Help! I'm Fat - *** Official Exercise and Weight Thread ***

[Cyched]

My problem wasn't what was in the McDonald's hamburger....

It's that I went nearly every day and got 3-5 burgers each time.

Geesh, if I ate more than one McD burger at once I’d be feeling pretty nauseous

 

[BCClone]

Geesh, if I ate more than one McD burger at once I’d be feeling pretty nauseous

I get a McDouble about twice a year. It takes me that long to forget that I feel sick after I eat them.

 

[cyclone4L]

I think its both. I don't know which sandwich you're talking about, but consider the regular McDonald's hamburger. It's 80% bun (high carbs). Ketchup (high carbs), onion (moderate carbs), pickle (moderate carbs), mustard (low/no carbs) and tiny little meat party (protein and fat). According to the McDonald's nutrition info, a single hamburger is 31g carbs, 12g protein and 9g fat. Their other burgers go up to 45g carbs. The chicken and fish sandwiches aren't any better because in addition to the bun they are breaded. For comparison, I average < 50g of carbs per day, with half of that coming from non-starchy vegetables (no corn, carrots or peas for example; only veggies that are "leaves or stalks").

usually I'd eat at a minimum a Big Mac, McDouble and a McChicken... for one meal...

I have an addiction and will go off the rails if I'm not careful. My goal is not eating healthy per se; it's self control.

If I make a tray of cookies, it would be gone in ONE SITTING. Not one day, one sitting.

I am shocked that I never weighed more than 275lbs. I was always very muscular, but my diet was INSANE.

 

[BCClone]

usually I'd eat at a minimum a Big Mac, McDouble and a McChicken... for one meal...

I have an addiction and will go off the rails if I'm not careful. My goal is not eating healthy per se; it's self control.

If I make a tray of cookies, it would be gone in ONE SITTING. Not one day, one sitting.

I am shocked that I never weighed more than 275lbs. I was always very muscular, but my diet was INSANE.

How old are you? At 40 my metabolism hit the skids, before that I could eat massive amounts not not gain much.

 

[cyclone4L]

How old are you? At 40 my metabolism hit the skids, before that I could eat massive amounts not not gain much.

28

 

[2122]

I think its both. I don't know which sandwich you're talking about, but consider the regular McDonald's hamburger. It's 80% bun (high carbs). Ketchup (high carbs), onion (moderate carbs), pickle (moderate carbs), mustard (low/no carbs) and tiny little meat party (protein and fat). According to the McDonald's nutrition info, a single hamburger is 31g carbs, 12g protein and 9g fat. Their other burgers go up to 45g carbs. The chicken and fish sandwiches aren't any better because in addition to the bun they are breaded. For comparison, I average < 50g of carbs per day, with half of that coming from non-starchy vegetables (no corn, carrots or peas for example; only veggies that are "leaves or stalks").

Right on besser. And congrats on turning around the metabolic illness. Type II diabetes reverses on a proper low carb way of eating. Yeah, folks think the McD's hamburger meat is that prob, and that is the HEALTHIEST part of the meal. Bun - grains, high carb. Ketchup - jacked with sugar, bad. Fries - potato, high carbs. Fries - used to be fried in lard, but now in veg oil, which is horrific from a health standpoint. Soft drink, full of HFCS and/or sugars, horrible. Desserts, pure sugar.

 

[2122]

This is basically what I did as part of a Type II management ("reversal") program. Most importantly, my blood sugars are normal when I eat this way even after getting off diabetes meds. If I ever go back to "normal" (carb heavy) diet, my blood sugars will go back to the diabetic range. It's not a cure, just management. Losing 100lbs was just a bonus.

Carbs are actually not an essential nutrient. Your body produces glucose (blood sugar), which is what powers your brain and muscles, from the protein and fat you eat, as well as the fat you wear. There is a mechanism that turns excess protein into glucose as well - if you're eating more protein than you need to support muscle maintenance/synthesis, it's turning into blood sugar. You technically don't have to eat any carbs ever and you'll be fine though probably a little sad.

The only issue I take with the post I quoted is on oils. Oils are fats. Period. But, not all fats/oils are created equal - some are easy for the body to utilize and don't cause heart disease, others aren't. Olive oil is a great one, as is avocado oil. Canola oil, usually just called vegetable oil, is fine. Sunflower, soybean and safflower oils are common bad ones.

When you switch, you have to realize that fat is more calorie dense than carbs (9cal/g vs 4cal/g). So the equivalent caloric intake will be a smaller volume of food. And with most fats being spreads, liquids or inside a protein it can be tricky to manage the quantity. But fat provides more satiety so you feel full faster and longer. So if you use hunger as a guide it provides some self regulation.

The other thing that surprised me was salt requirements. When I started my program 14 months ago, they said that ketosis requires more sodium because your body uses it in the process. They told me to aim for 5000mg/day - double the standard recommendation. I've been doing that, and my bloodwork has improved while my blood pressure has also gone down. That makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint though as to why salt tastes so good. Our bodies are built to run primarily on fats, which requires sodium, which would cause us to develop a taste/desire for salt. If you fuel your body with carbs, you don't need the sodium so the excess does bad things. Eating what tastes good is bad for you.

Ultimately it's a tradeoff. You can eat fat and salt, which tastes delicious, if you don't eat many carbs. Or you can eat lots of carbs, which are also delicious, if you don't eat much fat or salt. But you can't do both. And you can never out-exercise your diet.

Great post. You are well informed. Most remain in the dark. In my view, there is a revolution in nutrition coming. It has to come, because so many are ill via improper nutrition. Food pyramid is completely wrong, will be trashed. Processed foods will fade away. Demonization of fats, meat, salt will be reversed. I'm with you on salt I eat more than guvt recommendation. I use Redmond salt for minerals, NuSalt for potassium, and I supp magnesium too. The Salt Fix by James DiNicolantonio was an eye-opening read. It is crazy how messed up nutrition is today. People are burning carbs, when they are wired to burn fat. As a result, metabolic syndrome ensues.

 

[2122]

usually I'd eat at a minimum a Big Mac, McDouble and a McChicken... for one meal...

I have an addiction and will go off the rails if I'm not careful. My goal is not eating healthy per se; it's self control.

If I make a tray of cookies, it would be gone in ONE SITTING. Not one day, one sitting.

I am shocked that I never weighed more than 275lbs. I was always very muscular, but my diet was INSANE.

I'd encourage you to check out South African Dr. Rob Cywes, 'The Carb Addiction Doc' on youtube. His forte is, as his moniker implies, helping people get past addiction to carbs, helping people halt chronic excess carb consumption.

 

[besserheimerphat]

If I make a tray of cookies, it would be gone in ONE SITTING. Not one day, one sitting.

Absolutely the same. I still have to be really careful. If sweet things are in the house, I will eat them. I'm much better than I used to be, but still struggle mightily around birthdays and holidays where bad food is just everywhere and often free. And if I have a lapse, I have terrible cravings for days afterwards. It literally is an addiction, no less difficult to manage than cigarettes or alcohol.

 

[KnappShack]

usually I'd eat at a minimum a Big Mac, McDouble and a McChicken... for one meal...

I have an addiction and will go off the rails if I'm not careful. My goal is not eating healthy per se; it's self control.

If I make a tray of cookies, it would be gone in ONE SITTING. Not one day, one sitting.

I am shocked that I never weighed more than 275lbs. I was always very muscular, but my diet was INSANE.

I swear if you hook my brain up the reaction to a hot double quarter pounder, fry, and McDonalds Coke (it's the best) would be about the same as codeine

A wave of relaxation. Like after a run only with food.

Been McDonalds free since 2019 now. Crazy. Used to eat that multiple times a week

 

[HFCS]

How old are you? At 40 my metabolism hit the skids, before that I could eat massive amounts not not gain much.

Yeah I don't really eat fast food often anymore but I have a Chic Fil A in the neighborhood I'll hit once or twice a month. In my 30s I could get two sandwiches and a drink...two sandwiches now in early 40s puts me in a food coma. Even one with the butter soaked bun doesn't have me feeling fantastic.

 

[BCClone]

28

Good to catch yourself now. Will warn you, at 30 there is a small metabolism drop also.

 

[HFCS]

I swear if you hook my brain up the reaction to a hot double quarter pounder, fry, and McDonalds Coke (it's the best) would be about the same as codeine

A wave of relaxation. Like after a run only with food.

Been McDonalds free since 2019 now. Crazy. Used to eat that multiple times a week

I'm one of those people who is naturally very thin (let's be honest that a lot of this is a genetic roll of the dice) and has to eat a ton to keep on weight. I am active but I haven't always had a great diet.

The one time I put on a lot of weight really fast was when I got in the habit of picking up McDs breakfast almost every day on my commute. It came on really fast and it was obviously just directly from the daily McDs breakfast. Weight came down immediately when I switched back to the boring oatmeal/coffee at home. It was about ten years ago and nothing similar since.

 

[BCClone]

I'm one of those people who is naturally very thin (let's be honest that a lot of this is a genetic roll of the dice) and has to eat a ton to keep on weight. I am active but I haven't always had a great diet.

The one time I put on a lot of weight really fast was when I got in the habit of picking up McDs breakfast almost every day on my commute. It came on really fast and it was obviously just directly from the daily McDs breakfast. Weight came down immediately when I switched back to the boring oatmeal/coffee at home. It was about ten years ago and nothing similar since.

Consider yourself lucky for that trait.

 

[HFCS]

Consider yourself lucky for that trait.

It is lucky/luck but even someone who has that luck can be derailed pretty fast when they hit 30s, 40s and beyond with a fast food diet.

 

[besserheimerphat]

It is lucky/luck but even someone who has that luck can be derailed pretty fast when they hit 30s, 40s and beyond with a fast food diet.

Not to be "that guy" but being thin does not by itself make a person healthy. Lots of thin people have heart disease. And a lot of that is genetics. I mean that personal trainer / host from The Biggest Loser had a major heart attack a few years ago. It can happen to anyone. Even thin people should get a physical once a year.

 

[Cyched]

Started lifting at a gym again last week and I already feel the difference in shedding not weight but that kinda 'softness' from a sedentary year.

Same. Got back in the gym to start getting rid of this Covid flab.

First leg workout in a while today. So if I'm not posting much this weekend, it's because I can't move

 

[Cyched]

Not to be "that guy" but being thin does not by itself make a person healthy. Lots of thin people have heart disease. And a lot of that is genetics. I mean that personal trainer / host from The Biggest Loser had a major heart attack a few years ago. It can happen to anyone. Even thin people should get a physical once a year.

Yeah I'm also a perpetually thin person, but tried to be more mindful of what I'm eating as an adult. Healthy meals, snacks, etc. Fell off the wagon a touch during Covid w/ more takeout and fast food, but getting back.

Have a family history of coronary artery disease, heart problems, cholesterol & BP problems, so already started limiting the amount of red meat I eat and less processed foods & refined carbs, etc.

 

[BCClone]

Same. Got back in the gym to start getting rid of this Covid flab.

First leg workout in a while today. So if I'm not posting much this weekend, it's because I can't move

Do you type with your toes?

 

[Cyched]

Do you type with your toes?

Only on Saturdays.

FRT, stiff/sore legs really zap your energy