The Fat People Thread

[spork]

I don't know if anyone wants to hear my advice on this, given that I have the opposite problem. I'll hold my tongue until someone says they are open to ideas.

[Charlotte]

I don't know if anyone wants to hear my advice on this, given that I have the opposite problem. I'll hold my tongue until someone says they are open to ideas.

I'm open to ideas!

[spork]

I don't know if anyone wants to hear my advice on this, given that I have the opposite problem. I'll hold my tongue until someone says they are open to ideas.

I'm open to ideas!

Ok. This will be a mix of the general and specific.

Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit is a good introduction to behavior modification as it applies to eating.

Physical activity/exercise has immense health benefits (both physical and mental) and it does burn calories. But if one is obese, reducing one's caloric intake through healthy eating is more effective. I'm not saying skip the exercise, I'm saying that going to a gym for an hour every day while continuing to eat the same way isn't going to generate much weight loss.

In the USA, any processed food that comes in a carton, can, or bottle is going to have added sugar, fat, or both. Reading and understanding labels will make these foods less desirable, save you money, and benefit the environment.

Slowly substitute the empty calorie, high glycemic foods with high fiber, nutrient dense foods. Oatmeal instead of the boxed breakfast cereal. Banana instead of the cookie. Trying to radically transform one's diet all at once is usually counterproductive. Substitute something healthy for one unhealthy food or habit for a week or two, then make another substitution.

Cook. Yes, it takes some time and forethought, but you'll be eating far better and more cheaply. I typically make a large pot of soup or curry on the weekend and eat the leftovers for lunch the following week.  Right now I'm eating homemade chicken soup with white beans, barley, spinach, onion, carrot, etc. Not a $6.95 plastic-wrapped ham and cheese sandwich on white bread. I buy whole coffee beans, grind them up, and cold brew coffee overnight for my wife and I. We drink it black. I don't know about the caloric content, but it's insignificant compared to the grande mocha-strawberry latte cappucino that costs $8.00 and is really sugar syrup and cow milk. If I want coffee, I drink coffee.

Over time you will notice that pre-prepared food in the USA, even the vast majority of restaurant food, always tastes sweet. It's made that way -- that's what sugar addicts crave. Eat Greek food in Greece, at a non-tourist restaurant, and there will be half the volume of food and a quarter of the calories compared to what you get served at a Greek restaurant in the USA, but the fish, vegetables, and herbs will all have distinct flavors. You get up from the table without feeling hungry. It's an example of how spices plus fiber do a much better job satisfying the appetite than the 3,000 calorie plate of bland sweetness.

[namazu]

Hi, Spork!  I am a short, fat person who cooks my own soups and curries from scratch using organic vegetables from a local CSA and brews my own unsweetened or barely-sweetened tea.

I gained significant weight when I lived in South Asia (eating traditional food prepared by locals) on account of too much white rice and milk tea (which, it turns out, is just as bad for you as a "grande mocha-strawberry latte cappucino").

I lost 60 lbs gradually over the course of about 2 years.

For me, it involved:
- Cutting way back on oatmeal and rice (although my A1C is good and I'm not diabetic, these still had way too many calories/carbs for me),
- Getting some dedicated cardio exercise in daily (even if only for 5 minutes, but ideally 20-30; I had a 500+ day streak) and doing crunches,
- Modified "intermittent fasting": not eating after 10PM or before noon (with some flexibility, but as a general rule; note that I'm a night owl and my schedule was such that I could go to bed at 2AM and sleep until 10 or 11); this mostly functions to limit caloric intake so I don't graze at all hours,
- Gradually substituting lower-carb items in place of higher-carb things (e.g. hummus on Wasa cracker or veggie strips instead of pita; eating curries and stews without rice, etc.),
- Gradually reducing portion sizes/number of helpings,
- Eating a greater proportion of my daily calories from lean meat (fish, boneless-skinless chicken breast, occasionally very lean beef) and eggs than I had been to enhance satiety in a way that fiber doesn't seem to for me (though I eat plenty of fiber as well). Not so great for the environment, but something I accept for now.  Despite the increase in meat-eating, my triglycerides decreased, though my LDL cholesterol did not.

While Spork's assumptions about how fat people eat turn out to be pretty inaccurate in my case (I almost never eat pre-prepared/packaged foods on account of food allergies and other dietary restrictions), I have also seen the utility of gradual change (not the kind of "diet" that one follows temporarily, but a gradual shift into more sustainable eating patterns for whatever helps your body run best) and cooking for one's self. 

Postscript is that I gained an extra 20 lbs during pregnancy last year and it's stuck around on account of unpredictable schedule, lack of sleep, lack of time, and breastfeeding (during which my doctor has told me not to purposely try to lose weight), so I'll hopefully be back in a few months...

[Charlotte]

Thanks for sharing those ideas!

I'm not considered obese so may have a slightly different situation.

Completely agree on the exercise. In some cases, it can make you more hungry and you eat more or you feel you "deserve" the extra treats.

Good point on the processed food too. I avoid it. This speaks to your last point too but since I cook so much and avoid adding sugar/salt/processed ingredients I don't enjoy the processed food. The salt is too strong and it has a flavor I just don't like. I also don't eat cereal or cookies, or any sweets for that matter anymore. I don't miss sweets although I did at first!

Yes, I do cook most of the time. I rely heavily on veggies, fish, and beans. A typical meal for me is roasted or steamed veggies, a piece of fish, and chickpeas. I also rely on soups with clear broth (so not cream based).

+1 on black coffee! I drink black coffee, herbal tea, and water. Liquid calories add up and don't fill you up.

Definitely a good point on using spices and letting the flavors in the dish shine through. I have trouble eating fast food because they are so heavily salted and sugared. When I eat out, I do tend to go to Greek restaurants and incorporate much of their flavors into my own cooking.

This week will be a busy week so I prepped lunches and dinners through Wednesday. I have steamed veggies, tilapia, and roasted chicken breast. Each meal will have a serving of the protein and lots of veggies on the side. I also have homemade bone broth ready for snacks if needed. I sometimes add more veggies in too for a nice veggie soup snack. I don't typically eat breakfast, but on days I do I have plain nonfat Greek yogurt with blueberries.

You brought up some good ideas! I'll definitely check out that book you mentioned. Thank you!

[Vkw10]

I made soups with puréed pumpkin, which gives me creamy texture and lovely color. Like many Americans, I tend to associate pumpkin with sweet pumpkin pie, but I've learned it's better without sugar. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, paprika, cocoa, all work well in a puréed pumpkin soup.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I measure everything that I ingest- using measuring cups, grams of fat and ounces of drinkable fluids. I started this last year when I had horrible gastro issues which surgery has eliminated (thank God). I also record when I start a meal and when I end it (I have a tendency to eat quickly).

+1 on pureed veggie soups. Tomato & roasted red pepper, butternut squash, etc. Spicy black bean soup is also good (high fiber, low fat).

[Faith786]

I did 13,000 steps on my Fitbit yesterday!
I wonder if this helps. 

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I did 13,000 steps on my Fitbit yesterday!
I wonder if this helps.

Dang! I would think so!

Another tip. I also record everything that I eat to keep track and see if anything is 'rejected' by my body.

[AJ_Katz]

In the last year, my partner and I have lost over 100 lbs (me 40 + him 70) by switching to a predominantly whole-food plant based diet.   We did not count calories.  We did not weigh or measure food.  We ate until we were full.  We eat tons of bananas, apples, steamed broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and mushrooms, and tons of oatmeal, brown rice, potatoes (gold, red, sweet), and beans (black, kidney, chickpeas, pintos, etc.).  We still have some processed foods, like whole-grain flour tortillas and some fake meats.  Otherwise, we do not eat any dairy, meats, or oils.  Almost every night we have banana ice cream (as much as we want).  It consists of over-ripe bananas blended with ice and whatever flavors we want (maple flavor and peanut butter powers are our two favorites).  We have kept nuts in our diet, but losing the last amount of weight we need to (30 for me and 20 for him), we are now removing nuts to try to get there.

We did no exercise to lose the weight and both received excellent blood profiles and health exams last August.

If interested in learning more, check out movies like "Eating You Alive" and "Forks Over Knives".  There are various programs out there designed around the whole-food plant based diet, and I personally have liked the McDougall plan the best because it is so simple.  YouTube channels to check out on this topic are:  VegSource, ChefAJ, and Plantiful Kiki.  There are others.

The biggest take away from our strategy for weight loss is that calorie density matters most.  Here's a great video from nutritionist Jeff Novick on the topic:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gTLpTq1nQk

Good luck, everyone!  We're all in this together.  What works for me, might not work for you, but after years of trying other diets, this one is the holy grail for me.

[Faith786]

Dang! I would think so!

Another tip. I also record everything that I eat to keep track and see if anything is 'rejected' by my body.

That's a great tip!
Btw, I hit 13,000 steps each day this week, and on one day, I hit 15,000 steps. I hope I can keep it up!!
No weight loss happening yet, though, because it's too early. 
1 pound of fat lost = 35,000 calories burned, apparently

[Kron3007]

I had been slowly gaining weight for many years.  Only about 2 pounds/year, which is pretty typical in N. America, but it really adds up over time.  However, the pandemic didn't help and I think it sped up.  Last December I stepped on a scale for the first time in a while and didn't like what I saw so I decided that day that I had to address it.  I also noticed my son (who is in remote school) putting on weight, so have been working with him to improve his eating and needed to set a better example.

Since then, I have dropped about 35 pounds and have shifted from an "obese" BMI to simply overweight.  I am now within about 15 pounds of where I think I should be (about 25 from the BMI charts, but they are a little flawed).  For me, I simply cut out the foods I already knew I should cut out (I had a nasty pizza habit), reduced my portion size in general, and added in healthy snacks.  For the fist month or so I was a little hungry most of the time, but I think I have adjusted and am not quite as restrictive as during the first period.  I counted calories for a couple days early on to calibrate, but do not regularly record or track them (I know approximately where I am).  There is the odd day where I mess up (split a poutine with the wife when the local fry truck opened last weekend; another weakness), but I think what is important is not to let that derail you and keep up the good fight.

I look forward to the gym reopening so I can start lifting weights again as I suspect I have lost some muscle mass along with the fat, but I also need to start stretching more to help as I age.

     

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Dang! I would think so!

Another tip. I also record everything that I eat to keep track and see if anything is 'rejected' by my body.

That's a great tip!
Btw, I hit 13,000 steps each day this week, and on one day, I hit 15,000 steps. I hope I can keep it up!!
No weight loss happening yet, though, because it's too early. 
1 pound of fat lost = 35,000 calories burned, apparently

I thought it was 3,500 calories (approximately- based on body type, etc.).

[Faith786]

Dang! I would think so!

Another tip. I also record everything that I eat to keep track and see if anything is 'rejected' by my body.

That's a great tip!
Btw, I hit 13,000 steps each day this week, and on one day, I hit 15,000 steps. I hope I can keep it up!!
No weight loss happening yet, though, because it's too early. 
1 pound of fat lost = 35,000 calories burned, apparently

I thought it was 3,500 calories (approximately- based on body type, etc.).

My bad...you're absolutely right...[hitting my forehead with my palm...doink!]

[Puget]

Dang! I would think so!

Another tip. I also record everything that I eat to keep track and see if anything is 'rejected' by my body.

That's a great tip!
Btw, I hit 13,000 steps each day this week, and on one day, I hit 15,000 steps. I hope I can keep it up!!
No weight loss happening yet, though, because it's too early. 
1 pound of fat lost = 35,000 calories burned, apparently

I thought it was 3,500 calories (approximately- based on body type, etc.).

My bad...you're absolutely right...[hitting my forehead with my palm...doink!]

You can both be right, since the "calories" we refer to for food are actually kilocalories.