All it takes to gain a pound of fat in a year...

[Yollam]

It only takes 12 calories a day in excess of your body's caloric needs to gain a pound every year. That's ONE LOUSY LIFE-SAVER CANDY. So in order to gain 10 lbs a year, and put yourself on the road to obesity, on need only consume 120 calories in excess of their needs every day. That's a can of Coke.

So when you see overweight and obese people, please don't buy into this assumption that they are all gorging down enormous amounts of food at every sitting. Some of them may be, but it doesn't take much to find yourself sliding on the slope to obesity. It sucks to have a poor sense of how hungry you are or what your body needs.

It's best to be understanding of that and not make judgments that any overweight person must be a glutton.

By the way, I've been on my regimen for 2 months now and lost 40 lbs. - 60 lbs. to go. If I didn't count calories, I would have no idea how much to eat. Some of us just don't have sensor that tells us we are full, until we are stuffed and have already overeaten.

[2bfree]

1. That's great!

What are you doing?

[Yollam]

3. 1500 cal/day with 30 min. daily brisk walk, 5 min. light calisthenics

Most foods are allowed, with the exception of cakes, cookies, chips, etc. For now I'm not touching them, but I may allow myself to have them on a limited basis when I'm at a healthy weight. For me it was all about getting my eating under control, because before I was eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted with no thought whatsoever, eating a lot of comfort food, and I just don't have a lot of time for a lot of exercise anymore.

Yesterday I had a (turkey) chili dog for lunch, but with a salad instead of chips or fries. I'm definitely eating a lot more tofu & other healthy foods, but I don't feel deprived, since I can have a burger now and then, as long as it's a small -no mayo- no cheese. Fries are a big no-no, though. They really are pure garbage.

I was losing a lot faster the first few weeks - it's slowed down to about 2 lbs a week now, but I expected that, and that's okay.

I feel a lot better - no foot pain or acid reflux, etc. And plenty of energy, so I don't think I'm starving myself. Also, I can have carrots, celery, etc. as much as I want - don't have to count them.

[Yollam]

4. Oh, and carrots for snacks.

I can eat as many of the carrots as I like and don't count them...

[realisticphish]

2. my problem

is an inability to leave food uneaten. Not out of greed, but out of an unwillingness to waste it. That's why I like to eat at buffets; i can eat only what I need, and don't have to worry about guilt

[bleedingheart]

5. I was raised to feel guilty if food was wasted...that is a habit

that is very hard to break!

[DS1]

6. Either way you go, it's wasted

whether it's in the trash or storing up as fat

[Yollam]

9. Great point.

Like some starving kid in Africa's going to feel better that you decided to put those last few morsels on your ass instead of in the trash.

With my kids it's never "clean your plate", but I do insist that they make a significant dent in it. Problem is that kids are so easily distracted and are ready to play after just a few bites.

But our parents' generation mad a bit of a mistake with the whole "clean your plate" - I just want them to eat until they are satisfied, not until the impulse to go play again hits them. :)

[auntAgonist]

7. Good post! Have you tried

the WeightLoss/Maintenance Group here on DU yet? You could enjoy the support of others and give helpful information. You might even want to repost this there.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=337



one oops though, you have to have a star to join groups I think :(

[I Have A Dream]

8. Also, poor people often don't have the money to buy ...

food that isn't calorie-dense. It's much cheaper to eat from the 99 cent menu at Wendy's (and similar chains) than to get fresh fruit and vegetables at the grocery store.

[Yollam]

11. I am poor, and while that is true, it is possible...

...to count calories and eat on the cheap. I buy the huge bags of salad at Smart and Final for only $1.99, I buy most everything when it's on sale and with a coupon.

A couple of weeks ago on a road trip, there was nothing around but McDonald's, so I got the double cheeseburger and side salad, both on the dollar menu, had the cheeseburger with just mustard, pickles and onions. Without the cheese and ketchup, a double cheeseburger is fairly satisfying and has only 320 calories. Don't put too much dressing on the salad and you've had a reasonably healthy meal (if a bit heavy on sodium)

I get my big bags of carrots for around $2.50 and they last more than a week. I can't afford organic stuff, but I have saved money since I started dieting. I no longer buy diet sodas, which I SWEAR make you fatter by making you crave more sweets,

But it does take a bit of attention, commitment and creativity, which is obviously not easy to do if you are struggling at a low wage job(s). Unfortunately we all have to make do with what we have. It would be nice if we all had a personal chef like Oprah to make perfectly balanced, delicious, nutritious lo-cal foods for us in just the right portion, but that ain't gonna happen.

For me the nachos, greasy burgers, etc. were comfort foods at a very stressful time. I'm trying to learn how to derive comfort or at least well-being in other ways, like by enjoying my 30 min. walks. San Francisco is a great city for walking. My dad in Texas rides an exercise bike in the house while watching TV. He seems to like it, but I mostly hate TV, so I'd rather be outside...

[KurtNYC]

14. Recent studies are confiming that diet soda DOES make you

crave sweet foods (ones with real sucrose or fructose). And yet another study seems to show that artificial sweetners can screw up your satiation sensitivity. eg. your body stops perceiving sweet food as having the amount of calories which they usually do.

Another misunderstood aspect of insulin-resistance/diabetes is that sugars in the bloodstream have a harder time getting into cells where they can be burned for fuel -- translation: people with these conditions feel hungry more often and usually crave sweets inspite of the fact that there is a damaging amount of sugars already in their bloodstreams.

edit to add link (how diet soda breaks your body's calorie counter):
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/17/artificial_sweeteners.htm

[LynzM]

15. I will attest to this...

When I drastically cut my intake of Aspartame-sweetned foods, my cravings for other sweets, especially chocolate, almost disappeared. Ice cream, chocolate, candy, cake... now I can take it or leave it, whatever...

[hfojvt]

10. that's kinda bizarre

considering the dozen years I spent trying to gain weight.

BTW this can of Mt. Dew I have here has 184 calories, although the label says 170. It also says 46 grams of sugar and sugar has 4 calories per gram so it should say 184. But caffeine being a mild form of speed, it should assist in weight loss.

Also, with obese people. Once they are obese, they do not have to gain weight in order to remain obese.

Also, for that sensor. I find that most other people eat so fast. Eating slower seems to allow more time to feel that you are full. So I have read.

[Yollam]

12. Interesting points, all.

There are definitely differences in metabolism between individuals, but the above stats should hold true. It's just that your maintenance calorie count is probably higher than mine, IE you can eat more and still not gain weight than me. Your maintenance calorie count also changes with your weight. I could keep my weight at a steady 275 by eating about 2600 cal. per day. To keep my weight at 175, I'd have to eat less than 2000 cal per day. But that would be different according to your individual metabolism and exercise level.

All I do is take a daily walk and an occasional bike ride. Other people do much more strenuous exercise, so they can eat more. But one must be cautious, because as you get older, your calorie requirements drop by about 100 cal. every decade, merely as a function of aging. And as we get older and settle into more demanding work routines, we may find our weight inching up when we can no longer devote as much time to exercise. That's when adjusting calorie intake is a good idea. It's not realistic to assume that everyone can go to the gym and bust their ass on a regular basis.

Also, with obese people. Once they are obese, they do not have to gain weight in order to remain obese.

This is true, but calorie reduction can help the vast majority of people (thyroid problems excepted) to lose weight. A big problem is discouragement, since we tend to not notice as we gain weight, we just notice one day that all our pants are tight and we've gained 20 pounds, even though we feel like we didn't eat that much. It's very discouraging, and a lot of people give up right there, and the weight continues to pile on. When reducing, it takes quite a while, which can also be discouraging. Then we hit plateaus, even more discouraging. It's important to remember that if you stick to your regimen, it will pay off.

For example, I had been losing about 4 lbs per week for the first 2 months I was dieting. It was great. But then last week, I barely lost 2 lbs. Since my calorie intake is staying the same, but I am approaching a weight where my calorie needs will be closer to what I'm actually eating, it's only natural that there will be a plateau. Impatient people would need to increase their exercise if they want to push through those plateaus. Personally, I'm not in a huge rush. I've lost enough that my clothes are loose and all the weight-related maladies are gone, and that's the biggest thing. For the sake of my health, I want to get down near my ideal weight and stay there, but I don't want to wear myself down to do it.

I just thought that stat about the 12 calories was staggering. No wonder so many people let their weight get away from them - it takes so little in excess calories to start packing on pounds.

[chookie]

13. Congratulations

That's an impressive weight loss! Good for you. I wish you all the best.