Cure for Obesity editorial in Tme

[Jauronimo]

Good on you, bro. For the life of me, I just cannot get my bench up. I can make strength and speed gains in just about every other fitness category...but bench? Forget it. Just can't break that ceiling...

My bench has always sucked. Shoulder surgery didn't help, but still I could never break the 180 barrier. Looking back, I think every time I was close to breaking through it was more a product of ****ty form than real strength gains. Every other muscle group I see the gains in heavier weight, but while my chest has gotten bigger/toned up, I'm still lifting the same weight.

[Hazed and Amuzed]

So it's NOT a simple calories in/calories out equation if you're saying you won't see results without exercise. If it was a basic equation, then if I consume 1500 calories and burn 1700 calories in a day, I'll lose weight regardless of anything else.

 

 

What time do you go to bed? Studies show that lack of sleep increases weight as well. Are you going to bed at 8:30pm? To me this also shows that it's more than just "calories in/calories out."

http://science.howst...eep-obesity.htm

 

I'm not saying that caloric intake has no impact -- obviously it does. (and I don't mean to sound like I'm attacking you - re-read my message, and it was a bit blunt, so I want to make that part clear! ). But science shows that it's not as simple as some here are making it either, especially not in the long term.

 

I go to bed around 9PM sometimes 10 and yes I'm well aware of the studies that show lack of sleep not only increase weight but also impede muscle recuperation, however this is an overemphasized aspect IMO. If diet and training are spot on, you can get away with 5 hours of sleep, hell I got less than 4 hours of sleep a night when I was in basic training and my body adapted

[Just Jack]

Last year, being unemployed, I looked for a cheap and easy way to lose weight, since gyms cost money. So I took up hiking. 33 mountains later, I'd lost about 35 lbs.....

 

 

This was the last summit I did last year, Moxham Mountain, which recently had a new trail built, before you had to bushwack to the summit, due to private property located around the base.

 

Funny thing is, on days I'd hike, I really wasn't hungry, more thirsty than anything, but the though of eating while on the trail seemed repulsive almost.

[Hazed and Amuzed]

...and stopped doing heroin.

 

Good on you, bro. For the life of me, I just cannot get my bench up. I can make strength and speed gains in just about every other fitness category...but bench? Forget it. Just can't break that ceiling...

My bench started going up when I started doing weighted dips, IMO weighted dips are the absolute best chest exercise for chest there is.

 

Exercising is complicated by two bad knees making walking hard and running impossible. I still skate and play hockey which bothers my knees some but not as bad as running. Food-wise I have reduced my intake to two modest meals and a snack. No crap. Lots of veggies, beans, nuts and fruits. Less carbs. Salmon, tuna and chicken for protein. Small serving of red meat once a week. Dropped 25 lbs pretty quick but now I'm stuck.

 

PTR

I hear you man, The best advice I could give you is to play around with your carb/sugar intake. As good as fruit is for you its got soooooo much sugar in it, try eating the fruits as early in the day as possible.

[Gugny]

Last year, being unemployed, I looked for a cheap and easy way to lose weight, since gyms cost money. So I took up hiking. 33 mountains later, I'd lost about 35 lbs.....

 

Funny thing is, on days I'd hike, I really wasn't hungry, more thirsty than anything, but the though of eating while on the trail seemed repulsive almost.

 

That's awesome. My son's teacher became a 46'er a couple weeks ago. I've seen you mention the Adirondacks. Have you ever hiked any of the peaks?

[Just Jack]

That's awesome. My son's teacher became a 46'er a couple weeks ago. I've seen you mention the Adirondacks. Have you ever hiked any of the peaks?

 

Any of the 46ers or any of the Adirondack peaks? Most of the peaks I've done are in the ADK. I finished the Fire Tower Challenge last year. For the 46ers, only Cascade, Porter, Algonquin and Iroquois. I'm going to start on the ADK Hundred Highest if this rain ever quits.

[birdog1960]

ok, lets try again... it is as simple as calories in and calories out. the difference

[The Big Cat]

My bench started going up when I started doing weighted dips, IMO weighted dips are the absolute best chest exercise for chest there is.

 

I can't do dips without weights! As part of my weight training for the half marathon, I'm building up on the assisted dip machine until I get to '0.' May be that will get me there!

 

Last year, being unemployed, I looked for a cheap and easy way to lose weight, since gyms cost money. So I took up hiking. 33 mountains later, I'd lost about 35 lbs.....

 

 

 

This was the last summit I did last year, Moxham Mountain, which recently had a new trail built, before you had to bushwack to the summit, due to private property located around the base.

 

Funny thing is, on days I'd hike, I really wasn't hungry, more thirsty than anything, but the though of eating while on the trail seemed repulsive almost.

 

Congrats, man. That's great!

[Gugny]

Any of the 46ers or any of the Adirondack peaks? Most of the peaks I've done are in the ADK. I finished the Fire Tower Challenge last year. For the 46ers, only Cascade, Porter, Algonquin and Iroquois. I'm going to start on the ADK Hundred Highest if this rain ever quits.

I was talking specifically about the 46 peaks. I've never gone on a real hike. Prospect Mountain is the only one I've done and that was with my nephew's 4th grade class about 10 years ago. I was thinking of getting into it.

[Hazed and Amuzed]

ok, lets try again... it is as simple as calories in and calories out. the difference

Calories in/out is the best guideline but Its not just as simple as that, for a few reasons. Not all calories are equal. Someone who is eating 250g of protein/250g of carbs and 50g of fat is roughly consuming 2500 cal a day. Someone who is consuming 200g of fat, 75g of protein and 75g of carbs is also around 2500 cal. Who do you think is healthier? Our bodies do different things with each macro nutrient, and each macro digests differently as well as burns off differently, some calories absorb quickly and some barely at all.

This is a good read: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1200993/Why-calorie-counting-makes-fat.html#ixzz1CupQHZSJ

[Just Jack]

I was talking specifically about the 46 peaks. I've never gone on a real hike. Prospect Mountain is the only one I've done and that was with my nephew's 4th grade class about 10 years ago. I was thinking of getting into it.

 

It's a good hobby that also provides plenty of exercise. You don't need to start right out on a 46er, try smaller, shorter trails first. Get a decent pair of boots. Some people spend a lot, I stick with my $40 Walmart boots that I replace each year. A good fitting backpack, plenty of water, etc. If you're in the Syracuse area, I can provide some trails around here that are a good challenge to get started on.

[Gugny]

It's a good hobby that also provides plenty of exercise. You don't need to start right out on a 46er, try smaller, shorter trails first. Get a decent pair of boots. Some people spend a lot, I stick with my $40 Walmart boots that I replace each year. A good fitting backpack, plenty of water, etc. If you're in the Syracuse area, I can provide some trails around here that are a good challenge to get started on.

I'm a few hours east of Syracuse but I appreciate the offer.

[BillsFanM.D.]

I gained a bunch of weight from 2010-2011. From 2011-2012 it was impossible for me to lose weight. Literally, impossible.

 

So, during my annual physical, I asked my doctor to do blood work. Turns out my thyroid levels were off the charts. "High" TSH levels would be like 10, mine were 282...my doctor was shocked and I'm something of a legend in the endocrine lab.

 

Now I take a synthroid, every morning. I will for the rest of my life. It's cheap, but it keeps my body functioning (at 282, weight gain wasn't my only symptom, believe you me.)

 

And you know what? Even though it's easier to exercise now, even though I have lost weight, and will continue to do so, it's still just a little bit harder for me than for someone with an endocrine system in ship-shape. Because of that, I work a little harder, eat a little less. Is that fair? Probably not. Is that life? You're !@#$ing-a right it is.

 

But I didn't just quit on it and except a life being overweight. I consulted my doctor, got fixed and now work a little harder. These comments piss me off because people can point to all these conditions that make them fat, but rather than change them, they just lean on them, like crutches.

 

They end up making the author's point for him!

Great post. You are the exception and that is part of the problem. "Most" overweight folks make minimal effort to change their lifestyle and 'insist' that there 'has' to be something wrong medically. You actually had a problem (and man....TSH over 200...you weren't messing around. Surprised you could walk across the room with that) and still decided to work 'harder.' Good for you!

Buy as little prepacked/prepared foods as possible.

Amen.

Will power is all well and good when you are quitting a bad habit like smoking or heroin. Unfortunately you can't go cold turkey on eating. Your metabolism can be a moving target. You drop some pounds and you hit a wall. It's a constant battle for some people.

 

PTR

This is true. It is interesting that weight loss almost always plateaus for a variable amount of time around six months of any 'program.' For most folks, however, the weight will begin to trickle off with continued effort. You're also correct in terms of this being an individual thing. There are certainly folks genetically destined to be 'big.' The reality, however, is that every person has different 'rules' and they must adjust accordingly. There is a caloric balance for every person. It is amazingly difficult for a small percentage and amazingly easy for some as well. The rest are sort of in the middle....and lack the gumption to make a change.

Good for you. What a great feeling, huh?

 

Personally, I keep logs.

 

I log my weight, I log my calories (to the best of my ability), but most importantly, I set specific fitness goals and log my workouts.

 

I've lost 25 pounds since January. In that time, I've completed three fitness goals:

 

Ran 4 miles in 30 minutes, completed an 8K in under 40 minutes and ran 3 miles in 20 minutes.

 

Now I'm training to finish a half marathon in September at a sub-8 minute pace.

 

If I wasn't constantly upping my fitness, my weight loss would have plateaued like it does when I stop paying close attention to what I eat.

 

Bottom line: it's a lot of !@#$ing work. And that's something not a lot of people seem to be up for these days.

 

Indeed. Lots of work. Not honking my own horn here but I was getting a bit big about two years ago. Started running at 5AM daily. Have already completed two marathons and qualified for Boston for next year. It is a lot of !@#$ing work as you said. I've also changed my diet and have lost about 25 lbs. Point being....It would have been much easier to stay 30lbs overweight. For me, and I feel for most, it is a choice and not a 'disease.' Again....some folks seemed 'doomed' to be overweight but they are in the small minority.

 

Good luck on the sub-8 min half! Speaking of addiction. Running is hard to stop once you start!

[birdog1960]

Calories in/out is the best guideline but Its not just as simple as that, for a few reasons. Not all calories are equal. Someone who is eating 250g of protein/250g of carbs and 50g of fat is roughly consuming 2500 cal a day. Someone who is consuming 200g of fat, 75g of protein and 75g of carbs is also around 2500 cal. Who do you think is healthier? Our bodies do different things with each macro nutrient, and each macro digests differently as well as burns off differently, some calories absorb quickly and some barely at all.

This is a good read: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1CupQHZSJ

didn't get the chance to finish that thought.... the difference being that calories out (metabolism) changes as caloric intake does. instead of starvation, a better description would be caloric deficit. a caloric deficit engages a slowing of basal metabolism. people can compensate by increasing caloric burning through exercise. no doubt there is much to be learned. as the article states we have no cure right now. the best medications are pretty lousy. there's argument on which diets are the best: low carb, low fat, very low calorie etc and the data is inconclusive (with none of them being all that successful). satiety (feeling full) is key and many think high protein, low carb works best in this regard yet the long term success of these diets is not all that impressive. find a drug that turns off hunger (causes satiety) and were all thin) nevertheless, it does boil down to calories in/calories out. a deficit and you lose weight, a surplus and you gain. Edited June 28, 2013 by birdog1960

[Chef Jim]

My bench has always sucked. Shoulder surgery didn't help, but still I could never break the 180 barrier. Looking back, I think every time I was close to breaking through it was more a product of ****ty form than real strength gains. Every other muscle group I see the gains in heavier weight, but while my chest has gotten bigger/toned up, I'm still lifting the same weight.

 

Are you being spotted? Knowing someone is "helping" you with a weight you've never tried makes it a bit easier.

[Just Jack]

I'm a few hours east of Syracuse but I appreciate the offer.

 

Join this group....

 

 

They do a lot of hikes at different levels of ability, so you can pick and choose what to start with, and work your way up to the harder ones.

[ExiledInIllinois]

 

Maybe one would be less tired with proper diet and exercise?

 

True. I try my best. I probably got shift work disorder... I have no regular sleep pattern. Cause and effect of the 24 hour world we live and work in... Higher risk for obesity, cancer, and heart disease.

 

Sleep patterns play a very important role in one's health.

 

Don't get me wrong, it is what it is and I accept the risks. Again, willpower to make change iin one's life.

 

Will power is all well and good when you are quitting a bad habit like smoking or heroin. Unfortunately you can't go cold turkey on eating. Your metabolism can be a moving target. You drop some pounds and you hit a wall. It's a constant battle for some people.

 

PTR

 

Exactly...

 

 

As one who has been fighting that battle (losing weight) for about 13 months, I can confidently say that willpower has nearly everything to do with success. Every time I hit a wall, I simply increased my physical activity.

 

I lost 20 pounds with nearly no exercise. Maybe 1-2 miles/day walking the dog. Then I hit the wall. So I kept my diet steady and began walking 3 miles. Hit another wall after 5 or so pounds. So now I'm up to 4-5 miles/day, with at least 2.5 of them at a brisk pace (sans dog). I'm up to 33.5 pounds lost as of 2 hours ago.

 

Willpower, hard work, determination and smart choices. And I quit smoking a year ago in May, as well.

 

Do you sleep regularly and go to bed @ the same time every night. How's your circadian clock? I think that is what they are finding out, a lot of people are in a sleep deficit. Everything snowballs without that regularity... Some people much worse. I am not super overweight, I am tall but could stand to lose 30 pounds. I handled it much differently when I was younger that 40.

 

 

 

I go to bed around 9PM sometimes 10 and yes I'm well aware of the studies that show lack of sleep not only increase weight but also impede muscle recuperation, however this is an overemphasized aspect IMO. If diet and training are spot on, you can get away with 5 hours of sleep, hell I got less than 4 hours of sleep a night when I was in basic training and my body adapted

 

But what happens when you have no regular sleep pattern? How young were you in basic training... You still slept around the same time each night? I had no problem doing what I did until I hit around 40... Boom... The 30 pounds just shot up. I am on midnights now... Got about 3 hours sleep... Now I am up... I just can't sleep and posting on a forum is not helping... ;-)

 

I actually lose more weight when I am on vacation... Really odd. If I retired tomorrow, I know i could drop that 30, even 50 pounds easily!

[coloradobillsfan]

try fasting for 1 day a week. it's a tough day, but the theory is you can eat pretty much whatever the hell else you want on the other days

 

http://www.documentarytube.com/eat-fast-and-live-longer-bbc-horizon-2012

[ExiledInIllinois]

try fasting for 1 day a week. it's a tough day, but the theory is you can eat pretty much whatever the hell else you want on the other days

 

http://www.documentarytube.com/eat-fast-and-live-longer-bbc-horizon-2012

 

Theory is the big word. I Do it all the time... But you surely can't make it up by then binge eating! FORMAL exercise and regular sleep patterns is the issue for me.

[birdog1960]

here's the ticket: eat what you grow or kill (or some nice farmer kills or grows). stay away from anything that touches a factory or food "scientist". our ancestors were rarely fat and that's what they often did.