Author Topic: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"  (Read 54576 times)

mydogismyheart

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"I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« on: October 21, 2014, 01:30:49 PM »

cavewoman

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2014, 03:08:24 PM »
Agreed, that is about the saddest "news" website I have seen.

wth? the header links on that page are crazy.

Ebola
Oklahoma Beheading
Immigration
Common Core
Ferguson
ISIS
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gimp

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2014, 03:33:17 PM »
Fatties gonna fat. If they were the sort of people to take responsibility for their actions, they wouldn't be obeasts.

Zillo7

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2014, 03:33:51 PM »
I wish I could get 62k/year by stealing other people's money  in free money  in government assistance. :(

She's the reason why I think the welfare system is a waste of resources.

MrsPete

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2014, 04:26:46 PM »
I note she can afford hair color, a tattoo, and a lip ring. 

GuitarStv

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2014, 07:19:29 PM »
Is this a confirmed real person?

data.Damnation

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2014, 07:29:04 PM »
I think you guys got trolled.


rocksinmyhead

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #8 on: October 22, 2014, 06:49:26 AM »
Agreed, that is about the saddest "news" website I have seen.

wth? the header links on that page are crazy.

Ebola
Oklahoma Beheading
Immigration
Common Core
Ferguson
ISIS
Guns

hahahahaha

they forgot "Benghazi"

LalsConstant

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2014, 08:30:38 AM »
Fatties gonna fat. If they were the sort of people to take responsibility for their actions, they wouldn't be obeasts.

I am sorely tempted to respond with a concise "Fuck.  You."  However, that is not conducive to understanding or correction.  Also, I'm sure gimp didn't mean this as a personal affront and I perhaps knee jerked a bit.  I admit I'm a bit testy here lately since weight loss is front and center in my mind right now, but I've decided to speak my peace here all the same.

Weight loss is not a simple matter of knowing calories out must be greater than calories in.  Conceptually, it's simple, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

One of the factors that makes weight loss so hard is long is that for many of us, the weight packs on during a time of our lives when we are fundamentally unhappy people, suffering from anxiety, depression, and other issues.

While I'm not suggesting we view depression, for example, as an excuse for bad behavior, we should consider that these type of menthal health problems can be brought on or intensified by external occurrences.

Therefore it is asinine to say all overweight people are simply irresponsible and act like that is all there is to it, such an interpretation is positively sociopathic.

Rather it is better to say people who suffer from obesity are irresponsible because they do not prioritize their health, instead putting issues like depression, poor self concept, etc. as their focus.

The problem is, "fatties" have got to muster a considerable amount more of willpower to realize they truly are better than not only their weight problem, but also the synthesis of their weight problem and all those contributing factors.  To overcome those exacerbating issues is simply far more difficult than is commonly understood or perceived.

And quite frankly unfounded negative comments about their personal character do not contribute to such a momentous epiphany of self-worth.  They do not need to be told how terrible they are, they need to be told they are better than what they currently do to themselves.

They need to be told to forgive themselves and let the past go, and that life is worth living and it's possible to be healthy if you want it more than you want cake, comfort food, sugar, etc.  You can't make them believe it, but it doesn't hurt to hear it all the same.

Telling them they're stupid, irresponsible, bad, or whatever you want to call it accomplishes nothing.  Just getting a person to the state where they realize their life is worth more than the comfort they get from their bad eating habits is in and of itself a monumental effort, and every jab, nasty comment and hurtful thing someone says about them on the way pushes them a little further away from realizing this.

"Fatties" are not terrible people of poor character who are fat because they're bad.  Fatties are normal people who lost their way, perhaps lost hope, forgot that they were important, or got their priorities mixed up or all of the above, who now have a behavior problem that is not trivial to solve.  Studies have shown it takes, on average, 12 serious attempts to lose weight before a dieter achieves success.

Shaming will not solve someone's weight problem.  It just makes them feel worse about themselves, and they retreat into their coping mechanisms, which makes them even fatter and subject to more ridicule and it just continues.

You don't have to and shouldn't condone poor choices made by others.  However, such a comment is, if anything, only further shaming people who need to work through their difficult personal problems into continuing their poor behavior.  If you see a man teetering on the edge of a pit, you have no responsibility to drag him to safety, however you damn well better not shove him in either.

crazyworld

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2014, 08:46:13 AM »
+1 LalsConsant! If it were that easy to lose weight, none of us would be fat.  I have had weight issues since childhood, and I grew up in a 3rd world country, before we had fast food, pizza, soda, chips etc.  I managed to have a problem predominantly eating homemade veggies/lentils/bread.  Heck my grandma was obese since her youth, and she was growing up at a time when they did not even have electricity - all work done manually and nothing processed available at all.  I do eat to deal with emotions, comfort foods are called that for a reason.
DH is naturally slim - it takes a lot for him to gain weight and he loses it quick (he never exercises).  He does not feel the need to badger me about my weight from his easy place, smart man!
Anyway, my first job if I ever RE is to use all that free time to work out every single day for 2 hours and cook all my meals from scratch.  If I treat losing weight as a job, I manage to keep it in check.  If life gets in the way, I am done for. That's just the way it is.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2014, 08:50:04 AM by crazyworld »

boarder42

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2014, 08:50:16 AM »
with the socialization of healthcare in this country ... weight is the next thing that will come to the forefront.  Just like smoking you CAN control what you put into your body.  smoking and obesity are already 2 main things that will help you get deduction at my work place.  healthy people shouldnt have to support the bad decisions of others.  ( obviously some things arent controllable ie birth defects etc. )

comfort eating = comfort smoking. 

these will one day be seen as one and the same.   

Bob W

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2014, 08:55:11 AM »
with the socialization of healthcare in this country ... weight is the next thing that will come to the forefront.  Just like smoking you CAN control what you put into your body.  smoking and obesity are already 2 main things that will help you get deduction at my work place.  healthy people shouldnt have to support the bad decisions of others.  ( obviously some things arent controllable ie birth defects etc. )

comfort eating = comfort smoking. 

these will one day be seen as one and the same.

Yeah,  I can see restaurants banning eating or hotels having "eat free" rooms.   It will be nice when the university declares an "eat free" campus policy as well. 

madame librarian

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2014, 09:04:38 AM »
Just wanted to jump in on the "lol this website" comments. I don't trust anything that tries to pop up an ad for Viagra.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2014, 09:06:59 AM by madame librarian »

boarder42

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2014, 09:14:55 AM »
i'm just saying you have 100% control over what goes in your body.  to claim that you cant control it is to make the same claim as an addict of drugs.  so everyone here who is saying its not controllable must have the same sympathy for a heroin addict as an overweight person. 

guess what i lost 40 lbs since january.  and by american standards i wasnt fat when i started losing it.  i didnt work out i just changed my diet.  the people on this site above most others should understand the power of self control.  you do it with money just apply it to food.

rocksinmyhead

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #15 on: October 22, 2014, 09:24:12 AM »
with the socialization of healthcare in this country ... weight is the next thing that will come to the forefront.  Just like smoking you CAN control what you put into your body.  smoking and obesity are already 2 main things that will help you get deduction at my work place.  healthy people shouldnt have to support the bad decisions of others.  ( obviously some things arent controllable ie birth defects etc. )

comfort eating = comfort smoking. 

these will one day be seen as one and the same.

Yeah,  I can see restaurants banning eating or hotels having "eat free" rooms.   It will be nice when the university declares an "eat free" campus policy as well.

yeah I hate when I get "secondhand eating" from walking past a "fatty" stuffing their face. ha.

LalsConstant, thanks for that. I am glad you didn't stop at a simple "fuck you" (thought it would have been easier) and instead educated all of us. As someone who has never in my life struggled with weight issues (and who genuinely enjoys exercise, which is also lucky), I do have to check myself sometimes to make sure I'm not being a totally judgmental bitch about overweight people. But your post totally blew my mind because I NEVER put weight issues together with depression/anxiety/other mental health issues. As someone who struggles on and off with anxiety and general self-loathing, I have thought to myself many times that I should probably seek professional help for the sake of myself and my relationships. But when you hate yourself and are totally overwhelmed by EVERYTHING in your life, the idea of adding a new, overwhelming challenge where you have no idea what you're doing and could possibly embarrass yourself and just really don't even know where to begin is reeeeeeally hard to actually make a move on. It's easy for me to see how this would be much the same for someone who is struggling with weight issues. Wow. Just really never thought about it like that before. So thanks. :)

boarder42

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #16 on: October 22, 2014, 09:29:03 AM »
the smoking comment was meant for the health side effects.  If you havent noticed all healthcare forms now ask you if you smoke. and at my company my work makes you have a certain BMI (not the best guage) but they still use it to receive all the deductions. 

emotional eating, emotional smoking, emotional drinking, emotional drug doing.  explain how its different.  in each case you're cognitively putting something in your body you know will have a negative effect. 

all of these things directly affect your health which affects everyone in the country b/c we will have to support your poor decisions some day. 

you have a choice just make the right one and we'll all lead better lives together.

rocksinmyhead

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #17 on: October 22, 2014, 09:44:37 AM »
you have a choice just make the right one and we'll all lead better lives together.

I like this, I think it's empowering, but it's also not just that easy for everyone. plus I feel like with your comparisons to alcohol and drug abuse you're assuming everyone thinks those behaviors are a sign of moral weakness or something. in some cases,  absolutely, but true addiction is also a mental illness that most people need some help to treat. if you don't see it that way then we're just gonna have to agree to disagree :)

Bob W

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #18 on: October 22, 2014, 09:58:58 AM »
Ever notice how prior to the war on poverty that virtually everyone in the country was slim?  Now it is just the opposite.   Weird how that works? 

boarder42

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #19 on: October 22, 2014, 10:02:49 AM »
"its not that easy for everyone"

Is the definition of a complainypants statement.  It is that easy people choose not to do it. 

making up excuses for why you cant do something is what the 100 page thread has at its core.  OH i cant afford that - but then buys lunch every day.  etc. 

i'm fat b/c of XYZ ... ok so stop doing XYZ ....

i love kettle ships
i love chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream
some days i work long hours and i'm on the road and the only place to eat is mcdonalds.
i cant lose weight  .... wrong complainypants. 

people who are mentally ill are those who have had something happen to them outside of their control that made them that way.  all things listed in my post above are 100% controllable by the individual. 

you can make excuses all you want and say it isnt easy but thats just copping out and not addressing your own REAL problems you have.

Jags4186

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #20 on: October 22, 2014, 10:12:53 AM »
Yea I mean unless you have some underlying medical issue for why you are fat there's no reason to be fat. Unhappy and want to stuff your face? That's fine but then don't say your fat because you're depressed. You're fat because you're depressed and chose to deal with that depression via Oreos.

Biologically speaking it is just as easy to lose weight as to gain weight. It's when you realize that it takes an hour on the treadmill to burn off the calories you consumed in 5 minutes while watching tv is why it's "hard".


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gimp

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #21 on: October 22, 2014, 11:26:21 AM »
Everyone blames their problems on something else. "It's my condishuns!" When it's not the thyroid, or the 'beetus or the knees, it's your mental whatevers.

Eat less. Move more. It is no more complicated than that, it is entirely willpower. So tell me "fuck you" all you want, I can always turn off the internet (or walk up the stairs quickly.)

Cinder

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #22 on: October 22, 2014, 12:14:33 PM »
This reminds me of a story I saw a while ago.. A personal trainer gained weight till he was obese, and then lost it again..

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/05/health/drew-manning-fit2fat2fit-lessons/

He did note a HUGE difference in mood, and how it was a struggle to begin losing weight.  And now that he's back down, he still has a lot of the cravings for junk food he picked up while he was out of shape. 

Quote
(CNN) -- When Drew Manning stepped out from behind the cardboard cutout of his former fat self on Monday, the audience of "Good Morning America" was appropriately shocked.

The fitness trainer's journey had come to an end after successfully losing more than 70 pounds -- six months after he purposely gained the same amount. "Like it never happened," host George Stephanopoulos said.

"Kind of," Manning said. Both Manning and his wife, Lynn, can attest that a lot actually has changed in the past year. While Manning's body may have returned to its six-pack heydays, his mind, in many ways, has not.

Always a fitness junkie, staying in shape comes naturally for Manning. He's that guy at the gym the rest of us love to hate, the one who likes to use his biceps for pumping iron instead of changing channels, and who prefers sucking down a spinach shake to indulging in a brownie sundae.



How to really lose weight

Low-carb vs. low-fat for weight loss

Social media helps woman drop 180 pounds Because of that, Manning was a "judgmental" trainer, his wife says. "He would look at someone who was overweight and say, 'They must really be lazy.'

"I was convinced people used genetics or similar excuses as a crutch," Manning writes in his new book, "Fit2Fat2Fit." "You either wanted to be healthy or you didn't."

The link between fat and cancer

That point of view wasn't helping Manning help his clients. When he failed yet again to push someone over to the light side, he knew something was wrong. In order to better understand the struggles his clients were facing, he had to face them himself.

He gave up the gym and started consuming junk food, fast food and soda. In just six months, he went from 193 pounds with a 34-inch waist to 265 pounds with a 48-inch waist.

Lynn saw the difference in her husband in less time than that. He became lethargic, stopped helping around the house and was less than eager to play with their 2-year-old daughter.

"He was so insecure -- saying 'I'm so fat. I look so horrible,' constantly complaining about how he looks," she said.

Manning says he didn't realize the effects of his weight gain would be more than physical. It altered his relationships and his self-confidence. Returning to the gym after the Fit2Fat portion of his journey made him nervous. The fact that he had to do push-ups on his knees was almost humiliating.

"The biggest thing [I learned] is that it's not just about the physical. It's not just about the meal plan and the workouts and those things. The key is the mental and the emotional issues. I realized those issues are real."

Of course, Manning had his critics. Experts said that his stunt was dangerous. His blood pressure and cholesterol shot up with such dramatic weight gain. But Manning has no regrets. The followers on his website have encouraged him with their own tales of weight loss.

A fat girl gets naked

"We see the success stories of people losing all this weight, but it's more common now," he says. "To see someone do it in reverse on purpose -- it's mind blowing. A balance of craziness and inspiration."

Manning suffered through soda deprivation headaches and food cravings on his way back to fit. The journey was easier for him than for most, he'll admit, but he's eager now to provide tips for others to follow in his footsteps.

Power walker loses 150 pounds

Lynn is just glad to have her husband back, maybe a bit better than he was before. Before Fit2Fat2Fit, the self-described foodie wife would make treats, and Manning wouldn't even look at them.

"Now he craves them," she says with a laugh. "It might be cruel, but I like that. I like that he's humanized."


boarder42

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #23 on: October 22, 2014, 12:29:23 PM »
that Fit2Fat2Fit is interesting.  again i think this applies to money too... i mean you always here people complaining about living paycheck to paycheck and all the emotional problems it causes and stress. But many put themselves there thru spending habits... and once you start those it is harder to stop.... The people of this blog should be embracing the concept of weight loss just like the concept of frugality is proposed. 

i'm gonna go ahead and say it ... being overweight is on par with hair on fire debt - for mustachians. 

mm1970

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #24 on: October 22, 2014, 01:56:32 PM »
Yea I mean unless you have some underlying medical issue for why you are fat there's no reason to be fat. Unhappy and want to stuff your face? That's fine but then don't say your fat because you're depressed. You're fat because you're depressed and chose to deal with that depression via Oreos.

Biologically speaking it is just as easy to lose weight as to gain weight. It's when you realize that it takes an hour on the treadmill to burn off the calories you consumed in 5 minutes while watching tv is why it's "hard".


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Ha ha ha ha!

No, it is not, in fact, biologically as easy to lose weight as it is to gain weight.

Jags4186

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #25 on: October 22, 2014, 02:12:15 PM »
Yea I mean unless you have some underlying medical issue for why you are fat there's no reason to be fat. Unhappy and want to stuff your face? That's fine but then don't say your fat because you're depressed. You're fat because you're depressed and chose to deal with that depression via Oreos.

Biologically speaking it is just as easy to lose weight as to gain weight. It's when you realize that it takes an hour on the treadmill to burn off the calories you consumed in 5 minutes while watching tv is why it's "hard".


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Ha ha ha ha!

No, it is not, in fact, biologically as easy to lose weight as it is to gain weight.

Agree to disagree.  Yes your body wants to "retain" weight as much as possible...but if you burn 3500 calories more than you eat you will lose a pound.  And I'm not talking about "water weight" or lean body mass or getting super technical here...I'm being relatively simplistic.  We can have a super in depth conversation if you want but this isn't the forum for that.

I've gained and lost and gained and lost a significant amount of weight.  Once you get over the "woe is I" attitude you can work the weight off.  Nobody realizes how hard it is to actually gain weight because the events surrounding the weight gain are "pleasurable".  A night out with the guy for beer and wings.  Cake after dinner.  Ice cream at a party.  You don't gain 50lbs overnight its from night after night after night of bad choices. 

Let's see...which group of people is likely to be fatter---friend who get together every Sunday and BBQ and drink while watching the football games or friends who go hiking/camping every weekend.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2014, 02:15:53 PM by Jags4186 »

Eric

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MoneyCat

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #27 on: October 22, 2014, 04:05:26 PM »
Poor people are the worst.  Why don't they just get jobs working in tech?  All they have to do is be reborn into functional supportive middle-class families who provide the computer equipment and training necessary for the job while simultaneously being reborn with the aptitude to be able to do the job.  That's not so hard, right?

mm1970

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #28 on: October 22, 2014, 06:56:17 PM »
Yea I mean unless you have some underlying medical issue for why you are fat there's no reason to be fat. Unhappy and want to stuff your face? That's fine but then don't say your fat because you're depressed. You're fat because you're depressed and chose to deal with that depression via Oreos.

Biologically speaking it is just as easy to lose weight as to gain weight. It's when you realize that it takes an hour on the treadmill to burn off the calories you consumed in 5 minutes while watching tv is why it's "hard".


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Ha ha ha ha!

No, it is not, in fact, biologically as easy to lose weight as it is to gain weight.

Agree to disagree.  Yes your body wants to "retain" weight as much as possible...but if you burn 3500 calories more than you eat you will lose a pound.  And I'm not talking about "water weight" or lean body mass or getting super technical here...I'm being relatively simplistic.  We can have a super in depth conversation if you want but this isn't the forum for that.

I've gained and lost and gained and lost a significant amount of weight.  Once you get over the "woe is I" attitude you can work the weight off.  Nobody realizes how hard it is to actually gain weight because the events surrounding the weight gain are "pleasurable".  A night out with the guy for beer and wings.  Cake after dinner.  Ice cream at a party.  You don't gain 50lbs overnight its from night after night after night of bad choices. 

Let's see...which group of people is likely to be fatter---friend who get together every Sunday and BBQ and drink while watching the football games or friends who go hiking/camping every weekend.
Sorry, but no.  It's not simply as easy as 3500 calories = one pound.  In fact relatively recent research shows that your body is way more efficient at maintaining a certain set point weight (meaning, it takes a lot more than 3500 calories to lose a pound and more than 3500 calories to gain a pound, usually).

I have gained and lost weight quite a bit too.  It is TOTALLY different losing baby weight at 44 than it was at 37, or just losing "hey how did I get to be over 180 pounds" weight at 32.  All other things equal - same amount of exercise, same amount of calories.  It's just DIFFERENT.  Stress, sleep, are only part of the equation.

While only a couple of hundred extra calories a day results in fairly fast weight gain if I'm under a lot of stress, unfortunately I have to cut at least 500 calories a day from maintenance to lose 1/2 lb a week.

gimp

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #29 on: October 22, 2014, 06:58:30 PM »
Quote
Sorry, but no.  It's not simply as easy as 3500 calories = one pound.  In fact relatively recent research shows that your body is way more efficient at maintaining a certain set point weight (meaning, it takes a lot more than 3500 calories to lose a pound and more than 3500 calories to gain a pound, usually).

Bullshit.

mm1970

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #30 on: October 22, 2014, 07:09:20 PM »
Everyone blames their problems on something else. "It's my condishuns!" When it's not the thyroid, or the 'beetus or the knees, it's your mental whatevers.

Eat less. Move more. It is no more complicated than that, it is entirely willpower. So tell me "fuck you" all you want, I can always turn off the internet (or walk up the stairs quickly.)

I am still going to say eff you.

I'm old.  I had a baby at 42.  My knees hurt, my back hurts, my ankles hurt.  I have a full time job and two small children.

I count calories and eat about 1200-1500 a day.
I walk 30 minutes on my lunch break 5x a week.
I swim 45 minutes 2x a week.
I do weight training workouts for 30-40 minutes 2x a week.
I generally walk on the weekends, pushing a stroller, usually for an hour.

And for that?
Well, if I can manage to keep 6 of my days under 1400, I may lose 1/2 lb a week.

If I can't?  I don't.

So a big EFF YOU.

I eat a healthier diet and exercise more than 90% of Americans but I'm still FAT.

Jags4186

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #31 on: October 22, 2014, 07:20:48 PM »

Everyone blames their problems on something else. "It's my condishuns!" When it's not the thyroid, or the 'beetus or the knees, it's your mental whatevers.

Eat less. Move more. It is no more complicated than that, it is entirely willpower. So tell me "fuck you" all you want, I can always turn off the internet (or walk up the stairs quickly.)

I am still going to say eff you.

I'm old.  I had a baby at 42.  My knees hurt, my back hurts, my ankles hurt.  I have a full time job and two small children.

I count calories and eat about 1200-1500 a day.
I walk 30 minutes on my lunch break 5x a week.
I swim 45 minutes 2x a week.
I do weight training workouts for 30-40 minutes 2x a week.
I generally walk on the weekends, pushing a stroller, usually for an hour.

And for that?
Well, if I can manage to keep 6 of my days under 1400, I may lose 1/2 lb a week.

If I can't?  I don't.

So a big EFF YOU.

I eat a healthier diet and exercise more than 90% of Americans but I'm still FAT.

Everyone ready for fireworks?

Perhaps you're eating too little and your body is in starvation mode?

The older you get the less lean body tissue you have. The less lean body tissue you have the slower your metabolism becomes hence why you tend to gain a little.

Honestly though. Anyone who is significantly overweight (30+ lbs) and legitimately eats 1400-1600 calories a day and works out 6x a week would lose weight. My guess? You underestimate how much you eat.

mm1970

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #32 on: October 22, 2014, 07:25:40 PM »
Quote
Sorry, but no.  It's not simply as easy as 3500 calories = one pound.  In fact relatively recent research shows that your body is way more efficient at maintaining a certain set point weight (meaning, it takes a lot more than 3500 calories to lose a pound and more than 3500 calories to gain a pound, usually).

Bullshit.
http://www.foodpolitics.com/2010/01/how-many-extra-calories-cause-weight-gain/


mm1970

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #33 on: October 22, 2014, 07:30:17 PM »

Everyone blames their problems on something else. "It's my condishuns!" When it's not the thyroid, or the 'beetus or the knees, it's your mental whatevers.

Eat less. Move more. It is no more complicated than that, it is entirely willpower. So tell me "fuck you" all you want, I can always turn off the internet (or walk up the stairs quickly.)

I am still going to say eff you.

I'm old.  I had a baby at 42.  My knees hurt, my back hurts, my ankles hurt.  I have a full time job and two small children.

I count calories and eat about 1200-1500 a day.
I walk 30 minutes on my lunch break 5x a week.
I swim 45 minutes 2x a week.
I do weight training workouts for 30-40 minutes 2x a week.
I generally walk on the weekends, pushing a stroller, usually for an hour.

And for that?
Well, if I can manage to keep 6 of my days under 1400, I may lose 1/2 lb a week.

If I can't?  I don't.

So a big EFF YOU.

I eat a healthier diet and exercise more than 90% of Americans but I'm still FAT.

Everyone ready for fireworks?

Perhaps you're eating too little and your body is in starvation mode?

The older you get the less lean body tissue you have. The less lean body tissue you have the slower your metabolism becomes hence why you tend to gain a little.

Honestly though. Anyone who is significantly overweight (30+ lbs) and legitimately eats 1400-1600 calories a day and works out 6x a week would lose weight. My guess? You underestimate how much you eat.
I am well aware of starvation mode.  When I was in my 30's, 1200 calories would have been it.  When I was on WW in 2002 I hit my "goal", added in more "points" and the weight started coming off even faster (below  a healthy weight for me).

Sadly, not the case at this point in my life.  I tried for quite awhile to lose weight on more like 1600-1800, with the same activity level.  Nothing, nada, all that work weighing, measuring, entering into myfitnesspal every.single.day.  Nothing.

Makes me sad.

My coworkers ask "is it worth it?"  I said "I'll tell you if I get there".  No sweets, no alcohol, no bread...it's depressing.  I just hope I can lose the baby weight before I hit menopause.

neophyte

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #34 on: October 22, 2014, 07:32:58 PM »
comfort eating = comfort smoking. 

Exactly.

Former smokers know they can't smoke just one cigarette because that could set them right back into their addiction. Recovering alcoholics know they can't have even one drink on a special occasion because even if they haven't tasted alcohol in 20 years, that one drink could set them off.  Formerly obese people and recovering overeaters know better than to ever eat another meal because that could.....wait....oh.


Primm

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #35 on: October 22, 2014, 07:44:40 PM »
comfort eating = comfort smoking. 

Exactly.

Former smokers know they can't smoke just one cigarette because that could set them right back into their addiction. Recovering alcoholics know they can't have even one drink on a special occasion because even if they haven't tasted alcohol in 20 years, that one drink could set them off.  Formerly obese people and recovering overeaters know better than to ever eat another meal because that could.....wait....oh.

+1.

iris lily

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #36 on: October 22, 2014, 07:49:55 PM »
I live in the urban core. I used to take a guy home from work who lived in the projects and who worked with me. We both live about 1+ mile from work. I would talk about walking (which I often did) and we shared battle of the bulge stories. When I didn't drive him home, he took the bus.

He said that he couldn't afford a gym so that's why he couldn't get fit.

At least I knew that I should be walking even if I wasn't always walking to work. He didn't seem to know that. And while to this MMM crowd driving such a short distance is clownish, I personally think that standing, waiting for a buss for 20+ minutes is even stupider. It's a 30 minute walk, why stand for 20 of that time, just hoof it.

« Last Edit: October 22, 2014, 07:51:58 PM by iris lily »

mm1970

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #37 on: October 22, 2014, 08:01:37 PM »
Sorry, I'm a little sensitive today...husband out of town for the week traveling for work, both kids sick, not sleeping well.  I've missed two days at work and the lack of sleep and no spouse means minimal exercise.  I'm cranky.

What I'm getting at is "don't judge a book by its cover".

Whenever people go off on fat people - you don't know if that person has always been fat, is stressed out, had surgery.  You don't know if they just lost 30, 50, 100 pounds.  You don't know what they are dealing with, what they are eating, how much they are exercising.

I am the first person to encourage people to eat right and exercise for their health - but it's not going to help if they are still judged for their size.  If we can't be perfect, why bother trying?

BPA

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #38 on: October 22, 2014, 08:14:35 PM »
I am overweight.  I guess the fact that I have a metabolic disorder makes me complainypants and weak.

Oh...and I belong to a support group of incest survivors.  Almost all of them are overweight because they try to hide behind a layer of fat.  Being fat makes them feel safe.  I guess that concept might be difficult to understand if you haven't been there and after many years of therapy, that is no longer my issue.

I was seriously pissed when I found out that it wasn't just the incest that was a problem, but that I have the metabolic disorder too.  I'm working on it, but simple calories in/calories out doesn't work for everyone.  A lot of people have insulin resistance. 



gimp

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #39 on: October 22, 2014, 08:17:28 PM »
Quote
I count calories and eat about 1200-1500 a day.

I've heard that before.

Here's a website dedicated to willpower and choices. Here's you belly-aching about how things aren't your fault and you already do everything perfectly.

Oh, and that (suspect) article you linked? It argues that it's harder to gain weight than we think. So you have even less excuse. It does not argue the other way around. You may draw that connection but that's yet another assumption with no evidence. (Regardless, it's pretty suspect - the website itself, and the article. I'll believe it when I see scientific consensus, not one opinion tenuously linked to one paper, which isn't a study but is a two-page-long blurb and is hardly a valid source for... anything.)

"If we can't be perfect, why bother trying?"

We can be perfect. That's the beauty of it. I'm not a particularly handsome dude, but I have no fat on my belly. It makes life a lot easier. Miles-long mountainous hikes with gear and food and water are a leisurely weekend activity. Interestingly, I've also tried measuring how much food I eat, to encourage a friend; it turned out that without trying at all I hovered at 1400 a day while she (despite being shorter and smaller) consistently ate 3-500 more. That was her "normal" and she couldn't imagine how it was so much when I ate more volume and fewer calories. My simple strategy is to cook my own food, and use only simple ingredients, and very few of them. Food you get prepared - including bread, meat, and so on - manages to stick an absolutely massive amount of calories and other shit into a small package that really doesn't fill you up; a $1 cheeseburger is 400+ calories. ($1 also feeds me for an entire day.)

People weren't fat in the past, except for the wealthy. We have far more knowledge today about nutrition and a massive opportunity to turn knowledge into practice.

I'm no hypocrite. If I gain weight, I'll think back to how I think about fat people and I'll lose the damn weight. Hasn't happened so far.

BPA, what metabolic disorder specifically? What effect does it have? I know a guy with a thyroid disorder (a real one, unlike 99% of claimants) and he's, what, fifteen pounds overweight at most? Can't even tell. Because he works out and eats right. It's harder for him than other people but he does it. "Slow metabolism?" I've heard that one too; it's just as bullshit. A slow metabolism might account for a hundred, maybe two hundred calories at most compared to a fast one.

It's hilarious to see fat apologists on a website dedicated to willpower and living lean. What's next, "I only drive my SUV because it's so much more comfortable than a normal car?"

BPA

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #40 on: October 22, 2014, 08:25:56 PM »
Insulin resistance.  Ironically because carbs (which are cheap) were my primary food source when I first tried to save money which actually kind of relates to the thread title.  I only recently realized it was part of the problem.  It wasn't until after I dealt with the emotional eating aspect of the incest and the weight still wasn't coming off like it should, that after reading a lot, I put it all together.

I try to follow the Insulin Resistance Diet or other low carb diets, and the weight is coming off, but I'm 46 and it's pretty slow.

I wish I knew that I was Insulin Resistant earlier instead of getting frustrated with calories in/out.  I can only go on from here. 

It is more expensive following IRD than it was the CI/CO I was following before.

And hey.  If anyone is interested, myfitnesspal.com is a great place to log for free.  I like it because it tracks carbs, protein, and fat.  Just a warning though, the calories burned via exercise thing is inflated for most people.  Too bad because I cycle like mad and according to MFP, I should weigh about -160 pounds by now.  :)  Instead of 190 like I do.

Jacana

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #41 on: October 22, 2014, 08:31:25 PM »
One of the biggest factors in weight loss is giving yourself time. Just like the financial issues people face and conquer here. You won't pay off $100,000 in debt overnight, you won't become a millionaire in a year, you won't lose 10 lbs in a month. But slow and steady, no fads, no quick fixes, not getting discouraged, celebrating the smaller victories as they snowball to the finish line... 1/2 lb a week is great. But 1/4 lb a week is good too and that still adds up to 13 lbs a year! Just like $10 decisions add up to make a millionaire, so do small decisions about eating and health. And it gets easier as you progress.

Hotstreak

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #42 on: October 22, 2014, 08:43:42 PM »
Fatties gonna fat. If they were the sort of people to take responsibility for their actions, they wouldn't be obeasts.
I am sorely tempted to respond with a concise "Fuck.  You."  However, that is not conducive to understanding or correction.  Also, I'm sure gimp didn't mean this as a personal affront and I perhaps knee jerked a bit.  I admit I'm a bit testy here lately since weight loss is front and center in my mind right now, but I've decided to speak my peace here all the same.
. . .

Therefore it is asinine to say all overweight people are simply irresponsible and act like that is all there is to it, such an interpretation is positively sociopathic.

. . .



Look, I understand you're upset, but calling gimp sociopathic is a bit over the line.


From my experience as a fit person, then a fatty, then a fit person again, self control and willingness to put forth effort is the key.  I've had experience with all the specific conditions you talk about and they're nothing but excuses.


It's hard to say no to dessert, to stop watching TV all day, to ride your bike all over town.  Guess what though.. lots of things in life are hard.  You can choose to do them, or not.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2014, 08:45:44 PM by RobbyJ »

gimp

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #43 on: October 22, 2014, 08:51:28 PM »
No worries, robby, my skin is thick. I dish it out, I'm more than prepared to accept it.

I would love some good quality medical publications (journals and studies) about insulin resistance vs weight loss and how it affects things. A quick google has turned up a lot of bro science.

You are right that Myfitnesspal massively overestimates caloric expenditure from exercise. It's insane. The food part is pretty good, but the thing is, weight loss is 90% food 10% exercise; running or swimming or whatever for hours and hours will only burn a few hundred calories at most - about a slice or three of pizza. Now, competitive versions of the same do a decent job of burning calories, but they're much harder. I remember five miles of timed sprints and distance swimming in cold water in a three-hour practice, and those will beat the shit out of you, but even then I suspect a good portion of the effect came from the cold water. (I also remember two hours of pre-hurricane waves and swells in 60-degree water and shivering uncontrollably until I ate a bunch of food.) Ain't nobody doing that on the regular who is using myfitnesspal, and if they are, they know the difference between that and a jolly swim -- and mfp does not.

Argyle

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #44 on: October 22, 2014, 09:13:36 PM »
Just as an aside, I am very suspicious of this article.  The Daily Mail, where this originates, has the reputation of about as much reliability as the National Inquirer, and the quotes are just too good to be true.  All the stuff where she says things like "This would interfere with my pizza eating so I can't do it."  There's a real picture of somebody in the article, but whether she really phrased those things in that way — I'd need some more evidence.

Gin1984

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #45 on: October 22, 2014, 09:20:01 PM »
No worries, robby, my skin is thick. I dish it out, I'm more than prepared to accept it.

I would love some good quality medical publications (journals and studies) about insulin resistance vs weight loss and how it affects things. A quick google has turned up a lot of bro science.

You are right that Myfitnesspal massively overestimates caloric expenditure from exercise. It's insane. The food part is pretty good, but the thing is, weight loss is 90% food 10% exercise; running or swimming or whatever for hours and hours will only burn a few hundred calories at most - about a slice or three of pizza. Now, competitive versions of the same do a decent job of burning calories, but they're much harder. I remember five miles of timed sprints and distance swimming in cold water in a three-hour practice, and those will beat the shit out of you, but even then I suspect a good portion of the effect came from the cold water. (I also remember two hours of pre-hurricane waves and swells in 60-degree water and shivering uncontrollably until I ate a bunch of food.) Ain't nobody doing that on the regular who is using myfitnesspal, and if they are, they know the difference between that and a jolly swim -- and mfp does not.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15254486
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/76/5/911.full.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12145157


NoraLenderbee

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #46 on: October 22, 2014, 11:15:23 PM »
Poor people are the worst.  Why don't they just get jobs working in tech?  All they have to do is be reborn into functional supportive middle-class families who provide the computer equipment and training necessary for the job while simultaneously being reborn with the aptitude to be able to do the job.  That's not so hard, right?

Damn straight. They could get jobs if they wanted to. And fat people could be thin if they wanted to. And they SHOULD want to, because fatness is EVIL and worthy of nothing but HATRED and SCORN by all right-thinking people.

GuitarStv

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #47 on: October 23, 2014, 06:35:51 AM »
When your weight changes it's usually due to your lifestyle.

As a younger person typically you are more active.  You don't have a car or money, so you tend to walk/bike everywhere.  Your friends are interested in playing sports, so you tend to play with them.  You are growing, which requires more food.  All of this translates into eating more.  Eating more becomes a habit.

At some point as you age you stop walking/biking everywhere.  Your friends become interested in watching rather than playing sports.  You stop growing.  The habit of eating more doesn't end.  Now you have money to spend on snacks.  You tend to sleep less, and have greater stresses in life (both of which contribute to overeating by reducing feelings of satiety).  These lifestyle changes are slow and usually unnoticed.

Changing a long ingrained pattern is and isn't easy.  It can be done pretty easily with a little willpower and by making continuous small conscious choices over a long period of time.  The people most successful at staying healthy typically follow this path.  They don't understand why so many have trouble with their weight.  The unsuccessful tend to try to change by making a few huge changes over a short period of time and then end up failing . . . and feeling shitty because they couldn't handle the near superhuman amount of effort it takes to implement a massive shift in behavior.  They usually follow a pattern of: HUGE change, minor progress, breaking point, fail, major relapse . . . and by the time they've hit the relapse their problem is worse than before.  For them the change is very hard, seemingly insurmountable.

Yes, it's as simple as eating less than you burn to lose weight.  But how you change your lifestyle directly affects how successful you'll be at meeting your goals.

rocksinmyhead

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #48 on: October 23, 2014, 06:53:47 AM »
Just as an aside, I am very suspicious of this article.  The Daily Mail, where this originates, has the reputation of about as much reliability as the National Inquirer, and the quotes are just too good to be true.  All the stuff where she says things like "This would interfere with my pizza eating so I can't do it."  There's a real picture of somebody in the article, but whether she really phrased those things in that way — I'd need some more evidence.

I agree. the whole thing smells fake, and they picked things that people love to get pissed about/gloat about their own superiority -- poor people and fat people. what a waste of time.

I give up on this whole argument. no one is going to be convinced. and FTR, I'm a healthy-weight marathon runner so this isn't about me being defensive about my own fatness or something, I just happen to have some empathy and can accept that I'm not a medical professional who knows everything about everyone else's diet and exercise habits.

boarder42

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Re: "I'm obese because I don't get enough government money"
« Reply #49 on: October 23, 2014, 07:15:04 AM »
its not necessarliy calories in calories out. 

1. i dont work out at all
2. i probably eat 2k+ calories a day
3. i've lost 36 lbs since january

its about WHAT you eat.  if you eat 2k calories in bread you're probably gonna gain weight ... if you eat 2k calories in meat you'll probably lose weight. 

IF you cared about yourself you would lose weight IF you dont you wouldnt

and those saying its not as easy as saving money Bull Sh!t .... its easier.  the results are quicker .... saving money takes 10+ years to reach independence.  eating healthy can have you lose 50+ lbs a year.  so say you're 400 lbs... in 4 years you will be at 200 ... its not that hard