Obesity

Tueuse de Vampires

Tueuse de Vampires

Love will tear us apart..
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Sineya
Since a lot of people mentioned weight problems in the "Do you like what you see in the mirror" thread, it kinda sparked the idea to start a topic about that.

PrincessBuffy has pointed out that some people can't be blamed for their weight for medical reasons. That is very true, so I'd already like to point out it's not those people I want to talk about. But honestly, they only make up a small part of obese people anyway, and a lot of us have no one to blame than ourselves.

So there's the rest of us. It's really a paradox. A third of American adults are obese, many more overweight. From the DYLWYSITM thread we saw that many do mind the extra weight and wish to shed some pounds. And even if you say some people just like it that way and it doesn't bother them at all, there's still the very deep, negative impact obesity has on someone's health. And that's not just a personal matter, because health systems world wide are suffering from it. A while back I read an article that said in 30 years half of the UK's population is gonna be obese at the continuing trend, and that the NHS would get into big trouble because they'd have to pay for a lot of stomach reductions and such to get a grip of the problem, plus all the damages caused by obesity like increased occurence of heart attacks. I think it's really important to mention these costs; smokers always get it for that, but we're not the only ones who are a strain on health care.

So why are so many people struggling? Why is it so hard to resist the tempations of junk food, and why can't we just go out and excercise more?

Opinions?
 
I don't know why, but to some people, food is comforting. People find comfort in ice cream, cheese cake, chocolate.. people mostly burn that down with sport, some people are not sporty, and that's where the problem begins.

Obesity mostly begins at the young age. Most parents don't know how to say no to their child when they ask for chocolate every single time they're in the store. Parents don't know how to control their child, and mostly they don't want to, because he/she is only a kid. When that turns into a problem, the child starts to see he/she is different from all the other kids. When a child hits puberty, he/she doesn't care about the health, but about their looks.. depression leads to more eating. I'm not saying it's completly parents fault, and that all parents do that, but these days parents became more free on raising their kid.

I'm overweight.. I can't put the blame completly on my medical problems, but they're one half of the reason. Other, bigger half is me.. half not strong enough to say no to that last piece of chocolate.
 
First - western society has fewer and fewer physical jobs. A lot of people just got their exercise by working outside, performing physical work instead of desk jobs. I work at a desk all day - when I get home I don't feel like getting moving and exercising. Just don't want to do it.

Second - fast food / junk food is easy. It's pre-made, it's ready to eat from the get go - no work necessarily. These fattier foods are easier to access, cheap, and require no preparation. That makes it much more tempting to eat them.

I'm overweight, technically. Not obese, but overweight. I think the other part of the problem is that our definition of obese / overweight has also changed over the years. Many people who look perfectly fit will technically be overweight base on modern definitions. That in and of itself also leads to more people being labeled as overweight / obese.
 
I did a report on obesity for school last year and one of the things that kinda struck me was that obesity is often connected to poverty. I'm not saying that everybody who's fat is it because they're poor! it's just one of many reasons why people are overweight.
 
Z
zobothehobo
yeah, healthy food does cost A LOT more
T
Tasha
[No message]
Goby
Goby
Economic status is the number one factor related to obesity.
As far as I'm concerned, my main problem is my lack of exercice, and my lack of time to exercice.

In high school, we had sport in class 2 hours a week and a sport of our choice 2 hours a week as well. And I was working 10 hours a week at Pizza Hut, mostly during peak times (believe me, that was like a real sport). So I was "exercising" for about 14 hours a week. It was a great time, I could eat whatever I wanted and not gain any weight.
Then I finished high school. I spent one month home and my friends were all working or on holidays so I stayed home a lot. I didn't make any exercice anymore back then so I gained 10 pounds in one month. Then I turned 18, which meant that at work, I could do the..."closing"? Meaning I could stay till midnight (or more) till the restaurant was completly cleaned and tidied up and everything. I was finishing school at 18 on Friday and were working at 19. My school being at 40 minutes from my job, I had no time to eat. So on Fridays, I was eating at noon, and then I wasn't eating anything till...Saturday noon (I just can't eat while working. It was allowed, but I couldn't, I was feeling heavy if I was eating anything). So that Saturday noon meal was huge, because I was quite hungry and at night, I was always working from 5 pm to midnight. That was really a horrible habit I took which made me gained 10 extra pounds, that I couldn't loose as easy as before since I didn't have school sport anymore.

Then, I stopped working and went trough tough exam period (19 exams in less than 2 weeks) so I always needed to eat to stay aware and awake. And I wasn't exactly eating fruits. No, my exam food is more like chocolade all the time.
So, in one year, I gained about 40 pounds. That kinda hurts. I was already considering myself to be overly overweighted in high school but when I look at the pictures of me minus 40 pounds, I think "That really wasn't that bad".

This year I managed to loose 10 pounds but I already gained them back because during one month, I had a lot of work to do.

Now, I'm home studying my exams and I only drink cold water, when I want to eat outside of meal times I eat fruits and I already feel lighter but I'm also more aware, which is easier to study. During those two weeks of studying and the two weeks of exam following, I will keep this lifestyle. It's going to be better for my mental capacities and like that, I will already get used to eat better. I'm not a diet freak, my aim is really to still eat things I like, but picking them healthier (mmh, yummy fruits), which doesn't prevent me from making schokobons cake sometimes.

And when exam are finished, I will try to make like 30 minutes/one hour of sport a day in my bedroom (dancing, hoola-hooping...sport can be fun 😀)

I'm typically the kind of girl who hasn't nobody else than herself to blame for her weight! 🙂
 
Here, these are a few of my reasons with struggling with the weight. Also I should say I'm right on the cusp of obese. I would probably be considered obese by a doctor, but I'm no where near morbidly obese... and if I lost like 10 pounds, I'd be back to the overweight mark.

I'm a full time student and at home it's a disaster area. My father is a jackass and I like to lock myself in my room. I buy food on the way home (the grocery store is on my way). I don't like to buy anything I can't just keep in my room because then I have to go to the kitchen where my father spends most of his time. I also have a messed up sleeping schedule so I eat when I get home and that's usually like lunch and then I have dinner around 1 or 2 AM. You can't really keep veggies in your room for several hours our they'll get really soggy. What I've found is the best thing, is to buy a footlong sandwich at the deli at Harris Teeter and eat one half when I get home and the other half for dinner. That's usually all I eat. Not the healthiest option, I know.

Now I'd like to pin this all on not wanting to go to the kitchen because of my dad, but that's not all it. Part of it is buying healthy is a hell of a lot more expensive. Last year, I used to eat cookies and ice cream (which is why I gained like 40 pounds. Yeah, I was overweight, now I'm obese because I ate like a kid left home alone for a whole year). While I gained so much more weight... it was A LOT cheaper! I spend 6 bucks a day on my sandwich. I spent 6 bucks a WEEK on my junk food! So it's a lot cheaper to live like I used to on JUST junk food than like I do on sandwiches... and those sandwiches aren't even healthy! Just healthier...

On top of that, there's exercise. I don't get much of it because I sit in my room all day when I'm not at school... and I keep asking my grandfather to buy me a treadmill like he's been offering for years because I honestly think I would exercise more with a treadmill in my room. But that's one option. The slightly more probable option for what would happen if I got a treadmill is I'd use it for a while and then stuff would build up on it. Trash, clothes, books, whatever. And then I wouldn't really care. Then I'd think about it but I'd be too lazy to clean it off and find a spot for everything that was on it. Then one day I'd be super motivated and clean it off... and the cycle would repeat itself. Still though, it'd be more exercise than I get now. Although I do dance around my bedroom a lot. I'm the kind of person who can't really just listen to a song I love. I have to either sing along, act it out, pretend I'm singing to someone, dance, do guard work... so I dance a lot.

Bottom line, I'm a lazy, frugal, 19 year old who hates going down to the kitchen because the monster who lives in there will eat her. (and I'm being kinda serious)
 
It *is* hard to resist the temptation of candy - for me! But I did it, which I'm very proud of. I understand that people can't resist a BigMac or a big McChicken Menu.. I had the same problem before.. But I've learnt to be strong enough to say "no".

Earlier I could eat McDonald's food several days a week.. but when I reached 154 lbs I was like "I do not wanna do this. This isn't healthy", and I went on a diet and lost 26 lbs.. so since April I haven't eating fast food. I just started to eat 1 peace of chocolate per week because I'm getting comfy with my body (finally).
But I must admit.. It was *so* hard in the beginning.. Everyone was eating pizza, lasagna, or hamburgers.. I was just sittin' there with my salad being so jealous 😀
But I got used to it..

I have a little cousin who weights as much as I, and she is 8.. She told me that she eats chips and chocolate every morning. And she is kinda fat.. So her mum wants me to teach her about healthy food.. But I was very shocked when I heard how unhealthy she eats and she doesn't do any sports.
 
With me it's always two sided. Because I love doing sports and exercise, I really do. But then it clashes with the fact that I'm lazy. It's weird. I also can't exercise at the moment because I injured my leg (during exercising!) so I can't even exercise and lose weight. I'm not obese, just over weight, and I can't do much about it. I've gained some weight because I can't exercise. I used to exercise for 2-3 hours almost every day. I guess I overreacted, becaues I'm very obsessive about stuff, and can't stop. It was fine by me that I was sports obsessed. But I wasn't careful enough, so I lost it.


About food, I like healthy food. But I also like pizza and all that junk. And I don't eat because of some sort of reasons such as comfort. I eat because I feel like it. When I'm watching TV, I feel kinda bored in my mouth. Even when I'm not hungry. I just get bored and eat. It also passes the time.

Although, I skip meals all the time. I hate eating in the morning, in noon I never find something that I want, and in dinner I'm just not hungry enough. Then I start eating junk in the night (meaning after dinner time). I get so hungry because I've barely eaten all day. And most foods I don't even like. Sometimes it's enough if I eat very little food to gain a little wait. I feel like I need to eat nothing at all so I lose weight, or eat air.
 
Chosen Enemy said:
With me it's always two sided. Because I love doing sports and exercise, I really do. But then it clashes with the fact that I'm lazy. It's weird. I also can't exercise at the moment because I injured my leg (during exercising!) so I can't even exercise and lose weight. I'm not obese, just over weight, and I can't do much about it. I've gained some weight because I can't exercise. I used to exercise for 2-3 hours almost every day. I guess I overreacted, becaues I'm very obsessive about stuff, and can't stop. It was fine by me that I was sports obsessed. But I wasn't careful enough, so I lost it.


About food, I like healthy food. But I also like pizza and all that junk. And I don't eat because of some sort of reasons such as comfort. I eat because I feel like it. When I'm watching TV, I feel kinda bored in my mouth. Even when I'm not hungry. I just get bored and eat. It also passes the time.

Although, I skip meals all the time. I hate eating in the morning, in noon I never find something that I want, and in dinner I'm just not hungry enough. Then I start eating junk in the night (meaning after dinner time). I get so hungry because I've barely eaten all day. And most foods I don't even like. Sometimes it's enough if I eat very little food to gain a little wait. I feel like I need to eat nothing at all so I lose weight, or eat air.
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You certainly can lose weight without exercising. You just have to eat healthy.. But it is not good that you skip meals, because it doesn't make it any better. Especially in the morning it is important to eat.. Eat 6 times every day and you will not feel hungry + you will lose weight 🙂
I know how you feel.. Because I've starved myself before. Yes, I did lose a lot of weight, but I was ill all the time. Now I've decided to eat often, but I eat very healthy.. Sometimes I also feel like that I cannot eat a whole apple (and therefore eat just half of it), because it is better to eat 25 calories than 50. But it is just wrong, because those calories are healthy.
So, please do not skip meals! I have very bad experiences with that. You can certainly eat and lose weight 🙂
 
M
Ms.Trick
Wait, you eat 6 times a day and you lose weight? HOW? :D
Goldilocks said:
You certainly can lose weight without exercising. You just have to eat healthy.. But it is not good that you skip meals, because it doesn't make it any better. Especially in the morning it is important to eat.. Eat 6 times every day and you will not feel hungry + you will lose weight 🙂
I know how you feel.. Because I've starved myself before. Yes, I did lose a lot of weight, but I was ill all the time. Now I've decided to eat often, but I eat very healthy.. Sometimes I also feel like that I cannot eat a whole apple (and therefore eat just half of it), because it is better to eat 25 calories than 50. But it is just wrong, because those calories are healthy.
So, please do not skip meals! I have very bad experiences with that. You can certainly eat and lose weight 🙂
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I've tried it. But nothing works, I was trying to do everything right, followed the menu I was given, but it didn't change one bit. I did everything they told me, yet nothing budged. I even drink a lot of water.

And I think I'll feel sick if I force the food into my mouth when I really don't want it. Sometimes I see certain food, and I so don't want it, so I almost throw up. Seriously. And if I force the food into my mouth when I'm not hungry, I get stomach aches.
I do eat plenty of healthy food, but nothing really helped, because as I said, it's enough for me to eat just a little to gain weight.
 
Chosen Enemy said:
I've tried it. But nothing works, I was trying to do everything right, followed the menu I was given, but it didn't change one bit. I did everything they told me, yet nothing budged. I even drink a lot of water.

And I think I'll feel sick if I force the food into my mouth when I really don't want it. Sometimes I see certain food, and I so don't want it, so I almost throw up. Seriously. And if I force the food into my mouth when I'm not hungry, I get stomach aches.
I do eat plenty of healthy food, but nothing really helped, because as I said, it's enough for me to eat just a little to gain weight.
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I know how it feels. This weekend I ate more candy than usual and I gained 0.8 lbs, and believe me I haven't been thinking about anything else the whole day, and I went all "I am never gonna reach my ideal weight"..
But I just think you gotta get used to eat regularly and make it a habit, then it will become more natural 🙂
 
Sometimes, it's hard to get into the routine of exercising. Other times, I'm kind of lazy. I've always struggled to maintain some kind of long term exercise schedule or something.
 
Goldilocks said:
I know how it feels. This weekend I ate more candy than usual and I gained 0.8 lbs, and believe me I haven't been thinking about anything else the whole day, and I went all "I am never gonna reach my ideal weight"..
But I just think you gotta get used to eat regularly and make it a habit, then it will become more natural 🙂
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Yeah, you're right about that. Big meals are also out of the question, because I can't eat much. The temptation is the main problem though. I can eat healthy, I can eat regular meals. But if one day I see a pizza or something, there I lost my wheel.
 
Ms.Trick agrees: Wait, you eat 6 times a day and you lose weight? HOW?
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Yup 😀 I count all the calories I consume..

---------- Post added at 10:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 PM ----------

Chosen Enemy agrees: Wow, I used to be really obsessed with counting the calories! Do you also know how many calories in every food?
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Yes.. I've bought a program, where I just type in what I eat and how much I eat. And then it counts the calories automatically.
 
Chosen Enemy
Chosen Enemy
Wow, I used to be really obsessed with counting the calories! Do you also know how many calories in every food?
W
Wesley
In reality, volume of food consumed isn't as big of a deal. Eating sensibly 6 times a day is perfectly OK.
Goldilocks said:
Yup 😀 I count all the calories I consume..

---------- Post added at 10:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 PM ----------



Yes.. I've bought a program, where I just type in what I eat and how much I eat. And then it counts the calories automatically.
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Well, this is cheating! 😀
 
I've never weighed myself.. didn't think it's something most people regularly do. Not fond of fatties, though.
 
Christopher said:
I've never weighed myself.. didn't think it's something most people regularly do. Not fond of fatties, though.
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Wait till you become a woman. 😀

I also weigh myself in the morning almost every day (if I don't forget), before I put anything in my mouth. But I do it only once a day. And I don't really agree with all the people who say you should weigh yourself once a week.
 
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