Obesity

[drednot57]

fat people came about becuase of:

1. Wal-Mart, wal-mart has a tractor beam that draws them in.
2. 99 cent menus, fat people are typically poor...so they eat on the value menus.
3. Technology........no one is outside playing games or excercising. they spend their day/nights on CF and other sites getting fat.

A very important factor along with the fact that the cheapest foods available are high fat, high carb, starchy foods. Fresh fruits and veggies are plain expensive, and many people are not able to afford them unless they're poor enough to receive food stamps. By then usually, the "convenience food" habit is almost indelibly etched in their sub-consciences, and people end up purchasing the same fattening foods anyway.

Another factor is our collective stress level. Life is much more stressful nowadays, so we turn to "comfort foods" to help relieve some of this stress. Unfortunately, comfort foods are fattening as well.

Cash on hand, and stress seem to be primary factors driving this obesity pandemic. I also read an article in Time Magazine about how we grow our food is a major contributor to this problem. Seems the old way of diversified agriculture was healthier for us than just growing two main crops. I would love to see Iowa get back to having truck farms growing fruits and veggies rather than just corn and beans. Plus all the hog and cattle confinements are not at all healthy for us either; groundwater pollution, and cheap, fatty meats.

 

[MNCyGuy]

sorry, that's a weekly budget and covers eating out(my one throw out meal a week) too, which is usually a family size vegetarian pizza from Papa Murphy's. Be sure to get their coupon on their website.

My suggestion for eating cheaper is Aldi's. They have Hormone free milk for $1.99. We get all our dairy there except greek yogurt. Skim milk, low fat cottage cheese, egg substitute...also we get boneless trimmed pork chops, a package of 4 for 3$, lean ground meat, lunch meat, as well. They also carry a variety of whole wheat pastas and 100% whole grain breads. We also get our frozen salmon and salmon patties there. They also carry a variety of frozen seafood specialties throughout the year. I am not, however, crazy about their produce. I go to the "higher end" grocery stores for most of that - like apples, oranges, berries etc.

Oh, that's probably about where we are at weekly when you figure in eating out as well. What are you typically doing for lunches? Dinners, where we usually have some time at night to prepare something decent, aren't so bad, but I find that healthy with variety gets to be a struggle at lunch time.

 

[MNCyGuy]

Thats part of my problem, go out there and act like its mid season of high school football and i just try and work till i drop. lol its that football player mentality i have when i work out. I just wish i had a coach screaming at me the entire time, would make things so much easier lol

You're not alone, substitute "high school football" with "high school swimming" and you have the main reason I feel like I have to rest my shoulder a week between trips to the pool.

 

[clonefreek]

You're not alone, substitute "high school football" with "high school swimming" and you have the main reason I feel like I have to rest my shoulder a week between trips to the pool.

I swam for 8 years lol, high school football destroyed my body swimming is how i rehabilitated it. lol

 

[berther48]

its 1 hour a day, and after you do it enough times you will find it relaxing. The biggest problem si people have a hard time being committed.



edit: and no one said it was going to be easy, it requires work, but at the same time its necessary work for a better life overall

Definitions for Adults
For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the "body mass index" (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat.

An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
See the following table for an example.

Height Weight Range BMI Considered
5' 9" 124 lbs or less Below 18.5 Underweight
125 lbs to 168 lbs 18.5 to 24.9 Healthy weight
169 lbs to 202 lbs 25.0 to 29.9 Overweight
203 lbs or more 30 or higher Obese

By research by Bigger Faster Stronger there are five LETHAL FOODS,
1) SODA POP
2) French Fries
3) Potato Chips
4) Donuts
5) Candy
***(6) is Pizza, to many people eat a medium pizza as a single serving.
Cut these out of your diet for two weeks and see your weight fall.:yes:
Also eat like a tiger, Large breakfast, Medium size lunch, small dinner.
Most of us do this backward.
We eat a large dinner, then sit and sleep, no energy burn after the evening meal.

Now exercise three times a week for 40 minutes and you should gain control.
Also you lose more calories by running fast, not long slow distance.
Again I'll state if you run (not jog) for 40 seconds walk for 20 seconds =1 minute,
and repeat for 6 minutes to start and slowly work up yo 15 minutes you will lose weight, improve you cardiovascular system, and promote testosterone production which promotes muscle development and helps burn fat.

 

[MNCyGuy]

I swam for 8 years lol, high school football destroyed my body swimming is how i rehabilitated it. lol

I keep sprinting trying to keep up with these hs kids that show up to do their summer workouts. Not a good strategy. That and I have tried to do some ab/core workouts on my off days that I tore me up pretty bad.

 

[clonefreek]

Swimming is awesome exercise quite possibly the best work out you can do. But getting access to a pool is the problem because i have a gym at my apartment complex that i use so i would be buying a gym membership just for the pool and its really not in my budget.

 

[IcSyU]

BMI is a ******* joke.

 

[MNCyGuy]

Swimming is awesome exercise quite possibly the best work out you can do. But getting access to a pool is the problem because i have a gym at my apartment complex that i use so i would be buying a gym membership just for the pool and its really not in my budget.

Yea, I love swimming, but I wish I didn't have to drive 15min across town to get to a pool, and have to rush to make and eat anything more than a sandwich to get there during pool hours. Especially since there is Snap about 5 min. from my apartment that would be way more flexible. But I HATE running. Hate it. I don't mind weights, but I need some sort of cardio workout.

Honestly, I wish I could find like a basketball rec league for 20-something sort-of out of shape guys. That would be great.

 

[clonefreek]

BMI? what does that mean?

 

[MNCyGuy]

BMI is a ******* joke.

explain

 

[clonefreek]

Yea, I love swimming, but I wish I didn't have to drive 15min across town to get to a pool, and have to rush to make and eat anything more than a sandwich to get there during pool hours. Especially since there is Snap about 5 min. from my apartment that would be way more flexible. But I HATE running. Hate it. I don't mind weights, but I need some sort of cardio workout.

Honestly, I wish I could find like a basketball rec league for 20-something sort-of out of shape guys. That would be great.

Agreed, i love basketball as well.

 

[twistedredbird]

Oh, that's probably about where we are at weekly when you figure in eating out as well. What are you typically doing for lunches? Dinners, where we usually have some time at night to prepare something decent, aren't so bad, but I find that healthy with variety gets to be a struggle at lunch time.

Here are a couple of my go to lunches:

1. Black bean and chicken soup. 1 can low salt bbeans, 1 can canned chicken breast(big can). Add mrs. dash fiesta lime, chili powder, cumin, ground oregeno, and 1/2 cup to 1 cup your favorite salsa. Makes two portions. Make the night before and let set. Can top with green onions/sour cream. Throw in 1 portion fruit.

2. Samon burgers. - on sandwich thins you can eat two. Two ways. Cook frozen salmon portions(Aldi's) in bag in boiling water. Bring water to a boil, then put fish in for 10 minutes. Or use ready made salmon burgers. Mix miracle whip light, dijon, dillweed, salt and pepper. Toast buns. Spread sauce, add tomato/romaine, or I like slightly cooked slice of green apple too.

3. My wife thinks this is gross, but I eat it all the time. Take 1 can of canned chick breast, 1 can of water, bring to boil, add 1 cup dry oatmeal. Once done, add 1/4 cup mozz cheese, and as many jalepenos as you like. I also like it with Gardinera compote(common around here and Chicago-usually used on Italian beef sands).

4. Kashi has some good frozen meals( a little small for my needs as I usually need power lunches because I work out in afternoon.

5. My travel lunch ( I go to Chicago occasionally and need a travel lunch that doesn't have to be "cold". Three cheesesticks (lowfat skim), 1 or 2 pieces low salt beef jerky, 1 apple, and 1 or 2 kashi granola bars.

 

[CyinCo]

BMI is a ******* joke.

How so? If you compare BMI, to electrical impedance, to caliper skin fold, they all come to the same conclusion for about 95% of the population. If you are an NFL linebacker, of course is doesn't apply. You can't point to how BMI fails for fringe users and say it is a joke.

I find that most people who say it is a joke simply don't like the results and are in a state of denial.

 

[BoxsterCy]

as a former obese person who weight 400 lbs, I would say it isn't especially something you choose, it just creeps up on you. At some point you know you need to change but we all know that long lasting change is extremely hard to do.

Like a lot of guys, I could eat anything and everything when younger, then between school and work 70+ hours a week, all I had time for was fast food, delivery, and carry out. Exercise? Who has time for that in our money driven economy?

I think there are several problems.

1The general public has no understanding at all of nutrition.
2: Convenience food (see my blog on trans fat - Health Transformation)
3: Exercise is easier said then done.
4: have you looked at a school menu lately?
5: Things that used to be special treats only once and a while (such as pop) are now considered constant food.
6: Have you ever tried to eat healthy in a restaurant? Not easy, and even then the nutritional value is suspect - white rice, etc.
7. Exercising is easy for those who "know" how to do it, otherwise the gym is very very intimidating, and the cardio machines get boring pretty quick.

And for people like me, I can't be around my families much because the food they eat is absolutely horrible. For most obese people, they know they are overweight, but feel trapped and do not know how to "cope" or change. I consider myself lucky that I had professional people teach me about nutrition/how to eat and how to exercise. It requires a complete lifestyle change that according to a study at U of W, must be sustained for 9-15 months for habitual change to have officially occurred.

Your #5 struck a chord with me. When I grew up there was NO pop in our frig. Pop was a treat that you got when visiting your grandparents. I remember riding with my dad in his gas truck and delivering fuel to a rural gas station. I got to have an ice sandwich there and it was a big deal. You know it was a big deal just for me to remember it almost 50 years later. Really dating myself here but things have really changed. Like you stated, all of that stuff is now part of the regular food people consume. Throw in the sedentary life style and you get lots of overweight people.

I am more in the skinny guy group like some who posted here about having trouble gaining weight. I am more concerned about cardiovascular fitness than body fat at this point although on a heavy day I am still only 148-150. I am trying to spend less time on the couch watching TV with a boatload of cheese and wine and spend more time in the bike saddle getting some exercise.

 

[twistedredbird]

Yea, I love swimming, but I wish I didn't have to drive 15min across town to get to a pool, and have to rush to make and eat anything more than a sandwich to get there during pool hours. Especially since there is Snap about 5 min. from my apartment that would be way more flexible. But I HATE running. Hate it. I don't mind weights, but I need some sort of cardio workout.

Honestly, I wish I could find like a basketball rec league for 20-something sort-of out of shape guys. That would be great.

I have found interval training on the elliptical to be my most effective cardio. 20 - 25 minutes equals about 40 minutes of regular cardio. I also find it makes time go quicker. If you hate running, try doing sprint intervals, more effective than straight running in calorie burn and heart rate recovery.

You need a heart monitor for this. Do about 3 minutes easy to warm up. Then gradually mix up levels and speeds. I can burn 500-600 calories in 25 minutes. Your highest level should be around your max heart rate(note, I am not a doctor).

So for example do this cycle, do it four times.

Level 12 75 RPM 2 min
Level 15 85 RPM 2 min
Level 17-19 100+ RPM 1 min(maybe 30 seconds to start) you should aim to reach your max heart rate here.
Level 4 50 RPM 1 min recovery

 

[IcSyU]

BMI? what does that mean?

Body Mass Index

explain

How so? If you compare BMI, to electrical impedance, to caliper skin fold, they all come to the same conclusion for about 95% of the population. If you are an NFL linebacker, of course is doesn't apply. You can't point to how BMI fails for fringe users and say it is a joke.

I find that most people who say it is a joke simply don't like the results and are in a state of denial.

My BMI says I'm obese (27.0) yet I'm physically in excellent shape and have a solid build (6'2" 210) and can still go out and run a 5 minute mile or bike 40 miles without thinking twice. When I was in high school I was on the upper limit of normal weight at 6'2" 190 and there was nothing to me (less than 8% body fat). My body fat right now is sitting at about 11.x% yet I'm obese?

 

[CykoAGR]

This thread is just offensive, its a life style that people choose and why should you care if you are so disgusted by overweight people maybe you should just stay inside and workout more. You dont think they realize that they are living an unhealthy lifestyle? Its their choice, some people dont always have access to workout equipment, money for healthier foods, or time to work out. Yes some people are just lazy but others may have medical conditions, suffer from poverty, or suffer from something else. Leave it be if you dont like it, dont go out simple as that.

I'm a fat guy but your logic is flawed. Most people have access to a sidewalk. If they would just talk an evening walk. Some can control their weight easier than others but EVERYONE has the ability (unless injured or physically impaired from something other than obesity) to at least walk. This is the problem people make excuses NOT to do anything.

 

[isuno1fan]

I just get de-railed too easily from my routine, and I know that's my problem. I'll be good about getting down to the Y to swim for like a week or 2 and then I'll hit a rough week at work, or need to stay home because my fiancee's sick, or I have some sort of evening appointment and it will just kill my momentum. Or I'll hit it too hard when I get going again and hurt myself and then not go again for awhile.

Also, going down to the deli on the corner to get a pop with my co-workers is the only legitimate excuse I have to leave my desk and go outside a lot of the time, which my mental health needs most days.

Why do you have to get a pop? Get a bottle of water instead.

 

[isuno1fan]

I've been down this road before. Back in 2006 I reached my high point of 234 lbs. For a 5' 7" guy that is way to high. So I started changing my lifestyle. I worked out six days a week, I started tracking my calories. It was great. In about a four month span I dropped down to around 180 lbs. And I kept it there for a good couple of years. But then things changed, I got complacent, then just downright lazy. I stopped cooking at home, and instead chose to eat out. We moved from the apartment complex we lived in that had an exercise room to a house and I convinced myself it was too far of a drive to go to workplace's exercise room. All that hard work I put myself through ended up being for nothing. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I hit that high point again. I was upset, upset at myself for letting it happen again. I had a come to Jesus meeting with myself, and now, it's my time to get back on the horse...

good luck...you can do it again!