"Health is a cultural construction, not a “fact” that can be defined in terms of science"

[Milkster]

You're thinking of Catabolism.

[Brill Weave]

I hate bikes

And no joke, baby being asleep = I clean up the tornado she did while she was awake. There's so many things to do once she's in bed that isn't exercising. As well as wanting to relax after she's down.

I am not trying to make excuses just showing the reality of the situation. And it brings back to my point that:

Come on. You're just trying to convince yourself that there isn't enough time. I'm not talking riding a bike for three hours. Even if you ride it for 45 minutes a day and maintain a 15mph average speed you WILL notice differences. If you find yourself with no time to workout it's due to your poor time allocation. If you're really serious about getting in shape you will make time wherever you can. I'm not being mean but all I'm hearing from you is why you can't do anything to make yourself more healthy.

[Brill Weave]

You're thinking of Catabolism.

That's a negative.

[Xajii]

Ksan I feel you but I have to agree you sound like you're rationalizing more than anything. I often used the "need to rest after overtime hours all the time at work" but at the end of the day when I got off my ass for 30min I realzed it was no different in my life to do that after work.

Also really people can lose weight without exercising at all especially if they're of our size.. diet and portion control is more important. Exercise is crucial but even if it isn't an option you're not doomed to be fat. See: people in wheelchairs that aren't fat

[Ksandra]

If you're really serious about getting in shape

I'm not, and probably never will be for a long term. I usually last no longer than a month because I get pretty pissed that I am completely exhausted and ate shit-tasting food and lost like a pound by the end of it.

[Tyrath]

Also not sure how old your baby is so just throwing out suggestions. Is there any chance you can go on walks and just take the baby with you? Even something as simple as walking will help.

[Ksandra]

Also not sure how old your baby is so just throwing out suggestions. Is there any chance you can go on walks and just take the baby with you? Even something as simple as walking will help.

I do.

Keep in mind I do not gain weight anymore, I have balanced it out so I maintain, but I don't think there is much more I'll be willing to do long term. I don't drink sodas, I don't drive to the grocery story (that's the walks with baby to store and back). Park far away when I drive somewhere.

All the "little things you can do to lose weight" I basically already do.

[Xajii]

I'm not, and probably never will be for a long term. I usually last no longer than a month because I get pretty pissed that I am completely exhausted and ate shit-tasting food and lost like a pound by the end of it.

So... what do you have to offer to this discussion, then? Your whole "what works for you won't work for everyone" argument is completely useless if you freely admit you're not serious about trying anything

[Ksandra]

So... what do you have to offer to this discussion, then? Your whole "what works for you won't work for everyone" argument is completely useless if you freely admit you're not serious about trying anything

my post was in response to someone going off about body shaming. Basically people demanding what someone needs to do when that someone never asked in the first place.


[edit] also I guess it's me trying to say that often people want to address the how to lose weight, rather than the how to maintain willpower. Which is my issue.

[Milkster]

That's a negative.

Welp, that's what catabolism is. What you described, in your post.

[Xajii]

my post was in response to someone going off about body shaming. Basically people demanding what someone needs to do when that someone never asked in the first place.


[edit] also I guess it's me trying to say that often people want to address the how to lose weight, rather than the how to maintain willpower. Which is my issue.

I see. I agree that people should mind their own fucking business.

Interestingly, I've been struggling with alcohol lately, and a lot of what I read from you, TacoTaru, and others reminds me of the things I've been reading and hearing from alcoholics. In some cases the lack of willpower shouldn't be looked at as simply a failure to be a strong enough person. That being said, if you ever do want to get serious, it's good you realized that the personal trainer helped you the most. And same with TacoTaru, who said having a gym partner helped him the most

[quannum]

if you're a fattie the focus should be on what you eat, you can skip working out all together until you get your nutrition right. Eating more green leafy veggies even combats big bones and genetic set points and whatever other excuse you've been giving yourself. And stop eating so much stuff that is sugar or turns into blood sugar.

[Ksandra]

I see. I agree that people should mind their own fucking business.

Interestingly, I've been struggling with alcohol lately, and a lot of what I read from you, TacoTaru, and others reminds me of the things I've been reading and hearing from alcoholics. In some cases the lack of willpower shouldn't be looked at as simply a failure to be a strong enough person. That being said, if you ever do want to get serious, it's good you realized that the personal trainer helped you the most. And same with TacoTaru, who said having a gym partner helped him the most

I honestly wouldn't say no to having a personal trainer for the rest of my life, but it's wayyyyy too expensive. Only reason I had one in the first place was the gym I was going to had a deal for 6 weeks. It's the only thing I found that kept the will power up. I have no idea how else to do it, and have never gotten advice that ended up working.

[Milkster]

if you're a fattie the focus should be on what you eat, you can skip working out all together until you get your nutrition right. Eating more green leafy veggies even combats big bones and genetic set points and whatever other excuse you've been giving yourself. And stop eating so much stuff that is sugar or turns into blood sugar.

You need to check your thin privilege.

[Brill Weave]

Welp, that's what catabolism is. What you described, in your post.

And it's also what's used to describe the starvation response in humans.

[Ksandra]

shut the fuck up olo zealot!

[Dimmauk]

My wife is down to 123. This is after having a baby 18 months ago. She eats super healthy (beer is only thing she has that isn't healthy), and she never exercises. If you don't have time to workout, then at least eat better.

[TacoTaru]

3. Get over how you look. Stop feeling sorry for yourself when you go to the gym. People at the gym don't give a shit you're there. They see you're trying to get yourself in shape. THERE IS NOTHING TO BE EMBARRASSED ABOUT. When I go to the gym now I make it a point to talk to the fatties and encourage them even if it's just a hey keep up the good work.

Seriously though. You people need to get over your image issues. Every time I see a fatty trying to get in shape I think to myself go get it dude/girl.

This motivational post has been brought to you by the number 3.

I don't want to an asshole, but I hope you realize how ridiculous it is to generalize like this that "getting over it" is all that needs to be done. If I could just "get over" my anxiety and depression that are most of the reason I can't get out of the slump I'm in, I would have done it a long time ago. Some days it's hard for me to get motivated to get out of bed, some weekends I simply can't and then I sleep for 14 hours. Trust me, I wish "getting over it" was as easy as you make it sound, because I would have done it a long time ago, but for some people there's a hell of a lot more required than just going "oh that guy on the internet told me that's what I had to do so I guess that's what I have to do."

[Manako]

My weight tends to fluctuate seasonally about 15 lbs, I had been a size 8 for years and then got down to a size 6 for my wedding, now I'm getting close to sizing up again. Its at the point where I'm not sure if I should bother focusing on losing weight, or should just stick with maintaining. Certainly I look better a bit lighter, but I'm not sure there is a lot of value working so hard for 15 lbs considering the amount of work stress I have. I eat well, my main caloric issue lately has been alcohol.

Hopefully the spring/summer will help keep my weight down as I'm more active and eat lighter fare. I've tried the gym, and I can't handle it: going alone, making time for it, being uncomfortable with the unfamiliar equipment. So far I think my best workout was when I was doing bellydance class, lost weight and was actually getting toned and didn't feel like a chore. Again the problem becomes when I work crazy hours and an unable to commit a time to work out.

What bothers me in this HAES and similar ideals is that it promotes people thinking that not only is their lifestyle fine just the way it is, but other people are wrong for wanting something else. I want to be a happy medium, I don't need to be smaller than 130 lbs, but I also don't want to have problems walking up stairs. Either you have to want to be in super shape and think you need to lose or you need to feel like "everyone is beautiful" -- I don't think either approach is correct.

[Marootsoobutsu]

I do.

Keep in mind I do not gain weight anymore, I have balanced it out so I maintain, but I don't think there is much more I'll be willing to do long term. I don't drink sodas, I don't drive to the grocery story (that's the walks with baby to store and back). Park far away when I drive somewhere.

All the "little things you can do to lose weight" I basically already do.

Do you plan your meals ahead of time, eat slowly, and cook *just* enough food, no leftovers? Leftovers were my bane, because, well, there weren't any. I'm a good cook, and I love to eat good food. I have terrible will power; I feel your pain. And honestly, what has helped the most, for me, is just removing temptation: I do shopping for a few days at a time, but make sure that they are all different main courses... chicken one day, pork another, beef a third, whatever. When I buy the food, it's *just* enough to fit the needs of the meal. I'm eating about half of what I used to, but it's still the foods that I absolutely love. Plan the meals, and do your shopping, just after you've eaten and are full. Your plans won't be made while hungry, and it's a *LOT* easier to keep your goals in mind when you're basking in the glow of a satisfying meal than when our stomach is growling and it's easy to justify that extra steak. Eating less alone won't do everything for you, but planning your meals just after you've eaten, and shopping just after your next meal, is a relatively easy step that helps remove temptations so it's not a will-power fight any more. It creates a habit that you can build on-- I started doing that for two months, got it down, and have just recently added time on my exercise bike on planning days (Monday and Friday for me), and one shopping day (Wednesday).

I know, what works for some doesn't work for all-- I hate working out, and I never got that rush out of it, no matter what I've done to try to make it happen. It may work for you, it may not, but don't think of it as trying to lose weight; think of it as some other goal of which losing weight is tangential. I *IMMEDIATELY* saw the reduction in my grocery bills, and it was substantial. Over time, I've trimmed that further, from $600/month for three to, now, less than $400/month for four people. I've maintained *THAT* by wanting to get rid of student loan debt.

Ultimately, for me, it helped to A) bolster my will power with other things I also wanted, and B) reduce the need for will power by making my decisions regarding food intake when temptation was at its lowest point. If the student-motivation-thing helped, then make your shopping list accountable to someone else. A friend or a family, on line if necessary. Scan your receipt for them. Start with something small you *CAN* manage (and it sounds like you have), and keep finding one more small thing you can add. Remember, it's not just a diet or a weight loss regime, but a change in lifestyle. Some people can manage the switch instantly, and have tons of success; other people, it can take years to get to a point where they can maintain healthy living, for whatever reason.

tl;dr: there are always more small steps you can do that help. Don't try to do all of the good things at once if doing that makes you get frustrated and quit; build another small one at a time until you've got it mastered, then add one more. It may take years instead of months, but you'll get there.