I mean - do any of you just choose quality of life vs. endless watching of food?

[Anonymous]

Op you are doing great and probably way healthier than those of us who spent years counting calories which actually doesn’t lead to healthy behaviors for many. You are so on the right track and research is starting to back you up, doctors haven’t caught up yet. Continue doing what you’re doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op you are doing great and probably way healthier than those of us who spent years counting calories which actually doesn’t lead to healthy behaviors for many. You are so on the right track and research is starting to back you up, doctors haven’t caught up yet. Continue doing what you’re doing.

I also agree with getting a new doctor or asking them to please not discuss weight with you anymore. It is normal for our bodies to change over time and anyway, BMI has been shown to be extremely flawed. Listen to your body. I also would be cautious with continuing on this thread, I haven’t read all the other responses but many many posts on dcum often seem to stem from folks likely dealing with orthorexia and other disordered eating, it’s not always a great source in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Here is a really helpful post from the registered dietician that helped me finally stop counting calories and live my life (in a much more healthy way) that really gets at and supports everything you’re saying: https://emilyfonnesbeck.com/what-is-a-healthy-weight-drawbacks-to-bmi/

[Anonymous]

Sorry meant to include this quote from her article:

“Because of this, here’s what I think determines a healthy weight, taking into account both genetics and environment: It’s one you maintain effortlessly with healthful, non-restrictive, adequate and flexible food patterns combined with sane amounts of physical activity. It’s a weight where you are free of food and exercise preoccupation and can live life without having to plan around those things.”

[Anonymous]

If your weight is truly stable and you’re happy with it, I absolutely would NOT diet. You will almost certainly end up gaining more weight that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry meant to include this quote from her article:

“Because of this, here’s what I think determines a healthy weight, taking into account both genetics and environment: It’s one you maintain effortlessly with healthful, non-restrictive, adequate and flexible food patterns combined with sane amounts of physical activity. It’s a weight where you are free of food and exercise preoccupation and can live life without having to plan around those things.”

With the huge disclaimer that anyone can do whatever they want and I don't really care and try not to judge, the word effortlessly takes it too far for me. I know what effortless looks like for myself and it isn't pretty. And it does take effort to get up an hour early to work out each morning or to decline thirds of a terrific meal. For myself, it is still worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm about the exact size and eat a really healthy diet to maintain a size 8/10 at age 46. To lose weight I basically have to starve myself.
I've never been super thin or below a size 4 or 6--even when I was a rabid cross country runner (running 20 miles a day) and subsisting on rice cakes and water in high school and college.

I'm just not built like a pencil (a fact that has annoyed me my whole life). I'm sturdy and always have been. At 46 I just don't care anymore and so I've embraced being me.

This is OP and YES - I just don't care. I'd rather be healthy and happy than healthier and watching every morsel.

You sound like you already watch every morsel. Just the fact that you could name every single thing you ate was off-putting.

But the bottom line is, live how you want, because ultimately that's what you're going to do anyway. If you don't like what your doctor is telling you, then switch doctors. This isn't rocket science?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry meant to include this quote from her article:

“Because of this, here’s what I think determines a healthy weight, taking into account both genetics and environment: It’s one you maintain effortlessly with healthful, non-restrictive, adequate and flexible food patterns combined with sane amounts of physical activity. It’s a weight where you are free of food and exercise preoccupation and can live life without having to plan around those things.”

With the huge disclaimer that anyone can do whatever they want and I don't really care and try not to judge, the word effortlessly takes it too far for me. I know what effortless looks like for myself and it isn't pretty. And it does take effort to get up an hour early to work out each morning or to decline thirds of a terrific meal. For myself, it is still worth it.

I agree with you. We live in an obesegenic environment, and for many of us, it will take effort. but there’s no easy answers, because food restrictions also can backfire and result in weight loss. I think the key is to find sustainable effort, and also to learn about your body and eating patterns to understand which habits lead to weight gain. for me, it’s nightly alcohol and snacking after dinner. Not that hard to focus on. Another trigger is getting back to my normal healthy eating patterns after the holidays. I’m learning that while I can enjoy holiday blow-out meals without weight gain, the problem is how that excess spills over into the next day/week.

[Anonymous]

I am on the lighter side of normal but have health issues, such as high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol/triglycerides that decrease when I lose weight and exercise to reach a BMI that’s below normal. I am also very fine boned and a petite Asian, and I believe that the BMI scale just doesn’t fit my profile. I feel as I’m overweight and going back to normal weight. Normal for me.

So that also means calorie counts are off too. A healthy daily intake for me is 900 calories or so. I gain weight when I eat more.

I LOVE food. I just mustn’t eat a lot of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry meant to include this quote from her article:

“Because of this, here’s what I think determines a healthy weight, taking into account both genetics and environment: It’s one you maintain effortlessly with healthful, non-restrictive, adequate and flexible food patterns combined with sane amounts of physical activity. It’s a weight where you are free of food and exercise preoccupation and can live life without having to plan around those things.”

With the huge disclaimer that anyone can do whatever they want and I don't really care and try not to judge, the word effortlessly takes it too far for me. I know what effortless looks like for myself and it isn't pretty. And it does take effort to get up an hour early to work out each morning or to decline thirds of a terrific meal. For myself, it is still worth it.

I agree with you. We live in an obesegenic environment, and for many of us, it will take effort. but there’s no easy answers, because food restrictions also can backfire and result in weight loss. I think the key is to find sustainable effort, and also to learn about your body and eating patterns to understand which habits lead to weight gain. for me, it’s nightly alcohol and snacking after dinner. Not that hard to focus on. Another trigger is getting back to my normal healthy eating patterns after the holidays. I’m learning that while I can enjoy holiday blow-out meals without weight gain, the problem is how that excess spills over into the next day/week.

DP, and I don't interpret the quote to mean effortless around healthy eating and reasonable exercise--that does take work. More, that it's worth putting the work into *those* things, and then letting the chips fall where they may in terms of weight. So, right, sustainable effort around healthy habits in terms of what you eat and how much you move. It's not sustainable if you constantly have to think about it, or set new rules for yourself, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a dr who told me a good rule of thumb for women was 5 lbs for every inch over a 5 ft and 100 lb baseline. So at my height at 5’5” he said I should weigh 125. He would maybe allow 5 extra lbs for my “big bones”. I weighed 140 and told him GTFO. I got a new doctor. I would have to starve myself to lose 10 extra pounds when I was already at a healthy weight. No thanks.

That's insane. I'm 5'3", 135-140, a size four (sometimes six) and a personal trainer. I'm not skinny, but I'm firm and toned and not at all fat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a dr who told me a good rule of thumb for women was 5 lbs for every inch over a 5 ft and 100 lb baseline. So at my height at 5’5” he said I should weigh 125. He would maybe allow 5 extra lbs for my “big bones”. I weighed 140 and told him GTFO. I got a new doctor. I would have to starve myself to lose 10 extra pounds when I was already at a healthy weight. No thanks.

Was this a couple decades ago? I think most Drs now are pretty happy with your weight if you clinically obese as most of their patients are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your weight is truly stable and you’re happy with it, I absolutely would NOT diet. You will almost certainly end up gaining more weight that way.

Also there's a big difference between being "borderline overweight" and obese in terms of long term health outcomes.

[Anonymous]

This is the last stop before giving up completely. Next stop: gray hair and capris.

[Anonymous]

You do you. I like giving myself reasonable standards and then never giving up. I want to be healthy and fit my whole life. I've got a lot of "seeing the world" to do. Food is only one form of enjoyment. I eat to be not hungry, not to be full with few exceptions. I don't judge others. I just know I would be miserable if I didn't feel fit enough to try just about anything. I'm only in my 40s and like feeling like there's much more adventure ahead. Watching my diet is a way of trading food for other experiences. There is no free lunch.