We [Americans] are fat and rich.

I've been in Rome for about a month now (studying for the summer). One of my main ways of spotting American tourists, aside from the whole t-shirts and shorts thing (why Italians think they are too good for shorts is another ******* matter), is the tell-tale bulging waistline.
 
You develop lifestyles when you're young, and when you get older, your metabolism changes. Then, you're working a ****-ton of hours at your job, which is very stressful, so you're exhausted and don't have an extra two or three hours to drive to the gym, work out, and drive back. And then add the whole wife/children/mortgage thing.

I gained about 50 lbs my last year of law school and first year of practice. It seemed to just happen. It took a concerted effort to lose it, and it took about nine months. I've kept it off, but only because I refuse to buy larger clothes.

And that "eat half what you're served" works very well.
 
If 65% of Americans are overweight/obese, some of you fat ******** have said some pretty nasty things about your parents, wives, siblings, dates.......................
 
Wow. Some of you are absolutely ridiculous. Yes, there are many people who are lazy and don't seem to care about being healthy and thin, but for some of you people to just say every fat person is a lazy lard-*** and it's their own fault for being that way...man. I would be permanently kicked off this site if I said what I want to say right now. You people disgust me. I am extremely overweight, and guess what? it's not my fault. A few years ago I was 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, and starting on my 5A high school basketball and football teams. Now, while I'm not going to go into extreme detail, I will tell you some personal things about me which I feel are necessary to tell due to some of y'alls hate and slander. I have bi-polar disorder and a few years ago I did not know it. Well, after a few stints in jail and a couple stints in a mental hospital I was finally diagnosed with bi-polar. I got on medication and have not been arrested or tried to kill myself or anything else too drastic since then. However, the medication i was on caused me to go from 180 lbs. to 320 lbs. in less than a year. Think about that for a second. let it marinate. I went from running up and down a basketball court all day every day feeling great and having fun, to basically having another Hornfans poster strapped to my back in less than a year. My athletic career was effectively over, my love-life obviously had drastic changes, and my self-worth plummeted. I now work out regularly and watch what i eat, but because of these pills I stay around the 300 pound range consistently. I have come to accept myself more and more and do not have low self-esteem, but I still struggle living every day remembering what it was like to be athletic and slim and happy. I choose to take my pills and choose to be a more sane, mentally healthy and happy person than to be a skinny psychopathic *******. While I know my story is unique and that many obese people are to blame for their weight problems, it disgusts me and sickens me to hear the way some of you talk about fat people. You don't know how many times I've wished that everyone in the world would go through what i went through, just for a week, to see what it's like to gain over 120 pounds basically overnight. When you make these blanket statements and goup all fat people as lazy slobs with no care for their own health, you are being a giant douchebag. It hurts to be stereotyped by some of you skinny people who will never know what it's like to be overweight, and who will never know each fat persons personal story as to why they are where they are now. So please, don't be such a close-minded loser in the future and just automatically assume that evry fat person is a lazy slob, because you have no idea as to how and why they became the way they are. All I know is that should I ever conquer my weight problem and get skinny and healthy again I will never look at obese people with the hate a disgust that some of you jerks do.
 
Obesity may help SS but it will dramatically accelerate Medicare's explosion. When people hit 65, they will all get government-paid treatment for hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, knee arthritis, spondylosis, sleep apnea, and all the disorders and diseases with a huge portion of their risk attributable to consuming more calories than one burns.

One heart attack costs us six figures when all is said and done. Each worn-out knee can run well north of $30,000, and they come in pairs. Remember that healthcare is being deemed a right, meaning that we owe every overweight American hundreds of thousands in treatment for preventable problems when they hit 65 (which most do). Obesity will be an enormous impediment to providing universal healthcare at a level we can accept.

Yes, I know not everybody (not even every obese person) will have every problem I listed above. But enough to break the bank will.
 
I'm convinced that all funding towards diseases and conditions that are caused by personal choices (i.e. it's their own fault) should just be cut. No more research for lung cancer. No heart-related health insurance for people that weigh over 300 pounds.

I just don't see why people who make healthy decisions should have to pay the same for health coverage/insurance as people that make unhealthy decisions. I also don't see why lung cancer gets any tax-funded grants at all. You wanna do that crap to yourself, then you should be the one paying for it.

It's sad but true that the only way to change people's behavior is often to hit them in their wallet.
 
Add me to the list of people who carry a few (or more) extra pounds.

I consider myself incredibly lucky in so many ways, largely I chose my parents well.
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I have had it relatively easy. Working hard has always come naturally to me. School was never tough. I graduated Plan II, Business Honors and finance in four years. I took a competitive, lucrative job after college working 80-100 hours a week, which landed me where I am now, in an interesting, exciting position where I make great money and only have to put in 50-70 (depending on the week). I have great friends, have always been generally well liked and have had the opportunity to see the world and travel extensively, which is one of my passions.

The one place I did not hit the genetic jackpot is body type. My extended family reunion would probably make most of the posters on this thread sick. I have a number of 400 pound relatives, and honestly they don't seem to make much of an effort to do anything about it. Oddly, they are all very healthy, no diabetes and few heart conditions. I had a 500 lb. great grandmother who lived to be 96, and never had a heart condition or cancer. My dad is probably 70 lbs. overweight (although, to me he does not look that big), and his doctor is always amazed at how low his cholesterol is and how good his overall health is. This family did not become fat with the fast food generation, they have been that way for a long time. And while most of them could improve their situations, there is unquestionably a predisposition there.

I am probably 50 pounds overweight. I do cardio for 45 minutes at least 3 days a week (yes, I know I could do more), but that allows me to wake up at 6 and still be at work by 8. I love snow skiing, playing tennis and doing anything outside. I don't get winded walking up several flights of stairs, in fact, I am in better aerobic shape than a lot of people I know that are not overweight. My ldl cholesterol is very low (75, optimal is below 100). I don't do much weight training because when I have it has made me a lot hungrier, I do some core training. I worked out with a trainer for about a year, and saw increases in fitness, but limited weight loss. I did body mass composition tests before and after and my fat free weight went from 120-128, which I know represents an improvement in overall health, but that is a really high fat free weight for a 5'5 female.

I know that I can lose weight, and I have done it before. For me, exercise makes little difference in that department, I just have to keep my daily calories really low (like around 1,100). I cannot just try to make good decisions, I have to be almost perfect. It is possible, but it is not easy. The few times I have really been successful, food has had to become a complete obsession, and I hate living my life that way.

I love restaurants and I love wine. I try to make smart decisions at restaurants, but I am not perfect. I work late, and like to go out to dinner with my friends. I travel frequently for work which involves dining out. My fast food consumption is limited to chick-fil-a once a month or so. I don't drink soft drinks. I rarely eat sweets. I usually split meals at restaurants, and make an effort not to clean my plate otherwise. I limit myself to three bites of any dessert ordered. Mexican food is my weakness, and I do indulge in too many chips and a margarita or two on occasion. If I have a weekend where I am not careful, meaning I eat the same amount as everyone around me, I can gain 5 lbs. in a weekend.

These are the cards I was dealt, and I am not going to ***** about it, because I am so, so lucky in a million other ways. I hate not being able to trade dresses with friends and always being the biggest girl when we go out and dreading looking at pictures, afraid I might look especially large in some of them. But more than that, I would hate not enjoying life or not trying new things, because I am obsessing about my weight constantly. My mom lives that way, and she has no energy and constant headaches because she does not consume enough calories, but she is several sizes smaller than I am.

I am overweight because of a) genetics (which I am not using as an excuse, but to claim it plays no part is wrong) and b) ultimately by choice (as I said, I can lose weight and have). I enjoy good food. I do not have an endocrine disorder, I just have a genetic predisposition to gain weight. I choose to enjoy my life, rather than to obsess about every bite of food that I put in my mouth.

I am absolutely not lazy. I know that we are not always the best judges of ourselves, but I am confident if you polled everyone that knows me for 10 adjectives to describe me, lazy would never be mentioned. I am also rarely gluttonous. If I was lazy and gluttonous, I would not be 50 pounds overweight, I would probably be 150 lbs. overweight.

And I get that in the responses, people will say that they are not talking about me and that I am in the minority. However, based on the posts on this board, it still sounds like most people walking by me on the streets would immediately assume that I am lazy and have no self-respect.
 
marghorn,

Thanks for sharing your story. I hope you don't mind a few suggestions. I am assuming that if you could lose some of that weight without drastically changing your lifestyle you would do it. Anyway, here are my thoughts:

1. Cardio - 45 minutes three times a week is good. If you could find time to do it 4 times that would be better. However, the thing I want to make sure about is that you are doing the right kind of cardio. You can't do the same thing every time because your body gets used to it. You need to push yourself to either go faster or use higher resistance. You can do this very slowly. I am also a big fan of interval training where you alternate working very hard and then resting. Most machines have this as program and alternate every two minutes. In any case, keep trying to push yourself to do better than the previous time. If you currently burn 400 calories in 45 minutes, try to get it to 410 and then 420, etc.

2. Weight training - I understand exactly where you are coming from in this regard but I think you made the wrong decision to stop. Building muscle is good for you in many ways. Yes, muscle weighs more than fat so it doesn't do a lot for you overall weight immediately. However, as you pointed out, it does decrease your body fat percentage. Muscle aslo burns more calories during the day than fat so your metabolism increases. And you are also correct about it making your hungry. That is actually a good thing. You should eat more...see below.

3. Diet - 1100 calories is too low. Your body thinks you are starving and your metabolism reduces. You should be eating closer to 1500 calories in 4 or 5 meals and continue making good choices. And good choices don't just include looking at calories and fat content. Eat a balanced diet with lean proteins, complex carbohydrates (not simple ones like sugar and white flour) and some good fats (no trans fats and very little saturated fat).

I actually think you are doing a great job right now. Working harder on cardio (and hopefully adding a fourth day), going back to weight training, and changing your diet a little will make a big difference. It will take time as the weight should only change slowly but it will work. And, btw, I totally approve of you cheating occassionally. Otherwise, you can't stick to a healthy diet as the cravings will kill your resolve.

Best of luck.
 
Most everything has been covered.

I have certainly seen instances where being overweight or obese was due to genetics or a mental issue. Sadly, the majority of people with weight problems have them due to being straight up lazy bums.

I use to be a fatass. It took a lot of sacrifices and changes in my lifestyle to get down to a healthy weight. But I am in the minority. Most Americans just don't care. They would rather sit around and catch up on 5 hours of dvr specials they missed while stuffing their face with cheese topped cheese enchiladas.

"Oop... I almost forgot. I won't be able to make it fellas. Veronica and I trying this new fad called uh, jogging. I believe it's jogging or yogging. it might be a soft j. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild. "
 
I never have any problem dropping any weight I want to. For me, it’s all about having a little bit of self-control.

I don’t think exercise works at all. I am terribly out of shape, and I know heavy people that exercise a lot more than I ever will. When I exercise, it just seems to make me more hungry.

You just have to not eat. That’s it. After about two days, your appetite will go way down. After the two days of fasting, I start eating again (careful not to overdo it), but only 1/2 what I would normally eat (and no breakfast at all). I eat whatever I want, just cut it in half. After a week or two, my appetite is so low, I get full really quick. I know if I can just stay disciplined that first week, it gets easy after that. Sometimes I get too thin, and I need to force myself to eat and gain weight.

You end up wasting some food, but I can lose weight easily with my diet plan. No exercise required. I’m sure my plan is not healthy, but it works for me.

Also - when you stop eating - that first day is like hell. Staring on the 3rd day, you wont even feel hungry.

Actually - I have just gone over 180 which is usually when I start dieting to lose again. I need to start this now, so I'll wait until the weekend when I don't have a lot of stress. Wish me luck!
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Eastern Horn,
Thanks, I appreciate your advice. Everyone (including the trainer) is consistent with the weight training advice, and I am sure everyone is right.

As far as the diet, I currently eat around 1,500-1,700 calories a day on average. I am not as consistent as I should be as that includes mostly 1,200-1,500 calorie days with one or two 3,000 calorie days in any given month. I always eat breakfast, but I am not a snacker and have to force myself to eat lunch if I am busy, which I know is part of the problem. Eating snacks seems like it should be incredibly easy, so I know that sounds ridiculous. The 1,100 calories I referenced are what I have successfully lost weight eating in the past, but I do think that if I ate 1,500 calories dispersed throughout the day I could realize slow weight loss. If I eat 500 calories the first 16 hours of my day and 800 in the last two, 1,300 calories won't cut it for me. I need to do less of the latter, which of course is much more conducive to my lifestyle.

The point I was trying to make was not that I cannot lose weight, because I know it is possible for me to do so as I said in my post. But for a lot of people, it involves a lot more than not sitting on the couch eating boxes of twinkies and McDonald's all day.

Rather, I was trying to emphasize the point that some people exercise regularly, eat relatively healthy and are still overweight. Some posters on this board get that losing weight requires more than splitting entrees at restaurants and jogging several miles a week for some people, but most seem to think that what works for them will work for everyone, which is just not always the case. Two guys at my office have dropped about 30 pounds each by cutting out cokes, replacing french fries with a salad at lunch and going to the gym a few days a week. My hurdle is higher, those things are already part of my lifestyle and have been for years.

The assertions some on this board have made would be the equivalent of my claiming that anyone who doesn't make a six figure salary just needs to get off their *** and work harder because I have been able to do it with no problem since the year I graduated from college or that someone who is depressed just needs to snap out of it, because I was sad once and got over it. There is more that goes into all three scenarios. Everyone has different genetics, abilities, struggles and yes, even priorities. That is not always a valid basis for judgment or the repulsive disgust that so many express.
 
I went to a wedding in Northern Ohio a few years ago. The bride's family was all farmers, hard working people. The thing is, they were all huge! We're talking 300, maybe 350 lbs, each and every one. And the women were heavy, too.

I arrived about a week ahead of time because I had some duties at the wedding so I stayed and ate with these people all the time.

I could not believe how much they ate. They'd have a massive spread for breakfast with pancakes and sausage and gravy and just everything you could possibly imagine. I'd pig out. Then after breakfast they would talk about what they were doing for lunch. I couldn't believe it! I would be stuffed to my gills and they would be to, sitting there and talking about when and what they were going to eat for lunch.

Anyway, as a relatively skinny person, it was quite an eye-opening experience to be there with them and understand how much their whole relationship to food is so different from mine.
 
The theory on High Intensity Interval Training is that is causes your body to have a higher metabolism for the remainder of the day. I know that many "experts" in fitness believe this is true. However, I don't think it is 100% proven.

I do it because enough evidence exists to make me believe that at least some post cardio benefits do exist, but I don't cut my workout down to 15 minutes. I warm up and cool down and do about 30 minutes of HIIT in between. I like this workout not just because of the possible synergistic affect but it burns more calories (at least according to my elliptical) in the same amount of time and I do not get bored at all.

The two minutes of working hard takes all of my concentration to keep up my speed and the two minutes of "rest" are the shortest two minutes ever. Going back and forth between working and resting makes the time go by much faster for me than when I do steady state cardio.

One key though is that you really have to work hard during the working period. Not just 80% or so of your maximum heart rate but by the end of the 2 minute period you should be closer to 95% or so of your maximum. The two minute rest period should bring your rate down about 20 bpm. Right now I use resistance of 15 for the work and resistance of 9 for the rest. I will slowly adjust those up as my current routine gets easier for me.

It's hard work but worth it for me.

And I also agree with those that have said everyone is different. Your natural metabolic rate and how it changes as you age is different for everyone. I think some people on this board that are still in school or just out have no idea what is going to happen to them as they age. Some people are genetically gifted but most of us have to work to keep in shape.
 
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