I am fat because...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you are fat, your body instinctively fights to keep you fat. That is why cutting calories, eating clean, and exercise are so important. It is like fighting an uphill battle, and most of us give up because we are hungry, we don't lose weight fast enough, and we crave the sugary and fatty foods. It is really hard! If you can perservere, you will lose weight, and eventually reset your body. It takes a lot of hard work and effort. I feel for op, but she makes a lot of excuses, and is not ready for the type of battle that she will need to fight.

I agree with everything but the bolded: Based on this TED talk - your body's set point only increases as you gain weight - but doesn't ever move back down. Basically, if you started out at 150 lbs and went up to 170 for a while - your body decides 170 is the new normal. If you lose those 20 lbs, maintaining 150 will be harder for you than for someone who stayed at 150 (i.e. you will have to eat less to maintain). Research has shown that you can expect to maintain a 10% weight loss, but more than that is unrealistic. You will have to fight to maintain 150.

I find this incredibly disheartening. I've lost weight several times in my life - but without complete focus my weight creeps up to the exact same spot over time (eating moderately!). It seems better to focus on not gaining more weight rather than losing (past the 10% loss mark).

TED talk referenced: http://www.ted.com/talks/sandra_aamodt_why_dieting_doesn_t_usually_work.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, if PPs haven't already read the NY Times link posted several time previously in this thread, they should. Once you're fat, your body fights and fights to keep you fatter. Counting calories is a surprisingly small part of the whole picture. Some people live their whole lives on the lucky end of the spectrum: not very insulin resistant. (Side effect of this is thinking you have somehow discovered the simple truth of weight loss and staying in shape, along with the unsuppressable urge to share this truth with the weak and pathetic fatties.) For those who are already overweight, it's going to be a struggle with an answer much more complex than "You have to want to be thin." Yes, it's still within your control, but let's not oversimplify it.

+ a million

Oh bullshit. Those people let themselves become fat at some point. Others make the decision not to ever let that happen in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, if PPs haven't already read the NY Times link posted several time previously in this thread, they should. Once you're fat, your body fights and fights to keep you fatter. Counting calories is a surprisingly small part of the whole picture. Some people live their whole lives on the lucky end of the spectrum: not very insulin resistant. (Side effect of this is thinking you have somehow discovered the simple truth of weight loss and staying in shape, along with the unsuppressable urge to share this truth with the weak and pathetic fatties.) For those who are already overweight, it's going to be a struggle with an answer much more complex than "You have to want to be thin." Yes, it's still within your control, but let's not oversimplify it.

+ a million

Oh bullshit. Those people let themselves become fat at some point. Others make the decision not to ever let that happen in the first place.

Others make the decision not to be a raging a-hole. I see you struggle with self control, too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, if PPs haven't already read the NY Times link posted several time previously in this thread, they should. Once you're fat, your body fights and fights to keep you fatter. Counting calories is a surprisingly small part of the whole picture. Some people live their whole lives on the lucky end of the spectrum: not very insulin resistant. (Side effect of this is thinking you have somehow discovered the simple truth of weight loss and staying in shape, along with the unsuppressable urge to share this truth with the weak and pathetic fatties.) For those who are already overweight, it's going to be a struggle with an answer much more complex than "You have to want to be thin." Yes, it's still within your control, but let's not oversimplify it.

+ a million

Oh bullshit. Those people let themselves become fat at some point. Others make the decision not to ever let that happen in the first place.

Others make the decision not to be a raging a-hole. I see you struggle with self control, too!

Simply stating a truth. If you don't like it, change your reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, if PPs haven't already read the NY Times link posted several time previously in this thread, they should. Once you're fat, your body fights and fights to keep you fatter. Counting calories is a surprisingly small part of the whole picture. Some people live their whole lives on the lucky end of the spectrum: not very insulin resistant. (Side effect of this is thinking you have somehow discovered the simple truth of weight loss and staying in shape, along with the unsuppressable urge to share this truth with the weak and pathetic fatties.) For those who are already overweight, it's going to be a struggle with an answer much more complex than "You have to want to be thin." Yes, it's still within your control, but let's not oversimplify it.

+ a million

Oh bullshit. Those people let themselves become fat at some point. Others make the decision not to ever let that happen in the first place.

Others make the decision not to be a raging a-hole. I see you struggle with self control, too!

+ another million
I'm so sorry, PP with no asshole-self control, that I developed severe depression such that ECT was on the table as a treatment option and "decided" to become fat. Or maybe I'm glad to be alive, and I'll take "fat and kind" over "thin and you."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OMFG. More and more science and research is saying NO as emphatically as it can. Read the NYTimes link that was provided. Your advice is woefully out of date and laughably sad. You like it because it pats you on the back, when in reality, it reducing calories works well for you, your insulin sensitivity isn't all fucked up. Congrats. But don't tell people that you have all the answers.

I read the NYT link and understand the new research. Two things you should read more closely: I said that the idea of good and bad calories is both CORRECT and useless (for fat people). I love every 300 lb person who has decided that they can't lose weight because they have a metabolic disorder, hormone issues, or insulin sensitivity. Sure, it could be that fat people are fat because they have these issues, but doesn't it seem just as likely that some of them are fat because they don't exercise or eat right. Keep believing your stories.

Exactly.

Actually, the NYT article said exactly that, that fat people have insulin sensitivity that makes them eat more carbs and gain more weight. I guess you didn't read it? Or maybe you don't understand science? Also how can you tell fat people who just don't exercise or eat right from fat people who have metabolic disorders or insulin sensitivity? I want to be sure that I'm shaming the right people for simply being gross and lazy.

Just follow the examples of the PPs and shame them all. That way you won't miss any.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, if PPs haven't already read the NY Times link posted several time previously in this thread, they should. Once you're fat, your body fights and fights to keep you fatter. Counting calories is a surprisingly small part of the whole picture. Some people live their whole lives on the lucky end of the spectrum: not very insulin resistant. (Side effect of this is thinking you have somehow discovered the simple truth of weight loss and staying in shape, along with the unsuppressable urge to share this truth with the weak and pathetic fatties.) For those who are already overweight, it's going to be a struggle with an answer much more complex than "You have to want to be thin." Yes, it's still within your control, but let's not oversimplify it.

+ a million

Oh bullshit. Those people let themselves become fat at some point. Others make the decision not to ever let that happen in the first place.

Others make the decision not to be a raging a-hole. I see you struggle with self control, too!

Simply stating a truth. If you don't like it, change your reality.

You are sounding more and more stupid. Some people have been fat since they were toddlers. When did they make the decision to become fat?

[Anonymous]

OP here again

I dont understand the viciousness towards overweight people. Why does anyone but me care if I gain or lose weight? (except maybe my DH). Whether its science or self-control or disease or just liking your body as is, it really shouldnt matter to anyone else how much you weigh.

I prefer my body to be 30 lbs less than I am now, but I am pretty sure there is no one else out there who really gives a fuck.

And for people to bash overweight/fat people is so pathetic - like the people on this thread havent expressed enough self-hatred/disappointment. Its just mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I agree too and I am overweight. There is so much garbage in this thread. Unless you have a metabolic disorder, if you eat well (portion control is key) and exercise a reasonable amount, you probably won't be overweight. I'm in the process of losing 30 lbs after baby #2 and it is just about discipline, bottom line. For me wine is the main issue, and heavier dinners than I need to have. I don't pretend it's sugar, or carbs, or any of that crap. It's eating too much and moving too little. I don't think pp's comment is that awful, though I'm sure if she looked like me she'd be miserable. You have to really, really want to be thin and make the effort to do it. I haven't thus far.

Amen. It's true that carbs, sugar, processed foods, emotional eating, depression, and your own laziness contribute to being fat, but that's not why you're fat. We are fat because we eat more calories than we burn. That's it. Nothing else. Why you do that (and how to control it) could be wildly different for everyone, but there is no secret out there. In the end, weight is determined more in the kitchen than on a treadmill or in a medicine bottle. Most "clean" eaters are either eating crap and lying to themselves, eating far too much good food, or eating so little that they're a day away from (yet another) binge and psyche-destroying failure. And the idea that calories are different ("good calories" and "bad calories") is both correct and useless. Sure, some calories don't fill you up and some are nutritionally useless, but they're still the same unit of energy.

OMFG. More and more science and research is saying NO as emphatically as it can. Read the NYTimes link that was provided. Your advice is woefully out of date and laughably sad. You like it because it pats you on the back, when in reality, it reducing calories works well for you, your insulin sensitivity isn't all fucked up. Congrats. But don't tell people that you have all the answers.

YOU are the one laughably sad. Eat less, move more. Stop making excuses. And I'm not pp.

From the article you quote: “I think the focus on particular nutrients doesn’t tell you the true story,” she said. “It really is about overall calorie consumption and reduced physical activity.” ... “if we’re just talking about body weight and obesity, the evidence seems to point in the direction that calories are calories.”

And I'm not the one who posted the NYTimes article (do you understand what "quoting" is, by the way? I suspect not). Here's the article I thought had been posted: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/opinion/sunday/always-hungry-heres-why.html?ref=health

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again

I dont understand the viciousness towards overweight people. Why does anyone but me care if I gain or lose weight? (except maybe my DH). Whether its science or self-control or disease or just liking your body as is, it really shouldnt matter to anyone else how much you weigh.

I prefer my body to be 30 lbs less than I am now, but I am pretty sure there is no one else out there who really gives a fuck.

And for people to bash overweight/fat people is so pathetic - like the people on this thread havent expressed enough self-hatred/disappointment. Its just mean.

I'm also 30 pounds over my ideal weight (well, now only 18 pounds from my goal!!). I don't think people care, however when overweight people complain about being fat, how they look, etc, you open yourself up to people criticizing your eating habits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you are fat, your body instinctively fights to keep you fat. That is why cutting calories, eating clean, and exercise are so important. It is like fighting an uphill battle, and most of us give up because we are hungry, we don't lose weight fast enough, and we crave the sugary and fatty foods. It is really hard! If you can perservere, you will lose weight, and eventually reset your body. It takes a lot of hard work and effort. I feel for op, but she makes a lot of excuses, and is not ready for the type of battle that she will need to fight.

I agree with everything but the bolded: Based on this TED talk - your body's set point only increases as you gain weight - but doesn't ever move back down. Basically, if you started out at 150 lbs and went up to 170 for a while - your body decides 170 is the new normal. If you lose those 20 lbs, maintaining 150 will be harder for you than for someone who stayed at 150 (i.e. you will have to eat less to maintain). Research has shown that you can expect to maintain a 10% weight loss, but more than that is unrealistic. You will have to fight to maintain 150.

I find this incredibly disheartening. I've lost weight several times in my life - but without complete focus my weight creeps up to the exact same spot over time (eating moderately!). It seems better to focus on not gaining more weight rather than losing (past the 10% loss mark).

TED talk referenced: http://www.ted.com/talks/sandra_aamodt_why_dieting_doesn_t_usually_work.html

3 years ago I went from 185 to 145. This is a 20% loss. I also get my RMR tested and it has indeed gone up. I don't see HOW my RMR could not have gone up. I exercise regularly and have more muscle mass than ever. After a long run, I can literally feel my body burning fuel to recover. When I'm training up for a race, I can eat a huge bowl of pasta and still be famished an hour later. When I did that at 165, 175, and 185 and was sedentary my weight climbed and a pretty fast clip.

Exercise for me has been transformative on the inside and out. I don't think people stick to a plan long enough to see significant results. The journey is never over. If my body does not move and my fuel intake goes up, then OF COURSE I will gain weight again. Bodies are meant to move, and people don't need to fool themselves, Americans simply do not move enough. Exercise 30 minuets a day is a crock of shit. If you are generally sedentary (and "chasing kids" is not significant) and do not exercise a good amount, your body will get larger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you are fat, your body instinctively fights to keep you fat. That is why cutting calories, eating clean, and exercise are so important. It is like fighting an uphill battle, and most of us give up because we are hungry, we don't lose weight fast enough, and we crave the sugary and fatty foods. It is really hard! If you can perservere, you will lose weight, and eventually reset your body. It takes a lot of hard work and effort. I feel for op, but she makes a lot of excuses, and is not ready for the type of battle that she will need to fight.

I agree with everything but the bolded: Based on this TED talk - your body's set point only increases as you gain weight - but doesn't ever move back down. Basically, if you started out at 150 lbs and went up to 170 for a while - your body decides 170 is the new normal. If you lose those 20 lbs, maintaining 150 will be harder for you than for someone who stayed at 150 (i.e. you will have to eat less to maintain). Research has shown that you can expect to maintain a 10% weight loss, but more than that is unrealistic. You will have to fight to maintain 150.

I find this incredibly disheartening. I've lost weight several times in my life - but without complete focus my weight creeps up to the exact same spot over time (eating moderately!). It seems better to focus on not gaining more weight rather than losing (past the 10% loss mark).

TED talk referenced: http://www.ted.com/talks/sandra_aamodt_why_dieting_doesn_t_usually_work.html

3 years ago I went from 185 to 145. This is a 20% loss. I also get my RMR tested and it has indeed gone up. I don't see HOW my RMR could not have gone up. I exercise regularly and have more muscle mass than ever. After a long run, I can literally feel my body burning fuel to recover. When I'm training up for a race, I can eat a huge bowl of pasta and still be famished an hour later. When I did that at 165, 175, and 185 and was sedentary my weight climbed and a pretty fast clip.

Exercise for me has been transformative on the inside and out. I don't think people stick to a plan long enough to see significant results. The journey is never over. If my body does not move and my fuel intake goes up, then OF COURSE I will gain weight again. Bodies are meant to move, and people don't need to fool themselves, Americans simply do not move enough. Exercise 30 minuets a day is a crock of shit. If you are generally sedentary (and "chasing kids" is not significant) and do not exercise a good amount, your body will get larger.

I'm not suggesting anything different. The point is that you have to work harder/eat less than someone who never left 145 in the first place. It takes more constant effort, which is what you are describing. You can increase your metabolic rate all you want, but you won't lower your "set point" of 185.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you are fat, your body instinctively fights to keep you fat. That is why cutting calories, eating clean, and exercise are so important. It is like fighting an uphill battle, and most of us give up because we are hungry, we don't lose weight fast enough, and we crave the sugary and fatty foods. It is really hard! If you can perservere, you will lose weight, and eventually reset your body. It takes a lot of hard work and effort. I feel for op, but she makes a lot of excuses, and is not ready for the type of battle that she will need to fight.

I agree with everything but the bolded: Based on this TED talk - your body's set point only increases as you gain weight - but doesn't ever move back down. Basically, if you started out at 150 lbs and went up to 170 for a while - your body decides 170 is the new normal. If you lose those 20 lbs, maintaining 150 will be harder for you than for someone who stayed at 150 (i.e. you will have to eat less to maintain). Research has shown that you can expect to maintain a 10% weight loss, but more than that is unrealistic. You will have to fight to maintain 150.

I find this incredibly disheartening. I've lost weight several times in my life - but without complete focus my weight creeps up to the exact same spot over time (eating moderately!). It seems better to focus on not gaining more weight rather than losing (past the 10% loss mark).

TED talk referenced: http://www.ted.com/talks/sandra_aamodt_why_dieting_doesn_t_usually_work.html

3 years ago I went from 185 to 145. This is a 20% loss. I also get my RMR tested and it has indeed gone up. I don't see HOW my RMR could not have gone up. I exercise regularly and have more muscle mass than ever. After a long run, I can literally feel my body burning fuel to recover. When I'm training up for a race, I can eat a huge bowl of pasta and still be famished an hour later. When I did that at 165, 175, and 185 and was sedentary my weight climbed and a pretty fast clip.

Exercise for me has been transformative on the inside and out. I don't think people stick to a plan long enough to see significant results. The journey is never over. If my body does not move and my fuel intake goes up, then OF COURSE I will gain weight again. Bodies are meant to move, and people don't need to fool themselves, Americans simply do not move enough. Exercise 30 minuets a day is a crock of shit. If you are generally sedentary (and "chasing kids" is not significant) and do not exercise a good amount, your body will get larger.

Are you saying that 30 minutes a day of strenuous exercise isn't relevant/can't be transformative?

[Anonymous]

The takeaway from all the TED talks, NY Times articles, and even the anecdotal evidence of this thread is that we don't fully understand WHY it's so hard for some people to lose weight once they've gained it. Hence, we need to better educate everyone on what constitutes a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. The problem is that we also don't fully understand what constitutes a healthy diet and lifestyle. Is it whole grains? Is it reducing calories? Is it running marathons? Is it weightlifting? For some people, YES to all these things. For some people, NO. My point and the point of other PPs is that there is not a universal solution. Many of us have observed the same people at the gym on the treadmill, day after day, eating the same fat free yogurt day after day, and yet they remain overweight. Poor willpower? Perhaps. But even a dummy can come to the conclusion that it could be more than that. I wish people who have successfully lost weight and people who never had weight to lose to start with would just stop thinking that what works for them will work for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you are fat, your body instinctively fights to keep you fat. That is why cutting calories, eating clean, and exercise are so important. It is like fighting an uphill battle, and most of us give up because we are hungry, we don't lose weight fast enough, and we crave the sugary and fatty foods. It is really hard! If you can perservere, you will lose weight, and eventually reset your body. It takes a lot of hard work and effort. I feel for op, but she makes a lot of excuses, and is not ready for the type of battle that she will need to fight.

I agree with everything but the bolded: Based on this TED talk - your body's set point only increases as you gain weight - but doesn't ever move back down. Basically, if you started out at 150 lbs and went up to 170 for a while - your body decides 170 is the new normal. If you lose those 20 lbs, maintaining 150 will be harder for you than for someone who stayed at 150 (i.e. you will have to eat less to maintain). Research has shown that you can expect to maintain a 10% weight loss, but more than that is unrealistic. You will have to fight to maintain 150.

I find this incredibly disheartening. I've lost weight several times in my life - but without complete focus my weight creeps up to the exact same spot over time (eating moderately!). It seems better to focus on not gaining more weight rather than losing (past the 10% loss mark).

TED talk referenced: http://www.ted.com/talks/sandra_aamodt_why_dieting_doesn_t_usually_work.html

I did not read the TED article, but I went from 140 pounds to 115 pounds over a 6 month period of time. During that time I was exercising and eating clean...no junk for me. I have kept the weight off for 3 years, and my body does not want to be back to 140. Even if I go to an all you can eat buffet, I can only eat so much. My body lets me know when to stop. I would have to physically binge on very high calorie and fat food go a long period of time to budge my weight. I am always in a 5 pound range of my 115 pounds, so I do feel like my body has reset its ideal weight.