Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13253119 times)

iamlindoro

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7550 on: April 03, 2015, 09:46:17 AM »
Congrats to your friend! Yeah, the prize money is likely great by itself but I imagine the additional perks are nice. Plus I'm sure that they will want to bring you back in from time to time. Has your friend managed to keep off the weight and are they happy with the changes?

Yeah, you're spot on- they bring her back all the time both for the show and for events at all their related businesses (the weight loss resorts, etc).  She's kept the weight off and looks great.  Her whole life is about fitness now, so it seems like she is sought after as a spokesperson and she just generally seems very happy (we live across the country from one another now, so my updates are all through Facebook).  She's definitely on the "loves it, wouldn't change a thing" end of the BL contestant spectrum.  It's always funny to be in line at the supermarket and see your friend on one of those trashy celeb/lifestyle magazines :D (She's not trashy, though, she's just a normal person who ended up a small/medium reality star)

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7551 on: April 03, 2015, 10:11:57 AM »
Congrats to your friend! Yeah, the prize money is likely great by itself but I imagine the additional perks are nice. Plus I'm sure that they will want to bring you back in from time to time. Has your friend managed to keep off the weight and are they happy with the changes?

Yeah, you're spot on- they bring her back all the time both for the show and for events at all their related businesses (the weight loss resorts, etc).  She's kept the weight off and looks great.  Her whole life is about fitness now, so it seems like she is sought after as a spokesperson and she just generally seems very happy (we live across the country from one another now, so my updates are all through Facebook).  She's definitely on the "loves it, wouldn't change a thing" end of the BL contestant spectrum.  It's always funny to be in line at the supermarket and see your friend on one of those trashy celeb/lifestyle magazines :D (She's not trashy, though, she's just a normal person who ended up a small/medium reality star)

That's awesome. I imagine it could be easier to be fitness-oriented when it also becomes your livelihood :-).

greenmimama

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7552 on: April 03, 2015, 10:54:00 AM »
Congrats to your friend! Yeah, the prize money is likely great by itself but I imagine the additional perks are nice. Plus I'm sure that they will want to bring you back in from time to time. Has your friend managed to keep off the weight and are they happy with the changes?

Yeah, you're spot on- they bring her back all the time both for the show and for events at all their related businesses (the weight loss resorts, etc).  She's kept the weight off and looks great.  Her whole life is about fitness now, so it seems like she is sought after as a spokesperson and she just generally seems very happy (we live across the country from one another now, so my updates are all through Facebook).  She's definitely on the "loves it, wouldn't change a thing" end of the BL contestant spectrum.  It's always funny to be in line at the supermarket and see your friend on one of those trashy celeb/lifestyle magazines :D (She's not trashy, though, she's just a normal person who ended up a small/medium reality star)

Good for her! I used t be a big fan of the show, I probably remember her. That has got to be such a weird transition to have the pseudo fame and have people judging and commenting on your weight all the time, at least now it's because she looks good!

zephyr911

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7553 on: April 03, 2015, 01:22:48 PM »
Discussing a TV show competition (Biggest Loser) with a cash payout:

Me: With a prize of $250k on the line, I would pretty much do anything to guarantee the win and the cash.
CW1: $250k really isn't that much
CW2: Yeah, $250k is basically only a house - I wouldn’t go that crazy.
Me: “blank stare…”
I'd have happily pointed out that such a windfall would not only double my net worth but multiply my free cash numerous times over and create massive opportunities I wouldn't otherwise have for years to come. Who are these people?

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7554 on: April 03, 2015, 03:06:42 PM »
Discussing a TV show competition (Biggest Loser) with a cash payout:

Me: With a prize of $250k on the line, I would pretty much do anything to guarantee the win and the cash.
CW1: $250k really isn't that much
CW2: Yeah, $250k is basically only a house - I wouldn’t go that crazy.
Me: “blank stare…”

I mean it isn't enough to do "anything"-- I wouldn't risk my health or life to win 250k.  I've never watched the show but I'm guessing you basically have to lose weight at an unhealthy rate to win (Maybe it's ok if a doctor is supplementing)

dsmexpat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7555 on: April 03, 2015, 03:28:46 PM »
I think it mostly comes down to the general desire to diminish anything you don't have as not worth having.

Hedge_87

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7556 on: April 03, 2015, 05:36:57 PM »
Discussing a TV show competition (Biggest Loser) with a cash payout:

Me: With a prize of $250k on the line, I would pretty much do anything to guarantee the win and the cash.
CW1: $250k really isn't that much
CW2: Yeah, $250k is basically only a house - I wouldn’t go that crazy.
Me: “blank stare…”

I mean it isn't enough to do "anything"-- I wouldn't risk my health or life to win 250k.  I've never watched the show but I'm guessing you basically have to lose weight at an unhealthy rate to win (Maybe it's ok if a doctor is supplementing)
While I agree it's probably not healthy  to drop that much weight that quickly. However the argument could be made that being 2x or more over what your bodyweight should be is just as bad if not worse . I used to really enjoy the show atleast the actual weight loss part and watching them progress. Most of the contestants had a very long list of medical problems onset by being overweight and having a horrible diet.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7557 on: April 04, 2015, 12:34:51 AM »
Discussing a TV show competition (Biggest Loser) with a cash payout:

Me: With a prize of $250k on the line, I would pretty much do anything to guarantee the win and the cash.
CW1: $250k really isn't that much
CW2: Yeah, $250k is basically only a house - I wouldn’t go that crazy.
Me: “blank stare…”

I mean it isn't enough to do "anything"-- I wouldn't risk my health or life to win 250k.  I've never watched the show but I'm guessing you basically have to lose weight at an unhealthy rate to win (Maybe it's ok if a doctor is supplementing)
While I agree it's probably not healthy  to drop that much weight that quickly. However the argument could be made that being 2x or more over what your bodyweight should be is just as bad if not worse . I used to really enjoy the show atleast the actual weight loss part and watching them progress. Most of the contestants had a very long list of medical problems onset by being overweight and having a horrible diet.

It's bad to stay obese, but if you can lose weight quickly you can lose weight slowly.  If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.

Melody

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7558 on: April 04, 2015, 07:39:04 AM »
$1000 suitcase...
WTF?

Tallgirl1204

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7559 on: April 04, 2015, 03:49:54 PM »
Discussing a TV show competition (Biggest Loser) with a cash payout:

Me: With a prize of $250k on the line, I would pretty much do anything to guarantee the win and the cash.
CW1: $250k really isn't that much
CW2: Yeah, $250k is basically only a house - I wouldn’t go that crazy.
Me: “blank stare…”

I mean it isn't enough to do "anything"-- I wouldn't risk my health or life to win 250k.  I've never watched the show but I'm guessing you basically have to lose weight at an unhealthy rate to win (Maybe it's ok if a doctor is supplementing)
While I agree it's probably not healthy  to drop that much weight that quickly. However the argument could be made that being 2x or more over what your bodyweight should be is just as bad if not worse . I used to really enjoy the show atleast the actual weight loss part and watching them progress. Most of the contestants had a very long list of medical problems onset by being overweight and having a horrible diet.

It's bad to stay obese, but if you can lose weight quickly you can lose weight slowly.  If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.

I don't know if I agree with your statement that "if you can lose weight quickly you can lose weight slowly."  Maybe it's true in theory, but to live at a "camp" where you have personal training every day, regular consultations with doctors and nutritionists-- along with the competition and camaraderie of others in a similar situation' PLUS the knowledge that the whole world is watching... Those are some remarkably powerful drivers that are not available to someone trying to do it slowly...

Maybe there's a metaphor here with the kind of saving and frugality -- I.e. Money diet-- that many of us on this board are on? 


gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7560 on: April 04, 2015, 08:14:20 PM »
There's a pretty good metaphor, but pointing it out on this forum just gets butthurt fatties telling you you're wrong. We've been down this road, it's pretty sad; apparently excess expenditure is bad but excess eating (which, by the way, costs a lot of money) is "not their fault." To their credit, probably half the folks here agree with you, though, so hooray, 50%.

Tallgirl1204

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7561 on: April 05, 2015, 12:34:51 AM »
There's a pretty good metaphor, but pointing it out on this forum just gets butthurt fatties telling you you're wrong. We've been down this road, it's pretty sad; apparently excess expenditure is bad but excess eating (which, by the way, costs a lot of money) is "not their fault." To their credit, probably half the folks here agree with you, though, so hooray, 50%.

I need to point out here that I don't want to be associated with calling anyone a "fattie."  This is the kind of language that would get my hackles up if I was struggling with my weight, and I don't want to start another flame fest about it. 

I think I was trying to say that losing weight in a dedicated and intense effort, as opposed to slowly, is related to what some of us are doing here in terms of saving money at an accelerated rate relative to the general population.  For some people, looking at a slow weight loss over a very long period is so intimidating that they never start-- treating it like a "hair on fire" emergency is going to be more successful.

This was in response to the person who said that slower weight loss was probably physically more healthy than faster weight loss-- which may be true, but there is a psychological factor regarding making deep sacrifices for a shorter period vs. marginal sacrifices for a very long time, that I think Mustachians can appreciate.


Cassie

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7562 on: April 05, 2015, 11:33:06 AM »
I actually have lost 27 lbs over the past 8 months. When you are older if you lose weight too fast your skin sags & does not snap back. Also I wanted to make it my new lifestyle so I did something that I can maintain.  Whatever works for people is fine. I feel much better now & have the energy to exercise daily. My back no longer hurts, etc. My BP is down, bloodwork all good, etc.

merula

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7563 on: April 05, 2015, 01:55:22 PM »
I actually have lost 27 lbs over the past 8 months. When you are older if you lose weight too fast your skin sags & does not snap back. Also I wanted to make it my new lifestyle so I did something that I can maintain.  Whatever works for people is fine. I feel much better now & have the energy to exercise daily. My back no longer hurts, etc. My BP is down, bloodwork all good, etc.

Nice job! 2lbs/week is still an impressive pace, and 8 months is a long time to be keeping that up.

Cassie

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7564 on: April 05, 2015, 03:30:52 PM »
Thanks! I also did something that i was told to do by a healthcare professional. She told me not to eat less then 1600 calories/day 6 days a week. Then on one day eat what I want. Not only does it keep me motivated but the day after I eat what I want I normally see a loss. It is because it keeps my body confused so it does not think I am starving & lower my metabolism. 

Otsog

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7565 on: April 05, 2015, 08:44:14 PM »
Is body confusion actually a thing? Sounds a bit like "muscle confusion"....

boyerbt

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7566 on: April 06, 2015, 06:46:35 AM »
Discussing a TV show competition (Biggest Loser) with a cash payout:

Me: With a prize of $250k on the line, I would pretty much do anything to guarantee the win and the cash.
CW1: $250k really isn't that much
CW2: Yeah, $250k is basically only a house - I wouldn’t go that crazy.
Me: “blank stare…”

I mean it isn't enough to do "anything"-- I wouldn't risk my health or life to win 250k.  I've never watched the show but I'm guessing you basically have to lose weight at an unhealthy rate to win (Maybe it's ok if a doctor is supplementing)

I was exaggerating a bit but I did say "pretty much anything" so I think that limits it a bit.

I cannot say for certain how unhealthy or healthy it is to lose the large amounts of weight that most contestants do on the BL show as I do not have any technical degrees regarding the subjects. However, my best guess is that most of the contestants prior to the show were living moderately to extremely sedentary lifestyle while simultaneously consuming much more calories that is typically recommended. Once a person is on the show his/her life is changed 180°. Each persons' diet is closely monitored and the contestants are now working our several times a day. I can only imagine that because of the drastic changes that the excess weight begins to "fall" off in a fairly healthy manner.

My $0.02.

zephyr911

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7567 on: April 06, 2015, 07:39:42 AM »
If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.
When you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you will head off your foes with a balanced attack.

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7568 on: April 06, 2015, 08:14:12 AM »
On the "It is unhealthy to lose weight that fast" line of thought:

I am 5'10", 210. I need to lose about 15-30 pounds. It would be unhealthy for me to lose that over a month or two, three is pushing the limit on the healthy weight loss thing.

The people on this show are morbidly obese. They can lose probably 2x-3x as much as I can in a shorter amount of time and still be healthy. They have a lot more fat to burn, they have a lot more calories to cut, and they have a lot more moving to do to catch up to where I am not even exercising. So, yes, it is unhealthy to lose weight fast. But they're really not losing weight that fast, especially when you look at it on a percentage basis.

Source: picked up from years of living with nurses, dietitians, and fitness professionals.

slugline

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7569 on: April 06, 2015, 08:24:07 AM »
However, my best guess is that most of the contestants prior to the show were living moderately to extremely sedentary lifestyle while simultaneously consuming much more calories that is typically recommended. Once a person is on the show his/her life is changed 180°. Each persons' diet is closely monitored and the contestants are now working our several times a day. I can only imagine that because of the drastic changes that the excess weight begins to "fall" off in a fairly healthy manner.

Casual observation from watching a couple early TBL seasons: The contestants are basically changing careers temporarily -- a "mini-retirement" if you will. They leave their normal job and family life for many weeks to basically live the life of a focused pro athlete with prescribed eating,  training, and lack of distraction. I consider it a wonderful potential  benefit of FI/RE. Once you control your own schedule, you can take whatever time you need to focus on living a healthy lifestyle.

QuirkyNurse

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7570 on: April 06, 2015, 08:28:02 AM »
So, we're discussing tax returns during our down time, and one of the recently graduated nurses wondered aloud what she should do with her hefty tax return. I immediately quipped that she should put it towards her student loans or towards credit card debt if she had no loans, and she just looked at me blankly like I'm some kind of idiot. Her response? "I'll have my student loans the rest of my life so there's no use putting extra towards them. And even if I did pay off a credit card, I have another one maxed out so it just ends up being a waste."

I attempted to explain snow-balling payments and how she would be freeing up a lot more money in her budget, and she laughed, said she found budgets annoying, and was probably going to buy a coach purse or something because she "deserves it". I put all $3000 of my returns towards my loans. Sorry for the overwhelming air of superiority I have - I don't mean to be snooty, but gee whiz! The solution is right in front of her and she refuses to acknowledge it!

dsmexpat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7571 on: April 06, 2015, 08:31:08 AM »
So, we're discussing tax returns during our down time, and one of the recently graduated nurses wondered aloud what she should do with her hefty tax return. I immediately quipped that she should put it towards her student loans or towards credit card debt if she had no loans, and she just looked at me blankly like I'm some kind of idiot. Her response? "I'll have my student loans the rest of my life so there's no use putting extra towards them. And even if I did pay off a credit card, I have another one maxed out so it just ends up being a waste."

I attempted to explain snow-balling payments and how she would be freeing up a lot more money in her budget, and she laughed, said she found budgets annoying, and was probably going to buy a coach purse or something because she "deserves it". I put all $3000 of my returns towards my loans. Sorry for the overwhelming air of superiority I have - I don't mean to be snooty, but gee whiz! The solution is right in front of her and she refuses to acknowledge it!
Blessed are those that only make minimum payments so that we may reap the 3% cashback rewards.

zephyr911

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7572 on: April 06, 2015, 08:38:20 AM »
So, we're discussing tax returns during our down time, and one of the recently graduated nurses wondered aloud what she should do with her hefty tax return. I immediately quipped that she should put it towards her student loans or towards credit card debt if she had no loans, and she just looked at me blankly like I'm some kind of idiot. Her response? "I'll have my student loans the rest of my life so there's no use putting extra towards them. And even if I did pay off a credit card, I have another one maxed out so it just ends up being a waste."

I attempted to explain snow-balling payments and how she would be freeing up a lot more money in her budget, and she laughed, said she found budgets annoying, and was probably going to buy a coach purse or something because she "deserves it". I put all $3000 of my returns towards my loans. Sorry for the overwhelming air of superiority I have - I don't mean to be snooty, but gee whiz! The solution is right in front of her and she refuses to acknowledge it!
I have never understood the idea of not doing what you can, just because you can't do everything immediately. Learned helplessness?

Otsog

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7573 on: April 06, 2015, 09:31:32 AM »
I don't mean to be snooty, but gee whiz!

The phrase 'gee whiz' automatically cancels out any snootiness in a post. See also: gee wilikers, aw shucks and goodness gracious.

Kris

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7574 on: April 06, 2015, 09:55:50 AM »
So, we're discussing tax returns during our down time, and one of the recently graduated nurses wondered aloud what she should do with her hefty tax return. I immediately quipped that she should put it towards her student loans or towards credit card debt if she had no loans, and she just looked at me blankly like I'm some kind of idiot. Her response? "I'll have my student loans the rest of my life so there's no use putting extra towards them. And even if I did pay off a credit card, I have another one maxed out so it just ends up being a waste."

I attempted to explain snow-balling payments and how she would be freeing up a lot more money in her budget, and she laughed, said she found budgets annoying, and was probably going to buy a coach purse or something because she "deserves it". I put all $3000 of my returns towards my loans. Sorry for the overwhelming air of superiority I have - I don't mean to be snooty, but gee whiz! The solution is right in front of her and she refuses to acknowledge it!

Wow.  I think this is one of the worst stories on here. Holy crap.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7575 on: April 06, 2015, 10:28:40 AM »
on fast weight loss, too:
Just remember that 2kg of fat contain the energy for a whole week! Of course you can up that usage with sports etc. but then you cant do that without eating or you will simply drop "dread" on day 3. Also sports tend to lower your blood suger extremely which makes you crave sweets which have always more calories then you have burnt by sports.

Its better to do it slowly, like 1lb per week or even less. (of course its different for the people in the show, these are extreme cases).
First step is to learn to stop eating shortly before you are feeling full, not after that. And not eating sweets, thats often all a normal person needs to at least not get more weight.

@QuirkyNurse: Have you tried to show them the numbers? She must pay a lot of interest.


zephyr911

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7576 on: April 06, 2015, 10:42:33 AM »
@QuirkyNurse: Have you tried to show them the numbers? She must pay a lot of interest.
People who think they deserve a thousand-dollar purse more than they deserve to be debt-free, and people who are swayed by numbers, as illustrated by Venn diagram:
     
    0  0

ash7962

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7577 on: April 06, 2015, 11:09:49 AM »
@QuirkyNurse: Have you tried to show them the numbers? She must pay a lot of interest.
People who think they deserve a thousand-dollar purse more than they deserve to be debt-free, and people who are swayed by numbers, as illustrated by Venn diagram:
     
    0  0

bahahaha, that made my day.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7578 on: April 06, 2015, 11:21:03 AM »
@QuirkyNurse: Have you tried to show them the numbers? She must pay a lot of interest.
People who think they deserve a thousand-dollar purse more than they deserve to be debt-free, and people who are swayed by numbers, as illustrated by Venn diagram:
     
    0  0

People who think they deserve a thousand dollar purse more than they deserve to be debt free probably do.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7579 on: April 06, 2015, 11:36:18 AM »
Discussing a TV show competition (Biggest Loser) with a cash payout:

Me: With a prize of $250k on the line, I would pretty much do anything to guarantee the win and the cash.
CW1: $250k really isn't that much
CW2: Yeah, $250k is basically only a house - I wouldn’t go that crazy.
Me: “blank stare…”

I mean it isn't enough to do "anything"-- I wouldn't risk my health or life to win 250k.  I've never watched the show but I'm guessing you basically have to lose weight at an unhealthy rate to win (Maybe it's ok if a doctor is supplementing)
While I agree it's probably not healthy  to drop that much weight that quickly. However the argument could be made that being 2x or more over what your bodyweight should be is just as bad if not worse . I used to really enjoy the show atleast the actual weight loss part and watching them progress. Most of the contestants had a very long list of medical problems onset by being overweight and having a horrible diet.
Actually, I read something recently (in the last year), that dropping weight quickly can be a very good thing, for obese or overweight individuals.

The reason is the motivation.

It depends on the person, the body type, etc.  But the heavier you are, in general the faster you lose weight. Losing quickly is a big motivator to keep going.
On the other hand, if you only have 5-10 lbs to lose, it's a lot harder to lose.  You may put in a lot of effort to lose 0.5 to 1 lb a week.  It is hard to stay motivated with that.

Of course I'm sure there are always people who take it too far - you need to fuel your body.

Like MMM who recommends the "hair on fire" method - it's similar, no?  Lots of parallels.

I enjoy BL.  I probably remember the friend also.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2015, 11:43:14 AM by mm1970 »

zephyr911

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7580 on: April 06, 2015, 11:41:14 AM »
bahahaha, that made my day.

You're welcome. ;)

People who think they deserve a thousand dollar purse more than they deserve to be debt free probably do.

PREACH

Megma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7581 on: April 06, 2015, 11:41:43 AM »
@QuirkyNurse: Have you tried to show them the numbers? She must pay a lot of interest.
People who think they deserve a thousand-dollar purse more than they deserve to be debt-free, and people who are swayed by numbers, as illustrated by Venn diagram:
     
    0  0

Mine too! Love some math humor :-)

bahahaha, that made my day.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7582 on: April 06, 2015, 11:45:33 AM »
There's a pretty good metaphor, but pointing it out on this forum just gets butthurt fatties telling you you're wrong. We've been down this road, it's pretty sad; apparently excess expenditure is bad but excess eating (which, by the way, costs a lot of money) is "not their fault." To their credit, probably half the folks here agree with you, though, so hooray, 50%.

I need to point out here that I don't want to be associated with calling anyone a "fattie."  This is the kind of language that would get my hackles up if I was struggling with my weight, and I don't want to start another flame fest about it. 

I think I was trying to say that losing weight in a dedicated and intense effort, as opposed to slowly, is related to what some of us are doing here in terms of saving money at an accelerated rate relative to the general population.  For some people, looking at a slow weight loss over a very long period is so intimidating that they never start-- treating it like a "hair on fire" emergency is going to be more successful.

This was in response to the person who said that slower weight loss was probably physically more healthy than faster weight loss-- which may be true, but there is a psychological factor regarding making deep sacrifices for a shorter period vs. marginal sacrifices for a very long time, that I think Mustachians can appreciate.
In addition to the psychological factor, there's biology.  The body is pretty good at maintaining a "set point", so slow weight loss can be, well, slow.  Meaning, for most people, cutting 100 calories a day will NOT result in the "calculated" 10 pounds a year weight loss.  It just won't.

jba302

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7583 on: April 06, 2015, 03:34:08 PM »
Is body confusion actually a thing? Sounds a bit like "muscle confusion"....


off thread topic:

No, it is not. If your body thinks you are starving, it's because you are starving. If you are in "starvation mode" your body is actually shutting down, which is a bad thing to aim for. It takes a shit load of not eating to get into this range.

The cheat day concept helps with gherlin / leptin which is psychological (not discounting as psychological is huge in weight loss). It inhibits a day of weight loss, but you in a deficit effectively 5 of 7 days which can be enough if you do it right. Really you want to aim for something around a pound a week (more if you are in the higher obesity levels, less if you are just a tiny person to begin with). Anything slower and mm1970 addressed it - you just won't lose weight. NEAT gets affected quite a bit if you are cutting, so you are less fidgety and such and your TDEE ends up being lower than you think.

Cassie

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7584 on: April 06, 2015, 04:32:32 PM »
If you eat the same amount of calories everyday your body will adjust by lowering your metabolism. That is why dieting often leads to gaining more weight then what you lost.  The cheat day prevents this from happening.

bludreamin

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7585 on: April 06, 2015, 06:15:30 PM »
I don't mean to be snooty, but gee whiz!

The phrase 'gee whiz' automatically cancels out any snootiness in a post. See also: gee wilikers, aw shucks and goodness gracious.

Overheard at work - me giggling out loud to this. Very much needed.  Wish I had something more relevant to post but my coworkers tend to not say anything too ridiculous... Most annoying is the "awesome kohls sales" but those statements are generally balanced with talk of thrift store finds, public library love, diy suggestions (although this makes sense since we're mostly engineers)

Otsog

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7586 on: April 06, 2015, 09:39:01 PM »
If you eat the same amount of calories everyday your body will adjust by lowering your metabolism. That is why dieting often leads to gaining more weight then what you lost.  The cheat day prevents this from happening.

Are you sure metabolism works like that? A quick Google seems to say that is a myth.

I think dieting can often lead to weight gain due more to user error than body-trickery.

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7587 on: April 06, 2015, 10:24:18 PM »
I don't mean to be snooty, but gee whiz!

The phrase 'gee whiz' automatically cancels out any snootiness in a post. See also: gee wilikers, aw shucks and goodness gracious.

Overheard at work - me giggling out loud to this. Very much needed.  Wish I had something more relevant to post but my coworkers tend to not say anything too ridiculous... Most annoying is the "awesome kohls sales" but those statements are generally balanced with talk of thrift store finds, public library love, diy suggestions (although this makes sense since we're mostly engineers)

Awesome Kohls Sales... Well, I'd say that is on the mustachian side of things. I've always considered Kohls to be the value department store (not including TJ Maxx, Ross, Value City, etc.)

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7588 on: April 07, 2015, 06:46:25 AM »
If you eat an odd number of calories per meal, it confounds your liver, which can only process an even numbers of calories.

NumberCruncher

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7589 on: April 07, 2015, 06:54:39 AM »
If you eat an odd number of calories per meal, it confounds your liver, which can only process an even numbers of calories.

+1

Saw this while watching Dr. Oz on my 4K TV

jba302

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7590 on: April 07, 2015, 07:43:10 AM »
If you eat the same amount of calories everyday your body will adjust by lowering your metabolism. That is why dieting often leads to gaining more weight then what you lost.  The cheat day prevents this from happening.

Are you sure metabolism works like that? A quick Google seems to say that is a myth.

I think dieting can often lead to weight gain due more to user error than body-trickery.

Yea it's because people are terrible at judging calorie content and physical activity for >99% of it (severe metabolic problems excluded). People that are shitty dieters will chronically under-count calories (and people who are "hard gainers" will chronically undercount). So you have weird ideas of calorie cycling etc as a way to "confuse" your body. Here's what matters for weight loss-

BMR / RMR - interchangeable terms for this point. Basically the calories to stand there and not die.
NEAT - non-exercise activity calorie burning. Walking around, playing with a pencil while thinking -> fidgeting.
EAT - exercise based calorie burn.
TEF - The caloric burn of eating food. Something like 10% of food eaten is used to burn food eaten.

The NEAT part of it is surprisingly impactful. There can be an observable shift in the fidgety-ness of a dieter vs. naturally thin person vs naturally overweight person. Some people just move more. That gets dampened when you diet. It can double your BMR if you have a labored job. 

Some of BMR/RMR is static, like brain thinking and heart pumping. Some of it is variable, based on your weight and body composition. Strictly speaking, big people take more calories to exist as big people just walking down a hallway whether it's muscle or fat. So if you diet hard, you take less calories to stay alive and you burn less calories moving.  And you tend to be less fidgety. And your workouts are shit because people don't work out hard when they are dieting. Is this a "metabolism" shift? It's a calorie burn shift, so terms are different but the end result has the same tone to it.

The cheat day helps one of those things (the feeling like you are dieting, so your workouts aren't as crappy), and realistically hampers dieting more than it helps if you were just not doing a cheat day and pushed straight through willpower. As long as you are consistently and appreciably under your TDEE (add up everything above), you'll lose weight. Just know your TDEE also changes.

Otsog

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7591 on: April 07, 2015, 07:48:01 AM »
Thanks for the thorough explanation!

Giro

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7592 on: April 07, 2015, 08:16:00 AM »
I'm SOOOO happy for the last few replies.

I've said on forums before that people don't really workout.  I've also described my "marathoner" friend who runs and runs but doesn't burn anything....she is so slow that I can walk next to her.  She is morbidly obese.    No, she doesn't get points for "trying" and I am not a total b for saying that.

I was jumped on by everyone and even cussed at.  You know what, it's true.  VERY few people REALLY workout.  They don't even know what hard work is in the gym.  I watch this day in and day out.  There is a reason fat people stay fat.  I go to the gym and bust my ass everyday.  I have the muscle and physique to show for it.  I'm a female and I squat more than everyone (except this one guy who was here TDY and squatted 450 for like 15 reps...it was awesome).   yesterday was leg day, I squatted only 225 pounds but guess what I did 15 sets of reps at declining numbers....so I did 15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1   That is 120 squats.  I never see people working like that.  Oh and then I jumped on the treadmill for 3 miles and then on the bike for another 20 mins. 

My husband and I are ripped.  There are no short cuts.  You want to be thin and in shape...you can't have cheat days and eat cake and bon bons.  There is no magic to this.  burn calories and eat good food. 


Cookie78

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7593 on: April 07, 2015, 08:27:52 AM »
There are no short cuts.  You want to be thin and in shape...you can't have cheat days and eat cake and bon bons.  There is no magic to this.  burn calories and eat good food.

I don't care to judge what other people decide, but I agree with this. When I was losing weight successfully I never had 'cheat days'. I understand the whole metabolism argument, but it wasn't for me*. Work your ass off and eat healthy is what worked.

Also, I think we need an exercise/weight loss thread.

* Though there was one month when I bumped my calories up from 1400 to 2500, after working my ass off every day for 2 months, but it was all quality high protein food and I continued to work my ass off. Didn't lose any weight that month, but I didn't gain any either and my strength sure increased.

Davids

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7594 on: April 07, 2015, 08:27:53 AM »
Mustachians come in all shapes and sizes, same goes for antimustachians. Call me crazy but I would rather be a fat mustachian than a fit antimustachian.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7595 on: April 07, 2015, 08:32:22 AM »
Mustachians come in all shapes and sizes, same goes for antimustachians. Call me crazy but I would rather be a fat mustachian than a fit antimustachian.

Are the two mutually exclusive? I would rather be a fit mustacian, but I've always wanted more than the options presented.

dycker1978

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7596 on: April 07, 2015, 08:36:21 AM »
Mustachians come in all shapes and sizes, same goes for antimustachians. Call me crazy but I would rather be a fat mustachian than a fit antimustachian.

Are the two mutually exclusive? I would rather be a fit mustacian, but I've always wanted more than the options presented.

This is the more likely scenario, no between riding the bikes to and from work, doing my own work around home, gardening, my side "gig" which is a 2 miles walk every day delivering papers, that I makes $500 a month for, and no TV I have gone from really obese to normal size, and in decent shape.  No Gym fees needed.

Cookie78

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7597 on: April 07, 2015, 08:41:33 AM »
Mustachians come in all shapes and sizes, same goes for antimustachians. Call me crazy but I would rather be a fat mustachian than a fit antimustachian.

Are the two mutually exclusive? I would rather be a fit mustacian, but I've always wanted more than the options presented.

Absolutely agree. And I think the two go hand in hand. Taking care of your health is important for FIRE and any FIRE related activities I want to do. Given the original two options I can't answer the question.

sw1tch

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7598 on: April 07, 2015, 09:33:09 AM »
For the past year or so, rain, snow or shine, I've made it a point to go on daily walks during my lunch break and then eat my packed lunch at my desk.  I work downtown and walk by the main library branch in our city.  Anyhow, on my mustachian journey, I realized that the library system carries a huge selection of DVD's as well as books basically allowing me to place holds on just about any movies that I want - they'll even transfer your requests from in-between branches to your requested branch.  Since I walk by the place pretty much 5 times a week, it has been super convenient to drop in and pick up my holds whenever they become available. This allows me to watch movies that I want to see basically for free - I mean I do pay taxes after all.

Anyways, sometimes I walk solo and some days a few colleagues will join me. Well, on this particular day 2 CW's joined me,  I had a DVD with me that I was returning and we got to talking about renting from the library.  It just so happens as we are walking right next to the library,  one of my CW's says something to the tune of "Oh, I could never use the library, it's too inconvenient.  I just want to order it on Amazon or Netflix without getting off my couch."  The irony was just too great with the library physically within steps of our current location. So, you'd rather pay extra to rent a movie or just order it online instead of walking a few more steps... And, they dropped me off at the library while they went to go buy lunch from somewhere else.

He's also the guy that in the past has admitted to needing to get a credit union loan to pay off credit card debt.  Granted our CU has generally better rates than CC's but to always talk about convenience as if it's the most important thing when you continue to run up debt...

NumberCruncher

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #7599 on: April 07, 2015, 09:33:38 AM »
Mustachians come in all shapes and sizes, same goes for antimustachians. Call me crazy but I would rather be a fat mustachian than a fit antimustachian.

Are the two mutually exclusive? I would rather be a fit mustacian, but I've always wanted more than the options presented.

Some people are going to be in more advantaged positions than others - in both fitness and mustachianism.

If you are born to a middle class family with a strong inclination towards math and science, you're likely going to have the earning potential necessary for massive savings. If you are born to a lower income family in a bad neighborhood and have a learning disability, it's going to be a lot harder to FIRE. Not impossible, just harder.

Same with weight management - some people are born with good genes and good environments that encourage healthy lifestyles. Others struggle more, as it's not something that comes naturally to them. It's not impossible, just harder.

My husband and I are ripped.  There are no short cuts.  You want to be thin and in shape...you can't have cheat days and eat cake and bon bons.  There is no magic to this.  burn calories and eat good food. 

It's true - you have to really work hard to get ripped, regardless of genetics (yet, even then, you can easily see differences between people, like generally between men and women - it typically takes more work for a woman to physically read "ripped").

I think what's really interesting is that these conversations revolve around outward appearance - not talking about being ripped generally, but fat vs. thin. That's where I get lost, where we stop talking about habits and only talk about weight. The thin people with horrible eating habits or lack of exercise are never part of the conversation about "health."