If you're overweight, why buy nice clothes?

Originally Posted by why

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Yeah, you just happened to be chosen to get grossly obese. I mean, you had to grossly overeat or else you wouldn't be able to build your career. That makes total sense. Those thin people with long hours at a desk job and familial obligations were blessed by the gods.

well, it isn't that simple, but I also wouldn't say that it is a level field. we all have differnces in our bodies. I made choices that made my obese, I am not going to try to say differently. but I don't know that many middle aged thin people who don't work very very hard at it, and those that don't have to work that hard at it you can see have genes that help them out. go to a gym at 5-6 pm and talk to the people who work out then, who have kids. see how much time they get to spend with their kids during the week. everything comes at a cost.

I also happen to have fraternal twins, which is a very good place to experiement. for the first year are so they ate exactly the same, for the next 2 years they were served exactly the same, and ate almost exactly the same. they are the same hieght, one is 30% heavier than the other. if, between them, they have had a pound of candy and cookies in 3 years it is a lot. one of them is taking chicken and apples and whole grain macaroni and is turning it into fat, the other isn't. If I had any doubts about how metabolism works, this cleared them for me.

one of them will spend her life working very hard to maintain weight, the other probrably won't.

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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but most people won't do that, they will have the occasional drink, pizza every now and again, business meals, etc. it sneaks up on you. anyway, good luck. when I was your age I was pretty fit. when I was 38 I had more than doubled my weight.
Okay I had to lol at this one, the occasional beer, the odd SINGLE PIECE OF PIZZA (show a little moderation) and by making healthy choices at business meals will never cause you to gain weight if you run a little more here or eat a little less there. Doubling your weight is not normal and should never be attributed to stress or work/family responsibilities. That is massive over-intake, truly pathological over eating.

I see where the poster is coming from a bit. Well let me further elaborate, I am a little overweight (the standard flabby belly, slight man-boob going on and a little bit of fat on my hips/thighs.) I am currently not buying nice clothes, which to me are things like vintage sta-prest and vintage mod-style trousers because I want to get my pants size down about 2 sizes. Because to me those kind of pants look better the slimmer you are. So my view on it is more for a personal-incentive to lose weight rather than fat people should all look like bums.

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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I also happen to have fraternal twins, which is a very good place to experiement. for the first year are so they ate exactly the same, for the next 2 years they were served exactly the same, and ate almost exactly the same. they are the same hieght, one is 30% heavier than the other. if, between them, they have had a pound of candy and cookies in 3 years it is a lot. one of them is taking chicken and apples and whole grain macaroni and is turning it into fat, the other isn't. If I had any doubts about how metabolism works, this cleared them for me.

one of them will spend her life working very hard to maintain weight, the other probrably won't.

Interesting topic. I suspect the twin with a more efficient metabolic system will be thankful to his parents during time of dietary restriction. I have a twin (fraternal) brother, and I'm the one with the more efficient metabolic system and I get fat quit easily. It is exactly as you described, same food intake but different anabolic pathways, which lead to differential body fat retention. There's no reason to dress poorly, just because one is fat, short, hairy, or whatever. We are all different and any effort at self-improvement should be complimented.

This is rich. Siblings with massive weight differences is OBVIOUSLY a difference physiologically.

Originally Posted by why

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This is rich. Siblings with massive weight differences is OBVIOUSLY a difference physiologically.

in 3 year olds?

Should figure out what the fattytwin is doing wrong and fix that rather than attributing it to fate. Fatfate.

Originally Posted by db_ggmm

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Should figure out what the fattytwin is doing wrong and fix that rather than attributing it to fate. Fatfate.

Yup.

I don't want to be the guy to tell people how to raise their kids, but I think there's a point where at least I can tell people that their concept of human physiology is completely off.

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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Reggs, you're cute. I hate to sound like an old fart, but lets talk in 20 years. I don't know if anyone told you, but keeping trim is going to be harder and harder after you hit 30. on top of that, when you have kids it is going to suck 20 hours a week of the time that you now consider free right off the face of the earth. and, as you get more and more responsiblity in your career, that will suck time, too. I understand what you are saying, and agree. if you commit to never enjoying a meal for the rest of your life, you will (most probrably) never be fat. but people do get (a little) fat on a few beers a week and the occasional snickers bar. but most people won't do that, they will have the occasional drink, pizza every now and again, business meals, etc. it sneaks up on you. anyway, good luck. when I was your age I was pretty fit. when I was 38 I had more than doubled my weight.
I think Reggs has the basic right idea about how easy it can be to loose weight by making a few small changes. Stop making excuses! I'm 40 and am 5'10" 140 lbs, which is about the same as what I weighed at 25. To loose weight and keep it off, I didn't even bother to diet nor do I have an exercise regimen. All you need to do is rethink what you eat... 1. Replace all drinks with water 2. Eat less meat and more vegetables 3. Stop eating fast food entirely 4. Avoid processed foods and eat more raw ingredients The above is not a "diet" since that would imply a temporary program. It is a permanent attitude adjustment centered around eating only good quality food as opposed to the junk that passes as food today. After a while you will actually learn to like it better-- I now find fast food revolting, that soda pop tastes like poison, and that raw green beans are the best snack in the world! I have relatives and friends my age that are constantly trying to loose weight and often claiming they're on a diet. They keep telling me how hard it is to do. Yet when they come over to my house the first thing they ask is, "do you have any soda pop?" Or at a restaurant when presented with a choice of fries or rice, they will always choose the french fries. They will also be the ones to suggest going to some greasy chain restaurant rather than a local independent one that has more healthy food. Until their attitude about food changes, they will likely always be battling their weight. You will know you have right attitude once you start to feel disgusted by bad quality food and find delight in healthy food.

It's unfair that normal people have to pay a premium for clothes so that the fat of the land can get e.g. 54R for the same price as a normal person can get a 40R.

Originally Posted by BB1

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I think Reggs has the basic right idea about how easy it can be to loose weight by making a few small changes. Stop making excuses! I'm 40 and am 5'10" 140 lbs, which is about the same as what I weighed at 25. To loose weight and keep it off, I didn't even bother to diet nor do I have an exercise regimen. All you need to do is rethink what you eat...

1. Replace all drinks with water
2. Eat less meat and more vegetables
3. Stop eating fast food entirely
4. Avoid processed foods and eat more raw ingredients

The above is not a "diet" since that would imply a temporary program. It is a permanent attitude adjustment centered around eating only good quality food as opposed to the junk that passes as food today. After a while you will actually learn to like it better-- I now find fast food revolting, that soda pop tastes like poison, and that raw green beans are the best snack in the world!

I have relatives and friends my age that are constantly trying to loose weight and often claiming they're on a diet. They keep telling me how hard it is to do. Yet when they come over to my house the first thing they ask is, "do you have any soda pop?" Or at a restaurant when presented with a choice of fries or rice, they will always choose the french fries. They will also be the ones to suggest going to some greasy chain restaurant rather than a local independent one that has more healthy food.

Until their attitude about food changes, they will likely always be battling their weight. You will know you have right attitude once you start to feel disgusted by bad quality food and find delight in healthy food.

Frankly, I agree with you, although I don't know if I would charactorize that as "easy" or "minor". I follow pretty much what you are saying - I don't eat fast food, I eat very little red meat, I don't eat processed foods, and, aside from 4-5 drinks a week, I don't drink anything but unsweet iced tea. I also excersize about 10 hours a week. but I am never going to be 140 pounds.

but for most people, that ins't a "simple" "easy" or "minor" thing. look how many donut shops, pizza places and fast food places there are in the US. I would say that your life choice is admerable, but also extreme, and probrably embraced by less than 5% of the population. good for you.


I would aslo say:

1. if you have 10 people, all 5 foot 10 and 150 pounds, and you give them 1500 calories of the same food, each will require a different amount of excersize to maintain the same weight

2. if you have the same 10 people, and you give each one pizza to eat, each will eat a different amount of pizza before they feel full

3. these same 10 people, as they age, will require more excersize and want to eat more food to feel satisfied


that doens't mean that it cant' be controlled, but it means that different people will require differnt amounts of work and sacrifice.

when I was 18 I weighed 132 pounds. I ran something like 50 miles a week, didn't eat any procecced food at all, didn't drink, ate almost no meat, walked or rode my bike everywhere. essentially, adding a couple of beers a week, a little bread and a little red meat, at the same excersize level brought me to almost 170 over a few years.

people who have decided to make these extreme sacrifices to maintain the wieght are convinced that everyone should do it, and can do it. as well, a lot of people who don't require a lot of work or sacrifice believe that everyone can do it with just as small a sacrifice.

anyway, good for you

It's obviously easier to maintain excuses and total bullshit than a healthy lifestyle. You're only kidding yourself.

Originally Posted by why

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It's obviously easier to maintain excuses and total bullshit than a healthy lifestyle. You're only kidding yourself.

hey, I'm not kidding myself or anybody else. I made mistakes, and I am paying for them. I've made a choice, for my own reasons, to change my life style, and I will probrably outlive you.

but you are making judments about everyone who hasn't decided to make the same choices in life as you, and more than that, you are making judgements about people who have different circomstances in life.

I am not saying that it isn't better to work harder to stay thin. I am not saying it is. I am saying that it is legitimate for a person to buy clothes that fit his body, without worrying about people who have made other choices in life ridiculing him.

but more than that - you are arguing a position without any basis in facts, based on your own feelings and circomstances in life. and that situaiton might change. good luck with that. I know an awful lot of middle aged men who were thin young men, and who are misrable because they developed a hatred for people like themselves and now have to deal with the situation.

No, I'm making judgments about people who lie to themselves and convince themselves they have a ******* clue when they clearly don't.

My basis 'in fact' isn't particular to you or whatever nonsensical reasoning you attribute to your failures. It's human physiology and science. You have yourself convinced that metabolic differences account for massive variances in weight, and this is not only completely unfounded but entirely false. Outside of severe metabolic disorders (which are diagnosed and treated pathologically), most people don't have a variance of more than +/- 10% of BMR. That 10% does not account for carrying an extra 150lbs. around. Apparently, you think it does.