fatness

RE: fatness

Former Member — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 10:32:04 GMT

Sorry. Nevermind.

RE: fatness

Former Member — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 17:29:30 GMT

Here is an article to further support Bob's explanation: The Zigzag Diet For Fast Fat Loss! www.bodybuilding.com/.../drsquat6.htm

RE: fatness

Former Member — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 17:07:19 GMT

Originally posted by Bags I know this is going to sound flippant, but the only way to reliably lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. An equally reliable and much faster way to lose weight is to cut off an arm or leg. If this approach doesn't appeal to you, it's probably because what you really want to lose is not weight but fat. The two are not synonymous! You will lose weight if you lose fat and everything else remains the same. But it is possible (though increasingly difficult as you get older) to put on lean body mass as you lose fat, and as a result to have your total weight remain the same. And it is also possible to lose weight but to have a significant amount of that weight loss be lean body mass rather than fat. In fact, it has been estimated that if you lose weight through dieting and aren't doing heavy exercise when you do it, only about 75% of the weight you lose will be fat. And, to make matters worse, if you put weight back on and aren't doing heavy exercise, about 90% of the weight you put on will be fat. Bob

RE: fatness

Former Member — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 14:45:39 GMT

Actually, I think everyone who makes the effort to exercise and eat right is definately bucking the societal trend and deserves equal admiration. It's so much easier to stay in bed in the morning than to get up and exercise, so much easier to eat processed food then to take the time to buy healthier foods and cook-anyone making efforts to achieve those goals should be proud of themselves and supported by others-no matter what they look like.

RE: fatness

Former Member — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 11:54:37 GMT

Wow. There were times in the past when I felt like I lost weight during hard training when I actually ate more than normal. Is there a summary for the Master's crowd that could be assimilated from this thread? Seems like age, family and professional issues complicate the reality as well. In my own personal case, maybe as with others, I have odd workout times - before work (shower, rush to the office, stress, stress, stress) and late (8:30 - 9:30 at night). One requires eating on the run from the food court, the other requires eating before (but not too much and early enough...) but I wonder if I should eat other strategies rather than go to sleep exhausted and possibly undernourished or eat a cheap breakfast. Would like to lose 20 lbs, swimming from 15,000 - 19,000 yds/wk over the last year and a half has not made one dent in my weight. But I am in better shape and swimming faster. Opinions welcome, this thread is fascinating. Thanks, DV

RE: fatness

aquageek — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 07:30:40 GMT

Originally posted by bud I have way more respect for those folks than for the ones who are out there and "don't seem to need it". This is complete nonsense. Did you ever stop to think that the people who you claim "don't seem to need it" are the folks who have been out there for years on end maintaining a healthy weight while others were at home doing nothing about it? Why should the obese person get more credit than the devoted athlete?

RE: fatness

Former Member — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 17:18:24 GMT

Julie, I can totally relate to what you are saying. In college I thought anything over 110 lbs was fat. When I was hired as a Flight Attendant in 1986, we had weekly weigh in and I was 114 lbs. At some point in the last 10 years - bam! (and I don't mean Emeril) - 80 extra pounds appeared and I have been struggling to get it off. I started swimming to lose weight 1 month ago and I have done ALOT of research seeking encouragement, advice, tips, etc. In a nutshell, here is what I have learned so far - see also a thread I started - Swimming and Weight Loss. 1. Swimming is excellent exercise to lose weight because it uses alot of different muscles from head to toe. The key is to swim hard enough to get your heartrate up to at least 70-85% of your max heart rate. 2. The next thing is to make sure you get your heart rate up for at least 20-60 mins. For me personally, my metabolism is so out of whack for whatever reason, I don't see any results unless I work out at least 45 mins. for 5-6 times each week. I tried the 3x week thing, but nothing was happening. 3. You will not see immediate results. In fact it will take at least 12-20 weeks before you start seeing results. This is the real hard part because if you are like me, you want IMMEDIATE gratification. I have my calendar marked for 12 weeks from when I started swimming and I am doing other things to keep my motivation up. For example, I am noticing I just FEEL better after swimming. My patience level is up and overall happiness is really great and everyone around me can tell. 4. I bought a scale that was recommended by Dr. Phil (ok, I'm a sucker for celebrity endorsements). The scale allegedly tells me if I am losing fat or holding onto water. Women's weight fluxuates dramatically from day to day. I personally like to weigh myself daily to note the changes and then I analyze why the changes occur. For example, I noticed that I gain weight after working out hard and this is because when muscles are repairing, muscles will hold onto water. (Another reason why you don't see immediate results). 5. Swimming is one form of exercise that you need to watch your eating AFTER you work out. You will notice on your drive home from the pool that you are absolutely starving. You will need to drink alot of water between getting into the pool and getting home to cure any tendencies to clear out the cupboard after eating. Just knowing this helps. I have found that eating a power bar or PBJ sandwich about 1 hour before swimming helps too. Personally, I hate plain water, so I drink Crystal Light. They have those cool "to-go" pouches now that you just pour into bottled water. 6. You need to watch what you eat. I tend to eat healthy so that is why not losing weight is extremely frustrating for me. The main thing is portion control. Think of your stomach as a gas tank. You want to eat until your tank is full, not overflowing. The key here is to eat slowly and stop after one helping. If you are still hungry, eat more. But ask yourself, am I REALLY hungry? I personally have a hard time with eating too much because I love food! If something I eat tastes really good, I just want more and more. Some people are emotional eaters. My best friend overeats out of loneliness, for example. These are issues that you really need to be honest with yourself and try different things to resolve. I started crocheting in the evening and it is really hard to eat when both of your hands are busy AND I have made some really cool throws for my friends (great holiday gifts too). 7. Two great books that talk about weight loss and recap most of the above are Total Immersion and Fitness Swimming - Emmett Hines. So, if you are wondering how I'm doing after 1 month. Something is starting to happen. First, I feel great and my confidence is back. I have not lost weight on the scale, but my Fat percentage shows I've lost 3 lbs. of Fat. That's all I really care about. I also take my measurements since I don't care what the scale shows if I can fit into a size 6. I have lost anywhere from 1" to 1/2" from various body parts. Bust - lost 1", Arms - lost 1/2", etc. This time I refuse to give up. I am going to keep swimming because it is a form of exercise I can do until I die. I plan to be the 100+ Age group national masters' champion. Perhaps you will be my main competition?!? We should start a weight loss blog/thread of some sort. Good luck!!

RE: fatness

Former Member — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:01:43 GMT

Hhmmnn. Well, speaking as someone with a history of eating disorders (at my low point I weighed about 80 lbs), I think it is horrible the pressure we put on others to be thin. I was a little chubby as a ***, and I can still remember my grandmother saying, "I don't know why you're fat. You must have gotten that from the other side of the family; no one in our family has a weight problem." Now there's a constructive comment for a young girl, yes? When I see someone heavier at my pool, my thought is generally "good for you, more power to you!" I've seen some heavier folks who are terrific swimmers and some thin people who have terrible technique. I'm much more impressed by good swimmers, no matter their weight.

RE: fatness

Former Member — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:30:22 GMT

Lard? I thought that lard was the official hair tonic of North Carolina....

RE: fatness

dorothyrde — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:44:41 GMT

Susan, very good tips.

RE: fatness

Former Member — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:27:36 GMT

Learn from my sins Aquageek-I made comments like that for 30 years and now I'm paying for them. As for everyone else, thanks for all the good advice. I agree that the bottom line is to burn more than I consume, which is why I'm getting back to exercise. I've lost an inch around my waist, hips and thighs since September, not as quick as I'd hoped, but at least it's something. I have done the Weight Watchers Point counting thing, and it does help force portion control. Also, when I have to write down everything I eat, I'm less likely to hit the office candy dish every time I walk by. I'm not a person who blames the issue on genes, although I think it's clear that some people are genetically less predisposed to gain. My manager at work eats the worst stuff imaginable, donuts, cake, poptarts, candy-all day long, does not exercise and is thin as a rail. However, for most of us it's about personal choice. I chose the relationship with Lazy and Eat Whatever I Want and now I'm choosing the divorce.

RE: fatness

Former Member — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:07:11 GMT

Dorothy- ingnore the Geek, he's just up to his usual pyrotechnics.

RE: fatness

dorothyrde — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:58:24 GMT

Originally posted by aquageek Cruise is right - eat all the twinkies, chips and lard you want and blame it on metabolism. I always find it amusing that when people lose weight they all agree it's diet and exercise that did it but when they are all tubby it's metabolism, society and McDonalds that makes them obese. Hmmm, since I eat none of those things, I guess I can blame it on metabolism. Geek, you know my point is, some people have a more difficult time maintaining optimal weight than others. And yes, some people don't even try, and then blame it on metabolism. I know what I have to do to maintain my weight and not gain, and I do that. However, don't make light of the effort it takes and how difficult it is for people. And it makes it worse when certain people in this world look down on them for being heavy. It takes a lot of courage to put on a swimsuit and swim laps when you are over weight. It is embarrassing. You think the whole world is looking down at you, is disgusted with you, and hey, apparently there is at least one person in Charlotte who is.

RE: fatness

Former Member — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:12:22 GMT

P.S. I just went to lunch with my team and 2 people said I look like I have lost weight!

RE: fatness

aquageek — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 08:18:02 GMT

Originally posted by Peter Cruise Dorothy- ingnore the Geek, he's just up to his usual pyrotechnics. Cruise is right - eat all the twinkies, chips and lard you want and blame it on metabolism. I always find it amusing that when people lose weight they all agree it's diet and exercise that did it but when they are all tubby it's metabolism, society and McDonalds that makes them obese.

RE: fatness

Former Member — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:27:16 GMT

The latest national guidelines confirm that an hour of daily exercise is necessary for weight loss. The argument that swimming won't help you lose weight doesn't hold water--the problem is that many people do not swim long enough or hard enough. I don't believe swimming at a recovery pace for 30 minutes will accomplish much.

RE: fatness

Former Member — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:11:19 GMT

I know this is going to sound flippant, but the only way to reliably lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. Most people don't really understand the nutritional contents of what they eat. My best advice is to get a calorie counting program of some sort (calorieking.com is a great site) and track what you eat obsessively. If you pick a daily calorie intake level 500 calories per day below what you burn daily, you will lose a pound or two every week. No guesswork there. It is just a fact. For me it worked to calculate my BMR (you can find calculators online) at a "sedentary" rate and then add a couple of hundred calories to that. That became my daily intake ceiling. Then i swam 6 days a week. The weight fell off. Once you reach your desired weight you can gradually add calories. The nice thing about this approach is that it takes the uncertainty out of the process. Hit your targets and keep swimming and it's a done deal.

RE: fatness

dorothyrde — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 06:15:54 GMT

See, that is what I am talking about. People assume someone who is heavier, must be eating a lot of crap. People would look at my thin husband, and me, and assume that he ate healthy, and exercised, and I did not. Well, it was completely the opposite. And I know many people who are like this. It does take self control, and diligence, but it is a lot harder for some people than others. PS. I cannot stand chips! :)

RE: fatness

aquageek — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 06:08:11 GMT

Originally posted by dorothyrde but they have been blessed with fairly good metabolisms ...or, alternatively, they have been blessed with self control on the chip aisle.

RE: fatness

dorothyrde — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 05:28:19 GMT

Yes, and for many people, finding that right amount is very difficult. I think a lot of people who have posted on this thread are people who really have not had a real weight problem. Yes, maybe they gained weight over the years, but they have been blessed with fairly good metabolisms, and when they cut back some, they lose. I am married to a person like that. Eats whatever he wants, and does not gain. He eats much more than I, eats far worse foods than I, and is much less active than I. If I ate like him, and did not work out, I would easily be over 200 pounds. It is hard for a person that is like that, to understand a person who is like me. It has been a constant battle since I was 12. I am winning that battle currently, but it is with constant diligence. Now I am off to eat my low-fat healthy meal, and go swim my 90 minute Masters practice, just so I don't GAIN.

RE: fatness

knelson — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 04:22:31 GMT

Originally posted by dorothyrde Bags, it seems as easy as that, but believe me, for some people, it is not that simple. I think it really is as simple as that. The only possible way to lose weight is for your body to "burn" more calories than you consume. If not than we've discovered a perpetual motion machine!! The thing that is difficult is determining how many calories your body is actually burning and to eat less than that amount.

RE: fatness

dorothyrde — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 02:45:16 GMT

Bags, it seems as easy as that, but believe me, for some people, it is not that simple. Especially women in their 40's and 50's. The body plays some pretty mean tricks on us at this age, and it gets harder and harder to maintain and not gain, much less lose. The weight does NOT just fall off. Losing weigh IS mostly diet. Exercise is an added benefit that helps, but if the diet is not under control with reasonable portion sizes, and healthy foods, it is very difficult to lose.

RE: fatness

Former Member — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:14:55 GMT

I've been away from swimming and exercise for quite a while. It started with an ankle injury, but then turned into lazy. Yes, I'll admit it, I've been lazy about working out and not watching what I ate. So, guess what? I'm FAT! And yes, it is entirely my own fault. Having said that, going back to the pool and the gym and having the thin people give me "that look" at my fat thighs and my big belly makes the trip a lot more difficult. I'm punishing myself enough, snide comments and looks of contempt are overkill. I logged back on to this board tonight because I needed a little encouragement to push through it. When I was in my 20's I was a size 4, and self-righteous about it!. Fat people, in my opinion, were lazy and contemptable. If they would just exercise and eat right, they wouldn't be so disgusting. Now,I'm in a size 12 and getting the payback I deserve. If you have never been overweight, and I never was until my 40's, you really don't know what it is like on the other side.

RE: fatness

dorothyrde — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 11:28:38 GMT

"The suit alleges that the plan is useless. It called for dieters to take 22 herbal supplements and vitamin pills a day and cost about $120 a month. The plan also advised dieters to adopt a low-calorie diet and to exercise. " Geez, all they had to do is the last sentence and would have been ok, whata crook. Or maybe I should say crock, people are so stupid.

RE: fatness

aquageek — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 10:23:54 GMT

Here's all you need to know: Unhappy dieters told CNN Radio that after listening to McGraw they believed they could lose weight by taking the pills alone. A fool and his money are soon parted...except if they can file a lawsuit shortly thereafter.