BMI doesn’t work for everyone though. At his prime Arnold Schwarzenegger would have been considered obese due to his muscle mass. I’m female 5’4’’ and weigh 158 pounds, but 120 of that is muscle. BMI is useless to me.
Suzanne: I never use catalogs. I'd rather go in the store and see all the salespeople groveling and sucking up to you.
Julia: Pardon me, I never knew they were so solicitous at the K-Mart.
I'm a little late with the whole testimonial bit, but I'll do it anyways.
Obesity is NEVER healthy. You can be overweight and healthy, but not obese and healthy. If you're young, you probably won't have the conditions that doctors speak of i.e. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. However, when you get older it is almost a certainty that you will get it.
My family is/was all on the large side, partly because of genetics (larger frame, bone structure, whatever you want to call it,) but mainly because of stagnancy and not eating a proper diet. For a long time we used the excuse of genetics, but finally came out of denial and realized the wide known truth that eating a healthy diet and exercise will do wonders for you. After a year everyone in the family is healthier, more energetic, and happier.
I can understand obesity, I grew up with it. I understand most of the reasons why people are obese and why they feel they can't get healthy. A lot of those have been addressed, especially the fear of going to the gym. People don't seem to understand that they don't have to go to the gym. If you are fairly overweight, just eating right will take off at least some weight, after that..short walks around the neighborhood. It really isn't trying if you commit.
This is definitely a subject that people need to be educated on. Children especially. When I go outside for a run, I rarely see children riding their bikes, walking, even playing outside. Most of them are inside playing PS2 or are on the internet. Fortunately restaurants and schools (at least in my area) are really trying to teach children to make healthy and informed decisions.
i wish schiol and resturaunts around here would try to teach kids that... the cafeteria at my old school served up pizza dripping in grease, fried chicken, fried cheese sticks, fried onion rings... you get the picture.
and as for resturaunts, recently (about a year ago) they opened up a new plaza with a taco bell, long john silvers, popeyes chicken, wendys, a pizza place, a buffet, a chinese resturaunt and a few other resturaunts that i can't remember. the only healthy place to eat there is the subway that's inside the walmart, next tp the popcorn and hotdogs.
Less is more Ugly is beautiful "My brother plays a drag queen... and I'm surprised he looks as good as he does in drag." - Adam Rapp
"thanks, abba. now i'll forever have an image of you as a tattoed hardcore straightedge grrl savaging people in the mosh pit." - papalovesmambo
"Yeah Abba. All the filthy crap you spew out there on those boards. I for one, am equally shocked. :-P" - AnnaK
I also don't buy the excuse about the gym. I hate the gym - I found a place I like better (a supportive dance studio) but for a good long time I used workout videos. Work out in the privacy of your home if the gym is an uncomfortable or inconvenient place.
Or, take walks around the neighborhood as has been suggested, go to a park, mall-walk, all those things can be done with a friend if that helps motivate you.
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
I can imagine that heavy folks are mocked in the gym, though no more there than in a restaurant, grocery store, or subway car. Working out IS hard--but losing weight is HARD...gaining it is easy.
There's another factor not being fully addressed here and that's whole foods--not the store, the concept. When I began to cut the high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, I found the ony things LEFT to eat were in the produce, meat and dairy sections. REAL FOOD. Not out of a box or bag...People used to eat that way all the time.
And lastly, losing weight or working out does WONDERS for your self-esteem, especially if one is in the business of show. When i was working out and had a half-way decent body, I'd get called back for stuff I had NO reason to be called back for--all because I looked good in a tank top.
About whole food as a concept - it's definitely pricier than transfats and high fructose corn syrup. It's pricier than the processed stuff. That's a real deterrent for many people. Sometimes we can't afford the "good" stuff.
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
That is true. Eating healthily can be expensive if one doesn't know what to really look for. I try to make sure I don't eat anything with trans fat, but otherwise I don't get too miffed if the food contains a low amount of saturated fat. Part of losing weight is enjoying the food you eat. If people simply stick to fruits and vegetables they will probably snap and binge all their hard work away.
People also need to realize what a portion really is.
"Part of losing weight is enjoying the food you eat. If people simply stick to fruits and vegetables they will probably snap and binge all their hard work away."
Absolutely. And for those who can afford it, it's gotten so much easier in recent years to find healthy foods that are also tasty. I can find snacks and desserts that are organic that are as delicious and fun as the crap I used to eat.
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
Well, I try to combat that with alot of fruits and veggies--and I buy from the street vendors--you can get a week's worth of fruit and veggies for about $10...I've never made more than about $21,000 a year and I make it a priority in my budget---that's another problem--the cheap junk food is CHEAP! If you can feed yourself for $3 in 3 minutes at Wendy's--why bother making your own lunch?
I don't buy ALL organic--but when it's just a few cents more, I do. The more I buy, the more the supply, which is the only way I can think of to lower the prices on those types of foods.
You just have to decide where your money is best spent.
I think portions and amount of food we eat is what it's all about.
There is no question that healthy foods are better for us. But I think the main problem for me, and I'm going as far as to say for many other people, is just that we eat too much. Period.
If you overeat, you will be overweight. I know it's simplifying things, but it's a motto that I believe in.
It really is that simple--if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
Portion size is also an issue, as is WHEN you eat. While eating a Happy Meal every day is certainly wise in the portion sense of eating, it's not nutrition that your body needs.
i'm allergic to corn so i have no choice but ot cut corn syrup out of my diet. over the years we have found that some of these foods can be found very cheep if you know where to look, and we found most of these places through other people who also did no eat corn syrup for whatever reason. if you want to start eating healthy, and you dont know how to go about it, i would suggest joining an online group for people with similar concerns. most of the foods i've found that work for me i found beacuse of people on a yahoo group. if you use their search engine (groups.yahoo.com) there's a group on there for just about anything. the people there are all tehre for the same reason and can be very helpful and supportive.
Less is more Ugly is beautiful "My brother plays a drag queen... and I'm surprised he looks as good as he does in drag." - Adam Rapp
"thanks, abba. now i'll forever have an image of you as a tattoed hardcore straightedge grrl savaging people in the mosh pit." - papalovesmambo
"Yeah Abba. All the filthy crap you spew out there on those boards. I for one, am equally shocked. :-P" - AnnaK
Abba, what's really scary is the variety of foods that are loaded with corn syrup--even "healthy" stuff like yogurt and whole wheat bread...you just have to read labels.
i know... and with a corn allergy you also have to look out for food startch (could be from corn, could be from potato but if it doesn't say which, i can't eat it) sorbitol, malitol, dextrose, matlodextrin, and all kinds of other names for corn. we have a list taped to the refridgerator of all the things to look for. it goes by so many names.
Maybe, Rath. I saw a nutrionist a few years ago for a year, on a weekly basis. I learned a lot, and lost weight, ate a lot of healthier foods than before, but I still think my personal problem is quanitity!
BTW-this sounds wacky, but it's true-I'm allergic to almost everything that's healthy. Raw fruits and vegetables, many nuts and seeds, lots of herbs and seasonings.
It's sad but what agrees with me most are the carbs! I can lose on a high carb diet if I watch quantity. Right now I'm doing pretty well-not great yet, but I did get rid of some of the bloat. Baby steps!
