Hello my name is.......and I am OBESE

[madwife2002]

When I googled the word obesity I was astonished to find that I had 156,002,803 results.

What is Obesity?

• Wikipedia describes it as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) describes obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in metres). A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight.

There's even a society for Obesity: Home - The Obesity Society

Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.

So my question is how does all this information help me?

• I love eating ... there's no question and I love eating foods which are 'bad' for me ... I can't help it - they are delicious.
• So why can't I stop eating?
• Why can't I change my lifestyle?
• How can I stop the delicious foods cravings?
• And, I know that 95% of diets fail ... 1 in 20 dieters will succeed.

We discussed this at work recently and decided that you can do without cigarettes and drugs; and, you can freely move around in society without ever coming into contact with them.

Unfortunately, you cannot avoid food. You have to eat - there are no two ways around it!

In all societies, we eat food for pleasure! We have restaurants, weddings, christenings, birthday parties, July 4th parties ... you name it we have a party and it all includes FOOD. Our mouths drool at the thought of all the delicious food we are going to eat.

If the food is bad then we complain and moan, for days, weeks and even years. We remember.

If the food is good we compliment that person, party, or restaurant, for days, weeks and years. We return to good restaurants for ever or as long as the food is good.

So how is it possible to lose weight and stay slim?

We read about success stories in magazines, newspapers and television.

We the OB's have to stay away from food because we can diet, and we do diet a lot, but we can't stop returning to the food which pleasures us!

I diet one year - lose 30lbs easily. I am almost starved to death whilst I am losing it. Then one day my resolve is broken ... just one candy, just one or two chips, a small bite of the cookie or the cake, an extra serving of potato and WHAM I am right back to square one! Then I feel comforted inside - Oh boy the food I am missing tastes soooooooooooooo ... it is not in my imagination it is real!!

I love the feeling of being slim I really do it is great but the problem is I love food more. The 30lb's I lost is now 50 lbs gain. How did it happen? I really don't know but who cares ... who really cares ... only ME.

Everywhere I go there is food! It's on the TV, there are cooking programs which make food look so yummy, movies and tv shows have everybody eating, at work people are eating, machines give us food, free samples in supermarkets ... you name it there it is!

I can change my lifestyle but I love my lifestyle. That's where the problem lies-it's not against the law to eat! You don't beat people up, murder or cause fights and arguments in the home, it doesn't make you abuse children or women. It is socially acceptable to eat, food is sold everywhere-you don't have to go down a back alley to deal food.

Honestly, it frightens me that I am killing myself with my weight problems-but I am happy and contented as long as nobody takes my photo.

I really don't know anybody who has weight problems and has kept off the weight! Every single person I know replaces the lost weight within a couple of years and puts more on.

This is the area we have to look at, not how to diet because I am sure every single person who is overweight knows how to diet! The problem is keeping it off. Yes! You have to change your lifestyle but I think the problem is we like our lifestyle-to change it means we can't go out every week to eat or to people's houses for meals, or go to the food parties because Temptation is why we return to our bad eating habits! If we were strong willed we would all be a size 6-10 I guarantee that.

So to all the diet companies out there...

We all know how to diet! We have been on a diet and most of us still exercise. We don't eat more, we just can't stop the weight from piling on. We need more than just salads, chicken, or fish no carbs, no cakes, no chips, choc, or candy. Give us something that is close to what we normally eat - allow certain treats. It's by no means the answer but it can help those who stray from their diets.

I want to stop this yo yo diet

Quote

The only diet that works is a change of life style. You might be able to loss weight and stay off in a few months. However, you will bounce back if you stop dieting. A recent research found women that are frequently on yo yo diet ( if they gain/lose more than 10 pound for 10 or more time in their adulthood) are 2.5 time more likely to get kidney cancer than those who have stable weight (even if they are overweight).

Yo Yo diet - How typical dieter failed to lose weight and became heavier in long term

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

Sorry but the bottom line is: if you eat too much and don't exercise you will get fat/put on some weight. It also depends on what culture you come from as to what someone considers 'fat'. I have had many friends who were a size AUS 16 who were gorgeous looking, fit & healthy, some of them mums, yet moaned about the tiny cellulite on their big thighs. And these were chunky but very healthy girls. Sometimes only one part of the body has a bit of fat on it, but the rest is fine. It is only society's money makers from the fashion & food industry who say anyone over a size AUS 10 is 'fat'. I read/heard somewhere the other day a size AUS 12 now is considered 'big'! Unbelievable.

As to what causes you to eat that is another story. I had a gf who was abused as a child (so she alleges - found out later she used to lie about many things), & she said that caused her overeating. She had a psychotic mother (according to her) and wasn't given good food as a child, never ate fruit & veggies. She went from about a size AUS 16 - 26 in about 5 years. Would not exercise even in the slightest way - hated exercise. Blamed everyone from God to the man in the moon to her genes because she was overweight & always had been. Never took the slightest bit of responsibility for her health/weight, moaned constantly about it, wouldn't educate herself, etc. I got sick of listening to her all the time to be honest. She became a very bitter person because of it all. And she was a RN/midwife! Now she has 3 kids and will probably pass her unhappiness/bad eating habits onto them.

And you are going to tell me this is from the way food/fat is processed or regulated in our bodies? Sorry I find that difficult to believe. I haven't got time now to read all your links - though I will later on, as I like to be informed of new theories.

When you stop blaming everyone/everything else for your weight, eat sensibly (with a few treats thrown in), and find an exercise you really like and become a bit happier, you will tone up and lose some weight. Problem is, we are all busy, suffer from stress, and do find it hard to get the time to exercise as shift workers, but in the end, you (as an individual I mean) are the only one making excuses re your weight/health - you are the only one holding yourself back. Nobody else is making you put on weight, though people have tried to sue McDonalds and other fast food chains and blame everyone else.

I'm not saying don't get help, because most people aren't very strong, but once you do stop blaming everyone/everything else, you do feel freer.

I mean I always put on weight in winter, but I don't worry anymore cos I'm sitting inside in front of the heater at night & not exercising as much. When summer comes I go out and do more and usually lose a bit of weight - it's a natural cycle.

Perhaps we are not all meant to be thin anyway. We all have different lifestyles/food likes/dislikes and body images, perhaps we just need to focus on toning up a bit and being happy. I find once you become happier, your eating is more regulated, you want to exercise and the weight comes off by itself.

[geekgolightly, BSN, RN]

You find it hard to believe because you don't have enough information.

I hope that you read Gary Taubes' book. It's enlightening.

[geekgolightly, BSN, RN]

I think also, because people don't understand the mechanism, when I say things like, weight gaina nd loss is regulated by hormones, they might assume that what I mean is ONE HAS NO CONTROL, JUST GO AHEAD AND BE FAT, but that assumption is wrong.

There are ways to encourage loss. Looking into eating without sugars and grains is a big one. I have done this (after reading GCBC) and have lost 25 pounds in six months, without counting calories or "dieting." I eat a huge amount of fat - approx 60-65%, all clean fats, coconut, animal, nuts, EVOO. I no longer have GERD (possibly undiagnosed Celiac, but definitely related to giving up grains), I no longer have OSA, nor do I even snore. And I feel so.much.better. I can't describe how much better.

The low fat high carb, standard American diet (and that includes the ADA recommendations, which are frightening) appears to be the culprit behind this jump in obesity in WW countries. Some peoples bodies regulate higher and so they appear - from the outside - to tolerate the SAD, whereas others are susecptible to insulin resistance and leptin resistance and enter a positive feedback loop which eventually destroys appetite regulation.

I found a succinct 11 point conclusion from Taubes' book that might encourage people to read it. You *really* need to read the book though.

The 11 Critical Conclusions of Good Calories, Bad Calories:

1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, does not cause heart disease.

2. Carbohydrates do, because of their effect on the hormone insulin. The more easily-digestible and refined the carbohydrates and the more fructose they contain, the greater the effect on our health, weight, and well-being.

3. Sugars--sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup specifically--are particularly harmful. The glucose in these sugars raises insulin levels; the fructose they contain overloads the liver.

4. Refined carbohydrates, starches, and sugars are also the most likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, and the other common chronic diseases of modern times.

5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating and not sedentary behavior.

6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter any more than it causes a child to grow taller.

7. Exercise does not make us lose excess fat; it makes us hungry.

8. We get fat because of an imbalance--a disequilibrium--in the hormonal regulation of fat tissue and fat metabolism. More fat is stored in the fat tissue than is mobilized and used for fuel. We become leaner when the hormonal regulation of the fat tissue reverses this imbalance.

9. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels are elevated, we stockpile calories as fat. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from our fat tissue and burn it for fuel.

10. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. By driving fat accumulation, carbohydrates also increase hunger and decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism and physical activity.

11. The fewer carbohydrates we eat, the leaner we will be.

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

You have sparked my interest! I will go to the library tomorrow and see if I can get this book.

I started reading Dr Oz' book (co-authored with another Dr) but haven't had time to finish that one yet, You On a Diet I think it is, that is supposed to be good as well.

But I was saying we still will all have different shapes and sizes. I know people who have eaten good their whole life, never smoked, always exercised, etc, etc and are still a bit chunky due to their genes - one girl I knew had a lovely waist and lower legs, but her upper thighs were just huge. She told me it used to depress her so much. She had always been like this since puberty, her mother and g/mother the same. I have big breasts and big shoulders from my Dad, and have always had to wear size 16-18 jackets, even when I exercised like mad and ate very well. It is all about being fit and healthy and accepting our body size, not what everyone else thinks we should be.

I was working in psych not long ago and there were so many women of all ages who came in with body dysmorphic syndrome, anorexia, etc. Some were very successful business women but had succumbed to all this false advertising crap. They had everything but the perfect body and they were unhappy about it. It is all so destructive and awful to see it manifest itself into diseases that kill people and rob them of their self esteem.

Seems like we can't be who we are; we are always told we need to look like somebody else!

[vegas2009]

Geez.... I lost a few pounds this summer, mainly because of sweating. I live in Vegas, so, just being outside makes me sweat (seriously). I just saw my butt the other day... and Lo and Behold, I LOST a bit of fat of whatever I had back there!

So, now... I'm a little more flat than usual. I guess, one can say there is a downside to losing weight?

[Maria Lenore,RN]

Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. The weight may come from muscle, bone, fat and/or body water ...

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

Do you think when you look at someone who is a normal weight up on top, but huge down the bottom (or vice versa) that they are obese? The definitions of obese etc do not take into account bone structure, family gene history and this BMI index is just a load of rubbish. There is talk in some circles that they will not be using BMIs in future - it has been known for at least decades now that some people weigh a lot, but don't look fat. I know professional weight trainers who do not and will not use BMI - they look at the whole person and their goals for getting fit and their family history, ie: you may have a family history of diabetes which can affect metabolism.

What annoys me greatly about advertising or people judging others size, is that we are all supposed to get our bodies into 'some sort of proportion' (said by someone on the biggest loser or some such show). It has been said for a long time now that body fat can't be lost from one particular place on the body; you will lose it from the parts of your body you can't control. I get so discouraged when I hear these fanatical exercise trainers saying we - always women it seems - MUST lose weight off that jiggly bottom or our breasts are too big, or our abdomens too flabby. It's like they expect us to just go and exercise like mad and get every part of our body down to one size! I for one think it is nice to see curvy women - especially curvy teenagers - enjoying themselves and their size, living healthy lifestyles and not worrying too much re size.

People have NEVER all been one size, especially women who's breasts can change size with pregnancy, menstrual cycles and age. I don't know anyone who has been 'one size' all over. Is this what our society wants us to attain? So we all look good on the eye and don't have the awful jiggly fat on the bum or abdomen we hate so much? BTW I have also known girls who accepted their jiggly bums and breasts, and dress nice, etc - they don't hide themselves - and guys love them, as they are not self conscious anymore. They just lead healthier lifestyles but accepted their so-called flaws.

What do YOU call too big on your body? Who is to say my breasts are bigger than someone who is say a size AUS 10? I have never been a size 10 and never will be. I was born a big baby with big bones - and I'm not talking about fat but bone size. I will never be small. My breasts are in proportion to my body - I have always had big breasts even when I was just hitting puberty. I used to hunch over because I was so embarrased about them, and this was because of negative advertising and lewd comments by guys.

I hope people who are mothers, aunties (like me) don't use words such as 'body flaws' to their daughters/nieces etc, or talk about 'getting into proportion'. I just think it is so sad to put all this pressure on women that we are not in proportion - in proportion to WHAT? And compared to who? It is only negative advertising and fanatical so-called weight loss companies who want all your money who put these fears in us. They don't care about you as an individual - they just want your hard earned cash.

It would be good if we could still promote fitness and healthy food choices and lifestyles, whilst celebrating our individuality. I for one think the old actors like Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable with their fabulous curves not only looked great but also looked extremely feminine as well.

Anyone would think these weight-loss gurus think we can wave a magic wand and change our bodies overnight the way they carry on!

[fludddwrn]

I am also considered obese and I love to eat. But I have learned over the years that there is no such thing as dieting. I would like to be a perfect 6 but I am not. I have learned to love myself as I am but to live healthy. I have learned to exercise and eat correctly. Most women should only consume 1600-1800 calories per day and they should exercise 40 minutes at least 6 days a week. The exercise can be walking, jogging or what ever exercise you enjoy. Weight lifting also helps. This does not mean that you have to use very heavy weight. You can use small weight 3,5,8, 10 pounds with good results. Then there is resistance training which you can do while sitting. We should never give up on being healthy. There are many days that I consume too many calories. I just do not do it everyday. We need to learn to love ourselves as we are but strive to be healthy and happy.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

I've done the weight yo-yo since I hit puberty. As a child, I was bone thin. My mother and sister had weight problems their entire lives. My mom, raised on the 'eat everything on your plate' philosophy, crammed the same thing into our heads from birth.. fill 'em up so they aren't hungry was the belief at the time. And she especially encouraged me to eat since I never seemed to keep an ounce on. I believe this is the first of my problems. I was raised to eat until I was bloated full. This habit was fine until puberty struck, and coincidentally, my thyroid also started misfiring at the same time (or maybe not such a coincidence) and I was diagnosed hypothyroid at 14. I gained 30 lbs in a matter of a couple months. A very difficult thing for a teen. I dropped the weight soon after, only to gain that and more within a year. I held on to that weight until I was 19 in which I hit the Susan Powder diet and lost 60lbs in about 3 months. I kept that weight off by eating ultra low fat for over 5 years. Then I got married. I steadily gained weight over the course of a few years. I then jumped back on the wagon and lost most of the weight again right after I quit smoking (exercise was much easier at that point).

Then, I got pregnant. I gained 60lbs in the last 4 months of pregnancy. It was insane. I was just started to take off a little when I was surprised with baby #2 a year after my first was born. Gained another 60 lbs with that one. After him I lost 60 lbs only to gain it all back shortly after, then lost 40, gained it back, 20 lost, gained back. It's a never ending cycle. My 'all or nothing' approach works like a charm when I'm on the wagon. The problem I have is it takes one little mess up and I'm off and I can't seem to jump back on.

I'm not a sweets eater. I occasionally will have some chocolate or sweet tarts or something but I'm not a desert eater by nature. I actually love healthy foods. (love the fat laden comfort foods as well) My problem stems (I believe) from a childhood of conditioning that you can't be satisfied until you've eaten so much that you're full. Portion control, that is where my issues are. Even if the food is low fat and healthy, I feel almost an uncontrollable compulsion to eating until I am full.. which is a LOT and has been since I was a skinny child.

Making things more difficult is the fact that my thyroid hasn't been under control since my second pregnancy. At one point, my TSH levels were in the 90s. It took months to bring it down to the 60s, more months to get it under 10 and it's still above what it should be, we're still slowing adjusting the meds.. hopefully someday it will be where it should be and hopefully that will help.

Weight problems are more than food. For many, physical issues also contribute. For me, food is number 1, but I do believe my thyroid plays a role in the sheer amount of weight I'm able to gain and maintain.

[nursemillie]

Calories consumed must equal calories spent to maintain.

Pre-plan meals to keep you from binging.

Decrease 500 calories daily to lose 1 pd. a week. 3500 calories=1pd.

Simple. Hard to do, but simple if you plan ahead, buy healthy foods, and exercise. I lost around 40pds and have kept it off for about 3 years.I almost never exercise but I feel better when I do exercise. I do fluctuate 5 pounds either way and need to lose more. As long as i keep a food diary to keep me in check I can do it.

[DMspecialist]

Its the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. I come from a family of foodies and fatties but like the Dr said "genetics don't prepare your meals"

Well said

[Hithere]

Get the word "diet" out of your vocabulary! If you want better nutritional habits, start slowly. Perhaps make it a goal to eat a nourishing meal once a day, and eat nutritional deprived the other 2 meals. :) I used to love high calorie and sugary foods, but anymore I can't stand the taste--I crave fruits and veggies and can almost feel my cells plump up after eating them--such a good feeling--but it does take a bit for your body to adjust. Just make a few simple swaps, 2% milk for whole milk, wheat flour instead of white, a piece of fruit instead of chips, etc. You don't have to go all or nothing here--heck, I still eat a piece of cake every now and again and I really enjoy it--but it's a once in awhile thing. Good luck to you--and I promise you relly will start feeling better if you focus on nourishing your body with foods that love you, instead of depleting your body with foods you (for right now) love. :)