Weight problems

[crazycat]

Like so many i am overweight, i am about 20-25 ponds over where i should be. That said i can do 60 pushups without stoping (not the girly kind). I can benchpress 100kg easly, i can swim 40 laps (not sure is laps is teh correct work) around the pool which is 25 meters. I can do a lot of activies and 90% do it better, faster then people who are not fat. Now the question is why do i feel so bad about it. Sometimes i think i am depressed. I hate looking at myself in the mirror, and i go 2-3 days without eating sometimes. I know thats not the best way to lose weight but i do go to the gym. Whenever i am at the gym i dont give it 100% because i feel bad about myself.

The reason i post this here is that i would like to know what do you do when you feel bad aout your weight? I really need some help and i am not going to a shrink or take antidepressants.

 

[Koodauw]

physical activity, along with dieting is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Dieting alone can help you to lose weight, but often you will slowly gain it back. Not eating for 2-3 days is not a good thing for you body, as often it depletes muscle mass, and replaces it with fat when you do start eating again.

The best thing for you to do would be to set up a regular exercise routine, and try to cut back a bit on your caloric intake. Regular physical activity will also help with feeling so down. 3-5 times a week, of strenuous aerobic activity for about an hour is what is recommended. Also if you do some weight training, in there as well, it will increase your basil metabolism and weight loss. 90% if people who lose weight and keep it off do aerobic exercise regularly, and 50% of also weight train.

 

[UKnjb]

Like so many i am overweight, i am about 20-25 ponds over where i should be. That said i can do 60 pushups without stoping (not the girly kind). I can benchpress 100kg easly, i can swim 40 laps (not sure is laps is teh correct work) around the pool which is 25 meters. I can do a lot of activies and 90% do it better, faster then people who are not fat. Now the question is why do i feel so bad about it. Sometimes i think i am depressed. I hate looking at myself in the mirror, and i go 2-3 days without eating sometimes. I know thats not the best way to lose weight but i do go to the gym. Whenever i am at the gym i dont give it 100% because i feel bad about myself.

The reason i post this here is that i would like to know what do you do when you feel bad aout your weight? I really need some help and i am not going to a shrink or take antidepressants.

Eat less and eat the right stuff. Easy.

And if you think that you're not eating enough to keep a bird alive, eat less than that bird.

 

[devilot]

Now the question is why do i feel so bad about it. Sometimes i think i am depressed. I hate looking at myself in the mirror, and i go 2-3 days without eating sometimes. I know thats not the best way to lose weight but i do go to the gym. Whenever i am at the gym i dont give it 100% because i feel bad about myself.

The reason i post this here is that i would like to know what do you do when you feel bad aout your weight? I really need some help and i am not going to a shrink or take antidepressants.

First of all, if you don't eat regularly, then you throw your body's metabolism outta sync. As in, you make it slow down so you don't burn calories as efficiently as if you were to eat smaller portions more regularly, so do NOT stop eating. Period.

As for those times/days when you feel down about your body image that is normal. Especially nowadays... when so much of our culture is centered on body image.

Take a look at yourself completely naked in front of the mirror for a few minutes (please do this privately ). DO NOT ALLOW ANY CRITICAL THOUGHTS TO OCCUR. Just look. If you begin to think something negative about your body, combat it with a thought about who YOU ARE.

You are more than just your body.

Example? Say you start thinking, "I hate the way ______ looks." Stop that. Think about something you do well... "I dance well and I have fun doing it." Or.. "I'm damn good at math."

Remember.. you are more than just the way you look.

I care a lot about this issue, so much so, I'm taking a women's studies course focused specifically on the issue of body image. But the thing is, it's not just women who have insecurities about their bodies (I'm not sure if you identify as male or female). If you'd like to get some books to read I have some suggestions because I'm really enjoying the 'text books' that we're reading in the class right now.

"The Body Project" I'm only past chapter four, but it's definitely worth a read. A bit more 'scholarly' than this next one, but definitely an easy and smooth read.

"Body Outlaws" a collection of fun and sometimes sad annecdotes, essays, opinions all very contemporary and also as provocative as you make it.

 

[Peyton]

Eat less and eat the right stuff. Easy.

And if you think that you're not eating enough to keep a bird alive, eat less than that bird.

Um, I don't think anything about weight loss is 'easy'. I myself am 5'10 and 135-140lb and try to gain weight, I know you don't want to hear that, but I have a different type of struggle. I honestly can't gain weight and the more I east the faster my metabolism gets.

Anyway, for you, 20 or so pounds isn't miserable. Running (if you can/like it) can be great. Get a friend to go do it with you and make it fun.

As for not liking the mirror, I am told I'm attractive/handsome all the time and I feel like I could be better looking if I tried harder (I know, sounds dumb) but I hate when I don't look my best and feel ugly. What I'm trying to say is, its a matter of perception, you have to be comfortable in your own skin, not anyone elses or their opinions of what you should look like. Should you try to be healthy etc. sure, but be comfortable with what you look like. Accept what you look like. Look in the mirror for 20 minutes if you have to, see the real you, face your reality, then decide if you want to change or not.

For a light hearted fix, go to any amusement park or mall in America and you will immediately start feeling much better about what you look like. I am in Vegas right now on vacation and let me tell you, the vast majority of people are not attractive. That's true for all around the world I assume, its those 5-10% that is, that makes the rest of us feel bad.

Photoshop helps a lot too.

 

[UKnjb]

Um, I don't think anything about weight loss is easy ~snip

Anyway, for you, 20 or so pounds isn't miserable.

I agree with you 100%, and I wasn't trying anything other than to provide what is just about the whole answer.


You have already received some quality advice from Peyton. As I sympathise with you (and feel a bit bad about my throw-away answer) can I pitch in with some suggestions. Seriously, a proper eating plan is SO important. Regular meals with a balanced diet and no inter-meal snacks (or comfort eating) is half the problem. Regular exercise, of which straight walking is very effective, helps a lot with the rest of the problem. You say you go to the gym, but find it hard to give it 100%; that's OK, it'll come. There is an alternative that you might consider - I have found it exceptional as a major part of my own training schedule (for rowing), it takes only 12 minutes each and every day, can be done in your own house and needs no specialist equipment. It was developed by the Canadian RAF and you can go from nothing to potentially Olympic athlete standard of fitness without any pain/strain. It's called the 5BX (5 Basic exercises) Plan and can be downloaded here.

OK. That's eating can be sorted, exercise can be sorted and the biggest thing of all is going to be actually doing it - motivation. From wherever your motivation comes, nurture it and help it along. Set yourself attainable targets, like one or two lbs weight loss a week until you reach your 'comfortable' weight. help yourself along by, say, all the money that you now spend on snacks, put into a jar in your bedroom and --- just watch it mount up. And then buy yourself a treat with it - say some extra memory for your Mac or whatever. Find a friend who has ideas of doing the whole weight-loss thing as well and do it all together. Be your own 'buddy' system - is that the correct USA term? - and give each other support.

You now take a size whatever with your trousers (?pants); set a target of getting to fit comortably into a size lower and when you have done that - treat number 1. Go down in stages to your natural comfort size - final and best treat of say a new MB Pro.

Don't feel guilty if you go off course and wolf down a BigTriple Mac with all the trimmings one day; take stock and start again! And like yourself! Don't look to others for that; take pride in what you can do and especially when you succeed in leaving those 22-25 lbs in the ether. Nothing breeds success like success is a very good truism; as you lose your weight, you will be so much better in your own eyes and that will count a lot.

Good luck with it all - you're worth it. Why not keep a regular post going here with how you're doing? I am sure that you will get so much support from everyone. But easy stages; eating, exercise and determination. You can do anything you want, old buddy, if you want to do it hard enough.

Best wishes

 

[amateurmacfreak]

Ok, first off, I know I'm young so I relate to weight-loss/gain in a different way than older people, but I do feel like I have something to offer because, even at the young age I am, I've struggled with being overweight, body image, and weight loss.
I used to be overweight. I tried going on Weight Watchers (modified for my age, more calories and so forth and my "group leader" talked to me more about exercise) which helped me lose somewhere from 15-20lbs. I kept that off for a bit, but I then got off Weight Watchers and stopped going to WW and gained it all plus more. Then I tried going to Curves with my mom for a while(by the way, I later found out the CEO is a very, very 'pro-life' person with radical vies who is not someone I'd like to support). I liked it a lot, but with school it was hard to find the time so I never really got results from that. Then, later that year, I think I just started deciding enough was enough and I started eating more healthfully. A lot of the key to me was a healthy lunch. Instead of some fattening crap I'd eat a bit of chicken breast, some carrot sticks, some fruit, and sometimes and 100 calorie pack or something like that. Sometimes I'd have light yogurt too, which I really like. Also, when I felt like eating a snack when I wasn't hungry, even full, I'd just force myself to resist it.
Suprisingly, exercise (besides unstrenuous PE, haha) wasn't a big roll in my weight loss. (which ended up being about 35-40lbs). But I think it is very important, and I would recommend yoga and running or jogging. They balance each other out, and I've currently started doing them both.

So, my recommendations for doing stuff physically:
-Healthy lunch
-Healthy breakfast
-No unhealthy mid-morning snack (carrots, fruit, etc. are fine)
-Resist stuff that's just sitting around
-Eat plenty of fiber
-Low-fat is the way to go w/ stuff
-Do aerobic excercise 3-5 times a week
-Try to do some strengthening yoga or pilates at least twice a week

Psychologically:
-Always remember all the great things your body can do.
-You aren't unworthy of anything because of a few extra pounds

It's about finding a healthy lifestyle and gaining confidence that you're great!
Good luck, and we're always here to give you support!

 

[Zman5225]

what helped me a lot was eating a lot more, but the portions were cut up a ton, for example:

breakfast 0500 - fruit ie apple of banana
snack 0800 - yogurt cup, 100 calories type
lunch 1100 - might have a sandwich or 1 hot pocket or something like that...
snack 1400 - another piece of fruit or a breakfast bar
dinner - whatever I want, but the portion would be half of what I would normally have
snack - something small here...

The idea is to make your metabolism work nonstop and often so that it keeps your body on the move...add this with working out 3 times a week and I have added more muscle then I have had in years, and toned my body a lot. The eating often thing is what helped me the most though.

Also, don't be so negative on yourself, love what you have because it's you and you are unique.

 

[2nyRiggz]

Eat right..none of that potato chips, pizza crap. eat as often as you r hungry but in good amounts..healthy eating is the key. Continue to do the running, walking and whatever....don't look at yourself and feel bad...look at yourself and be glad of what you got and your health is still top. Focus on burning that weight and eating right but don't focus on the negative...stay strong be strong and live long....smile you are blessed.


Bless

 

[scem0]

I lost 30 pounds by cutting wheat and dairy out of my diet. It dropped off very quickly. 99% of fattening foods contain either wheat or dairy, and 100% of the nutrients your body needs can be found in foods containing neither wheat nor dairy. My sister also lost a lot of weight by cutting wheat and dairy out of her diet.

Starving yourself is very bad. Don't do that.

I'm in great shape now, and that diet got me halfway there. The other half is exercise. I dance as exercise and it works splendidly. I was 200 pounds my senior year of high school. I lost 30 of those pounds dieting and then I lost 10 more, and gained a lot of muscle by dancing 3 to 4 times a week in college.

e

 

[emmawu]

Eat real food.
Example: Breakfast, Steel cut oatmeal, with quarter cup raisins, or chopped dried apricots.

Take a half hour walk
Mid morning snack, an apple and a piece of string cheese.

Lunch, A big salad, whole grain roll and a half cup of cottage cheese.
Do some stretching and strength training exercises

Mid afternoon snack, 1 cup of pretzels 2 pieces of Dove Dark chocolate

Dinner: 4 to 6 oz lean protein, pasta, baked potato, or rice and two to four cups of vegetables. Dessert, canned fruit or jello with a bit of whipped cream on top.

Take a short walk after supper.

It works. I lost 50 lbs. and get to eat chocolate every day!

 

[Awimoway]

I lost 30 pounds by cutting wheat and dairy out of my diet. It dropped off very quickly. 99% of fattening foods contain either wheat or dairy, and 100% of the nutrients your body needs can be found in foods containing neither wheat nor dairy. My sister also lost a lot of weight by cutting wheat and dairy out of her diet.

Starving yourself is very bad. Don't do that.

e

Pardon me if I'm mistaken, but this is inane. Some wheat hangs out with a bad crowd. Some wholesome wheat wholegrains are upstanding citizens with no unsavory friends or relatives. It would be ridiculous to dismiss a whole race of food just because some of them have dangerous friends.

Whole-grain wheat prepared without sugars or fats are an outstanding complex carb for anyone who has no allergy to it (admittedly, wheat/gluten allergies and sensitivities are common).

I will concede that dairy is worthless but tasty.

 

[MacEffects]

You know now that I am thinking about it I am 5'8" 125lbs, people say I look very thin. And i eat a lot and do very little, and most food is unhealthy like Fast Food, and TV Dinners. Is this bad, and how/should I correct this.

Ohh, yes and good luck with the wight loss.

 

[Awimoway]

I think Koodauw's advice was excellent. He demonstrated how some of the things crazycat is doing to try to lose weight are self-defeating. But then everyone else piled on with weight loss advice, which is probably not what crazycat needs to hear right now. Crazycat asked what to do when you feel bad about being a little overweight even when you know that you are quite fit. Reminding crazycat of the hundred hoops you have to jump through to lose just 20 pounds does not help, in my opinion. Feel free to disagree.

Crazycat needs to be reminded that the slightly overweight live the longest, especially if they're as physically strong as crazycat is. Crazycat needs to be told that crazycat's biggest problem right now isn't with the body but with the head — and I say that with no malice or mockery.

Maybe crazycat should get some help. Not eating for three days is punishing yourself in extreme anger, and it's not healthy, crazycat. Seeing a therapist is nothing to be ashamed of if you need one. I nearly sabotaged my big promotion by initially panicking under the added responsibilities, and I had a big meltdown. I'm going to see a therapist for the first time in my life this week because frankly I could use some advice, and I'm not ashamed to say that. I'm not going to advertise it at work or among friends, but it's an okay thing to do if you need a little help.

But if help is simply out of the question, my advice would be this: relax. Ask yourself: What's the worst that can happen in your life? There are thousands of things that could be worse. You could die young. You could suffer repeated abuse. You could lose your job. Those are real tragedies, and chances are that none of them are likely to happen to you ever. So what do you have to feel bad about?

Relax. Everything is okay. Worry is worthless.

If there is a physiological problem that prevents you from feeling good about yourself sometimes, if no logical reassurances can calm you, try as hard as you can to convince yourself that the feeling is just an illusion, and the thoughts that explain it are not to be trusted because they will go away eventually. Of course, if they never do, then you really, really ought to get yourself some help, crazycat. Good luck.

 

[DCapple]

Eat right..none of that potato chips, pizza crap. eat as often as you r hungry but in good amounts..healthy eating is the key. Continue to do the running, walking and whatever....don't look at yourself and feel bad...look at yourself and be glad of what you got and your health is still top. Focus on burning that weight and eating right but don't focus on the negative...stay strong be strong and live long....smile you are blessed.


Bless

yes i agree with him,,,,i did that diet and even remove soda and beer to my diet i lost 50 lbs by doing that....everything is done in balance and dont ever starve yourself....

go girl!

 

[Abstract]

I think Koodauw's advice was excellent. He demonstrated how some of the things crazycat is doing to try to lose weight are self-defeating. But then everyone else piled on with weight loss advice, which is probably not what crazycat needs to hear right now. Crazycat asked what to do when you feel bad about being a little overweight even when you know that you are quite fit. Reminding crazycat of the hundred hoops you have to jump through to lose just 20 pounds does not help, in my opinion. Feel free to disagree.

I think you're right. And the mish-mash of information --- sometimes intracontradicting info by different members throughout this thread ---- doesn't help him at all.

If I were you, I'd look around. You're probably not fat. You're "big", you're "heavy-set", but you're not fat. You're not Pillsbury Dough Boy-style jiggly. You can see your penis when you look down, and when someone pokes your stomach or arms, their finger probably doesn't get lost or stuck in any folds.

You're fine. You just have a self-image problem. It's a problem that's caused by......well.....I don't know, but only you can conquer it. It may not be how others see you at all. It's only you.

You know now that I am thinking about it I am 5'8" 125lbs, people say I look very thin. And i eat a lot and do very little, and most food is unhealthy like Fast Food, and TV Dinners. Is this bad, and how/should I correct this.

Ohh, yes and good luck with the wight loss.

Same here, but you're just a skinny looking fat guy. Skinny doesn't mean you're healthy or better off than someone else who's a bit bigger. You might go before crazycat if that's the way you're living.



QUESTION ABOUT EATING: I'm a fairly healthy person. I run around 7-9 km every 2-3 days, and I also go to the gym every 2-4 days or so just to lift weights. Instead of eating what I want, and as much as I want, I eat less of the stuff I like, and eat more salad and stuff. Good for me, right?

Anyway, does it matter how your calories come? I mean, does it matter if you eat 100 "calories" of fat, or 100 calories of carbs? I don't really get it. It's all going to be stored as fat if you don't burn it up, right? I mean, drinking my Coke Zero which only has 5.3 kJ per can, can't be better than a salad in terms of "Calorie" count, can it? I know what the obvious answer is going to be, but a calorie from one thing isn't the same as a calorie from something else.....not all the time.

 

[bgd]

So you get the trend - sensible diet and exercise.

On the diet front keep it simple. Cut out the fast food, the snacks between meals and anything processed. Buy fresh. Eat more vegetables and fruit. Get a Thai cookbook (or something similar) and vary your diet. Take an interest in what you eat and preparing good meals.

On the exercise front enjoy what you do. I cycle and I love it. It gets me outside and keeps me fit. I can't do the gym thing, I lose interest too quickly.

The key to all of this is balance. Don't obsess over your weight, or your diet or your exercise. They're all important but all part of the same equation. Get the mix right and you can get on and worry about more important things.

 

[bgd]

You could always walk across America

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4818036.stm

 

[devilot]

Anyway, does it matter how your calories come? I mean, does it matter if you eat 100 "calories" of fat, or 100 calories of carbs? I don't really get it. It's all going to be stored as fat if you don't burn it up, right?

Well. It doesn't matter if you're referring to calories the way you are in your post because you're thinking mainly about weight/appearances. But what type of calories you ingest greatly matters to the health of your body (inside and out).

Take for example, alcoholics. They get the bulk of their calories from alcohol. Do you think that they're healthy inside even if they don't ingest as many calories as the next person? This type of malnourishment actually can develop into a specific disorder... dang it. Can't remember the name. Now I have to go look for it... Found it. It's called Korsakoff syndrome. It's frightening.

 

[Koodauw]

You know now that I am thinking about it I am 5'8" 125lbs, people say I look very thin. And i eat a lot and do very little, and most food is unhealthy like Fast Food, and TV Dinners. Is this bad, and how/should I correct this.

Your body doesn't always reflect your diet. Foods that are high in fats, tend to increase your LDL (bad cholesterol), increasing your risk of heart attack, stroke or cancer. You may think of these as things that only affect older people, but recent trends shows that they may be caused by a lifetime of poor eating. The best bet for you would be to change your diet. Cutting down on the high fat foods, and replacing them with high fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables. A balanced diet is the key.

 

[Abstract]

Well. It doesn't matter if you're referring to calories the way you are in your post because you're thinking mainly about weight/appearances. But what type of calories you ingest greatly matters to the health of your body (inside and out).

Not talking about appearances, but I am talking about weight and health. I'm health-conscious, and since I do cancer research, why shouldn't I become more and more aware of my own health?

I just wanted to understand more about calories if someone was willing to give me a short summary of info. To me, a calorie is just a unit of energy that the body might or might not burn off. If I eat a salad, it's going to contain calories, and if I drink a beer, same thing. Their calorie count might be the same if I eat enough salad. I realize that the salad is healthier because of the "good stuff" that's in my salad that isn't found in my beer, but does the body store and use the calories from the salad in the same manner as the calories in the beer? I'd assume the answer is "no" since energy is energy (I'm a physics student ), but then I've been led to assume that "fat" and "carbs" are handled by the body differently (ie: fat leads to high cholesterol, no?), even if the calories they provide the body with is equal. I guess the fat would cause problems that the carbs wouldn't, but then people are eating less carbs because of some fad dieting.

 

[devilot]

Not talking about appearances, but I am talking about weight and health.

Therein lies one issue; more weight does NOT always equate poorer health just like less weight does not always equate healthier (when talking about a person).

...but then I've been led to assume that "fat" and "carbs" are handled by the body differently (ie: fat leads to high cholesterol, no?), even if the calories they provide the body with is equal. I guess the fat would cause problems that the carbs wouldn't, but then people are eating less carbs because of some fad dieting.

That is my understanding as well. Different types of foods are broken down differently and those molecules confused are used differently. Remember, there are healthy types of fat to consume (LDL is bad cholesterol, HDL-- think it stands for high density lipids??? is good cholesterol). That aside, what I had been taught was that carbs are typically burned first-- so if you're on a strenuous run, your body will burn carbs first.

 

[crdean1]

It is really not hard to lose weight, the hard part is the mental aspect of it. I fluxuate. During cycling season, I try to get to about 190, and this year I have made to a nice and plump 226.

Whereas my model wife can eat anything she wants and stay the same (6'0 and skinny), my body doesn't work that way.

As someone who is fat about once a year or so, I have some suggestions for you. First of all, DRINK WATER!!! You are required to have about 64oz. minimum per day. I drink 132 oz.(specifically a 44oz. glass x 3)a day when losing weight. I started last week and in one week went from 226 to 220, I would like to be at 206 before June 1st (without lifting any weights), then push off the extra 16 lbs. by mid summer.

While the water thing is good, you also have to watch your portions. I have been eating turkey and spinach sandwiches for lunch, or grilled chicken when I go out with a client (it is important to eat).

My point is, the water thing will help you mentally. It has been called fuel for the mind. And add eating better, you might just feel like a new person, and your perspective will change. Also, do what is best for you. If a strict diet is not for you, then that is not a realistic option for you, just eat less and go on a daily walk or jog to burn some calories. Take the stairs, walk to the store, play tennis or some other new sport, ride a bike, do something you will enjoy that fits your personality, but DO SOMETHING.

Lastly, don't expect immediate results (i.e. your "fasting" for 3 days) It will reverse your metabolism into a panic state that stores away anything it can find, and not burn anything. You will actually start to gain more weight when you start eating again. Rather drink your water, eat better, couple that with a little cardiovascular exercise, and weigh once a week (and watch the weight gradually disappear.)

Good luck, you can do it!