News: More Americans Obese than Overweight
- Thread starter Phoenyx
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txsqlchick
New member
That article is scary. What's frustrating to me is my BMI still puts me in the obese category even though I'm wearing a size 12/14! I'm hovering around 30.8-30.9, so I'm just barely obese....but still technically obese. Geeez!
Phoenyx
0
I know what you mean, especially since my BMI was at 35 before, and now its at 23... and 25 is considered overweight! Which I'm not now, not with my body fat at 20%.
I think the BMI is a good 'guide' but not something to be set in stone.
And this article is still a good eye opener regarding the horrible overall fitness level of this country.
I think the BMI is a good 'guide' but not something to be set in stone.
And this article is still a good eye opener regarding the horrible overall fitness level of this country.
txsqlchick
New member
A current size 12, 20 years ago was probably a size 18 or 20... so while BMI isn't the greatest judge - Neither is size
Wow. 460 lbs...that is tragic.
Yuppers. She can barely walk from her building to the subway, which is a mere two blocks away, without wheezing.
Lives in the city, no car, walks more than most I'd say, works daily...
Her consumption far outweighs her expenditure though.
that could very well have been me...
You're working with her on consumption I would guess? or at least raising her awareness?
usedtobefatmatt
New member
Steve,
can you give me a quick overview of what a plan with a person like this would be? Where do you start?
NOw that was three weeks ago, is she sticking with it? Any progress?
Matt
More awareness than anything else.
Exercise is out of the question at the moment. It's not that she can't.
She just won't.
So it's more a matter of being 'in her ear' via email than anything else.
It's tough b/c she's not a client, she's too far for me to see regularly or I would, and she's not very motivated.
It would be impossible for me to outlay a plan since in these cases, more than any other, it's extremely individual.
Some people in these shoes simply needs someone to answer to. Stay on them and they'll do the exercise and eat better.
On the exercise front it's all stuff done in very short intervals throughout the day. Stuff most would take for granted as being beyond easy.
On the nutrition front, it's elimination of crap in the house and getting a grip on unconscious eating triggers.
This is best case.
Usually it's much harder. More digging into the mind and determining what the real belief and value systems are and breaking addictions. Unfortunately people in these shoes usually are against seeing doctors of any kind so I'm usually it in terms of 'outside eyes.'
as a person having been in those shoes... and to some degree still am -- seeing a doctor becomes an exercise in absolute frustration... you're told to lose weight... great... I knew that... You're generally given an obscenely low calorie diet that is just not the least bit satisfying... a person doesnt get to be 400 lbs by eating tiny portions, it's very very difficult to cut back that much... and you're told to exercise... fabulous... I walked all the time, that was all I could do...
it's the really being aware of what you are eating and avoiding unconscious eating that's the answer .. (my house was devoid of anything anyone would consider crap... I think I have more crap in the house now than when I was at my heaviest weight)
Exactly.
I've heard some horror stories. Our medical community does not handle extreme obesity well at all.
Yup.
And identifying key factors on the physical and mental level that contribute to the unconscious behavior.
Are you saying at first you practiced abstinence and now you're at a different place mentally and can tolerate having that stuff in the house?
My head is a very scary place at times...
In Mal's world - I never had cake, chips, fried anything, in the house because... and this is stupid.. THAT WOULD MAKE ME FAT!!.. yo dumbass you are almost 400lbs... YOU ARE FAT!!! I had almost (but not quite) convinced myself that I had something metabolically wrong with me - that I was indeed special... that I hate healthy... but yet was still fat...
almost 3 years later... the big thing I learned it wasn't what I was eating.. but how much.. and I can have whatever I want - as long as I pay attention to portion sizes...
In Mal's world - I never had cake, chips, fried anything, in the house because... and this is stupid.. THAT WOULD MAKE ME FAT!!.. yo dumbass you are almost 400lbs... YOU ARE FAT!!! I had almost (but not quite) convinced myself that I had something metabolically wrong with me - that I was indeed special... that I hate healthy... but yet was still fat...
almost 3 years later... the big thing I learned it wasn't what I was eating.. but how much.. and I can have whatever I want - as long as I pay attention to portion sizes...
So simple and profound, right?
And it made quite a big (or heavy) difference.
People are unconsciously following misguided beliefs/perceptions on a daily basis. These go unnoticed until reality slaps them in the face. Said reality can come from a number of sources... or not at all for the unfortunate. But it never fails to amaze me some of the things that go unnoticed on the conscious level and how powerful an impact these things have when they're played out with consistency.
And it made quite a big (or heavy) difference.
People are unconsciously following misguided beliefs/perceptions on a daily basis. These go unnoticed until reality slaps them in the face. Said reality can come from a number of sources... or not at all for the unfortunate. But it never fails to amaze me some of the things that go unnoticed on the conscious level and how powerful an impact these things have when they're played out with consistency.
txsqlchick
New member
I haven't tried on a "modern" size 12 yet. The size 12s I'm wearing are my jeans from college, a pair of jeans I have not fit into in almost 15 years. The 14s I'm wearing were purchased recently, and there is probably an entire size between the two even taking the different cuts into account. I still have some 4s and 6s from when I was in high school; I graduated in 1993. I think a size 12 from 15-20 years ago is smaller than a size 12 today, but I don't agree that there's 6-8 sizes between them.
It must, otherwise she'd be losing weight instead of weighing 460 lbs. Even though I was morbidly obese myself only six months ago, I am straining to resist judging other people for it. The thing is, I've BEEN there. I KNOW how people get fat, because I did it to myself. So I guess I'm in a better position to judge than the size 2 soccer moms at the gym who have never been fat in their lives.
I really try to not judge anyone.
In this particular case, the hard facts are often quite obvious. They eat far too much food and lead very sedentary lifestyles. It's easy to point fingers and judge someone on this level.
It's also worthless.
It's the deeper, more complex levels of the situation that are the driving factors; the root of the issue if you will. Said factors are unique in most cases. People are emotionally attached to lifestyles that lead to obesity for a multitude of reasons and beliefs.
On this level, it's hard to judge because you haven't walked those shoes.
Society as a whole, unfortunately, including doctors and other supposed intelligent professionals, tend to be short-sighted and/or shallow. They like to reduce things to the obvious. In many cases, I like to do so too since I heavily value simplicity.
But in certain cases, especially ones pertaining to obesity, the simple/obvious factors are of little value. Sure, identifying the importance of energy balance can work wonders for some. It appears to have done good for Mal. In many other cases it takes more. And most of it has to come from within.
I'll also add that I feel empathetic for people in these shoes. But I think it's very important not to mix the act of empathizing with enabling. It seems in many cases the ones most close to the person can't delineate between the two. Because of the empathy, they enable.
And that can't be, or else you have a perpetual problem.
In this particular case, the hard facts are often quite obvious. They eat far too much food and lead very sedentary lifestyles. It's easy to point fingers and judge someone on this level.
It's also worthless.
It's the deeper, more complex levels of the situation that are the driving factors; the root of the issue if you will. Said factors are unique in most cases. People are emotionally attached to lifestyles that lead to obesity for a multitude of reasons and beliefs.
On this level, it's hard to judge because you haven't walked those shoes.
Society as a whole, unfortunately, including doctors and other supposed intelligent professionals, tend to be short-sighted and/or shallow. They like to reduce things to the obvious. In many cases, I like to do so too since I heavily value simplicity.
But in certain cases, especially ones pertaining to obesity, the simple/obvious factors are of little value. Sure, identifying the importance of energy balance can work wonders for some. It appears to have done good for Mal. In many other cases it takes more. And most of it has to come from within.
I'll also add that I feel empathetic for people in these shoes. But I think it's very important not to mix the act of empathizing with enabling. It seems in many cases the ones most close to the person can't delineate between the two. Because of the empathy, they enable.
And that can't be, or else you have a perpetual problem.
Oh believe me - if I hadn't been ready to do it - I'd probably be pushing 500lbs by now...
I've said it here before... when a person has a lot of weight to lose.. and by a lot im just grabbing a number out of the air - like 75 lbs.. though that's relative to what their goal weight should be... The more weight you have to lose the easier it is - but the more weight you have to lose, it's overwhelming to start because you have so much to lose that you feel like you'll never be "done"...
When I started my initial goal was 225lbs to lose... that's more than a lot of people weight... it can be daunting... there were so many times in my past that I gave up before I really gave it a chance... Somewhere over the past 3 years - I stopped looking at the "done" point and realized that I would never indeed be done... that it was a rest of my life thing (not lifestyle change, but a change that would take me the rest of my life and I'd always have to be aware fr the rest of my life)
I've said it here before... when a person has a lot of weight to lose.. and by a lot im just grabbing a number out of the air - like 75 lbs.. though that's relative to what their goal weight should be... The more weight you have to lose the easier it is - but the more weight you have to lose, it's overwhelming to start because you have so much to lose that you feel like you'll never be "done"...
When I started my initial goal was 225lbs to lose... that's more than a lot of people weight... it can be daunting... there were so many times in my past that I gave up before I really gave it a chance... Somewhere over the past 3 years - I stopped looking at the "done" point and realized that I would never indeed be done... that it was a rest of my life thing (not lifestyle change, but a change that would take me the rest of my life and I'd always have to be aware fr the rest of my life)
LowFatMilk
New member
You just described me and I almost cried
That's exactly how I feel, but I just keep trying to tell myself that tomorrow is going to come whether I eat well or not. Time is moving the exact same way it's going to whether I'm 260 lbs or 95 lbs. It's not going to take any longer to lose weight than it is going to take to stay fat.
But the less time I find on my hands, the less time I seem to feel bad about it and more capapble I've been feeling.
busy91
0
I read that article this morning. I'm not surprised.
The whole size things boggles my mind. I wear a size 16 at 179 and when I'm at 160 I can wear a size 12. However, when I wear a size 10, I look emaciated. But some people can wear a size 10 and look fab.
I've never been obese, just slightly overweight.
The whole size things boggles my mind. I wear a size 16 at 179 and when I'm at 160 I can wear a size 12. However, when I wear a size 10, I look emaciated. But some people can wear a size 10 and look fab.
I've never been obese, just slightly overweight.