Maybe it is time for me to look at lap band surgery or some other kind of weight loss surgery. I am still on my diet, but with each passing week, I am less motivated. It is tough to find the time to exercise which means the only way I can lose weight is to not eat as much. I find that very difficult. I also find it hard to understand though how you can have gastric bypass so your stomach is reduced to nothing, lose 150 pounds and then gain it all back. Carnie says it is because of pregnancy, but all 150 pounds? In January she had lap band surgery and has dropped 30 pounds. I did not realize you could have multiple surgeries to your stomach. Is it common or do most people just keep it off the first time they have surgery? She is the first person I have ever heard of who had weight loss surgery twice.
It's called self control. Just walk away from the donut. Surround yourself with fresh fruit. It's not that hard. No wonder people hate America.
ReplyDeleteThat's insane. How about diet and exercise??
ReplyDeleteGlad it is so easy for you MyMamasChild. It isn't for me. Thanks for reinforcing how much people hate fat people.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin had the bypass, lost a truckload of weight but gained it back. I'm not sure why.
ReplyDeleteWeight loss surgery (WLS) really is a last chance resort. I just had vertical sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve) done last week but I need to lose 200 pounds. Trust me, I've tried every diet on the book and actually eat quite healthy considering my weight (no donuts for me). Plus, according to my doctor I'm as "healthy as a horse". However, everything that I tried previously had failed or only lasted in the short term.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with WLS is that people think it's a quick fix when it really isn't. For it to be successful, it involves a major life change. You can't just think that I can eat anything I want, just smaller portions. You really have to change your entire lifestyle through eating better and exercising.
What is sad is that I read somewhere that only 40% of WLS are successful in the long term. I guess Carnie was one of the many unlucky ones.
The stomach can stretch and often people who lose weight by stapling or bypass will gain the weight back. Not all of them but a small number do. Losing weight isn't as hard as keeping it off. Especially if the reasons for overheating aren't addressed. It's all difficult.
ReplyDeleteI know nothing about this but it seems strange to do it twice.
ReplyDeleteMs Cool - I like you! And your avatar!
This seems incredibly dangerous. Granted I don't know much about this type of surgery but I thought it was considered a major surgery? Wouldn't there have to be a medical need, especially for two??
ReplyDelete@MyMamasChild
ReplyDeleteYou should read up on weight control. It's not about "self-control." There is a huge diet industry in the United States that wants to keep everyone fat.
By the way, people "hate America" because of ignorant people like you.
@MyMamasChild-People hate America for many reasons and one of them is because of attitudes like yours.
ReplyDeleteFor some people it's not the physical reasons why you eat it's the mental reasons. Food is filling a void, covering trauma, numbing emotions, etc. It's not what they eat, it's why they eat. There are 12-step groups for this problem. Tell an alcoholic to walk away from the bottle or a junkie to stop shooting up. Once the pain has been killed by any substance the game is on.
some people are food addicts. its not simple for them to not overeat. if diet and exercise were that easy, we'd all be thin and in shape.
ReplyDeleteI guess the stomach stretches back out. the because of the pregnancy explanation sounds a little off to me.
a friend of mine had the surgery and its not easy at all. major surgery, and then eating almost nothing for a long time, slowly introducing foods.
I don't have a weight problem, but I did eat too much sugar pretty constantly. of every variety. I started adding drops to my water to make it alkaline. I lost my craving for sugar within 24 hours. I haven't had a cookie in 3 1/2 weeks, nor have I wanted one. this sounds like an infomercial but its true. I use alkalife drops.
there is alot out there about how the acid/alkaline balance of the body and if one is interested in losing weight, or for general health purposes, you should read about it. there is also alot of stuff on youtube.
Enty, definitely think it through before you go the surgery route. The plastic surgeon that did my schnoz was in a practice with a surgeon that did lap bands and the like. I can't even describe to you the state of the post-surgery patients I saw in the waiting room. They looked straight-up miserable and in a ton of pain. You have the willpower to write this blog everyday while working, so I believe you have the willpower to make healthier choices! This is going to sound absurd, by try to eat nothing processed or out of a bag (obviously things like almonds and apple slices are exempt *AHEM*), use smaller serving dishes (I love ice cream, but I eat it out of a coffee mug and not a bowl - it works!!) and take a minute before you eat to think if you REALLY want it. Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteI had weight loss surgery.
ReplyDeleteLast resort but hey, after you have had a stroke at 32! have a blood mutation etc, well you do what you have to so your kids won't lose their mom.
I had it 3 1/2 years ago.
It's easy for people to gain back if they don't completely change their life.
A lot of surgeons just do the surgery and throw their patients out there without educating them on what to eat and how to eat.
So, people go right back to eating the way they did before.
Weight loss surgery can be a great thing as long as you commit to it.
I lost 130 pounds and am keeping it off
Losing weight does involve a life style change: one needs to be become more active, make better food choices, exercise, surround yourself with people who will support you.
ReplyDeleteThere was a study done on done on some type of mouse and separated them into a couple different groups. The first group was just given regular sugar and the 2nd group was given an artificial sweetener. Guess which group gained the most amount of weight? The artificial sweetener group gained more. I think the diet industry to a certain extent through artificial sweeteners, hinders weight loss. I will look for and post article.
Additionally, there was a study done that correlates that who your friends are has a powerful impact on weight. Friends had more of an impact than one's spouse and or siblings. To me this speaks to motivation.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the New York Times article, " Are your Friends Making You Fat?".
ReplyDeleteThere are more if you google that, but it speaks a lot to taking personal responsibility and choices one makes to staying active and healthy.
Sorry, here is the NYT article:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/magazine/13contagion-t.html?pagewanted=all
Ive never been really overweight beyond 20 pounds or so, but I found the key was SOME exercise every day...even a walk helps...and substitution...I LOVE pizza, but I found that a nice spiral pasta (the "super pasta" with fiber and protein is best) with a good sauce and a little bit of melted cheese satisfied me there...and with sweets I switched to no processed sugar...honey, fruit, etc., and just a teeny bite of chocolate, not a whole bar to staisfy the chocolate thing I have...for the crunchy snack thing, this is my FAVORITE: sliced cucumbers sprinkled with salt, and some Tostitos nacho cheese...be careful with the cheese fat but it's such a healthier alternative to chips. Salsa is even better. I can't address the sodium because I have low blood pressure and I need salt, but if you find healthy alternatives to those craving/comfort foods you love, it is a nice lifestyle change and you don't even feel deprived. I lost the 20 pounds and have kept my weight within 5 pounds now for 20 years.
ReplyDeleteMs Cool said...
ReplyDeleteGlad it is so easy for you MyMamasChild. It isn't for me. Thanks for reinforcing how much people hate fat people.
Unfortunately it's true. I was treated like SHIT by everybody when I lived in South Korea. The Canadian expats (complete strangers, mind you) would openly sneer and make comments and all but spit on me. And non-Korean coworkers were always hostile.
@StanlyRoper Okay everyone was right and I am wrong. Shoving a donut in your mouth every two seconds is a mental illness. I just wonder why this mental illness didn't exist 50 or 100 years ago on this county. Or why does this country have the highest rate of this "mental illness"? Because Americans are lazy and always look for surgery or medication as an easy way out. I've never seen someone who eats fruits and vegetables all day become fat...just saying.
ReplyDeleteBED pro-biotic diet. You cut out all processed sugars and bad carbs, you stop craving junk food and you only end up eating when you're hungry. It changed my eating habits without any effort. I couldnt' believe how easy it ended up being. It's the cravings that make it hard for people to diet. I lost 25 lbs without even trying, I was just trying to get healhty. I was eating 3 full big meals a day, but could walk by a tray of brownies and I completely lost the taste for them. I started craving veggies.
ReplyDeleteWhile losing weight and being healthy requires lifestyle changes, it's not as simple as saying step away from the doughnut. We don't tell alcoholic and drug addicts to step away from their vices. We encourage them to seek treatment. Weight control shouldn't be seen differently. It's about having a compulsion and needing to learn how to deal with in a smart fashion.
ReplyDeleteSo says the fat chick. :-)
i think there are many reasons for obesity, have even read some theories with scientific basis about viruses that can spread to a whole family if the members are all genetically susceptible. Also, re: the artificial sweetener sensitivity, read macleans magazine article about how even whole wheat is genetically modified and very very different from the natural stuff we used to grow 50 yrs ago. Many "natural" foods are not natural at all, the food industry is about mass production & money.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the comments however, where Carnie Wilson is concerned - I think she is kind of a joke.
ReplyDeleteI watched a little of her reality show a while back, and she was ridiculous. She had a trainer and diet coach trying to help her lose weight the entire season, and she basically treated them like crap and complained the whole time. Then she tried to start a baked goods business! She had no intention of trying to lose the weight.
Another thing to consider is all the processed food that's available. Now, we may suggest an all fruit and veggie diet, but there are certain sections of American society that live in food-dead zones, meaning there's no grocery stores nearby that allows them to access such foods.
ReplyDeleteAmerica has been conditioned to eating poorly since WWII. It's not a coincidence that a lot of pre-packaged foods started hitting the shelves at that time. It just took a while for our waistlines to show the effects.
Americans may be lazy, but we got a good push in that direction.
Instead of being condescending, maybe it would be nice if we offered each other tips on healthy living? Because sharing is caring. So they tell me. :-D
And, yeah, for 99.99% of overweight and obese people it's about changing the lifestyle. I went vegetarian 4 years ago, stopped eating junk food everyday and started walking. I've lost 50 pounds and now I'm running.
ReplyDeleteIt's also about the people in a person's life. My dumbass white trash family are all over 200 pounds and always told me "I was just one of those people that can't lose weight". Now I have and they have the nerve to scoff, but I don't give a shit.
Fwitw, the rest of the world hates America for a hell of a lot more reasons than the fact that we're all gluttons. They make fun of us for that. They hate us because we're ignorant, uneducated, close-minded, lazy, selfish slobs that think we're the be-all end-all of the human existence.
Here is a link to the article on Artificial Sweeteners linked to weight gain:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080210183902.htm
I truly believe that the introduction of artificial sweeteners is just one of the components that is keeping overweight people from losing weight.
I feel bad for Carnie Wilson. I can't imagine the high you get knowing you've achieved weight loss and then seeing it ripped away.
ReplyDeleteI was about 180lbs when I got pg with my first - and I'm only 5'5". Over the course of 2 years I lost a total of 80lbs (30lbs pregnancy weight and another 50lbs of fat) and it was HARD. Losing weight is a brain game, not just a question of eating fewere doughnuts.
Blanket statements about fat people being lazy are cruel. You can be fat and still spend 60 hours a week at the office, still be devoted to volunteering, still be a parent who's packing healthy lunches and teaching a kid to read.
There's a lot more to a person than how much they weigh.
@MyMamasChild
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. also has more processed food than any other industrialized nation. There are A LOT of factors in why people are fat. It's not just a cookie-cutter answer.
I assume you are not an American and are not "lazy." Then you are just a small-minded bigot who makes whatever country you are from look bad.
maybe it would be nice if we offered each other tips on healthy living
ReplyDeleteGood idea. Some rules I live by:
1. If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it.
2. If it has more than 10 ingredients, don't eat it.
3. Log all calories. (I love the Lose It! app)
4. Walk or do some kind of exercise.
5. Don't punish yourself if you slip up. Recognize that you have and then get back on it the next time.
6. Weigh yourself everyday. Studies have shown that people that do have a better chance of keeping the weight off or losing weight.
I agree with you, Liz. I LOVE diet sodas, but I know they aren't helping me. And so many sweeteners are corn-derived, which is a sugary starchy food in its natural form. Consuming that much high fructose corn syrup can't be good.
ReplyDelete@MyMamasChild - With all due respect, I completely disagree with you & find your view puzzling.
ReplyDeleteI've struggled with my weight my whole life. I've never been obese but was usually on the chubby side. I've tried many different diets and excersizes. One of them was a vegetarian diet (that actually started out of boredom and lasted 6 years) and didn't find eating "only fruits and vegetables" as nearly as effective as I expected. Actually kicked that diet for bulimia so I'd say I wasn't a success story of fruits and veggies only.
I imagine it'd be lovely to have such self control, ease and success with dieting as you, @MMC.
@cdanluva Exactly. I saw her on Dr. Oz and all she did was complain and deny, deny, deny. She blamed everything but herself for gaining the weight back. She's a complete joke.
ReplyDeleteMy sister had gastric bypass and she's kept off her weight for 4 years now. Like you all have said, she works on it. She avoids processed carbs, she still eats small amounts and she exercises.
Ever since I did Dr. Atkins 10 years ago I do not want sweets. Ever. I still do moderate low carb, but I run now so I have to have whole grains and such for energy.
Good luck to all of you guys trying to get healthy! That's the main goal. I am still considered overweight and am stalled, but I'm hella fit. I ran a half marathon last month and run 4 X a week.
Weight-loss surgery isn't a quick fix, it's a last resort. TLC just did a short series called "My 600 Pound Life" where they covered four people who were over 600 lbs and had gastric bypass. Two succeeded, one began to succeed after some bumps in the the road, and one outright failed.
ReplyDeleteThe surgery can get the weight off you so you don't risk immediately dropping dead, but there's still a ton of work to do and your results won't last unless you make a RADICAL lifestyle change.
So, while it may seem like a "quick fix" in the short term, in order for it to work you still have to make the same lifestyle changes anyone who wants to lose weight needs to.
When I say "step away from the donut" it just means have a little self control. Only YOU can control what goes in your mouth. No one is forcing you to eat bad food. If it's a compulsion issue, why not eat healthy food in excess instead of the bad stuff. It's all about choices. Chose the banana instead of the lemon pound cake at Starbucks. God knew what he was doing. You can't go wrong with natural foods.
ReplyDeleteStarbucks has lemon pound cake? Lol
DeleteI get what you're saying. I think that for a lot of people who struggle with us, weight is a very emotional topic. I think maybe that's why a lot of commenters reacted to your original comment the way that they did. The tone was perhaps a bit more brisk than you intended but you're not wrong.
DeleteNo one is advocating eating "only fruits and veggies" because you obviously need proteins and fats and grains and iron and stuff to survive, but the suggestion to replace processed snacks with natural ones is 100% bang on. I've been a vegetarian for 22 years and I'm at the ripe old age of 30, but I'm not skinny. Why? I love me some carbohydrates. I eat processed crap more often then I should. I eat late at night and don't always work it off before going to bed. A few years ago I hired a personal trainer and without even making many food changes, I dropped a ton of weight. Had I opted for more natural and healthy foods at the same time it would have been even faster. I'm 36 weeks pregnant right now, but I'm hoping to make some serious and sustainable diet changes for myself and hopefully my husband too (buddy's got quite the sympathy belly there) because I want to teach my son to make healthy food choices. It's hard in North America because the food and diet industries shove a lot of shit in our face but the one thing that most healthy weight people have in common is that they make sensible food choices and they engage in physical activity. Bottom line. If lapband surgery kickstarts that lifestyle change for you then you'll be successful. If you think it's a quick fix that you won't have to maintain then it's just unnecessary surgery.
I wish the best of luck to everyone who struggles with their weight or their body, especially if they're ready to make a change. You can do it!
@Layna Day- as far as sharing food tips, here are some of mine:
ReplyDeleteI don't eat any diet foods. No diet coke, no lo calorie anything
I dont eat super sweet things like a cookie or lemon bar from Starbucks
No sweetened coffee, ever
Make almost all my own food. Eat out one or twice a week.
Drink regular soda about 2 times a month. Drink water instead with a lemon slice. Note: my parents never fed us sodas, apple juices, except at parties. Grew up on fresh squeezed orange juice.
While in school, had two eggs for breakfast with fries, school lunch, at 4 pm had a big dinner. In the evening we had cereal.
Never consciously say I'm not going to eat pasta, bread, etc., or restrict foods. I just grew up not eating them when I was growing up. I just don't crave bread. I love regular pasta and eat it about every third day.
I eat lots of proteins like chicken and steak. I crave these foods, as I grew up on these.
I had a bit of an eye opener last year about portion control. Being a child of the 70s I was feeling nostalgic about a rippled green pitcher and glass set we had when I was a kid so I went on eBay and found the same set we had and ordered it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got it, I stared at the tumblers because they seemed awfully small. On a hunch I grabbed a juice glass that I had on hand, filled it up and poured it into one of the rippled tumblers. That told me how off we are on our portions, that when I was a kid we'd be satisfied with a tumbler full that only measures out to a juice glass portion today.
Also if you go to a restaurant and order sliders, I've noticed that one cheeseburger slider is about as big as a single serving cheeseburger my mom used to make.
There is no magic bullet. Mindfulness about what you eat and getting the appropriate amount of exercise is the only safe and consistent road to weight loss. It's not easy and as you get older it gets more tricky, but worth the effort. I personally have no use for people who get all self righteous about weight control.
I tried the South Beach diet for a while (two weeks, actually). I lost 5-6 pounds, but I felt so deprived! I wouldn't in good faith tell anyone to go with that, even though it works.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I haven't used it in a long time, the SparkPeople website is a great way to connect with others who are looking to make lifestyle choices. They may have changed things, but it used to be really good.
@MMC - Now THAT I can agree with.
ReplyDelete@Layna Day- cont.
ReplyDeleteI live in NYC where there are elevators everywhere, and in subway stations. I almost always take the stairs.
I live on the upper east side in the 80s, I walk to midtown or Macys when I can. I hardly have to take the subway. I carry my heels in my purse.
The key for me: is not overly restricting food and never eating anything with arficial sweeteners or whole wheat products. Never! I like to enjoy the food I eat. I no longer eat certain yogurt brands because they say lo calorie.
I think artificial sweeteners
Frankly I'd rather be fat than be an obnoxious bigoted bitch like MyMomasChild
ReplyDelete@Liz: thanks for all the good tips! I really should try to do the cereal thing at night. I'm always munching after 7PM and it's murder on the waistline and digestive system.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that when I drink a glass of water 20 minutes before a meal, I'm not as eager to munch like crazy.
Enty et al, the stomach stretches a LOT. so, if you have surgery or lap band but still eat like a p.i.g. hog, you will have lots of horribly digustingly embarrassing things happen and then gain all the weight back (and then some) and eventually be able to eat the amounts a normal person would.
ReplyDeleteSo awesome! You risked death and other horrible side-effects for nothing!
Diet and exercise. Just do it.
I can't agree with the "IF you can't pronounce it don't eat it." That's a bunch of BS. Most people can't pronounce Acai, Kefir, Acidophilus, Fructooligosaccharides or Quinoia and they're just a few of the most healthiest things on the planet. How about educated yourself as to what is healthy or unhealthy. That's how you know. If you don't know what it is, look it up. I've studied health now for 12 years.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I never read about is the role of medication in weight gain. Lots of people have to be on medication and sometimes those medications mess with your body chemistry. Anti-depressants and seizure medications can definitely cause weight gain. My friend's son has schizophrenia and takes Clozapine, one of the gold standards for treatment. Side effect? Weight gain. But he doesn't hear voices anymore.and can actually hold a job. The tradeoff is awful but science isn't at a point where meds don't have side effects.
ReplyDeleteI really hope people don't think "step away from the donut" when they see him. Because he's got a lot more things to worry about than just food choices.
Sometimes, telling an overweight person not to "step away from the donut" is like telling an anorexic person to "just go ahead an eat." It seems so easy...but with Carnie Wilson, who has the money, the location to buy all of the best, organic, nutrient rich food she could want, there has to be an underlying issue that she is not working on that is encouraging her behavior. It is no secret that her father suffered from mental illness, and I am sure that Carnie's mental state from heredity as well as socially is touched.
ReplyDelete@SusanB What makes me a bigot. Everything I've said is nothing but pure facts. If you are fat, you just have a hard time accepting that only you are to blame....no one else, just you. It's pure mathematics people...you have to burn more calories than you put in. It's not rocket science. Make smarter choices thats all. Use your head. Go to the library. Seek education. Eat as close to nature as possible. Theres no other way. The end. Mindless eating will make you miserable. Sometimes the truth hurts I guess.
ReplyDelete@Lana Day - I think that's one if the reasons "diets" do not work. They are way too restrictive.
ReplyDeleteYou might have a better shot at trying: portion control, daily activity, cutting out diet foods ( read studies, they do not help), increasing activity. If you must have a soda, drink 1/2 or 3/4 of it.
Never go out when you're starving, because then you'll crave sugary foods.
I don't weigh myself at all. I go by how lose orctoght my clothes are or I use a tape measure to meaure my waist.
Remember, you didn't gain the weight overnight so it's going to take sone time. You'll see your waist and hips getting smaller before you see a difference in your
weight.
I have taken care of so many patients post gastric bypass surgeries, sone if who were not obese, and have seen numerous complications and even a couple 3 deaths. I
Another good app is myfitnesspal. You can scan the barcodes of food instead of having to enter everything.
ReplyDeleteI lost 40 pounds using portion control alone. I didn't completely give up McDonald's. But instead of ordering a quarter pounder w cheese value meal, I did a hamburger happy meal. At first I didn't feel full but like your stomach can expand, it can shrink too.
I quit smoking (to save money) and it's funny after not doing that for a couple of weeks, I lost interest in drinking my diet dp (and I swear if I drank the 6 pack a day of the regular stuff it would have been far worse). I now drink about 4 quarts of water a day. 2 with crystal light and 2 without. AND I've managed not to change clothing sizes since I quit smoking (day 46 with a couple of cheats here and there in case you're interested ;-))
BUT now I DO want to get a scale so I can weigh myself. For me it's not so much about the number but how my clothes fit, but the number part is good too!
Good luck to those of you who struggle daily with your weight. I've been there and it can be so hard.
I DO need to add exercise to my routine but even little changes like not parking so close to the door at the store and walking can help! I have been doing that!
Sorry about all the typos, but my itouch' screen is jumping up and down. It's possessed!
ReplyDeleteA couple of things. There was an article in the NYT about how, when you have lost approximately 10% of your body weight, fast or slow, your metabolism changes and works extra hard to bring you back to your original weight. It changes how it processes everything, so that to keep the weight off, you have to eat fewer calories than someone of the equivalent body mass who hasn't lost weight.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is becoming more apparent that the weight itself may not be the issue as much as the overall health. So that there are unhealthy thin people (see actresses and models) who aren't eating properly and aren't exercising and there are overweight people who eat healthily and exercise and whose indicators of health (inflammation, cholesterol, blood pressure etc.) are much better.
As someone who lost 30 pounds by changing portion size primarily, it is REALLY hard to change how and what you eat. I think we all need to have some compassion for each other and our individual struggles.
@mamaschild...sorry, but that's a bit harsh. A lot of people who are overweight are brought up in a family who didn't teach proper nutrition. They didn't know any better at a young age. Overeating is a sickness and an addiction. They get so caught up in a depression that they can't get out of it and give up. It's more than a OK...let me get on a treadmill and eat right, stop eating the donut. It's a serious sickness that you are just not understanding. It's like postpartum depression when Tom Cruise said "eat vitamins and exercise and you won't have post-partum depression." He's right to an extent, but when someone is post partum, saying snap out of it is impossible. It's easy to pass judgement when you're not in the situation.
ReplyDeleteI watched Carnie's reality show and her eating is very emotional and she knows it. She does not have a good healthy situation at home, and she surrounds herself with people who are not helping her with the right thinking. I think a lot of her issues go back to her childhood and she probably will have this up and down until she either works through them or gives up.
ReplyDeleteYes, been there, done that all my life. It is about a lot more than just what you eat. The relationship to food is a substitute for a lot of other things that aren't right in your life sometimes.
Hey, hey - no need to call anyone a bitch. There are many other blogs where people treat each other that way.
ReplyDelete@Layna Day:
"Instead of being condescending, maybe it would be nice if we offered each other tips on healthy living? Because sharing is caring. So they tell me."
THANK you.
I envy people like MMC who apparently have few issues with food. I think weight and food is a complicated issue for most of us and very little of it has to do with "self control" -- sorry MMC. Why do I think it's more epidemic? I think our food supply is poorer quality and the world is a much more stressful place.
ReplyDeleteMost people acknowledge that alcohol, drug addictions and depression have a chemical imbalance COMPONENT so why would food addiction be different?
I take responsibility for my weight issues. You're right no one is shoving a donut down my throat, but it is my drug of choice when feeling overwhelmed,confused and/or stressed. Instead of listening to my internal dialog of hate, which Im sorry, sounds a lot like MMC, I am trying to be kinder to myself. I am trying to reprogram my years of habit and work to figure out if I'm really hungry or just overwhelmed/anxious, etc. Yes, MMC there are those of us who have been sending our bodies such mixed signals that it is hard to know.
By the way, as a person who put herself through school, while working a minimum of two jobs, I don't think I lack "self control".
It is also very expensive to "surround yourself with fresh fruit"...and vegetables, and whole grains....I would truly love to go to the grocery store and stock up on fruits, vegetables, all the fresh healthy things our bodies need to be healthy but it is much, much more expensive than processed, boxed food. The majority of Americans simply cannot afford to feed their families on that diet consistantly.
ReplyDeleteFor my fellow strugglers out there -- MMC you can skip this post --- there is a FANTASTIC book called, "Women, Food and God". It is NOT Christian based -- it really should be titled "Women, Food and Spirituality".... anyway, it's by Geneen Roth.
ReplyDeleteTo Enty, previous posters with weight struggles -- we are all precious. Our weight is only physical -- it does not diminish the amazing people you are!
@Rambos: I think what you're saying is true.
ReplyDeleteThis is why it's important to NOT keep gaining weight and pass on goid eating habits to our families.
Most of the people I know who are thin, including myself, did not come from parents that exercised at a gym or ate mostly vegetables.
Commonalities are: We ate home cooked meals, did not eat out because it was too expensive, loved to play outdoors, joined high school sports, love to be social and giving dancing.
You're right being thin doesn't mean you're healthy either.
I worked at an open heart unit where most of the patients were not obese. However, there is a strong correlation with weight and diabetes. Diabetes is very pervasive and will affect every blood vessel in your body.
I used to live in Ling Island where there are a lot if overweight people. When I moved to Manhattan I noticed people were much thinner. Why? Definitely activity level us a big factor. Even if you take the subway, you have to walk 10-20 mins to get there. Take the subway and walk to your destination.
They gained weight in the first place because of improper habits. Surgery doesn't correct the habits, so of course the person will go back to whatever got them fat in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@ EmEyeKay - right back at you. The avatar is from the valentines we made for my son's valentine exchange at school. They were hilarious - there was a Lego wedding, too.
ReplyDeleteAnd excuse my previous rant. I should not have said "asshole" or "jerk." I've always liked this blog because of the courtesy we show each other. I did not exhibit it today. I am sorry.
Everyone...please ignore MMC's comments. It's just pure ignorance and lack of education on his/her part. It's the family or area he/she grew up in and therefore doesn't know any different. Just as sadly as MMC doesn't realize he/she has a problem, she/he is living in a glass house and throwing stones.
ReplyDeleteMMC...educate yourself on addictions please, otherwise you won't be able to keep up with positive and educational convos from other bloggers on this site.
I really agree with the poster who said that surgery for restricting food intake should only be a final resort, as in save your life or you will die from your weight.
ReplyDeleteMy friend had the lap band surgery, it's supposed to be the gentlest, least invasive type.
I'm not going to go into details except to say, the weight came off .... and then it came back.
She also has and had some serious medical conditions. Some required surgery. Things went bad for her because she didn't drink enough water, or eat slowly enough, or didn't this or that enough, says her doctors. And then there is their mistakes too!
There is alot I'm not saying I know, but all I am really trying to say is please try everything else first.
2011 I lost 50 lbs. I started Zumba 3 times per week, incorporated fresh fruits and vegetables in my diet, cut out fast food and walked at least a mile every night that I didn't have Zumba.
ReplyDeleteIt was hard but it worked. I ate due to being bored and the Zumba and walking kept me from being bored into eating. Some of what MMC said is true. Many don't like to be accountable for their actions. It's the food 'they' make/give us. Make a better selection. Where I disagree w/MMC is that there are always exceptions and in an age where everyone is medicated, the side effects are having an effect on weight and body functions.
At the end of the day one must find something that works for them individually and surgery should ALWAYS be a last resort. Poor Carnie.
@AbderianLaughter- I think there are many ways to work around fresh fruits and vegetables. While an ideal option I don't buy the notion that they are the only way.
ReplyDeleteWent to school with a girl from San Francisco who walked around school without shoes, was a vegetarian. She was on the chubby side. She couldn't just go anywhere because she wouldn't wear shoes, thus no activity. She went from school to her car to home. Her parents paid for school so she didn't have to work.
First time poster, long time reader...can't believe this is the post I finally respond to, lol.
ReplyDeleteENTY, please read "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, MD - it will change your life more than you can imagine. Wheat in no way resembles what it was even 50 years ago. One of the proteins in it actually has addictive qualities, similar to opiates (documented w/citations) - it's not willpower as everyone thinks. You will eat stuff you love (as much bacon as you want!) and find you don't even miss the wheat. THere are over 10K on his FB page citing their successes - biggest besides weight is feeling so much better, getting off meds for GERD and so many other conditions. You won't feel hungry or deprived , really! hth
Wow, y'all be harshing on each other a bit. Sensitive issue for sure, I agree with the "sharing is caring" philosophy.
ReplyDeleteI think some people have fat genes and it must really suck and be much more challenging.
I guess I'm super lucky to not have this problem. :/
Forgot to add, I've lost 110lbs :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats Geebz!
ReplyDeleteI think it would be kind of cool to start a separate blog where people could support each other, without it becoming competing.
The NY times article has a lot of good points on how friends help support one another's lifestyles.
Y'all have done a fantastic job of laying out the reasons for obesity - societal (oversized portion sizes, the company you keep, how you were raised, the foods you have nearby), biological (reaction with other drugs, genetic propensity/metabolism, diseases), etc. The reasons for being overweight are NOT as simple as 'avoid that doughnut'. Kudos to those for whom it is that simple -- you have it easier than many of us. But when you take the attitude that those of us who are overweight are clearly suffering from self-control and laziness issues -- well, that is not helping. It's ignorant at best and condescending otherwise - which is a condition that is far harder to cure. It is because of you and your attitude that 'being thin is easy' which is why we have people starving themselves, smoking or shooting up just to stay thin.
ReplyDeleteI lost 50 lbs on Weight Watchers, of which I have kept most of it off. Here are some tips that worked for me:
- Shop in the perimeter of the grocery store - fruit, dairy, bread. Avoid the aisles where the stuff that is processed and full of chemicals lurks.
- When you buy fruit, cut it up AS SOON AS YOU GET HOME (when you're feeling enthusiastic), and leave it at the front of the fridge. When you have the munchies, you're more likely to eat the healthy stuff if it's already ready to go and in front of your face.
- Don't stress about the big # of lbs you have to lose. Focus on the week ahead of you. Try to lose 1 lb this week, rather than 50 lbs in a year. The 1 lbs add up and after several weeks you'll be stunned to realize you have lost a large amount.
- Integrate walking into your life. Park at the back of the parking lot instead of near the entrance (and bonus - no hunting for an empty spot!). I used to take the subway to work, so I'd spend my 5 or 10 mins waiting by walking up and down the platform. Yeah, it looked odd. But between my trip to work and back, I'd get in almost a mile extra of walking just from that! I would also get off one exit early. Now that I take the bus, I walk a mile to take a direct line, rather than walking 3 blocks to the closest bus stop. My commute takes the same amount of time, but now I don't have to make a separate trip to the gym.
- Change your routine to avoid temptation. I started avoiding one street, because the Chinese market had incredible bbq pork that I knew I couldn't resist.
- Drink water, not sodas (even diet ones). Water fires up the system and makes you feel fuller.
- Don't deny yourself anything. If you want cheesecake, take just a few bites and savor the flavor.
- Don't get down when you don't lose (or gain). You're going to have times when you eat poorly, or weeks when your body is adjusting to your new weight. Just brush it off and focus on the current day/week, not the previous one.
- Ask for a to-go box when you order at a restaurant, and put half of your food in it before you start eating. You won't want to embarrass yourself by diving into the boxed up food, so you will keep your portion to a manageable size. And bonus - you get two meals for the price of one!
Seachica, I forgot to mention the to-go box too. I do that a lot and actually ask them to box it BEFORE they bring out my meal and usually they'll keep the box in the back until they bring the bill. 2 meals for the price of 1 plus you don't eat it just because it's in front of you. This is especially helpful at mexican or italian restaurants where you get a 'pre-meal' of chips/salsa, bread, etc.
ReplyDeleteOk - I deleted my rant because I have been feeling like a jerk since I posted it.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the success stories on here. I hope I can join you!
Youtube has a lot of 10 and 15-minute workouts available. And they're free of charge! That's a win-win for me.
ReplyDelete@Seachica - Those are all really great tips.
ReplyDeleteMy friend tried the weight watchers program and she was amazed at how much she was able to eat (actually more than her normal). A lot was based on portion control and food selection and no I'm not taking about a duet on lettuce and kale.
She lost her target 15 lbs in less than a year and she's maintained her weight. Her goal was adopt a better lifestyle and knew she wouldn't stick to her plan if she was too restrictive.
I have to look for the book but it talks about a short (10 min) intense workout is just as helpful as a 60 min low intensity workout.
ReplyDeleteEveryone else is saying exactly what I am saying just in a different way but I'm the bad guy. I understand that people have emotional issues with eating. I would understand if it was just 3 or 4 out of 100 but we are talking about 50% of the population in America is overweight. Theres a problem. We do have healthier options right in front of us but some people chose not to take those options. I don't agree that you can't afford to eat healthy. A banana and an apple for and afternoon snack probably costs $1, same as a bag of chips. It's cheaper to eat whole foods because you will eat less. More drive thru restaurants offer fruit and salad but some will get the Big Mac. Again, it's choices. Why do we always have to hug it out and hold hands. Maybe tough love works.
ReplyDeleteObviously, weight loss or gain has many psychological components. Carnie Wilson's father had mental issues- ocd among others. If you want that damn food, u are gonna get it and have it. U dont want s tic tac or a lemon sedge or anything else. Your mind tells u u must have it, and u obey. There's alot more to it than 'just overeating'. U arent lazy, u arent bad, u just cant find way out of bad habits. You know, look at it thiz way: what if u told sn alcoholic he cld hv 3 drinks a day? Wouldnt work, because they are wired to drink to excess. Yet thats always the advice to overseight people, whose whole philosophy is " more is better". And bug people dont need your derision, rude remarks, or stares. We are more than aware if how you percieve us, and we punish ourselves far more harshly than u ever could. So please just enjoy how great u are, and dont worry about us.
ReplyDelete@seachica-Kudos. Great job and great statement in the beginning of your post.
ReplyDelete@MyMamasChild-Please do not take this as a personal attack, these are just my thoughts on the matter. A little about me (and this applies to many, many more people than just me in this society): I was addicted to some things, was blessed enough to find a way out through a program that I utilize every day to help me live a productive life. When I was free of one substance I became addicted to another. Again, freedom came through hard work, grace and a program to help me sort these things out. When that was lifted from me yet another substance crept into my life and filled the void where the other two had once been. That substance was food which I used as a drug by overeating to stuff down my emotions that I didn't want to or wouldn't allow myself to feel. I struggle everyday, but remain free of all these addictions because they have been lifted from me. I do the work and I turn every thing else over...most days. You see, my brain doesn't work right and I'm not alone. I have to "free" myself from pain, trauma, emotions, etc. by using an outside substance to do that. Do you see how it can all be related? Am I a bad person? No, but I used to think I was or otherwise I would have been able to "voluntarily" give these things up that were destroying my life and the lives of others around me. It's not as easy as saying "just stop eating too much" (or too little, or using drugs, or drinking, etc.).
I understand that not everyone who is overweight has an addictive personality, but some do. Some do. You are lucky you don't, but because of that luck you and some others can't see that there are physical manifestations of a psychological disease.
Sometimes obesity is about outside factors and sometimes it's all about what's inside that's trying to be avoided.
Meant big people, lol
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't give a damn who hates americans, they are jealous and can frankly, go to hell.
@MyMamasChild: one lesson I've learned in life--it's not what you say, but HOW you say it.
ReplyDeleteYou were kind of curt, possibly rude. No one wants to deal with that drama, especially on a celeb gossip site, even if you're right.
Love should be love, let it speak for itself. If you have to add an adjective to it, you're doing it wrong, IMO.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Stanley Roper As I mentioned before, I understand some people have emotional/additive issues. But some people do not. Instead they choose to not try better options and use weight loss surgery as an easy way out, thats all I'm trying to say
ReplyDeleteMyMama,
ReplyDeleteTough lough isn't going to work unless you can take someone out of their environment and plunk them down into a perfect "pro-health" environment (ala Biggest Loser). Being nasty to someone with a problem isn't going to make that person overcome their problem. It's going to make them depressed/frustrated and they'll sink deeper into their problem. To use drugs/alcohol as a comparison again, you don't say "Put down the booze and pick up a bottle of water Drinky" (tough love).
(Almost) Everyone struggles with something.
-Food/overeating
-Alcohol
-Drugs
-Sex
-Gambling
-Spending Too Much $$
-etc...
Food is the only one for which people have zero tolerance. Everyone hates overweight people. It's always "blame the fatty." There's coverage for different addictions in many insurance programs. Try finding coverage for food addiction/obesity. Why is it okay to struggle with alcohol but not with food? We don't deny chemo to someone who has lung cancer after a lifetime of smoking. But someone who's struggled with obesity...they better not need any surgery/medical intervention...I don't want to pay for their crappy choices.
We like to pretend it's a personal responsibility issue, that it's all willpower. The problem is, everyone is different. I don't have the tinge in my brain toward drugs or alcohol. I couldn't care less if I never had another drop of alcohol my entire life (and I've never tried drugs - no interest). But I sympathize with those whose brains do call out for those substances. I don't know what it's like, but I know others struggle with it.
Again, everyone is different. You could put two people on the same diet, eating the same foods in the same amounts. One (person A) could stay thin, the other could insidiously put on pounds. Nobody would care if the one who stayed thin ate pizza or dessert (or whatever). But if the overweight one (person B) ate the same crappy food, everyone would be like, "No wonder they're fat. Why don't they just eat fruits and veggies?" Person A doesn't have any more willpower than person B. Their body just adjusts for it (some people don't get fat from eating crap food). For them it's okay to eat crap (literally and sociologically). The other person better stick to cottage cheese and celery.
Are people predestined to be fat? No. The problem is how our society is set up. We're very much a convenience food, eat on the run country. Our jobs are sedentary. Our cities are set up for driving, not walking. There's a lot of crap food in our lives. We're encouraged to get value for our food dollar. That's why you see people from other countries come here and gain weight (and people from here go to other countries and lose weight). Think "French Women Don't Get Fat." In France they take time to eat. They walk a lot. They have quality, in-season foods available at their markets. It's a completely different lifestyle. If we adopted it here, obesity rates would decrease.
@StanleyRoper-
ReplyDeleteI'm just curious and concerned as to why obesity has become so common. I think there are numerous reasons that someone else summarized really well.
1. Psychological
2. Lack of activity in children and adults due to the Internet, and technology (ex. Remote controls)
3. What is overweight? I hear it all the time on blogs, where a perfectly fit actress/model is deemed looking pregnant or overweight if her abdomen is not perfectly fat or if she does not have a tapered waist. People read these comments and it seeps into the psyche.
People used to think women like Jane Russell or Cindy Crawford were beautylvand fit. Now, they would look overweight. It's ridiculous.
4. Diet foods: I think that artificial sweeteners should be outlawed.
I'm on Jenny Craig for my wedding (not that I was every really overweight). Lost 18 lbs so far and I'm back to my high school weight. Trying to get to 120. 10 more to go!! It's just hard when you work late and therefore don't have time to exercise as much as you'd like. And fuck waking up early to do so. Also hard when you love drinking as much as I do :)
ReplyDeleteAmerica is the greatest country in the world but yet we have a huge (no pun intended) population of overweight depressed people. Somethings not right. Pick a random country in eat africa and we'll discuss depression/anxiety issues. This will be my last post on this subject. We will just have to disagree.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should go to www.hungryforchange.tv and watch the free online screening of the movie (available until March 31st).
ReplyDeleteI think some of you might discover a thing or two :)
Ok, I have been overweight my whole life.
ReplyDeleteAbout six months ago I started a program that is provided through our health care system and have lost 30lbs so far. I realize not everyone has access to programs and education, but I have learned some really helpful things.
Stop dieting-this implies a short term fix, not a sustainable change
Journaling-if it goes in your mouth, write it down. I use myfitnesspal, that also helps you track calories.
If you can, pay attention to your emotions when you crave certain foods
No mindless eating-pay attention to the food as you're eating it. Try not to eat while watching tv, on the computer, reading... We tend to over eat.
For a week, eat as you normally would, but measure or weigh food to see how many calories you're taking in, just to educate yourself.
Get rid of the all or nothing attitude! A 10 minute walk is still ten minutes more than none at all.
There has to be room for treats in your life. Otherwise you will feel deprived and are more likely to go way overboard.
Dont beat yourself up for what you perceive as a slip. It's all about the overall lifestyle, not one piece of cake.
Worry less about the numbers on the scale, and more about living a healthy lifestyle. I go in for weigh in every 2-4 weeks, I refuse to obsess anymore.
Losing slowly is good, it is more likely to maintain weight loss if you're doing it slowly.
None of this is preaching, btw. Im just learning this, and way more about nutrition, portion sizes, physical activity, and I wish I could share with everyone, lol!
I really wish good luck to everyone who struggles. I have been there for my whole life.
@This is my life- i think it was glamour, allure or Marie Claire that had an article on what you just said. Very similar to the Jenny Craig concept.
ReplyDeleteIt's a slow and steady climb, rather than a steep climb to the top.
Oh, and even though our lifestyle has changed, our bodies are still "programmed" for hunter-gatherer living.
ReplyDeleteIn the most basic physiological sense, our bodies don't want to lose weight. We are built to store fat plain and simple. There is nothing easy about losing it.
If at first you don't succeed --- TRY TRY AGAIN
ReplyDeleteAlso, some of you skinny bitches are cranky today. Maybe you should eat something.
ReplyDeleteHalleGoLightly wrote:
ReplyDeleteAre people predestined to be fat? No. The problem is how our society is set up. We're very much a convenience food, eat on the run country. Our jobs are sedentary. Our cities are set up for driving, not walking. There's a lot of crap food in our lives. We're encouraged to get value for our food dollar. That's why you see people from other countries come here and gain weight (and people from here go to other countries and lose weight).
SO true. I lived in the UK for two years, and was stunned at the differences. Ready made foods and fruit there didn't come with pesticides all over it. Portions were normal sized. People walked more often. There was more focus on eating for taste, rather than for quantity. Go to mainland Europe and the contrast is even more stunning. You realize that the American environment is a very large cause of our high obesity rates.
Oh, and one more tip. No single diet plan works for everyone. Experiment. Some people have low tolerance for gluten. Some people do better with counting points. Some respond better to low sugar diets. Some can't handle all the cooking involved in some plans so do better with prepared meals. Some lose at a rate of 2 lbs a week; others lose .5 lbs. It all depends on your individual chemistry, lifestyle and age/weight.
Back to the original subject, I do NOT believe in the "miracle" of lap band surgery. You will lose weight with any serious surgery, which this is. To keep it off, you really need to make the lifestyle change. Otherwise, you'll go right back up. I've heard that multiple lap band surgeries are very dangerous.
And because this subject is SO dear to me, let's clear up the misconception that weight is directly correlated to healthiness, unless you're 100 lbs+ overweight. I have seen overweight people that are able to complete triathlons and are very healthy, and I've seen skinny people who get exhausted walking one mile. I really believe that the healthy weight charts are largely bullshit.
This is my life -- you are absolutely correct. The human body is genetically predisposed to hang on to fat, especially if you are a woman. Some people's bodies are easier to "retrain" than others, and these are the people who don't have weight issues and/or don't have to practically kill themselves to lose weight. We are still, at our biological base, hunter-gatherers. Our bodies WANT to store fat. Unfortunately, while the cavemen burned calories just trying to live through each day, we are now a basically sedentary people.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone else has said, there are a thousand different reasons for people to be overweight. Sometimes, like MMC posited, it is a lack of self-control and/or laziness. Sometimes it's a genetic predisposition. Sometimes it's a result of medication. Sometimes it's a socio-economic issue (by the way, MMC, since you think finding and buying fresh food is so easy, I invite you to Google the term "food desert"). Sometimes there are other health issues that make exercising impossible.
Unfortunately, thin people who have never had to deal with any of these problems LOVE feeling smug and superior about overweight people. They think that fat people sit around all day shoving doughnuts in their mouths and washing themselves with a rag on a stick. I've known many fat people, and am one myself. Nothing could be further from the truth. I work 50 hours a week, at least, at a very demanding job. I can't remember the last time I ate a doughnut. I don't eat lots of sweets or "bad" food. I don't snack or graze. My problem is a genetic predisposition to obesity (my grandmother's family were farmers, for instance, yet they were all overweight despite eating super-healthy and working hard), an inability to exercise because of serious and painful health issues, and portion control. I was brought up in a house where you ate everything on your plate, because "wasting food" was a sin. That was programmed into me. I still struggle with this every day.
Last month I went in for a Lap Band. The doctor began the surgery and found that my liver stretched all the way across my abdomen and was diseased and inflamed. He aborted the surgery, and I am now dealing with some pretty serious liver issues in addition to my other pre-existing health conditions. I can't have surgery until my liver returns to a normal size and condition. So in the meantime, I am stuck with this extra weight while I try not to die at 42.
But sure, MMC and other like-minded people, go ahead and think that fat people are just lazy, indulgent, stupid pigs. After all, you know their lives. You know what they deal with every day. Being thin is the easiest thing in the world, after all!
Ive not seen anything good come from these surgeries knowing people who have had them done. I feel their pain, I struggled 20 years with weight gain/inability to lose weight no matter what I did. (topped 315lbs and I'm 5'10") I have been eating local, organic, whole foods, no sugar, limited carbs, all the stuff you are *supposed* to do. After battling an endocrine disease since puberty (I'm 43) new studies for my disease mentioned wheat/gluten intolerance being a source of insulin imbalance. I came across a book called Wheat belly and cut wheat and gluten from my diet and WOW. I feel normal and weight actually comes off as it should. I think it comes down to finding what works best for you, it could be mental, emotional, physical in origin and sometimes not always someone being a lazy american who overeats.
ReplyDeleteGotta love people who have no frickin' clue. Hey MyMamasChild - if it was so easy and simple, don't you think more people would be doing it?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I in no way shape or form hate people who are overweight.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I agree with many of the points being made, including those made by MyMamasChild. I find it funny that CDANers are so blunt about so many topics, but MMC is blunt about her feelings on obesity and she's getting tore the fuck up.
While I do believe that food addiction does exist, I also truly believe that the average person who is about 5 to 30 pounds overweight really just needs to make some changes to get in shape. Obviously, people who are 100s of pounds overweight have some serious mental problems and anxieties going on, and I feel for them. But, for the most, yeah. Saying no to the doughnut will probably help you shed a few pounds.
I feel for anyone who is overweight and struggles with this problem. My mom is a lifelong Weight Watcher. She is totally underweight now. Like seriously, the Weight Watchers people tell her to eat at weigh-in. LOL. But she has been thin for the past 20 years. She's 68 years old. She walks EVERYWHERE and is very active. But because of her weightloss struggles, she often has a point of view that food is the enemy. I do not have that point of view. I love food. Some of my tips for maintaining a healthy weight:
Drink tons of water.
If you want a cookie, eat a damn cookie. But, make it 1 or 2 and it's best if it's homemade not from a package!
Eat tons of fruit and vegetables.
I gave up fast food, potato chips and soda for Lent all during my college years. And, I'm going to be 36 (yikes!) in a couple of weeks, and I still NEVER eat that crap.
I do believe that our mentality in America leads to a nation of overweight peeps: So many people hire others to do the dirty work - clean the house, walk the dog, while the average person just sits at a desk all day for 10-12 hour work days not moving. Meanwhile, our kids play video games rather than going outside and REALLY playing. And because of everybody's hectic schedule, nobody sits down and eats a freshly cooked meal. So, all of these things lead us to be a bunch of fatasses.
Honestly, since having my baby, I have never been this thin. And I truly believe it's because I run around like a madwoman all freaking day, cleaning my house, working and taking care and playing with my baby. I never sit still, even when I'm working. That's just me, and I'm sorry if my story makes others struggling with weight (especially after having a baby) feel badly. Because, that's not my intention. Quite honestly, I'm shocked that weightloss was so fast after having the kid.
Guy I know had the gastric bypass surgery. He lost a ton of weight (not quite literally) over the next year, but all he could eat was about half a cup of food at a time or he would get sick. As his stomach stretched, he could eat a bit more and a bit more, and then started drinking again, and most of the weight is back. He went from being big Bob to being the Incredibly Shrinking Bob to Bob again.
ReplyDeleteA couple truths: The surgery made him incapable of eating more than a half cup at a time. If he had limited himself in the same way without the surgery, he would have lost the same weight. It's not quite, "Walk away from the donut" but the principle is there. You lose the weight not because of the surgery, but because of how you eat immediately after the surgery. You CAN do the same thing without the surgery at all (but people don't). Second: Because he never addressed the lifestyle choices/mental issues that had cause him to be 500 pounds the first time, the weight loss is only temporary. The issues are still there, and once his body allowed him to fall back into old habits/compulsions, he did. Surgery affects how much food you can eat, not how you process the world around you (and how much you want to eat). Work on that for longer-lasting results.
In addition to my post above, I would also like to wholeheartedly second every word seachica said!
ReplyDelete"Obviously, people who are 100s of pounds overweight have some serious mental problems and anxieties going on ..."
ReplyDeleteSusan, your story of how being a new mom made you lose weight didn't make me feel bad. Good for you. I'm glad. But this sentence right here strikes me as really uninformed and judgmental. There are many reasons for people to be morbidly obese. They don't always include "mental problems."
@thegirl - thanks for posting the info about that book. I'm getting it....I've been looking into this wheat thing and it's pretty shocking.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about life with no sweets....no problem
If I think about life with no meat ever again....not TOO bad of a problem
When I think about life with no wheat....I freak out. Can I do this?????
@Texshan - sorry to hear about the liver issues....pulling for you!!!!
ReplyDelete@WUWT- Really great points. I wonder if doctors/their assistants inform them that they people need to make lifestyle changes.
ReplyDeleteI work with two women who had the same surgery. 1. 1st woman gained all the weight back. She regrets not modifying her lifestyle or adjusting her food intake, 2. 2nd woman has maintained her weight beautifully - going on 7 years. She looks like Joy Behar in terms of body type. She used to be obese like Star was prior to her surgery.
It's an invasive surgery with a lot of potential complications and not just in the immediate post op period.
I won't touch on weight loss tips, you all covered that. What I want to emphasize is that if you do get a consult from a bariatric surgeon, make sure you are referred for the psych evaluation. Any noteworthy bariatric surgeon will make sure you are ready for the procedure. I will not refer patients to surgeons who do not have good statistics or do not do the psychiatric evaluation. Too important.
ReplyDelete@Texshan -- best of luck with the health issues! Ugh. My heart goes out to you.
ReplyDeleteMMC -- sorry, this is just near and dear to my heart. I agree that surgery is a last resort. I just don't think all fat people need to be painted with the same brush "they just need to put down the donut" . In this currently thin obssessed society, most overweight people would not choose to be overweight if it were always that simple.
Thanks to the posters who have mentioned "wheat belly" can't wait to check it out.
I had a doctor in college who said, "You were built to survive an ice age". I have always found that oddly comforting. I don't use it as an excuse to be heavier but understand that weight loss may continue to be challenging for me. Whewww. I am gabby today!
I lied. I have one last thing to say. Not necessarily about weight loss but about freedom of speech in general. It's okay for everyone on this post to give an opinion about how celebrities should live their lives...how the jersey shore cast are coke heads, how the kardashians should stop fame whoring, how jessica simpson looks like a beach whale. But as soon as I suggest that overweight people should think twice about what they put in their mouths, I'm immediately dismissed and all shit breaks lose. Sounds like a double standard to me and people can't handle the truth when it hits home, becomes personal. I've never seen more excuses for why you are overweight but jessica simpson gets hell. Too bad.
ReplyDelete^^^
ReplyDeleteThe girl has a point.
I don't know anyone who has had the surgeries (there are a couple to choose from) that hasn't gained all the weight back. The worse part is that almost all of them had to have follow up surgery to remove excess skin b/c the weight loss happened so quickly and it's a really really painful recovery. It takes time especially if you're dealing with medical issues (PCOS comes to mind) and it's not just a case of eating more than you burn off but you're better off changing your lifestyle and being proud of small change even if it's happening slower than going after the quick drop in weight only to find yourself back at the same place 5 years later. There does seem to be a 5 year cap on how long the weight stays off at least from the people around that have done it.
ReplyDeleteThis thread is a brilliant example of why I love CDaN.
ReplyDelete1) I am Australian and don't hate Americans. Love them and America and am going back next year.
ReplyDelete2) Fatism is no different than sexism or racism, applying a narrow standard to an entire group of people is as ism. Be like Ferris Bueller, don't be an ism!
3) Yes, some overweight people do absolutely the wrong thing and eat crap and do no exercise.
4) I am overweight, have been my whole life. I gained weight on Weight Watchers. I lost no weight walking the Inca Trail - 4 days of stairs over the Andes mountains at high altitude, look it up. The thin/slim people that did the trail, including my husband, all lost weight. I have severe endometriosis, I put in an Implanon Contraceptive Implant. I had lost a bit of weight and was worried about the weight gain associated with it. I was told no more than a 10% weight gain - I gained 20% of my body weight and have not been able to shift it (even on the Inca Trail, see above). I had a hysterectomy in November last year, and I have put on weight, even though I got back to the gym 3 weeks post op. I wake up at 5:20am to go to the gym before work (if I wake before the alarm I go earlier),I have a set of stairs I go up and down each day at work - I work 5 days a week, I have a personal trainer I see twice a month, I do line dancing for 2 hours once a week. When I get home from work I clean for about an hour (I can't stand cleaning the house all at once, do it in bits). There are no chips, lollies (except for an unopened pack of jelly beans for our diabetic friend in case she needs them), chocolate, ice cream etc in our house. I don't eat donuts. Everyone is different. Some of us are predispositioned to be big, not all.
5) The emphasis on weight is bringing about some scary actions. I am watching a friend in the midst of an eating disorder right now. She is smaller than she was in High School. She is starving herself. She is skinny now but wants to keep going. Let's be kinder to each other. Nasty comments make emotional eaters eat, kindnesses give them the strength to keep going and say no to unhealthy options.
6) I have heard that Lap Band surgery only lasts around 5 years. Would be interested if anyone had any stats.
Thanks for reading.
I know a guy who lost 60 pounds in less then a year by not eating carbs (of any kind)after 2PM. I had actually forgotten he was much heavier he had to bring in his wedding pictures to remind me.
ReplyDeleteHe said the only times he would "cheat" on his diet were special days like birthdays, weddings, etc... 60 pounds in less then a year. I wish I had his will power!
@mymamaschild - I wanted to post to let you know I am with you. I think there is a lot of self control involved. Yes, there are lots of reasons for obesity - lack of self control, poor diet, poor education , emotional issues - but when it comes down to it, these all involve just doing your best to exercise will power and control what goes in your body.
ReplyDeleteAnd to an above poster, I would say the same thing to an alcoholic and have. My mom is an alcoholic, and she can cry addiction all she wants but after a dozen attempts at rehab, I don't fucking buy it. Alcoholism completely runs in my family. In fact, I have felt an urge to drink myself on more than one occasion. When that happens, I know NOT to let myself drink. Again, self control. I have lost weight through controlling my diet and exercising will power to not eat that donut a coworker brought in.
Sorry, this post and the comments just got me riled up.
@feraltart- I agree there is a lot of discrimination against overweight people, but it can't be compared to sexism, racism, etc. People can't change their sex (maybe now surgically) or they're race, but they can change their eating habits, address medical issues that might be causing the weight gain, they can up their activity level.
ReplyDeleteThere are several people here who have done really well on by modifying their diet, increasing activity, etc.
Please don't be fooled by celebrities who go on tv and brag about how one should love themselves and just accept being obese. I happen to know an actress from a very popular tv show ( since cancelled) who wrote a book on loving herself as an overweight person. A few years after publishing her book she underwent a gastric bypass/ lap band procedure. She had many medical problems associated with obesity. Did she keep the weight off? No, she had other procedures to address the weight gain post bypass.
I think either extreme, whether it be obesity or starving
oneself to be skinny is extremely unhealthy.
By the way, there is discrimination against thin people as well. You're told you will gain weight once you have a baby, once you stop competing in high school aerobic sports, once you start college, then it's once you hit your 30s, then it's once you hit menopause, etc.
I really do think it's hard to keep and maintain your weight. I just wanted to add support and say that it can be done, but if you severely restrict yourself it's going to be a hell of a lot harder.
Celebrities like Jessica Simpson don't help either. She is trying to use her pregnancy (remember this was a BI) to gain a lot of weight, which she will will then on weight watchers. That's crazy, because there is clear scientific evidence that our bodies adjust to the weight gain in such a way that it makes it very hard to lose the weight.
To answer Entys question, yes because our bodies want that weight back. Its a holdout from 100s of years ago when fat kept us alive during the lean times.
ReplyDeleteMyMamasChild, it's very daring of you to openly broadcast your ignorance like that. Yes, we make fun of celebrities, but I think a lot of us wouldn't say things like that in real life, and if we stopped to think about it, would agree that the things we say are not right. CDAN is fun, but I don't think anyone could justify the ethics of 95% of what we say here.
ReplyDeleteLady_Whitehall, have you considered Al-Anon? That's a lot of rage you've got going on there.
Surgery is like any other weight-loss method - unless you have the complete lifestyle change, you will gain all the weigh back eventually. The people I know who have had the surgery have just adjusted their eating habits so they eat tinier amounts, but eat all day long, and they are gaining the weight back. Add in the risks and frequent complications of the surgery, and it's usually a really bad idea.
@ Texshan - I'm sorry I did not mean to offend. Perhaps, I should have said, "emotional issues," rather than mental, because that is truly what I mean. I'm no expert by any means, but it seems to me when you learn about somebody who is majorly overweight - like 100s of pounds - there's usually a deeper issue going on. That is all I meant.
ReplyDeleteDamn. 120 comments for Carnie Wilson, eh?
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of lap band surgery BUT I know it's the only option for some. I know 2 people who have it. One was very successful initially, but recently had complications as a result of it and had it removed. The other person lost weight, but they continue to eat pretty poorly, not exercise, so while they haven't gained much back, they haven't really lost anymore either.
Just like others have said, it's definitely NOT a quick fix and you HAVE to also alter your lifestyle, just as anyone who wishes to lose or maintain weight.
Congrats to all who've had weight loss! It's very inspiring!
@This is my life -
I LOVE My Fitness Pal! I was on WW from Dec-Feb, but when I realized MFP basically tracked the same stuff + more, I switched. Their tools are MUCH better than WW and it's free!
Brenda and Fiji, thank you for the good wishes. I appreciate it. You'd think that I was a big boozehound with all of these liver problems, but nope, just unlucky, I guess!
ReplyDelete