splitting them evenly with the rest of the family.  He responded that he was bigger, so he needed more food than we did.  My comment (honestly, I forgot if this was something I actually said to him, or if I just thought is) was that he had that the other way around.  He ate more food, THEREFORE he was bigger.

My sister spent three months in Europe living with relatives in Germany a little while ago, and she said she was worried when she saw the portion sizes they used when cooking at home and in restaurants.  She thought there was no way she'd get full on that, but the thing was that she did get full, she was just so used to American portion sizes that the more healthy Euopean ones looked tiny.  Did you know that the average muffin sold in a bakery or donut shop is FOUR TIMES the size of a "normal" one-serving muffin?

Our culture is obese, not just the individual people in it, especially in the south, and a lot of it is simply portion sizes.  We're used to thinking that more food is good.  Lately I've been trying to cut down my own weight (slightly more than healthy) by watching my portion sizes.  I asked my BF (who does the cooking) not to fill my plate for me, but to let me get my own portions.  I've been putting on half or less of what I feel like I'd eat, telling myself that if I want more food later then I can get seconds.  I eat slowly, and I find myself still finishing my "firsts" when my BF gets up and starts to put the food away, and I'm usually fine with that.  I didn't need seconds, but if that amount of food had been on my plate I would've eaten it all.  

It's a very human thing to do, cleaning one's plate.  The trick is to make sure that there's not much on your plate in the first place.  You'd be surprised how little you can eat to stop feeling hungry.


----------



## megamania (Nov 5, 2006)

Pittsfield Mass?


----------



## Merkuri (Nov 5, 2006)

megamania said:
			
		

> Pittsfield Mass?



 Was that directed towards me?  Pittsfield's in western MA.  I live across the state.


----------



## Umbran (Nov 5, 2006)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> On the Aggregate however, the widening girth of the average American ain't due to medical conditions; its due to bad diets & sedentary lifestyles.




It is also perhaps important to remember that frequently, that "sedentary" doesn't mean "not busy".  Breaking out of that sedentary lifestyle sometimes means giving up other very important things...

Imagine a fairly typical guy - he's up at 7 AM, out the door by 8 AM.  At work all day, back home by 6 PM (he's lucky, and is actually at work only 8 hours a day).  He now has only five hours to live his life.  All the cooking, all the housework, any personal/family business, helping the kids with homework, actually spending time with his family, any entertainment.  Five hours is not a lot of time. 

If he's going to squeak in an hour for exercise, something has to give.  Maybe he goes to bed an hour later - but then he's only getting 7 hours a night, which is generally not healthy.  Or maybe the laundry doesn't get done, and so on....


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 5, 2006)

> I once heard of a study where they took a bunch of people and gave them soup to eat. Half of the people had a normal bowl of soup, but the other half had special bowls that would slowly refill themselves through a tube connected to the bottom of the bowl. The people with the normal bowls of soup stopped when the soup was gone. The people with the neverending bowl just didn't stop. They stuffed themselves.




They actually showed video of that and a few other similar studies on one of the national news shows (like 60 minutes or 20/20).  It was simply scary...even though I'd seen that kind of behavior up close and personal.


----------



## Marchen (Nov 5, 2006)

American culture IS geared toward obesity. You an buy poison from a fast-food shop almost anywhere. Hey! They even have a drive through so you don't have to walk ten feet.

It's poor choices and eating habits that heavily contribute to the problem. You do not have to even remotley starve yourself if you choose the right foods to intake. It just takes some research and effort, especially since our society loves to pre-package conveneneint processed foods loaded with preservatives, and strange foreign-sounding chemicals.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 5, 2006)

The comedian Jim Gaffigan had a nice commentary on that to the effect of eventually, we'll be able to call the place up, have them deliver it to the house, and feed it to us...combining his 2 favorite things- eating and not moving.


----------



## Jdvn1 (Nov 6, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> I'd go vegan, but I don't like the meat selections on that diet.



 Amen.

Once they fix that, I'm all for going vegan.


----------



## megamania (Nov 6, 2006)

Merkuri said:
			
		

> Was that directed towards me?  Pittsfield's in western MA.  I live across the state.





The store names and food place match Pittsfield is all.   Didn't direct it at anyone in particular.


----------



## Ranger REG (Nov 6, 2006)

Crothian said:
			
		

> It's almost as bad as people ranting about pointless things on message boards



It's worse when they share TMPI than I really care about in a mostly gaming-related messageboards.


----------



## Nyaricus (Nov 7, 2006)

Gaining weight in todays society is very easy to do - and getting it off is very hard as well.

I should know. I went through a bout of depression two years ago, starting right around this time, infact. I "ballooned" up to about 225 Ibs, and mind you, I'm only 5'6". However, I'm also very broad and muscular by nature of my dads side of the family, so there's that as well.

In any case, I was depressed, gaining weight and unhappy with life. Plus, I'd just gotten a PS2, which contributed greatly to my downfall. And so I quickly went from being fairly fit, though hardly "tight" to being fat.

I knew it was bad when one day, at school in February, I needed to take a pee. What came out was a dark, dark yellow fluid - almost brown, infact - which was irratating. It was also thick, almost molassis-y in nature. It was then that I was struck with the relisation that I was doing something incrediably harmful to myself. I also came to the realisation that I'd been drinking only Coca Cola for the past few weeks. That's right, only pop for a few weeks. No water, no milk, nothing else. It was that bad.

I started by cutting down on pop like crazy, and drinking as much water as I could. After the bathroom instant itself, I drank about 3 liters of water for the rest of the day. However, cutting down on pop is still a tough issue with me; I've since switched over to C2 Coke, which is half-Coke Zero, half-Coca Cola Classic. A can has 70 calories and 19 grams of sugar. Still more than I'm comfotable with, but I'm not yet ready to give it up cold turkey.

Then, as important as water, I began the grueling task of getting back into shape. I started doing sit-ups and push-ups at night before bed. Where I could do 55 push-ups before, I could do five. Where I could do 60 sit-ups before, I could do two. I was scared at this; "WTF happened?" I wondered. It was a real shock to me, to be like that. I was used to my strenght, to my endurance, my fortitude. I was used to being at my cabin and chopping wood for ten hours in a day.

But, I've kept at it, and with only myself and a single 20 pound weight, I'm muscular and fit and happy again. Its a long, hard, toughass road to walk, and I've been there and I'm back from it, and it's not a place I'd wish to revist.

cheers,
--N


----------



## Pbartender (Nov 7, 2006)

Merkuri said:
			
		

> I once heard of a study where they took a bunch of people and gave them soup to eat.  Half of the people had a normal bowl of soup, but the other half had special bowls that would slowly refill themselves through a tube connected to the bottom of the bowl.  The people with the normal bowls of soup stopped when the soup was gone.  The people with the neverending bowl just didn't stop.  They stuffed themselves.




That's a Cornell marketing professor by the name of Brain Wansink.



			
				CNN.com said:
			
		

> Wansink's larger point is that people make more than 200 food decisions a day, most of them subconsciously. He believes people trying fad diets would be better served changing little behaviors that could cut a relatively painless 100-200 calories a day. It can be done in part by hiding the candy or avoiding jumbo-sized packaging, which tends to encourage consumption.
> 
> Pick two or three habits a month, he advises. For instance, Wansink this month is trying not to eat a snack unless he first eats fruit, and he set a one-roll limit for meals out.




I've lost 4 inches off my wasteline in the last year*, simply by riding my bicycle to work and not drinking soda or eating candy bars at work.


*I can't honestly say I've lost weight...  Every pound of fat I've lost, I've gained back as muscle due to the daily bike rides.


----------



## Aeson (Nov 7, 2006)

Pbartender said:
			
		

> I've lost 4 inches off my wasteline in the last year*, simply by riding my bicycle to work and not drinking soda or eating candy bars at work.
> 
> 
> *I can't honestly say I've lost weight...  Every pound of fat I've lost, I've gained back as muscle due to the daily bike rides.



Three cheers for you. HIP HIP HOORAY!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!


Keep it up.


----------



## Pbartender (Nov 7, 2006)

Aeson said:
			
		

> Keep it up.




Thanks.

Honestly, it's the small but permanent changes that make the biggest difference in the long run.  Those are the changes that'll slowly but steadily eliminate the excess fat, and keep it off.

And it doesn't take much...  Eliminating 500 calories a day (that's one soda, one candy bar and a 12 mile bicycle ride every day, in my case -- or two sodas and one candy bar for those who can't fit the bike ride in) equates to losing roughly one pound of fat per week.

For most of us, that's not too much to ask.


----------



## Ampolitor (Nov 8, 2006)

*sureeeeee*

1)exercise,
2) stop eating when you feel full, dont eat to finish whats on your plate,
3) eat breakfast and eat 4 to 5 times a day
4) drop the sodas and replace them with water and lemon, the colder the better you burn calories to warm it up to your body temp.
5) make sure you eat greens
6) if you get hungry late at night have a decaff tea or coffee, fills you up.
I did this when I was going back into the marines at 32 years old, I went from 225 to 181 in 4 months, I went to the gym every other day. and when i couldnt go Id go outside and walk. 
Most people who cry about being obese dont exercise at all except walking from the car to the couch. Our problem as a whole, is that people make exscuses and want a pill for everything. Doctors name and medicate everything instead of saying exercise, eat right, WHY? because they dont make money if they dont prescribe.


----------



## Sidekick (Nov 8, 2006)

Hmm I could stand to lose weight and I try. But heck it’s hard so I sympathise.

As for giving up dairy: I’m allergic (not lactose intolerant) to dairy so I’m a soy bunny. Also my GF is a vegetarian so effectively that makes our meals mostly vegan.

Companies like Quorn and the such make great meat substitutes. Sure the steaks etc aren’t the same, but I’m convinced that Quorn mince is better than normal everyday cow mince (and you don’t have to spoon/drain off the excess fat).

As for the corn allergies: Isn’t it odd how all of a sudden things such as corn allergies and soy allergies are becoming more and more common.

Forgive this ole consipiracy theorist, but I wonder if that has anything to do with 2/3rds of the worlds soy supply being GM, and corn is also dominated by GM ‘breeds’.

Ahh the FDA, where if it looks like corn, then it MUST be okay (even if they did splice in scorpion)


----------



## Shemeska (Nov 8, 2006)

Sidekick said:
			
		

> As for the corn allergies: Isn’t it odd how all of a sudden things such as corn allergies and soy allergies are becoming more and more common.




Most likely a combination of more and more people eating soy products, and the allergies being diagnosed.



> Forgive this ole consipiracy theorist, but I wonder if that has anything to do with 2/3rds of the worlds soy supply being GM, and corn is also dominated by GM ‘breeds’.




I strongly doubt it. GM crops have less of an unknown factor in what you're eating than the product of two conventionally crossed strains of a crop, and they've got more safety testing on them on top of that. A protein is a protein regardless of the original source of the gene. I find it very distressing that some people (the OMG FRankenfood!!1! types) seem to feel that the moment modern science gets involved, food stops being 'natural' and suspect some evil plot.


----------



## Pbartender (Nov 8, 2006)

Ampolitor said:
			
		

> the colder the better you burn calories to warm it up to your body temp.




Sorry, Ampolitor, but that's .

It take one calorie (lower case "c") to heat one gram of water (one milliliter of water) by one degree Celcius.  So, if you drink one liter of ice-cold water, your body burns about 37,000 calories.

Sounds good, right?  

Not quite.

The calories listed on the nutritional label of food is Calories with a capital "C".  One Calorie is equal to 1,000 calories.  So you're only really burning about 37 Calories by drinking that liter of ice-water.  In other words, you'd have to drink down about 2 gallons of ice-cold water to burn enough calories to balance out a candy bar.  Hardly seems worth the trouble.  Better to just not eat the candy bar.

On the other hand, all of your other suggestions are great ideas.


----------



## Mycanid (Nov 9, 2006)

BOZ said:
			
		

> yeah, that's pretty much my handicap with veganism as well.
> 
> not to mention, having to give up milk, cheese, butter... man, depriving yourself like that just isn't natural.
> 
> ...




Now just a minute! There are different "types" of vegetarians! My younger brother was a vegan for YEARS and he told me all about the differences of type.

I am not a red meat or poultry eater (for various reasons) but I do eat fish, sea food (not mammals), and such. I have had very little trouble adapting to this (been 19 years now or so) ... and that is from being a rather ravenous carnivore.  Cheese, milk and such like are eaten every now and then.

Point being: to be "vegan" you don't have to give all those things up. Of course there are some that do so ... but not everybody's constitution is the same. Some can live like that on their own steam or willpower (even so have you ever noticed that these folks frequently look emaciated and unhealthy and eat lots of vitamin supplements? Its actually kinda creepy to me) ... but most can not.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 9, 2006)

> As for the corn allergies: Isn’t it odd how all of a sudden things such as corn allergies and soy allergies are becoming more and more common.
> 
> Forgive this ole consipiracy theorist, but I wonder if that has anything to do with 2/3rds of the worlds soy supply being GM, and corn is also dominated by GM ‘breeds’.




Nah- allergies are the result of a problem in your immune system.  Basically, your body is treating an otherwise harmless substance* as if it were a disease-causing bacteria or virus.

The trick, of course, is that you have to be exposed to a substance more than once to actually trigger the response.

The modern practice of using corn, soy, peanuts and certain other things into various processed foods as sweeteners, thickeners, and fillers is radically increasing exposure to those substances.  An uptick in allergies to those substances in societies that consume large amounts of processed foods is inevitable.

If, as you suspect, it were because of the GM effects, the people who were exposed to those GM strains would also show allergies to the sources of the spliced-in genetic material.  As in, if corn allergies were related to a GM strain of corn featuring a beef protein, then you'd see a proportionate increase in allergies to beef.

And there hasn't been any correlation between corn, soy, or peanut allergies and their GM relations.

* some allergies are simply genetic and are a result of evolutionary response to actual toxins, like the allergy to poison ivy toxins, which occurs in something like 80% of humanity.


----------



## Merkuri (Nov 9, 2006)

Mycanid said:
			
		

> Now just a minute! There are different "types" of vegetarians!
> 
> ...
> 
> Point being: to be "vegan" you don't have to give all those things up.




Um, I think technically "vegan" refers to vegetarians who give up all animal products, including things like eggs and milk.  You can be "vegetarian" and still eat things like fish, but not vegan.


----------



## Hypersmurf (Nov 9, 2006)

Mycanid said:
			
		

> Now just a minute! There are different "types" of vegetarians! My younger brother was a vegan for YEARS and he told me all about the differences of type.




Um.

There are different types of Vegetarian.  This is true.

One of those types is Vegan.  This is not a generic synonym for Vegetarian; it refers to someone who excludes _all_ animal products from their diet - meat, dairy, eggs, and honey.

Vegetarians might or might not eat cheese and eggs.  Vegans do not.

(As far as I can tell, a Vegan could eat human meat, as long as it was obtained with the consent of the owner; they seem to exclude humans from the definition of 'animal products'... for example, a Vegan baby can breast-feed, but cannot drink cow's milk.)

-Hyp.


----------



## Mycanid (Nov 9, 2006)

Merkuri said:
			
		

> Um, I think technically "vegan" refers to vegetarians who give up all animal products, including things like eggs and milk.  You can be "vegetarian" and still eat things like fish, but not vegan.




Depends who you talk to ... you are partly right, though!

In some circles those who abstain from all animal products (aka "vegans) are simply called "strict vegetarians" or "pure vegetarians". There is a wide range of differing "degrees" of vegetarians - again, my brother introduced me to this one.

Here is a link describing all the different sorts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism

I guess I would technically be a lacto-ovo vegetarian.

My brother was part of "straight edge" punk movement for many years, and his stance was hand in hand with his involvement in the animal rights movements.

But anyway ... I am digressing from the thread a bit. Sorry folks!


----------



## Mycanid (Nov 9, 2006)

Hypersmurf said:
			
		

> Um.
> 
> There are different types of Vegetarian.  This is true.
> 
> ...




Hey there Hyp! We double posted over each other!


----------



## Hypersmurf (Nov 9, 2006)

Mycanid said:
			
		

> In some circles those who abstain from all animal products (aka "vegans) are simply called "strict vegetarians" or "pure vegetarians". There is a wide range of differing "degrees" of vegetarians - again, my brother introduced me to this one.




Right, but you just said that to be Vegan, you don't need to give up milk, cheese, or butter.

Don't you mean that to be Vegetarian, you don't, but to be Vegan, you do?

-Hyp.


----------



## Hairfoot (Nov 9, 2006)

I'm a reformed obesoid, so I'm even more critical and judgemental of the overweight than lucky sods who are naturally slim.  My whole family's fat, and I spent 21 years making excuses about metabolism, or hormones, or anything else which allowed me to be lazy.

It was all rubbish.  Of course, a tiny minority of people have to deal with cruel pathologies which make them weighty no matter what, but most people can find a form of exercise they enjoy and _want_ to do (the critical factor) and learn not to accept advertising which says a 'portion' is a whole cowburger and bucket of chips.


----------



## Mycanid (Nov 9, 2006)

Hypersmurf said:
			
		

> Right, but you just said that to be Vegan, you don't need to give up milk, cheese, or butter.
> 
> Don't you mean that to be Vegetarian, you don't, but to be Vegan, you do?
> 
> -Hyp.




You are correct ... I garbled and mixed my words. I (unsuccessfully, I suppose) tried to show that a "vegan" was merely a branch of vegetarianism. And my claim was that to be a vegetarian you did not need to be of the "vegan" degree necessarily. 

Apologies for any confusion Hyp (and others)!


----------



## BOZ (Nov 9, 2006)

Mycanid said:
			
		

> Point being: to be "vegan" you don't have to give all those things up. Of course there are some that do so ... but not everybody's constitution is the same. Some can live like that on their own steam or willpower (even so have you ever noticed that these folks frequently look emaciated and unhealthy and eat lots of vitamin supplements? Its actually kinda creepy to me) ... but most can not.




the fellow i'm referring to is pretty militant, for philosophical reasons AFAIK.  he won't even eat milk chocolate.  he loves cheese, but won't touch it.  he's not overly fond of soy cheese, but he will devour the stuff just to get something cheese-like on his taste buds.  

actually, he does not look unhealthy in the least.  neither over- nor under-weight.


----------



## Merkuri (Nov 9, 2006)

I college I heard a coworker at my summer job talking about why she was a vegetarian.  She was saying things about how eating meat was unhealthy and how humans weren't meant to eat it.  I wanted to point out our made-for-tearing-meat teeth and our front-of-the-face predator eyes, but I decided to be polite and didn't say anything.  A couple weeks later I heard her tell someone that she had to give up vegetarianism because it had made her sick.  Unhealthy, hah!

I'm all for vegetarians of the different varieties (I've all but given up beef myself), but don't do it because "humans weren't made to eat meat."


----------



## Goldmoon (Nov 13, 2006)

I'm a big girl. By big I mean that I'm very TALL. 6'3" to be exact but I dont have the typical big build that comes with women my size. I have a very slight build. My weight varies between 150 and 165 usually. Now that Im getting older ( I just turned 31) I find that my super metabolism is not so super any more. I am really having to watch what I eat now. ( I may even have to cut back on Guinness) Here's hoping  that wont have to happen.


----------



## GeorgeFields (Nov 13, 2006)

Two years ago, I was at 300 pounds. Today, I float between 250 - 260. That number is slowly and steadiliy going down.

I can easily sit down and eat two frozen pizzas at a time, but I choose not to do so. I could eat 2 or 3 thick burgers from Hardees. I choose to avoid Hardees 99% of the time. When I don't avoid Hardees, I buy 1 burger.

As the original OP stated, the extra bowls of ice cream and entire pies probably have a lot to do with the obesity of the people he witnessed at Golden Corral. This is not the case for everyone, but I would say several. If people would stop GORGING themselves until they can't eat anymore, they wouldn't get into the shape they are in now.

Strictly my opinion here (I'm NOT a medical professional): if obesity is a medical condition, so is starvation. Luckily, BOTH can be handled with proper diet. If you are suffering from starvation, eat something, preferably something healthy. If you are obese, eat healthier and in slowly decreasing amounts. Medicine and pills are NOT the answer.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 14, 2006)

I'm staying large-ish because I'm a registered fat-donor for biological breast implants...I figure I'm worth a couple of DD-cups.


----------



## Aurora (Nov 14, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> I'm staying large-ish because I'm a registered fat-donor for biological breast implants...I figure I'm worth a couple of DD-cups.



ROFL.....ewwwww


----------



## Wereserpent (Nov 14, 2006)

Goldmoon: oooh, I love tall women.  

Anyways, now a days I try and limit myself when it comes to food.  Every once in a while I will eat a lot at one sitting, but not often, and I only do that when I am really hungry.  

On another note, I find that unlike some people, when I get real sad, I can not eat at all.  My appetite goes down the tubes.


----------



## Ranger REG (Nov 14, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> I'm staying large-ish because I'm a registered fat-donor for biological breast implants...I figure I'm worth a couple of DD-cups.



 :\ 

I don't know whether I should be sad for you ... or ask where can I sign up?


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 14, 2006)

You can sign up with me as soon as I invent biological breast implants...

That's next on my to-do list after peace in the middle east and discovering the alchemical process for turning base metals into gold.


----------



## Shemeska (Nov 14, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> You can sign up with me as soon as I invent biological breast implants...




They've tried it before actually, but they did it by taking fat from other parts of a woman's body and using it for the boob job. Unfortunately, last I remember reading about it, they had some side effects of the transplanted fat giving off false positives for tumors during mamograms, so it didn't really work.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 15, 2006)

> > You can sign up with me as soon as I invent biological breast implants...
> 
> 
> 
> ...




You can sign up with me as soon as I invent *viable* biological breast implants...


----------



## Sidekick (Nov 15, 2006)

Shemmy said:
			
		

> I find it very distressing that some people (the OMG FRankenfood!!1! types) seem to feel that the moment modern science gets involved, food stops being 'natural' and suspect some evil plot.



I couldn't not reply (don't worry I'm not looking to start a flame war).

It's not the science that I dont' trust. On teh face value of it I love Gm food and the benefits that it could give to societies accross the world and how it could benefit our entire race. 

Its good science, and provided that it's properly tested and trialed (there's the first problem) then I've got no problem with it.

What I do have a problem with is the economics behind it. The large companies have effectively turned a potential famine curing tool into yet another way to bust various industries and economies through their control of growth and repoduction hormones. They bully small nations governments, they weasel their way into various government bodies (Monsanto practically owned the FDA in the late 90s early 00's).

heck when the NZ government had a select committe look at a GM labelling system Monsanto sent an entire 747 worth of employees down to give evidence.

The science of GM isn't faulty, its the system (ie rampant socially uncaring capatilism) that it's been used in that is the problem.

That's all I'm saying. Those are some good points about the allergies.

Sidekick


----------



## Goldmoon (Nov 15, 2006)

Galeros said:
			
		

> Goldmoon: oooh, I love tall women.





You are one of the few........Most men feel threatened by my height.


----------



## Wereserpent (Nov 15, 2006)

Goldmoon said:
			
		

> You are one of the few........Most men feel threatened by my height.





Hehe, I am not like most men.  I do not feel a need to have to be the dominant one.


----------



## Mycanid (Nov 15, 2006)

Sidekick said:
			
		

> The science of GM isn't faulty, its the system (ie rampant socially uncaring capatilism) that it's been used in that is the problem. Sidekick




Well, whether the science is faulty or not is a question.

But I definitely agree with you about the system behind it as the worst part of the problem!


----------



## Goldmoon (Nov 15, 2006)

Galeros said:
			
		

> Hehe, I am not like most men.  I do not feel a need to have to be the dominant one.




Um, I'm not sure how to take that.


----------



## Mycanid (Nov 15, 2006)

Goldmoon said:
			
		

> Um, I'm not sure how to take that.




I am SOOOOO staying out of this one!   

Some advantages to being a fungus...


----------



## Wereserpent (Nov 15, 2006)

Goldmoon said:
			
		

> Um, I'm not sure how to take that.




Haha, I was just playing around.  Hope you find someone who is not scared of you.


----------



## Goldmoon (Nov 15, 2006)

Boo!


----------



## Aeson (Nov 15, 2006)

Goldmoon said:
			
		

> Um, I'm not sure how to take that.



That means he like to call women Mistress and get spanked.


----------



## Goldmoon (Nov 15, 2006)

Aeson said:
			
		

> That means he like to call women Mistress and get spanked.




I am by no means submissive but neither do I spank.


----------



## Wereserpent (Nov 15, 2006)

Aeson said:
			
		

> That means he like to call women Mistress and get spanked.





...........sure, why not.


----------



## BOZ (Nov 16, 2006)

Goldmoon said:
			
		

> Boo!




*is scared*


----------



## Aurora (Nov 16, 2006)

Aeson said:
			
		

> That means he like to call women Mistress and get spanked.



reminds me of Dungeon Keeper 2


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 16, 2006)

Reminds me of K-9 from Dr. Who.


----------



## GeorgeFields (Nov 16, 2006)

Goldmoon said:
			
		

> You are one of the few........Most men feel threatened by my height.




How tall are you?


----------



## Wereserpent (Nov 16, 2006)

GeoFFields said:
			
		

> How tall are you?




Taller than you!


----------



## Aeson (Nov 16, 2006)

Aurora said:
			
		

> reminds me of Dungeon Keeper 2



Dungeon Keeper 1 was much better.


----------



## Umbran (Nov 16, 2006)

Shemeska said:
			
		

> I find it very distressing that some people (the OMG FRankenfood!!1! types) seem to feel that the moment modern science gets involved, food stops being 'natural' and suspect some evil plot.




For the entire time our species has been sentient, people have feared what they did not understand.  Of course, having a false sense of security (from, say, an incomplete understanding of a topic) is no better.

Moderate levels of paranoia probably serve better than either extreme


----------



## BOZ (Nov 16, 2006)

Umbran said:
			
		

> For the entire time our species has been sentient, people have feared what they did not understand.




it is a bit instinctive.    we either have to fight within ourselves to not be that way, or to learn to understand and then learn not to fear (or, on occasion, to learn that there's a good reason to fear it!)


----------



## Sidekick (Nov 16, 2006)

Umbran said:
			
		

> For the entire time our species has been sentient, people have feared what they did not understand.  Of course, having a false sense of security (from, say, an incomplete understanding of a topic) is no better.
> 
> Moderate levels of paranoia probably serve better than either extreme



Yeah I think of my level of paranioa and distrust as healthy rather than too much.

Of course coming froma middle-class background & a middle-clas school means that my friends tend to think I’m a conspiracy theorist.

It’s not my fault that conspiracies happen almost every day now is it?


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 16, 2006)

(Is suddenly _very_ suspicious of Sidekick...)


----------



## Tiberius (Nov 16, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> (Is suddenly _very_ suspicious of Sidekick...)




Be quiet, man! He'll _know_!


----------



## Goldmoon (Nov 16, 2006)

GeoFFields said:
			
		

> How tall are you?




Six feet, three inches.


----------



## D.Shaffer (Nov 16, 2006)

While not fat, I'm definitely a bit heavier then my doctor would like. 

Part of the problem, for me, was that as a kid I had a VERY high metabolism.  When puberty kicked in, I went into overdrive and I had to eat a lot, like on the order of an entire pizza, to not LOSE weight.  Additionally, I was on the fencing team AND taking Tae Kwon Do so even more calories were being burned off. This was all well and good up until I hit college.  

My metabolism finally started to ramp down, but my eating habits didnt. I stopped fencing and Tae Kwon Do due to time constraints.  Because of this, in 4 years I went from 150 pounds up to 230 or so.  The funny thing is, because of my height I didnt really realise how much weight I was gaining.  I'm a decently tall guy, (6'1") so that helped hide it. It wasnt until I went in for a checkup (The first in close to a decade) that I found out how much I had gained.

I've managed to get myself down to 212 or so now.  One thing that's helped a lot is a switch over to diet sodas.  Soda used to be a big part of my caloric intake as I routinely drink 2-3 cans a day.  I've switched to sugar substitute for my coffee.  I try to take walks during lunch.  When I cook for myself, I divide into leftovers before I eat rather then eat until I feel full because I know 9 times out of 10 I'll eat all of it.  I'm trying to hit 200 as a target weight, and It's down right hard but I'm going to keep working at it.  I just wish the stuff that was bad for me wasnt so delicious.


----------



## Aeson (Nov 16, 2006)

Goldmoon said:
			
		

> Six feet, three inches.



Tall women are hawt. 


I have to say that or they might step on me.


----------



## Goldmoon (Nov 16, 2006)

Aeson said:
			
		

> Tall women are hawt.
> 
> 
> I have to say that or they might step on me.





Ive been forced to step on my share.....


----------



## Aeson (Nov 16, 2006)

Goldmoon said:
			
		

> Ive been forced to step on my share.....



didn't you say once you were in the military? I would assume there you'd have to step some guys.


----------



## Wereserpent (Nov 16, 2006)

*Eats a GM banana*


----------



## Goldmoon (Nov 16, 2006)

Aeson said:
			
		

> didn't you say once you were in the military? I would assume there you'd have to step some guys.





Yes, I am currently still in the military. Ive had to step on, kick, gouge, slap.......you get the picture.


----------



## Simplicity (Nov 16, 2006)

The whole idea that it is choice (or even mostly choice) which accounts for obesity is
in my opinion bunk.  

Let me give you an idea of my typical days meals:
For breakfast: two cold brown sugar poptarts and water.
For snack: "Tear N' Share" size M&Ms." and a Pepsi.
For lunch: Turkey sandwich with cheese or PB&J and a Pepsi.
For threeses: A sprite or rootbeer.  Maybe with another M&Ms if they are calling my name.
For dinner: Pasta usually.  Some veggies on the side.  Water.
Late night: Some snack (chips or something).  Maybe a soda to go with.

I think I may have been to the gym a year ago.  A couple of times.  

I'm a computer programmer, so I sit in my cube all day, and typically the exercise I get each week is going up a few flights of stairs to get to my cube.

Now the kicker, I'm 6'4", and 170 pounds, and this is fat for me.  I have recently had to increase my pant waist size to account for it.  No, I'm not anemic.  I can drop a few pounds by missing a meal... pretty much any time I want. 

Sure, there are things you can do to reduce your caloric intake.  Your body, and especially the bodies of the obese, have ways to compensate for that reduction that are really quite painful.  Eat a little less, and your body will simply store more of what it gets.  Eat a lot less, and you'll feel like crap and you will not be in the mood for exercise.

I really believe that scientists will discover that morbid obesity is literally a disease.  Ulcers were once believed to be caused by stress.  It turns out they were mostly caused by bacteria... It's just that having ulcers in your stomach tends to stress people out.  My guess is that morbid obesity is also caused by an as yet unidentified organism that does better in some people than others.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 16, 2006)

My Sophmore year college roomie was 5'11" 125lbs to my 5'7" 197lbs.  We used to work out together.  We even had a contest- whoever had the greatest weight change over the course of a year won dinner on the other guy's dollar.

While I was cutting out blank calories and increased my bench over 300lbs, he was drinking Joe Wieder bodybuilder shakes and benched a little over his body weight.

Over the course of the 1st semester, I got down to 193, he got up to 131.  We called it a draw because he couldn't stand the shakes anymore, and I couldn't squeeze in any more gym (and intramural sports) time to my schedule.

I still talk to him- he's back in the 120's...but he knows his weight is at least partially genetic.

His dad was an olympic level cyclist whose career was cut short by an accident, who at _his _fittest, weighed about 145.  After he hit his 40's he put on about 20lbs of pure flab, despite maintaining his regimen.

My buddy is right about 39...


----------



## GeorgeFields (Nov 16, 2006)

Goldmoon said:
			
		

> Six feet, three inches.




Me, too


----------



## awayfarer (Nov 16, 2006)

My fathers side of the family were all fairly fat. The relatives on my moms side are all pretty wiry. I basically have a body that responds well to excercise but absolutely refuses to give up its protective layer of flab. I'm 5'9 and the last time I weighted myself I was 240 lbs. Basically I have the physique of a dwarf.

It could be worse. I was about 300 lbs throughout high school and briefly got as high as 315. At the time I could eat an entire bag of Fritos in a sitting. I was pretty depressed back then and not very active.

After high school I got a job as a stock boy in a mall and started working out regularly, about 45 minutes a day. I bottomed out somewhere around 210-220. Long story short, after about 5 years I eventually ended up climbing back up to 240 after I left work and started went back to college.

I haven't weighed myself since I started working out again but I FEEL much better. I walk about 3 miles a day, to and from college (with a couple of train rides in between) and thanks to a collection of MST3K dvd's a friend gave me last year, I have motivation to excercise at home again. I doubt I've lost weight but I've gained some stamina and I think I've lost width.


----------



## Marchen (Nov 17, 2006)

During highschool I was a pretty big guy, and during my first year of college I was even bigger. At my highest weight I was probably around 250 or so. It didn't show so much, since I'm very tall (6'5"). About two years ago I decided to lose the weight. I don't even remember exactly what I did, but I ended up having some *ahem* problems over time. I started in November and by that summer I was down to 150-160 lbs. 

I'm at an even 180 lbs now. I've gotten over my weight issues, mostly, even though they really were not intentional to begin with. I'm still fairly thin, just not to the point where people worry that it may be a medical issue. My girlfriend tell me, "I feel like I should feed you!"


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 17, 2006)

Hmph...your GF should have seen my roomie.

With his shirt off, you could see his heart beat from 10' away.
_
THAT's _skinny.


----------



## Aurora (Nov 17, 2006)

That's gross.
I feel sorry for my lil sister. She's only ever had 1 boyfriend and I swear it's because she looks 12. I think guys figure she is in junior high. Except, she's 24. She's cute though. Platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, but she's 5'1" and on a good day gets up to 85 pounds. She has to buy designer clothes because they are the only ones that come in a small enough size. It's that or shop in kids departments. 
_THAT_'s skinny. 
I think she'll make a pedifile very happy one day. Oh, god I didn't just say that.....


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 17, 2006)

No, that's TINY.

Both of my grandmothers were under 5' tall.  85lbs would have been about right for them at 5'.

BTW...how would your sister like a job as a Rolls-Royce hood ornament?  All she needs is the wings!

As for her dating life, I'm sure she'll find someone.

Heck...send her to Japan and she'll come back with a wealthy Sumo wrestler!


----------



## Jesus_marley (Nov 17, 2006)

Aurora said:
			
		

> That's gross.
> I feel sorry for my lil sister. She's only ever had 1 boyfriend and I swear it's because she looks 12. I think guys figure she is in junior high. Except, she's 24. She's cute though. Platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, but she's 5'1" and on a good day gets up to 85 pounds. She has to buy designer clothes because they are the only ones that come in a small enough size. It's that or shop in kids departments.




Has she ever been tested for Turner's Syndrome?


----------



## Aurora (Nov 17, 2006)

Jesus_marley said:
			
		

> Has she ever been tested for Turner's Syndrome?



She doesn't have it. She just takes after my stepmom. When my stepmom was 20, she weighed 97 pounds (she's 5'7"). That's really thin for 5'7" tall. Only now at 56YO is my stepmom finally wearing like a size 7 and complaining about "putting on a few pounds". My stepsister got the short stature of a couple of her close relatives and my stepmom's metabolism.


----------



## Mycanid (Nov 17, 2006)

Aurora said:
			
		

> That's gross.
> I feel sorry for my lil sister. She's only ever had 1 boyfriend and I swear it's because she looks 12. I think guys figure she is in junior high. Except, she's 24. She's cute though. Platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, but she's 5'1" and on a good day gets up to 85 pounds. She has to buy designer clothes because they are the only ones that come in a small enough size. It's that or shop in kids departments. _THAT_'s skinny.




Yeah ... I know someone who is the exact same. She is a little taller - 5'7" - and heavier (err ... never asked how much she weighed), but she looks like a 12 year old ballerina or elf child. And she is 25 or so. Guess some people are just like that.  :\


----------



## BOZ (Nov 17, 2006)

yesterday, i was waiting to pick up my 11-year old daughter from a class trip.  i saw a girl come walking down the sidewalk and thought she might be a classmate.  until she opened up her car and started driving away.


----------



## Ranger REG (Nov 18, 2006)

BOZ said:
			
		

> yesterday, i was waiting to pick up my 11-year old daughter from a class trip.  i saw a girl come walking down the sidewalk and thought she might be a classmate.  until she opened up her car and started driving away.



Yes, that is odd among European descendents.

Not so much with us Pacific-Asian descendents. I'm a little over 5'6", my parents are no more than 5'2".


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 18, 2006)

Eh...some of it is genetics, some is nutrition, some is environmental factors liek diseases.

There was just a discussion about an old battle in the British Isles on TV (I came in too late to catch which one, but it involved a dispute over the succession to the throne of England) in which many of the northern warriors were well over 6 feet tall- nicknamed "redshanks" for the color of their legs after crossing "uncrossable" creeks by wading through them.

Their opponents averaged 5'3".

If you're decended from the latter, you're probably on the shorter side, but if you're from the former...


----------



## Numion (Nov 18, 2006)

I weight 220 and that's too much. Six years ago in the army I was down to 170, but since then  my income has multiplied while exercise has become almost non-existant. It's hard to beat the army exercise regimen for burning calories. 

It's all my fault. Work as a researcher is pretty static, and I eat unhealthy. At least I've kicked the soda habit - I only drink zero calory sodas


----------



## Ranger REG (Nov 19, 2006)

Numion said:
			
		

> It's all my fault. Work as a researcher is pretty static, and I eat unhealthy. At least I've kicked the soda habit - I only drink zero calory sodas



That's why we don't need AC/DC-powered PCs. We need pedal-powered versions.   

You know what's the best way to get your boyfriend or husband to work out a little? Hide the remote. He will spend most of his energy to find the remote rather than walk over to the TV/Home Theater and operate it.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 19, 2006)

Hey!  You KNOW there are functions on those things you can only get by using the remotes!


----------



## Ranger REG (Nov 19, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> Hey!  You KNOW there are functions on those things you can only get by using the remotes!



Yeah. Makes remote more attractive and appealing to male buyers. Also STOOPID.


----------



## awayfarer (Nov 19, 2006)

Just thought I would add that, ultimately, losing weight shouldn't really be a persons goal. The goal should be to live healthier. The numbers on a scale can be a big downer sometimes and my not exactly reflect whats going on with your body.

I haven't weighed myself in the three or four months since I started working out again. My gf said this morning that she finds it a little easier to get her arms round me. That means more to me than a number.


----------



## Pbartender (Nov 19, 2006)

awayfarer said:
			
		

> Just thought I would add that, ultimately, losing weight shouldn't really be a persons goal. The goal should be to live healthier. The numbers on a scale can be a big downer sometimes and my not exactly reflect whats going on with your body.
> 
> I haven't weighed myself in the three or four months since I started working out again. My gf said this morning that she finds it a little easier to get her arms round me. That means more to me than a number.




_Especially_ if you're working out as a part of your program...  Muscle tissue is much more dense than fat.  According to the scale you may not be losing much weight, or even gaining weight, as you replace fat with muscle.

Instead, keep track by measuring your waste size, or by how much "pinch" you've got in your belly.


----------



## Ranger REG (Nov 20, 2006)

awayfarer said:
			
		

> I haven't weighed myself in the three or four months since I started working out again. My gf said this morning that she finds it a little easier to get her arms round me. That means more to me than a number.



A least you have a cheerleader.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 20, 2006)

"Save the cheerleader, save the world!"


----------



## Ranger REG (Nov 20, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> "Save the cheerleader, save the world!"



Well, gee, how long have you been waiting to use *that* line?   

[Honestly, I'm getting really annoyed at that damn line.]


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 20, 2006)

Shoot the Cheerleader, save your sanity!


----------



## Ranger REG (Nov 20, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> Shoot the Cheerleader, save your sanity!



Hehehe.

I prefer "Shoot the Cheerleader, Save your Mind."


----------



## Dykstrav (Nov 21, 2006)

I thought I had a weight problem when I was about 20, since my gut sticks out over my belt and all that. I watched what I ate (less than 3,000 calories a day and I was expending about 3,800-4,200, eating mostly vegetables) and I excercized more (took up karate and jujutsu, which kept me vigorously exercising 6 days a week). This went on for almost 2 years.

I never lost a pound. In fact, I gained a few.

I gained alot of muscle mass and I certainly had more stamina and strength, but the size of my belly never shrunk. Not one inch. My doctor couldn't explain it, my blood pressure, glucose and all that was perfectly fine. I was 5'10" and 270 pounds, although no one believed it until I stepped on the scale. Supposedly, I look like I'm about 220, but the scale says differently.

Then I tried specifically to lose weight. Took up jogging and even done Atkins. I still never lost any weight.

So now several years later, I kinda gave up on the idea of being thin. Sure, I've got a belly (which I don't understand) but I can do pushups and situps and chinups. I can jog a mile. I still work out 3 days a week and usually eat only once or twice a day (for right around 1600-2200 calories a day). My blood pressure ia actually kinda low now, but otherwise I'm perfectly healthy.

So am I "fat?" I have a gut, yeah, not as much of one as some gamers I've seen though. I have more stamina and strength than alot of skinny people I know. By these criteria, I don't consider myself 'overweight,' although I'd like to lose a few inches off my waist. I seem to be perfectly healthy despite my apprearance.


----------



## Ranger REG (Nov 21, 2006)

Dykstrav said:
			
		

> I thought I had a weight problem when I was about 20, since my gut sticks out over my belt and all that. I watched what I ate (less than 3,000 calories a day and I was expending about 3,800-4,200, eating mostly vegetables) and I excercized more (took up karate and jujutsu, which kept me vigorously exercising 6 days a week). This went on for almost 2 years.
> 
> I never lost a pound. In fact, I gained a few.
> 
> ...



Have your guts checked out. Hopefully there is no tumor (heard of a lady who carried a 100-pound tumor on her stomach and she thought she was overweight).

If that's negative, then you have fat that cannot be used by your body for energy. You might have to explore the option of liposuction.


----------



## Vraille Darkfang (Nov 23, 2006)

Aeson said:
			
		

> That means he like to call women Mistress and get spanked.




So I leave for a few days & this is what Gamers come up with?

Corporeal Punishment to Reduce Obesity.

"Would you like to Super-Size that for only 2 Swats"

I'm pretty sure any Singapore-Style Buffets won't survive.....

Then again.....

I'm not sure wether that woud help or hurt the obesity problem.


----------



## Mycanid (Nov 23, 2006)

Vraille Darkfang said:
			
		

> So I leave for a few days & this is what Gamers come up with?
> 
> Corporeal Punishment to Reduce Obesity.
> 
> ...




  I was WONDERING when you would come back into the thread. I was thinking you might be kinda surprised where it went too.


----------



## Wereserpent (Nov 23, 2006)

Hahaha, oops I started that one.


----------

