We [Americans] are fat and rich.

I hope to not offend anyone by my metabolism comments. I am thinking of metabolism in the most literal sense. Metabolism is just a complex chemical reaction. If it were only that easy, we could all take a pill and have better metabolism.
 
Thanks, on days I do the elliptical, I generally due the crosstrainer mode, and while the required effort moves, it is probably not as intense as what you describe. My heartrate generally stays well above my metabolic threshold (at least as it was tested a few years ago) through the whole workout. I will start trying to do more of an interval mode.

Gadfly
In answer to your question, most days, I eat less than that, but some days I eat a lot more. I am not consistent with my calorie intake throughout the day or day to day, which is likely part of the problem. Generally my higher calorie days are somewhat concentrated, when I am traveling or have a weekend with a lot going on.

My extended family is all in the 350+ pound range, and they eat a lot, no question. My immediate family has never eaten that way. My mom always cooked really healthy food, so when I moved into the dorm in college I packed on the pounds. In addition to not having three hours of tennis practice every day, my body was not used to meals cooked with real butter and cheese (the alcohol probably did not help either). My parents happen to be in town this week, and last night my mom picked up a pasta dish and a caeser salad at la madeleine and the three of us split both, and had a bit left over. Most weekdays I take my lunch to the office, it is usually a lean cuisine or a weight watchers meal or a salad and chicken breast, so I know how many calories I am eating. Restaurants are the exception, and I eat out more than I should by both choice and necessity, but I tend to order fish and vegetables if available. If I order fajitas, I don't touch the tortillas (although I will eat some chips beforehand). I order salads with dressing on the side. I don't really snack much, and there is nothing at my house to snack on.

Regardless, as I said, I can and have lost weight, it is just not at as easy for me as it is for some others. It requires that I cut going out to eat almost completely and that I do not have any of the days interspersed where I consume more calorie than I do most other days, at least at first. I am not making excuses, right now I am choosing to enjoy dinners and drinks with friends, to drink 1,000 calories worth of margaritas on rare occasions and to have a job that makes eating consistently and at home difficult some times. I am also choosing to order healthier options at restaurants and to minimize my calories consumed at work and at home in order to maintain my current weight. I am active and healthy. Most people would lose weight if they ate what I eat to maintain, and if I paid no attention and ate whatever I want, I would weigh 300+ pounds.

Your assertion that everyone's metabolism is the same is ridiculous. Everyone cannot lose or gain weight with the same level of ease.


Edit: Sorry, I typed this before I read your response.
 
their are tests for resting metabolic rate that can be done. this will tell you what your body will burn in a given day at rest. they are considered fairly accurate. it would be interesting to see the results of say, 1000 folks that had them administered and what their body weight was.
 
Yeah, my sister had that done, and I have thought about it. Her metabolism only burns about 850 calories a day (resting, which includes sitting at a desk, etc.). That is less than half the average. I know mine is higher than hers, and she had some other health issues going on, but it definitely varies widely.
 
Whether it is technically the correct definition, lets say that metabolism is the amount of calories your body burns in a day. A resting meabolic rate is the amount of calories your body burns in a day for just normal functioning....breathing, digesting food, normal amounts of activity, etc.

I don't know how to prove it, but there is no way people have the same resting metabolism. And there is no way that an adult's resting metabolism does not change as they age.

Some people are lucky and have such a high metabolism that they can eat what they want and not gain weight. However, that does not mean they are healthy. Most people don't fall into that category and need to live a "healthy lifestyle" in order to maintain a good weight and have a healthy body. And within that group, there are big differences between how diligent we have to be to get there.

And I believe completely that the best way to have a healthy body is through a combination of nutrition, cardio and weight training. It is NOT easy for most people. I'm not talking about the people that are obese because they eat 4,000 calories a day. They could lose a lot of weight easily just by reducing what they eat. I'm talking about people that are trying to maintain a healthy body (both weight and cardiovasular health). For me, it isn't easy but I think well worth the effort. I feel great, sleep well, am rarely sick and hope to remain healthy as I age. While statistics don't work for one person, if I maintain my current lifestyle, I know that at least I have a better chance than many people to be healthy and vibrant after retirement and not be a burden on anyone.
 
If you're a man, and if you exercise three or four times a week (even for a little bit) and eat 1,500 calories a day, then you will lose fat (if you have any to lose).

If you don't, it's because you're actually eating more than what you think you are.
 
Marg,
I too believe you made a mistake in stopping the weight training. Cardio alon will work your heart and keep it in shape, but will do very little to change your body type. Muscle burns fat. When you lift you build muscle and increase your metabolism and it keeps burning fat long after you have stopped working out for the day. When you stop doing cardio you baiscally stop this process. I would recommend to curb the post workout hunger take a low calorie protein shake with you, and consume it immediatley after workout, and perhaps also eat a can of tuna or other low fat protein. You will be amazed at what weight training can do for you.
 
TXHookem,

I appreciate the advice. I always like to hear from people that actually know what they are talking about. I believe what you say except I have trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that 15 minutes is enough. Maybe it is with the right comination of exercise...I just have trouble with that concept.

And I totally agree about most Elliptical users. They use way to little resistance. I am not them. I work out hard on it. The reason I like it is because I want the low impact cardio. I do weight training three times per week and understand that combining cardio with weight training is more efficient. In fact, I have standing appointment with a personal trainer on Monday mornings. It is only 30 minutes but is designed to have very limited resting periods, so it is a combination of cardio and weight training. It is extremely tough but I love it.
 
Eastern - I can give you an example of a 30 minute strength workout that can kick your *** just as hard if not harder than lifting heavy... you're literally just using your body weight and the whole workout is 30 minutes.

Here is the concept:
The Link

I ran through this last week over a 30 minute period - 4 circuits plus an extra 30 reps so a total of 530 reps. I nearly hurled afterwards.

You need to challenge your preconceptions of timing... it's not the length of the workout. I go in and lift for no more than 45 minutes each session. I stick to compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, pullups, db bench press, push press, etc... and that 45 minutes includes me probably wasting some time. There's no need to spend more than an hour lifting or, in my opinion, 30 minutes doing traditional cardio.
 
Men's Health can be a great resources. I can't recommend enough their Eat This, Not That! book... it is a great resource. Really helps to be informed about what is out there because a lot of health food is anything but.
 
Regarding eating healthy after I read the link above for the Eat This Not That book.....most of their examples involve eating at BK or Pizza Hut.

Don't eat processed food!

I only eat lean meat, seafood, and fresh fruits and veggies. Nothing else other than cheese here and there, maybe rice or pasta, but rarely. Eat at home, cook, and if you go out just order the freshest **** that doesn't have sauce and isn't processed.

Fruits and veggies are the key. I drink two glasses of OJ a day, eat a banana, a peach, and eat lots of raw spinach. All tasty and all healthy.
 
My Chipotle meal: Burrito Bol, no rice, no beans, onions & peppers, Barbacoa beef, mild tomato salsa, lots of cheese, guac, lots of lettuce, water or diet coke.
 
Coincidentally just saw that this was the topic on Oprah today. Reminded me of this thread. Apparently Mississippi is the fattest state. I didn't realize 1 out of every 3 people in MS were obese. That's hard for me to even imagine.
 
Whether metabolism is the correct word or not, there's clearly something valid that people mean when they say high/low metabolism. I can think of 4 friends off the top of my head who eat a lot more than me, and 2 of them don't even exercise a whole lot, and are fairly thin. If I (or most of the rest of us) ate like that I'd gain 15-20 pounds in a year easily.

In reply to:
Click to expand...
 
A LOT of vicious, stupid **** has been spewed on this thread. Its not surprising, hating fattie threads are a hornfans staple.

Let's get some things clear. Obese people who have actually tried to lose weight have the toughest time. Yo-yoing weight fucks people's metabolism to such a degree that normal weight loss is just not effective long term IMO. These people have large stomachs. Restrictive diets can allow them to lose weight but that does not shake the hunger. Hunger, one of humanity's primal urges. That's a ******* hard thing to overcome.

Obesity is an illness and the best way to treat it is with bariatric surgery. It is the ONLY proven long-term solution. An excellent, relatively new procedure is called sleeve gastrectomy. Two-thirds of a patient's stomach is removed but the GI tract routing is still in tact. This surgery virtually eliminates Ghrelin which is a hormone that causes the hunger sensation. The stomach that is left is not the stretchy part and will not get bigger.

Our stomachs, intestines, metabolism, etc. evolved over millennia. Hunger was a persistent part of the human experience until recently. Slower metabolisms could be seen as being an advantage back in these days. This surgery IMO changes one's insides to better equip to deal the typical, sedentary lifestyle.

Speaking of lifestyle, if 65% of Americans are overweight/obese doesn't that tell you that the problem is bigger than eating half portions. MS has the fattest population because it is the poorest state. Processed, refined sugar junk happens to be the cheapest food. Fresh fruit, meat, and vegetable are the most expensive. Most people will eat the portion that is put in front of them. Why do the restaurants and fast food joints not get the hate for consciously supersizing portions for profit? Suburbs, long commutes, long work hours all contribute to this problem.

I really wish the general public, insurance companies, uninformed doctors, etc. would understand this. We can save BILLIONS and improve the lives of millions be performing these surgeries. These surgeries are a tool and if you eat ice cream all day it won't work but it gives people the firepower to FINALLY kick obesity.
 
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