Overweight/ Obese

[Dauntless]

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[sparkpaw]

Okay, my post is going to be long as heck because I read everyone's post; and I want to share my own story. First, I'll share my own story, then I'll comment on everyone's comments. :3

For me, I don't have ANY excuse- and I know it. I could say fat runs in the family, but personally, I don't believe "fat" is genetic. My mom, my dad, my grandparents on both sides, and my great-grandparents on both sides were all overweight. But I don't think FAT is genetic. Low metabolism, bad thyroid, so on, so on; THAT I could see being genetic and being a hindrance. But just saying "My parents are fat so so am I" is a lazy-butt excuse.

I am overweight, borderline obese. I'm 5'3" weighing in at 180-190 lbs. The thing is, and the thing no one I know believes me with, is that I have a REALLY high metabolism. But, I don't look it because when I was a kid, just before/right when my parents divorced, I would spend the summer over at my Grandma's. Btw- I'm southern. There is some GOOOOOOOOD food we have. And even if we fry it all and whatever- you'd be surprised that what we eat is actually healthy for our bodies because in the past couple hundred years, Southerners have adapted to that cuisine. It's when we don't work out and balance it and moderate our portions. Many Southerners have/had farms, ranches, owned livestock, horses, or were carpenters, constructors, basically- we were always out and about. However, in the past, oh, fifty years, Urbanization/Industrialization and whatnot has really killed that way of life. So now the majority of us work in cubicle's, sitting on our bums all day and eating a lunch that used to work for an active lifestyle. Anyways- that's why a lot of CULTURES in general will gain weight; changing the diet their body has grown accustomed to.

For me, I ate a LOOOTTT of mashed potatoes and Ice Cream. I'd have two bowls full of chocolate ice cream- on top of whatever Southerny goodness I'd eaten that day. And since I was with my grandma and great-grandma, and none of my siblings or cousins were around; I'd just sit around watching TV and coloring... So I didn't lose the weight, I just stored it all.

Since then, I've not really TRIED to lose the weight. Until the past two years- I was denying that I was fat. Now, I think I still deny it a little bit, but the more I keep realizing it, the more I'll get motivated to make a change.

However, NOW, that change is severely hindered. The life of a college kid without a job is NOT a good chance to change out your diet. No sir-ee. I don't know how anyone can do it- I have a "meal plan" thing, where I get 10 meals for 7 days of on campus food- so basically, two meals in the week, and sleeping all weekend to conserve energy. And the places on campus aren't the best. They HAVE salads and healthy stuff- but those are in places I have to plan for. I'm constantly on the go, so a coffee and a brownie at Starbucks; a large meal at Chick-fil-a; and a bagel at Einstein's are all WAY easier to get a hold of. And I won't (yes, WON'T) cut back on portions because I need the amount of food to last me half a day.
Also, as a college kid, I stay up late; sleep late. So I don't get breakfast, and also, I'll wake up at, say, noon, and then not get food until my classes are over and I have time to eat five hours later...
College life is NOT the place to try to be healthy. I have a vegetarian friend, and she can do it because she has a job, and a car to get to Wal-Mart and get tortilla's and tomatoes, lettuce, and so much for a wrap. I'm proud of her- but for me, I have no money, and no car... so I'm stuck being unhealthy.
And for exercise- I COULD change that; but, I don't. I know that- I have free access to a BUNCH of healthy fitness classes, but I hate to go without a friend because all the skinny people will stare at me; it's uncomfortable!
Also- I'm a boredom eater; but I've found a GREAT cure for it. when I draw, I don't get bored; or I might, but I'm DOING something; so I don't eat.

Anyways, that's my weird-ranting-story
Now here's my comments:

TxCat- I'm not gonna lie; of all the overweight and obese people- you are in the minority for having LEGITIMATE HEALTH reasons. In fact, a bunch of you in this thread are. But everyone I meet just got fat through some method and is; like me; too lazy to change it.

(For instance on the not eating for a while even after waking up- I woke up at 1 p.m. today; and after running a little and walking to go get food; I'm just now eating at 6 p.m. The last time I ate was at midnight-ish (and went to bed at 5 a.m.)) COLLEGE LIFE BABEH.

Also- I think it's a society, habit, as well as personal factor that leads into everything. Society doesn't help with accepting the way the companies will run- for instance; the commercials will get kids hooked on McDonald's from BIRTH. And if they eat it, and they get toys in Happy Meals, so on and so forth, it's a pleasurable experience.

And when it comes to prices- not even going organic; but just cooking your own food and avoiding TV Dinners and eating out is healthier. But everyone's right- It's CHEAP to go to McDonald's and get a Double Cheeseburger and a $1 Sweet Tea for $2.14; versus trying to cook your own food and whatnot, where you'd buy the burger, the buns, the toppings, the tea, and the sugar. And also- part of it might be that we have a habit of ignoring hunger until it's "too late". Where, you aren't hungry, then you are, but you don't want to cook because you can't rush it and your body NEEDS food. Whereas it's easier to just grab a burger at McD's.

And Umbreon- you are NOT overweight hun. You are taller than me and at the weight I should be. You are probably perfect- a little fat on your body is HEALTHY; NEEDED, even.

And Ravenari- I won't lie; you are one in a million. I wouldn't get so mad at those telling you congrats for working to lose weight. 90% of the people in a gym who are "out-of-shape" are only just beginning to get in shape. I commend the people who congratulate you- because they are FAR better than the ones that sneer at me being in the gym. I know how you feel, my roommate is the same way- she can run farther and longer than a girl half her size because she's been exercising and healthy for years now- but no one knows that. I'd rather those people congratulate you than other people sneer at you.

I'm not a coffee drinker...so Soda is my coffee. If I dont get the caffeine, I'm cranky and unpleasant....and get a terrible migraine to the point I just curl up and cry.

I'm not going to lie- that sounds like an addiction. I've been addicted to coffee before; and those are the symptoms to a caffeine addiction. If you wanted, you could cut it out- but I understand if you WANT the caffeine in your life. When I was addicted to coffee- I had the same symptoms if I didn't have it, and after trying to quit cold turkey after like, a week, my body began "cleansing"/rejecting. I was horribly sick; and after that, I was fine. And if I smelled coffee, my body would get that sick feeling again- and now, if I drink normal coffee, it runs me through like mexican food. So you can break it; if you want. :3

[GrowlingCupcake]

Unfortunately, while my sciatica is better, I still cannot exercise properly... I'll probably only be able to next year and I really am motivated to start now. I'm worried my motivation will fade by then...

Does anyone have any good weight loss or health lifestyle forums, etc.? I really want more people to talk with, connect with, get motivation and inspiration from.

If your problem is a simple one (ie: lack of motivation, boredom eating, lack of dietary variety, etc) then I would recommend SparkPeople. It is NOT, however, good for people with chronic issues which caused obesity because their recommended suggestions are things which most people in that condition have already tried. Also, the exercises they suggest are NOT handicapped friendly at all; not a single one of them can be done from a chair.

They do have plenty of groups and forums to help get you started. Best of all, the site is completely free.

I have some health issues but I know that if I can deal with the non-health issues, I will end up fitter and lose weight so I'm focusing on getting more healthy recipes, and the like. I'll look into that.

Does anyone have any good weight loss or health lifestyle forums, etc.? I really want more people to talk with, connect with, get motivation and inspiration from.

http://www.livestrong.com

It's full of informational articles, has a food diary complete with calorie calculator(MyPlate), as well as an exercise diary (Fitness Library) and healthy recipes. You can set yourself challenges and goals, as well, and it has a support community.

And it's totally free.

I used to use it to help me figure out what a healthy day's worth of food looked like and keep track of my workouts. It was a really big help.

Thanks!

[flamekaat]

To those of you with health issues... I get ya
To those of you with boredome eating...I get ya
To those fo you with emotional eating disorders...I get ya
I have all these things and with damaged ankles and knees that are starting to give I am not at the moment a person totally capable of getting healthy. Fortunately for me I have utterly no choice in the matter.
I have to walk to the grocery store, the library, the...well EVERYWHERE. I can't drive because no one will finish teaching me, they run out of time or some personal crisis comes up and I am shanked. Don't make the promises if you can not keep em folks!
At the present time I would say I weigh in at 289 lbs and am 6 foot 1.25 inches tall. So It does not look like I weigh what I do when I put my clothes on and go out in public. Without clothes...yeah it looks like it.
I am eating at home alot and making my own foods so even if they are from dried goods and starches I am losing weight witht he whole walk everywhere thing. I like to walk and if I lose the weight the knees will get better. The ankles never will. I permanently ruined them beyond all recovery long ago because of my gracelessness.
I got bruises on my shoulders the other day from walking from the store to my house with a backpack full of canned veggies and fruits on my back and two reusable bags in my hands. the bruises still have not healed. I am so trying but I am also a weak noodly doodle so as hard as I try it still may seem pathetic to others. However I am done accepting my own excuses too so that may help. And to the soda addicted one, drink arizona iced tea. its caffienated and good and much less sugars then soda. There is even a caffienaited crystal light drink mix. Its kinda sour strawberry flavored but its tasty and bam you are CAFFIENATED! and I mean fully so.

Good luck to those trying to get rid of the fat./ Stop taking your excuses and that of society. You will fare better. Remeber you have at least one person out here rooting for you!

[DragonMando]

I do think in some cases it is nigh impossible to maintain a healthy weight, but once I've given my experience with it, I think it'll be easier to understand why I think a decent portion of people are making excuses.

I've been "fluffy" since I was a child, looking more like the Michelin Man than a kid. Everyone on both sides of my family I've ever known are also overweight, many well over 400 pounds and cannot even go out because it takes too much for them to walk through the front door. I was told I'd always be fat, so I believed I would always be fat. I was 160 pounds by twelve years old. I was well over 200 by my senior year of highschool.

Sure, I also had a bit of height on my side, but even at 5'10", my bone structure dictates that I should never go over 150 pounds. I was almost 70 pounds overweight two years ago. Not an impossibly huge amount, and I was certainly the slimmest person over age 16 in the family, but after some stuff went down between myself and my parents and I had to move in with my aunt halfway across the country, I realized most of my weight gain was due to stress.

Over the last 14 months I've lived here, I have dropped from 217 pounds to 165 just by dropping the stress eating and the food hoarding habits brought on by living in a large family where everyone tries to steal everyone else's food. And, if I'm honest, I'm eating less healthily now than then. Where I grew up, fast food was unheard of. It was fresh, organic veggies from my mother's garden and organic beef and chicken from our own livestock or my grandfather's when we stopped raising cattle. Our meat was also augmented by wild game. Soda was only bought once a year at Fourth of July and we only bought one 12 pack. Koolaid was banned, as well as all other drink mixes. We had water and milk (or soymilk for the half of us allergic to dairy).

Now I live almost primarily on fast food and soda but have lost all that weight because I'm only eating enough to feel full and no more.

I've been tracking calories and I've discovered that, thanks to my genetic metabolic problems, 1,000 calories per day is a maintenance diet. Any more and my weight skyrockets. If I drop to 800 per day I'll lose a steady and healthy 1.5 to 2 pounds per week for about three weeks and then plateu for a week or two, then start dropping again. It was a little faster at first, because my body just stopped hanging onto every little calorie, but it's at a very healthy weightloss rate now.

Of course, that 1000 calories per day is kind of miserable when people are eating around me and I know I can't, but it's gotten easier. Now when people are eating cheesecake around me by the plateful I just quietly ask if I can snipe a bite's worth and I'll suck on that as long as it takes them their whole slice, so I still get my goodies, just in smaller amounts ^^

And I still get my Friday slice of pizza, as long as it's a kind I actually like, otherwise I leave it alone.