Just figured out why I'm so fat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

But what if that food DID NOT fill you up? What if you had yogurt and fruit and some almonds and your stomach, 30 minutes later was rumbling? What if you were always hungry and your body wasn’t okay with small amounts of moderately balanced food?

I can eat VERY healthfully. My coworkers are amazed at my healthy lunches and how rarely I indulge in the donuts and things brought in. But I’m not thin and never will be because I’m pretty much always hungry. What would you do if you had 3 eggs cooked in olive oil with a cup of broccoli for fiber and coffee and an apple for breakfast and still feel hungry an hour later? I have friends who eat a 100 calorie yogurt cup and are full until lunch. I’ve tried every trick in the book—hot water, broth, more protein more fiber etc.

And so I’m dealing with hunger much of the day AND I’m still 15-20 lbs overweight. It sucks honestly. But I’m not going to cut my meals and drop my calories even lower because I would rather be chubby and hungry but not HANGRY all the time. But yeah I’m thinking about food a lot because I have to. If I eat intuitively, even with healthy foods, I gain weight. Lovely.

I’m sorry that does sound tough. My friend who was early stage diabetes started Ozempic and said she suddenly stopped thinking about food all the time and felt less hungry. It sounds like maybe you have a hormonal or some other issue going on causing your vide to crave more food.

The whole reason I disclaimed my good metabolism was not to be smug but because I know there is a genetic element and I didn’t want to be disingenuous that you can willpower your way through.

I was just trying to share what works for me as far as following my hunger cues and not feeling socially conditioned to eat. This won’t work for everyone if there are underlying medical issues, but maybe it can help someone who has a preconditioned idea of how to eat that is based on norms they grew up with and more than they actually need to eat.

Thank you. I do have thyroid imbalance, but my doc keeps telling me that my levels are normal with the meds I’m on and it shouldn’t be causing the hunger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, your lunch should not be as much food as your dinner.

The size of your lunch or dinner doesn't matter. It's your total calories. I eat more than half my daily calories after 5pm. But overall, I am not eating more than I burn, so I maintain my weight. When you eat your calories doesn't matter.

No, it's actually what your individual body does with those calories. Four people can eat an apple and their bodies will react 4 totally different ways.

Sure which means those different bodies require different amounts of calories to maintain lose or gain. So calories matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

I mean…

CICO has been debunked. I’m someone with a genetically blessed metabolism (my mom is thin as well), low BP, excellent cholesterol and overall labs, and I don’t count calories.

I totally acknowledge genetics is a huge factor. But I also think it helps to not follow set rules about when and what I’m supposed to eat at certain times.

Since childhood I have just never been hungry in the morning. I’m glad my parents never pushed the whole “most important meal of the day” PR campaign from back in the day. To date, I still almost never eat breakfast. It’s 10 am and I’ve had nothing but coffee and water so far. I probably won’t have an appetite until noon.

Sometimes I am hungry for something in the morning and if I want a piece of leftover salmon or some cheese and olives, I’ll eat that. I don’t feel the need to have a cinnamon roll and bacon just because that is more breakfast-y.

I snack and graze throughout the day as I WAH. I feed my body what it is hungry for. Sometimes yogurt, sometimes a big protein like chicken or steak, sometimes bread. All foods can be good foods in moderation.

Dinner is my biggest meal b/c I’m eating with my family. But if I’m not hungry I’ll just eat a small portion and then heat it up at like 9 pm if I get a second wind to eat.

My eating habits would be so weird to most people but I’m still a size 2 in my 40s after 3 kids and my doctor says I’m super healthy. I think we all forgot to eat when we’re hungry instead of following a clock.

But it sounds like you don't eat that many calories and avoid most high-caloric foods or eat them "in moderation" as you put it. So CICO. Not understanding why you are saying calories don't matter if you in fact are thin as a result of not eating more calories than your body burns. Just because you are one of those "eat what I want, when I'm hungry" people doesn't mean that your calorie count is high. It means your body is not constantly sending you signals to eat and that you don't eat out of boredom or oral fixation or stress, which means you're not eating extra calories.

My point was that I think people think too hard about following some diet or schedule. If you get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning it becomes Pavlovian even if you’re not hungry. And counting up calories sounds tiring.

I was admitting I have a genetic leg up. I know to some extent I’m lucky. But I also think a lot of how we eat is cultural. Why do we eat carby pancakes and cereal and donuts and such for breakfast? (Obviously not everyone eats these; but these are considered normal breakfast foods). Other countries will eat rice, beans, fruit.

And why 3 meals a day? That is just something made up around the time America was settled.

My overall suggestion is that people break the cycle of eating what is supposed to be eaten when you’re “supposed to.” If you want a salad at 9 am go for it! If you want to make scrambled eggs for lunch, do it. All the traditions around meals are just made up.

But what if that food DID NOT fill you up? What if you had yogurt and fruit and some almonds and your stomach, 30 minutes later was rumbling? What if you were always hungry and your body wasn’t okay with small amounts of moderately balanced food?

I can eat VERY healthfully. My coworkers are amazed at my healthy lunches and how rarely I indulge in the donuts and things brought in. But I’m not thin and never will be because I’m pretty much always hungry. What would you do if you had 3 eggs cooked in olive oil with a cup of broccoli for fiber and coffee and an apple for breakfast and still feel hungry an hour later? I have friends who eat a 100 calorie yogurt cup and are full until lunch. I’ve tried every trick in the book—hot water, broth, more protein more fiber etc.

And so I’m dealing with hunger much of the day AND I’m still 15-20 lbs overweight. It sucks honestly. But I’m not going to cut my meals and drop my calories even lower because I would rather be chubby and hungry but not HANGRY all the time. But yeah I’m thinking about food a lot because I have to. If I eat intuitively, even with healthy foods, I gain weight. Lovely.

What do you mean by healthfully? You keep repeating it but do you mean low fat? Balanced? Do you exercise? And are you sure you’re overweight and not just aiming for a number on the scale that is simply unrealistic for you?

Do you exercise regularly? I tend to eat more when I don’t exercise. Do you get enough sleep?

I’ve never been the type of person who’s filled with a small cup of yoghurt (unless I had a feast the evening before). I don’t particularly enjoy yogurt, and it just doesn’t fill me.

I don’t snack though and prefer eating 1 or 2 large meals that fill me up and also satisfy my mind. I’d be hungry after eating yogurt cause my mind would be looking for something better to eat.

Also, check if all ok in terms of endocrinology.

Definitely overweight. And hypothyroid. I’m 163-165 and only 5’4. I don’t sleep that well, but I try hard to do so. I exercise but when I exercise a lot, I get way more hungry, so I stick to a lot of walking, yoga, and weights a couple of times a week.

My version of healthy includes a lot of vegetables, some fruit, beans, limited whole grains like quinoa and brown rice, not a ton of red meat but do eat meat and fish, healthy fats—but measured. Plain unsweetened yogurt and cottage cheese for protein, that kind of thing. Rare alcohol, rare gluten, dark chocolate for my treat….really don’t indulge that much, but I would love to! I can’t do 1-2 meals a day. I tried that and failed miserably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was much heavier before I realized that I didn’t have to eat a big meal for EVERY meal and not every day. I love to eat and binge all the time but the rest of the time I skip meals or eat something small. Is it healthy? Probably not. But I’m able to maintain a healthier weight while not beating myself up for eating a whole bag of salt and vinegar chips.

I struggle with this too. Skipping meals and skimping calories MAY not be healthy but an excess of weight and wobbly fat covering ones internal organs and entire body and the extra stress on joints and knees is DEFINITELY not healthy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, it's usually no mystery why people weight what they do. My sister in law is skinny as a rail. And she eats like a bird. Takes the tortilla off her tacos, eats her hamburger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, takes fruit as an appetizer instead of chips and dip, never has dessert. I envy her discipline.

It’s called willpower. Some of us have it.

Because your body isn’t demanding you eat all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

You should look at the long term studies done on weight. PBS covered them. People's bodies react differently wrt fat storage. Go read about the contestant who lost a lot of weight on the show The Biggest Loser. He had a lab work with him afterward and his body was so efficient at fat storage that he would gain weight if he didn't stick to an extreme deprivation diet. Those of you who assume weight loss is the same experience for everyone are ignorant. There are twin studies that show identical twins raised apart end up in adulthood with the same weight issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

You should look at the long term studies done on weight. PBS covered them. People's bodies react differently wrt fat storage. Go read about the contestant who lost a lot of weight on the show The Biggest Loser. He had a lab work with him afterward and his body was so efficient at fat storage that he would gain weight if he didn't stick to an extreme deprivation diet. Those of you who assume weight loss is the same experience for everyone are ignorant. There are twin studies that show identical twins raised apart end up in adulthood with the same weight issues.

None of those extreme exceptions explain this on a population level at all. Yet somehow, everybody in this board is the extreme exception. Funny how that works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just be lazier. At the beginning of each week I take four individual yogurts and a bag of granola to work. I eat them together almost every day for lunch. I can’t be bothered to make myself lunch after I pack my kid’s lunches and nothing ever sounds good in the morning. Sometimes I’ll bring a sleeve of crackers and half of a pack of cheese slices for the week. Or a tub of hummus and a bag of crackers. Sometimes I’ll make a lentil salad and scoop it up with crackers.

My dinners are nutritious and I usually eat baked oatmeal every day for breakfast, again, lazy.

I maintain a decent weight and my labs are good at age 40. If I get hungry during the day I’ll usually guzzle some water or eat a Lara bar which I also keep a stash of.

People should post their body fat percentage too. A sleeve crackers and cheese is a terrible lunch.

DP here. My mother, who could never seem to break 100 pounds, ate some version of cheese or PB nabs crackers for lunch almost her entire life. Multiple cups of coffee with cream and sugar in the morning, but no breakfast food. Relatively normal dinner including meat, starch and vegetables.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, it's usually no mystery why people weight what they do. My sister in law is skinny as a rail. And she eats like a bird. Takes the tortilla off her tacos, eats her hamburger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun, takes fruit as an appetizer instead of chips and dip, never has dessert. I envy her discipline.

It’s called willpower. Some of us have it.

Because your body isn’t demanding you eat all the time.

When you withhold eating food when your body is “demanding it”, it’s called will power. FFS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I and all my female relatives (mom, grandma, aunts, cousins) are all thin well past menopause and it’s because we just… don’t think about food. It’s never on our minds. We eat until we aren’t hungry anymore and then don’t think about food until we’re hungry again. even then I often don’t bother stopping what I’m doing to eat because it’s a chore, and the hunger pangs will go away after an hour or two if I ignore them.

Clearly we’re all this way because of genetics and not because we’re morally superior. But it’s always so surprising to me when I talk to heavier friends how much mental space is taken up by thoughts of food, and how much they do eat when they sit down to a meal. I wouldn’t be hungry for days if I ate one of their meals!

It's probably also because you never taught each other how to diet, so you don't have diet brain and food noise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just be lazier. At the beginning of each week I take four individual yogurts and a bag of granola to work. I eat them together almost every day for lunch. I can’t be bothered to make myself lunch after I pack my kid’s lunches and nothing ever sounds good in the morning. Sometimes I’ll bring a sleeve of crackers and half of a pack of cheese slices for the week. Or a tub of hummus and a bag of crackers. Sometimes I’ll make a lentil salad and scoop it up with crackers.

My dinners are nutritious and I usually eat baked oatmeal every day for breakfast, again, lazy.

I maintain a decent weight and my labs are good at age 40. If I get hungry during the day I’ll usually guzzle some water or eat a Lara bar which I also keep a stash of.

People should post their body fat percentage too. A sleeve crackers and cheese is a terrible lunch.

DP here. My mother, who could never seem to break 100 pounds, ate some version of cheese or PB nabs crackers for lunch almost her entire life. Multiple cups of coffee with cream and sugar in the morning, but no breakfast food. Relatively normal dinner including meat, starch and vegetables.

I asked about body fat rather than weight. It doesn’t sound like your mom is eating a whole of nutrients to support her aging body.

[Anonymous]

Get the LoseIt app, and track the foods you eat AND the quantities. You will find that the “serving” you had of pasta was actually 3 or 4 servings. It makes you accountable, and it works.

The reason Ozempic works is that it makes people eat less. I guess it makes them less hungry. But the rest of us don’t have to eat something every time we get hungry either. Have a cup or coffee or a glass of water and wait for the next scheduled meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, set mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, at a table. No snacking at all hours, because it's hard to keep track of intake. Like sceen time, no food before bedtime, it metabolizes differently.

I know people don't want to hear this, but it really is calories in, calories out. Most people who don't believe this don't know how to count their calories. When you cook your own food, it's actually really laborious to count ALL the calories. BTDT.

You should look at the long term studies done on weight. PBS covered them. People's bodies react differently wrt fat storage. Go read about the contestant who lost a lot of weight on the show The Biggest Loser. He had a lab work with him afterward and his body was so efficient at fat storage that he would gain weight if he didn't stick to an extreme deprivation diet. Those of you who assume weight loss is the same experience for everyone are ignorant. There are twin studies that show identical twins raised apart end up in adulthood with the same weight issues.

It’s also possible that we all have a different definition of “extreme deprivation diet.”

Go to an all-you-can-eat buffet with several friends of different weights. You will see a correlation between their weight and the foods on their plates. Yes some people have different builds, but if “obesity” was a natural build then it wouldn’t have tripled in the past few decades in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was much heavier before I realized that I didn’t have to eat a big meal for EVERY meal and not every day. I love to eat and binge all the time but the rest of the time I skip meals or eat something small. Is it healthy? Probably not. But I’m able to maintain a healthier weight while not beating myself up for eating a whole bag of salt and vinegar chips.

I struggle with this too. Skipping meals and skimping calories MAY not be healthy but an excess of weight and wobbly fat covering ones internal organs and entire body and the extra stress on joints and knees is DEFINITELY not healthy!

Is it unhealthy though? I don’t think humans were made for the 3 big meals + snacks per day. I think it’s completely fine to eat 2 meals per day. Or to snack on small things all day and have 1 bigger meal.