Do you work hard to avoid being overweight or obese?

[rocassie]

Yes, I very easily gain weight, and it is stubborn about coming off.  If I exercise 5 times a week and watch what I put in my mouth, I can keep myself at a healthy weight for my body.  Being consistent is necessary for me.  I feel a lot better when I am exercising - both my body and emotionally.  I probably will never be small again unless there is a famine.  Motherhood transformed my body.  I went from being very small but muscular to being a crazy hourglass.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I need to read but the answer is it takes my attention. I don't mind working out but I really have to concentrate on eating. If I allow myself I have no shut off valve. I can eat a whole family Danish or big burger, fries and milkshake and not even feel bad. I wish I had better internal cues but I don't so I need to use external cues ( counting, measuring) to stay where I want to be.

[Night Elf]

I was overweight, not obese, but I hated my weight being so high. I have to track every bite every day. I stay on a low calorie diet (1000 - 1100 calories) and feel bad about it every day. I want to eat what I want to eat when I want to eat it. The good news is that I have a majority of things I probably shouldn't be eating, but I portion it out. For the most part I'm okay with that sliver piece of pie, or that one cookie. I can't do one of those lifestyle changes where I eat lots and lots of vegetables. I just don't like them. Nor do I like many fruits. So I just really limit what I can eat each day. I am trying to walk every day, but it's for my health not my weight because it isn't as intense or as long as it should be to battle weight. So my weight issues are really controlled by diet. I'm really afraid of when menopause will kick in. I'm 48 and my mom is convinced it's right around the corner and she's telling me I'll probably gain 10 lbs. I don't know what I'm going to do if that happens. I'll be devastated.

[Laurie4b]

I work hard though less so than when I was losing. 

 

Why do I do it? Primarily for my health. I am a cancer survivor, have a strong family history of cardiovascular disease, and a strong family history of Alzheimer's. I want to be healthy and active for a long time and not have a long period of life where I am alive but debilitated. I want those things for my sake but also for the sake of my loved ones who would have to take care of me. (Number one reason people end up in assisted living is that they can't get on and off the toilet by themselves. Reason enough to do those squats and lunges.) Every pound of extra weight puts something like 4 pounds of extra pressure on back and joints, wearing them out faster.  I have enjoyed the perks of being able to wear smaller clothing, but that is a secondary gain, not a major motivator.

 

What do I do? I had to scratch and claw my way through the "loss" stage. During that stage, I knew a few days of holiday eating would automatically pack on pounds that would take forever to get off.   Now I am at a weight that I want to be and something has shifted and it's easier now. I don't have that internal "pressure" ---don't know how to describe it exactly---that I that I interpret as hormonal demands to eat.

 

I still work hard, though. I have to read health articles regularly. It keeps me motivated. I exercise 4-6 times per week for at least an hour. (Usually more like 6 than 4). I do both aerobic exercise and lift weights.  I am very careful about what food gets brought into the house because I have certain trigger foods that I *will* eat if I see them. I make sure I have dark chocolate on hand. It is low sugar naturally and satisfies any sugar cravings I have. The brand I buy (Trader Joe's organic dark) isn't super creamy, so I don't overeat it. I don't count anything beyond how many fruits and veges I eat. That's what I keep my eye on. I do track exercise. I weigh myself regularly. (In the past, when I had that "pressure" feeling, I absolutely had to weigh daily because I could gain weight so quickly. Now, the scale is pretty stable, but I still try for daily weigh-ins.)  I practice a 12 hour fast each night, sometimes a bit longer. 

Edited May 10, 2016 by Laurie4b

[PeachyDoodle]

An interesting related article, just because so many of you have mentioned exercise.

 

At this point in my life I'm more inclined to focus on simply moving a lot during the day and getting a bit of strength training (mostly from simple body weight stuff right now) rather than driving myself nuts trying to get in tons of hard cardio.

 

As my trainer says, "You can't out-train a bad diet."

 

I do find that, for me, exercise truly helps to curb the cravings for sweets and salty snacks, processed foods, etc. The more intense the exercise, the greater the benefit. I'm not sure how this works. But it has been one of the keys to my weight loss.

 

I, personally, really had to push my body pretty far past what I was comfortable with (NOT talking about pain/injury here, but I was the type of person who disliked feeling even the slightest bit winded) before I could see how beneficial exercise was for my overall health. Now I get a kind of high off of it. I still have "ugh-i-don't-wanna" days, but mostly I look forward to pushing myself just a teeny bit further.

 

So I think the advice to not count on exercise for weight loss from burned calories is valid -- calculating what you've burned is notoriously unreliable anyway -- but I always encourage anyone who approaches me for advice to find some type of exercise you can tolerate, if not enjoy, and make it as intensive as you can stand it.

 

If possible, get a trainer or a friend who knows something about fitness to push you just a little bit. Not all trainers are drill sergeants. Mine is a phenomenal cheerleader. I've only done what I have because, for the first time in my life, I felt like somebody really believed I could do it. On our first run, I huffed and puffed, stopping to walk every few feet, while she back-pedaled around the track without even trying saying, "You can do this. Come on. Just to the next line. You got this."

 

Everybody else's MMV, of course. I'm only sharing what has made a difference for me.

 

[Soror]

An interesting related article, just because so many of you have mentioned exercise.

 

At this point in my life I'm more inclined to focus on simply moving a lot during the day and getting a bit of strength training (mostly from simple body weight stuff right now) rather than driving myself nuts trying to get in tons of hard cardio.

I don't do hard cardio period. I don't think it is good for *my* body- it is just too much. But I do exercise, there are just too many health benefits- besides the fact that dieting doesn't give you a perky butt :)

[ktgrok]

Arctic Mama, I cried reading your post. I know exactly what you mean about just wanting to feel normal, about feeling like a failure, about the surprise glimpses in a window. It sucks so much. My surgery has gotten me to almost normal, so I blend in, and it's a miracle for me, but even now, I'm fighting to get past overweight to a normal BMI. And in the back of my head I know how many people regain after surgery, so that ghost haunts me. 

[Guest]

Arctic Mama, I cried reading your post. I know exactly what you mean about just wanting to feel normal, about feeling like a failure, about the surprise glimpses in a window. It sucks so much. My surgery has gotten me to almost normal, so I blend in, and it's a miracle for me, but even now, I'm fighting to get past overweight to a normal BMI. And in the back of my head I know how many people regain after surgery, so that ghost haunts me.

:grouphug:

[Laurie4b]

An interesting related article, just because so many of you have mentioned exercise.

 

At this point in my life I'm more inclined to focus on simply moving a lot during the day and getting a bit of strength training (mostly from simple body weight stuff right now) rather than driving myself nuts trying to get in tons of hard cardio.

 

Interesting article. For me, I truly believe exercise was the key to weight loss; however, I don't recall having ever computed how many calories I was burning nor have I thought in terms of "now I'll treat myself because I had this long hike." Exercise is its own reward because 1) I feel better afterward and 2) for health benefits. I happen to be someone who has reduced food cravings after exercising most of the time. I recognize that not everyone does.  I do choose to eat more protein and a certain amt. of carbs after heavy lifting so my body has what it needs for muscle reconstruction and sometimes I am really hungry in that situation, but I don't tend to overeat. Instead, I've planned out what protein I will have available (which I eat first) and then the carbs that will go with it. For me, exercise seems to change some internal body chemistry or something. YMMV. This is only my own experience. 

[ktgrok]

I wish exercise did that for me! It makes me hungry, very hungry. My girlfriend used to laugh because I'd be in the midst of running on the treadmill and start talking about how I was craving a big mac!

[Laurie4b]

I wish exercise did that for me! It makes me hungry, very hungry. My girlfriend used to laugh because I'd be in the midst of running on the treadmill and start talking about how I was craving a big mac!

 

 

I think your experience is more normal than mine. 

[Soror]

Interesting article. For me, I truly believe exercise was the key to weight loss; however, I don't recall having ever computed how many calories I was burning nor have I thought in terms of "now I'll treat myself because I had this long hike." Exercise is its own reward because 1) I feel better afterward and 2) for health benefits. I happen to be someone who has reduced food cravings after exercising most of the time. I recognize that not everyone does.  I do choose to eat more protein and a certain amt. of carbs after heavy lifting so my body has what it needs for muscle reconstruction and sometimes I am really hungry in that situation, but I don't tend to overeat. Instead, I've planned out what protein I will have available (which I eat first) and then the carbs that will go with it. For me, exercise seems to change some internal body chemistry or something. YMMV. This is only my own experience. 

It varies for me- I can get by with some w/out it affecting my appetite too much or being a bit of a suppressant. Some activities however drive it up. I only ever aim for a slight deficit however when trying to lose.

[kiana]

Exercise is variable as to whether it will make me hungrier or less hungry.

 

Where it really helped was with the IR/PCOS. I started exercising (for fun) years before I started trying to actively lose weight, and both of them got much, much better with heavy and regular exercise even though I was still obese and with a crap diet composed mostly of junk food and soda. So it helped far more indirectly.

[Scarlett]

*shrug* Okay. Good for you.

 

I found I was more tired, my joints and indigestion were aggravated more often, I couldn't go things I'd been able to do before or I couldn't do them without suffering for it later. Like go down the slide at the playground with my infant or toddler. Long hikes. I couldn't just get down on the floor and play with my baby and I couldn't just stand up from doing so. I had to ease down and use furntiture to get up. A lot of things I attributed to the general aches and pains of just getting older disappeared when I lost weight. And I didn't think I felt like crap until I started to feel better. Feeling like crap had slowly bc so normal that I didn't even think of it as anything but just my normal good status.

 

If you don't have any of that, great.

I am not even over weight but ten extra pounds makes me feel like crap. Less really....the difference between 138 and 145 is amazing.

 

I still prefer 125 but I fear those days are gone.

[J-rap]

An interesting related article, just because so many of you have mentioned exercise.

 

At this point in my life I'm more inclined to focus on simply moving a lot during the day and getting a bit of strength training (mostly from simple body weight stuff right now) rather than driving myself nuts trying to get in tons of hard cardio.

 

I think this is a great point.  I find that I can stick with an "exercise" plan SO much better if I just focus on moving around as often as I can for little things throughout my day, rather than doing an actual daily exercise regime.  Also, it then becomes more of a whole lifestyle thing.

[Joyofsixreboot]

Interesting article. For me, I truly believe exercise was the key to weight loss; however, I don't recall having ever computed how many calories I was burning nor have I thought in terms of "now I'll treat myself because I had this long hike." ......For me, exercise seems to change some internal body chemistry or something. YMMV. This is only my own experience.

Yes, for ME there seemed to be some sort of internal shift. I had to be working out pretty strenuously for that to happen. It took time to get there. I framed it as healthful though, even when walking was all that was going on. After researching this topic while beginning to lose weight I thought my experience was odd, but I have met others who seem to have found a movement tipping point. It's like suddenly the body " switches on." I haven't come across any scientific studies to support that so maybe it is just my perception of a mental shift. I was just glad to find more anecdotal evidence in your comment.

[Soror]

Yes, for ME there seemed to be some sort of internal shift. I had to be working out pretty strenuously for that to happen. It took time to get there. I framed it as healthful though, even when walking was all that was going on. After researching this topic while beginning to lose weight I thought my experience was odd, but I have met others who seem to have found a movement tipping point. It's like suddenly the body " switches on." I haven't come across any scientific studies to support that so maybe it is just my perception of a mental shift. I was just glad to find more anecdotal evidence in your comment.

To me it is a mental thing, I can actually lose weight faster when I don't work out so much but I'm more invested when I'm really working hard. You know the phrase, "all in", that is how it feels. Just eating well is only part of the equation of being healthy. BUT I think it is hard to establish multiple habits at a time. When I'm aiming to lose weight getting my eating dialed in often takes a lot of mental energy for a while, once that gets to where it needs to be then I look at being more active. So, while I've seen that the research says exercising can be counterproductive to weight loss I've also seen the research that says 90% of those that keep the weight off exercise a good chunk of time. I think it is part of making being healthy a lifestyle and not a temporary fix to lose weight.

[kiana]

To me it is a mental thing, I can actually lose weight faster when I don't work out so much but I'm more invested when I'm really working hard. You know the phrase, "all in", that is how it feels. Just eating well is only part of the equation of being healthy. BUT I think it is hard to establish multiple habits at a time. When I'm aiming to lose weight getting my eating dialed in often takes a lot of mental energy for a while, once that gets to where it needs to be then I look at being more active. So, while I've seen that the research says exercising can be counterproductive to weight loss I've also seen the research that says 90% of those that keep the weight off exercise a good chunk of time. I think it is part of making being healthy a lifestyle and not a temporary fix to lose weight.

 

I think exercise also indicates (to some extent) the amount of spare time/mental energy a person has to put into a healthy lifestyle. Someone who really doesn't have time to exercise because they're swamped (e.g. working two jobs and caring for kids) is probably going to have less time/mental energy available to cook dinner from nutritious ingredients instead of going for a box of kraft.

[abcmommy]

I am doing weight watchers after a period of eating my feelings. It has brought a few things into focus for me.  I have to say that at 40 I think I will never NOT need to be conscious of these things again.  I do find it hard to have to concern myself with it but I need to embrace it as normal.  I can not imagine how I stayed thin for as long as I did.  I used to regularl consume so many calories its amazing.

[umsami]

Saw this today: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/05/doomed-to-be-the-biggest-losers/482094/?utm_source=atlfb

 

 

They really don't know (short answer) if losing slower helps... however they do mention that with bariatric surgery, metabolism slows, but then bounces back.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I wonder if it's not that exercise burns calories but that a more muscular form simply increases basal metabolic rate which is where most calories are spent. It wouldn't be fast more of a drip,drip,drip that adds up. Perhaps it took my body a certain level of exercise to tip to more muscle and that was the 'shift' I felt.

[Soror]

Saw this today: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/05/doomed-to-be-the-biggest-losers/482094/?utm_source=atlfb

 

 

They really don't know (short answer) if losing slower helps... however they do mention that with bariatric surgery, metabolism slows, but then bounces back.

I was just reading this...

[PeachyDoodle]

I wish exercise did that for me! It makes me hungry, very hungry. My girlfriend used to laugh because I'd be in the midst of running on the treadmill and start talking about how I was craving a big mac!

 

Exercise absolutely makes me HUNGRIER. But it makes me hungry enough that even veggies sound good. I'm not so tempted to go after the junk because I'm truly hungry and not just craving something. And when I am really craving something unhealthy, I go ahead and have it -- no guilt.

 

I was such a mindless eater before, and totally addicted to sugar, carbs, whatever junk is in processed foods. Intensive exercise was the only thing that allowed me to break that cycle. IDK why it worked for me when it doesn't seem to do a thing for others.

[frogger]

My husband calls it famine proof. He bikes 40 miles a day on work days (his office is 20 miles away) and eats less calories than he should burn at a resting rate for a man his size and is still obese according to BMI. He is overweight but considering his legs look like something off a Michangelo statue I doubt BMI is accurate. He still is overweight though if you include what he carries around his middle.  My daughter took after him and was obese by nine years old. We have been extra cautious since then and no I don't keep treats or juice or anything like that in the house. When we have tacos she leaves off the shell. She has adapted to her own normal but it may take more than that. We hike, we ski, we bike and she is more careful than all her brothers regarding food but she just will never be average. We will be excited if she hits just overweight rather than obese.

Those in our home that are thin on the other hand simply can't handle sugar at all. My oldest is 6' 4" and only 160 lbs. If he or I eat sugar we are exhausted completely. We could split and stack ten cords of wood and have way more energy that if we ate a pancake with syrup on it in the morning. Our insulin goes nutty.   Therefore we have to be careful about what we eat too or we will accomplish nothing especially school.  So if we have an apocalyptic famine, my husband and daughter will just have to watch us die.

Edited May 11, 2016 by frogger

[frogger]

Just have to add, that not every thin person who sees you is judgmental though some ignorant people are. I'm sorry if you ever run into those annoying people.  I have really struggled with how to help as a mother just so my daughter can be healthy and happy and able to do stuff but it is hard. I remind her we all have our difficulties. I also have a dyslexic who has worked harder than any of the others at reading and is still behind. His work doesn't show up on tests. Yes, he does better than he would if he didn't work so hard but in comparison to others it really doesn't seem like he did. Life is just not fair. 

[poppy]

Everyone I know over age 40 is either noticeably overweight or works hard not to be. Or has a very unhealthy relationship with food.

And plenty of the people who are noticeably overweight work very, very hard at to be healthy too. 

 

So my view is, it's not more noble or harder to be in good shape.  But it's also almost never easy for the people who do it.  So I'd never say "you're so lucky to be thin!"  It's really best not to comment on other people's appearance ever, of course, but I especially try to avoid the "lucky" wording. 

[PeachyDoodle]

My husband calls it famine proof. He bikes 40 miles a day on work days (his office is 20 miles away) and eats less calories than he should burn at a resting rate for a man his size and is still obese according to BMI. He is overweight but considering his legs look like something off a Michangelo statue I doubt BMI is accurate. He still is overweight though if you include what he carries around his middle.  My daughter took after him and was obese by nine years old. We have been extra cautious since then and no I don't keep treats or juice or anything like that in the house. When we have tacos she leaves off the shell. She has adapted to her own normal but it may take more than that. We hike, we ski, we bike and she is more careful than all her brothers regarding food but she just will never be average. We will be excited if she hits just overweight rather than obese.

 

Those in our home that are thin on the other hand simply can't handle sugar at all. My oldest is 6' 4" and only 160 lbs. If he or I eat sugar we are exhausted completely. We could split and stack ten cords of wood and have way more energy that if we ate a pancake with syrup on it in the morning. Our insulin goes nutty.   Therefore we have to be careful about what we eat too or we will accomplish nothing especially school.  So if we have an apocalyptic famine, my husband and daughter will just have to watch us die.

 

Hugs to your dd. I have been there. As you say, we all have our issues to deal with. But it sure does suck sometimes, especially when you're young.

 

My grandmother used to have this hanging on her wall:

 

"You think you have problems as great as my own,

and I'm forced to admit that it's true;

but consider the fact that mine happened to me,

while yours only happened to you!"

[regentrude]

Everyone I know over age 40 is either noticeably overweight or works hard not to be. Or has a very unhealthy relationship with food.

 

The bolded is in stark contrast to my experience.

Among my colleagues and friends, I have one obese person, very few people who are mildly overweight, and the vast majority is of normal weight, eats normally, engages in physical activity - but I have not seen anybody who is working very hard, except for my one obese friend. (ETA:  I entertain a lot and see people eat food and drink wine. I have not seen anybody restrict himself or herself - and they know I'd be happy to accommodate any dietary preferences, as I do for our vegetarian, vegan, and Muslim friends)

 

Since I read in other threads about people who don't know any slender people at all, I wonder how and why different demographics seem to have different patterns...

Edited May 11, 2016 by regentrude

[LucyStoner]

I work hard TO be overweight. Seriously, in order to not be overweight by BMI standards a woman with my build and muscle would need to start amputating limbs. My lean body mass alone without any fat places me into the overweight range.

 

So when I can stay out of the obese catagory, I'm good.

[poppy]

The bolded is in stark contrast to my experience.

Among my colleagues and friends, I have one obese person, very few people who are mildly overweight, and the vast majority is of normal weight, eats normally, engages in physical activity - but I have not seen anybody who is working very hard, except for my one obese friend. (ETA:  I entertain a lot and see people eat food and drink wine. I have not seen anybody restrict himself or herself - and they know I'd be happy to accommodate any dietary preferences, as I do for our vegetarian, vegan, and Muslim friends)

 

Since I read in other threads about people who don't know any slender people at all, I wonder how different demographics have different patterns...

 

Really? You don't know anyone who is slender who doesn't talks about weight watchers or paleo or going to the gym 5 days a week or their running club or their..... what is that competition gym called?

 

I am in the Boston area.

 

Edit to add: Crossfit. Is the competition gym.

Edited May 11, 2016 by poppy

[regentrude]

Really? You don't know anyone who is slender who doesn't talks about weight watchers or paleo or going to the gym 5 days a week or their running club or their..... what is that competition gym called?

 

I am in the Boston area.

 

No, not a single person I associate with ever mentions being on a diet or does weight watchers or exercises obsessively. (ETA: with the exception of my obese friend who is going through hypnosis therapy for weight loss)

 

I am in a small town in the Midwest. My friends are mostly either college professors or "crunchy" homesteaders.

Everybody is physically active in some way (hike, bike, kayak, run, garden), likes good food and disdains processed crap - but no, I have not ever heard anybody mention dieting or even trying to lose weight.

 

ETA: I am sure there are people in this town who are dieting and talk a lot about weight, but none of those are in my circle.

We are not in a particularly health conscious place like CO or CA; I know that there are overweight and obese people in town, but even in the wider circle of the entire university campus, I see relatively few obese people. May have to do with socioeconomics; there are links between educational attainment and weight - but I am not sure anybody completely understands why there would be a correlation.

 

2ndETA: Thinking about this some more: I think there is a cultural component that is important. With my crunchy female friends, a big emphasis is on embracing oneself, feeling good in one's body, honoring our bodies by giving them healthful nutrition, and a very supportive atmosphere. There is no group pressure to adhere to certain beauty standards, and a high standard of interpersonal interaction - nobody would feel it acceptable to make a snide remark about somebody's body shape. So I could imagine that in a group like this, women would feel much less pressure to compete for being "slim" and feel accepted and supported as they are. I could easily imagine that a group culture with big focus on appearance, possibly driven by consumption of popular media, etc would drive women to be obsessive about their weight.

 

Edited May 11, 2016 by regentrude

[frogger]

My father smokes, drinks, loves and eats plenty of bacon and ice cream and candy and never purposely exercises though he does his share of manual exercise and though he had a serious bout with pneumonia this spring over his life he has had low blood pressure, perfect cholesterol levels, and always is a bit underweight. My Grandmother also never dieted, nor have I and was so happy that I finally could put on some weight in my 30's after having four kids.

 

I think there are many people who are average and have to work at being thin and that may be the norm. There are also people who don't have to work at it and people who work much harder for less results.

 

This reminds me of the talent versus hard work thread. Bystanders really have no idea and cannot judge how much someone else is working at something.

[poppy]

No, not a single person I associate with ever mentions being on a diet or does weight watchers or exercises obsessively. (ETA: with the exception of my obese friend who is going through hypnosis therapy for weight loss)

 

I am in a small town in the Midwest. My friends are mostly either college professors or "crunchy" homesteaders.

Everybody is physically active in some way (hike, bike, kayak, run, garden), likes good food and disdains processed crap - but no, I have not ever heard anybody mention dieting or even trying to lose weight.

 

ETA: I am sure there are people in this town who are dieting and talk a lot about weight, but none of those are in my circle.

We are not in a particularly health conscious place like CO or CA; I know that there are overweight and obese people in town, but even in the wider circle of the entire university campus, I see relatively few obese people. May have to do with socioeconomics; there are links between educational attainment and weight - but I am not sure anybody completely understands why there would be a correlation.

 

2ndETA: Thinking about this some more: I think there is a cultural component that is important. With my crunchy female friends, a big emphasis is on embracing oneself, feeling good in one's body, honoring our bodies by giving them healthful nutrition, and a very supportive atmosphere. There is no group pressure to adhere to certain beauty standards, and a high standard of interpersonal interaction - nobody would feel it acceptable to make a snide remark about somebody's body shape. So I could imagine that in a group like this, women would feel much less pressure to compete for being "slim" and feel accepted and supported as they are. I could easily imagine that a group culture with big focus on appearance, possibly driven by consumption of popular media, etc would drive women to be obsessive about their weight.

 

Hmmm.

 

I have a whole lot of friends who do 10ks regularly.  I would  definitely say they "work hard" to stay thin.  They work out daily. They eat carefully and avoid indulgent foods incompatible with their lifestyles.

 

I know a guy who bikes 15 miles to and from work most days plus going mountain biking 3 days a week.  I would say he "works hard" to stay thin.  I mean, he has FUN, sure ...... I have fun at body pump class at the gym sometimes.  But it sure as heck is WORK, too.

 

I also don't think a crunchy "love your body" lifestyle means free from pressure on appearance. Actually quite the opposite. It's a great way to live, very positive, don't get me wrong. But "We all do recreational sports and eat healthy and respect our bodies" most definitely does not = free to live / eat / make different lifestyle choices without judgement.

[regentrude]

Hmmm.

I have a whole lot of friends who do 10ks regularly.  I would  definitely say they "work hard" to stay thin.  They work out daily. They eat carefully and avoid indulgent foods incompatible with their lifestyles.

 

I know a guy who bikes 15 miles to and from work most days plus going mountain biking 3 days a week.  I would say he "works hard" to stay thin.  I mean, he has FUN, sure ...... I have fun at body pump class at the gym sometimes.  But it sure as heck is WORK, too.

 

 

I do not consider somebody who bikes daily or runs 10ks to be "working hard" - unless that person was doing it just in order to lose or maintain weight and did not actually enjoy it.

 

It would never occur to me that I "work hard" when I bike to work, walk an hour most nights, hike every weekend, or go backpacking in the Grand Canyon next week - we do those things because they are enjoyable and we love them, not because we care about our weight. It just feels good to be moving.

 

I also do not think that eating healthfully is "working hard" - it can come quite effortlessly.

Edited May 11, 2016 by regentrude

[Pawz4me]

The bolded is in stark contrast to my experience.

Among my colleagues and friends, I have one obese person, very few people who are mildly overweight, and the vast majority is of normal weight, eats normally, engages in physical activity - but I have not seen anybody who is working very hard, except for my one obese friend. (ETA:  I entertain a lot and see people eat food and drink wine. I have not seen anybody restrict himself or herself - and they know I'd be happy to accommodate any dietary preferences, as I do for our vegetarian, vegan, and Muslim friends)

 

Since I read in other threads about people who don't know any slender people at all, I wonder how and why different demographics seem to have different patterns...

 

 

No, not a single person I associate with ever mentions being on a diet or does weight watchers or exercises obsessively. (ETA: with the exception of my obese friend who is going through hypnosis therapy for weight loss)

 

I am in a small town in the Midwest. My friends are mostly either college professors or "crunchy" homesteaders.

Everybody is physically active in some way (hike, bike, kayak, run, garden), likes good food and disdains processed crap - but no, I have not ever heard anybody mention dieting or even trying to lose weight.

 

ETA: I am sure there are people in this town who are dieting and talk a lot about weight, but none of those are in my circle.

We are not in a particularly health conscious place like CO or CA; I know that there are overweight and obese people in town, but even in the wider circle of the entire university campus, I see relatively few obese people. May have to do with socioeconomics; there are links between educational attainment and weight - but I am not sure anybody completely understands why there would be a correlation.

 

2ndETA: Thinking about this some more: I think there is a cultural component that is important. With my crunchy female friends, a big emphasis is on embracing oneself, feeling good in one's body, honoring our bodies by giving them healthful nutrition, and a very supportive atmosphere. There is no group pressure to adhere to certain beauty standards, and a high standard of interpersonal interaction - nobody would feel it acceptable to make a snide remark about somebody's body shape. So I could imagine that in a group like this, women would feel much less pressure to compete for being "slim" and feel accepted and supported as they are. I could easily imagine that a group culture with big focus on appearance, possibly driven by consumption of popular media, etc would drive women to be obsessive about their weight.

 

If you knew me you'd never, ever realize how hard I work.  It's not something I talk about much in real life unless asked, and even then I stay as non-committal as possible.  You might know I walk my dog a lot, and you'd (correctly) assume I'm a teetotaler because I'd ask for water instead of wine.  I'd be so unobtrusive about what I ate/didn't eat that you'd never guess I was watching it closely.  I don't talk about it because I'm an introvert and detest talking about myself in front of other people.  If someone asks me in real life about my diet or exercise habits I'm likely to "pass the bean dip" very quickly.  And I've had enough practice doing it that it's almost always a very smooth change of conversation.. ;)

Edited May 11, 2016 by Pawz4me

[regentrude]

If you knew me you'd never, ever realize how hard I work.  It's not something I talk about much in real life unless asked, and even then I stay as non-committal as possible.  You might know I walk my dog a lot, and you'd assume I'm a teetotaler because I'd ask for water instead of wine.  I'd be so circumspect about what I ate that you'd never guess I was watching it closely.  I don't talk about it because I'm an introvert and detest talking about myself in front of other people.  If someone asks me in real life about my diet or exercise habits I'm likely to "pass the bean dip" very quickly.  And I've had enough practice doing it that it's almost always a very smooth change of conversation.. ;)

 

So you don't talk about it - fine. The question to which I responded was

 

"really? You don't know anyone who is slender and doesn't talk about weight watchers or paleo or going to the gym...."

 

I can truthfully say that nobody I know talks about losing weight. That is not to say that they may not be secretly dieting, but nobody mentions it and it is never a topic of conversation. Which, apparently - to the person who asked the question - appears to be rare.

 

Edited May 11, 2016 by regentrude

[Soror]

This reminds me of the talent versus hard work thread. Bystanders really have no idea and cannot judge how much someone else is working at something.

I was going to say it reminds me of the, "Is Marriage Hard Work" threads, a lot is in the way your frame things. 

 

Reguntrude says her friends don't work hard, but they are active and eat real foods. Some people consider those things to be very hard, obviously as so many people don't do either.  

 

I was talking to someone a while ago and they were talking about joining a gym as a family so they could be active. I couldn't wrap my brain around that. We do a ton of family activity, no gym required but I don't think that thought is unusual. I read an article this morning that said a study last year said that only 3% of people live a healthy lifestyle- including eating a fruit and veggie rich diet, physical exercise, no smoking and normal weight (I think there criteria is a bit strict personally but I think eating well and being active is far from the norm judging by everything I've seen). I just read another article talking about the rise in ADHD diagnosis, kids are rewarded for their ability to sit the longest, interestingly a study they did showed that only 1 in 12 kids had normal strength and balance. 

[Joyofsixreboot]

I hang out with farm folk and factory workers. Almost everyone I know over the age of 15 is heavy. It is such a norm here that when someone isn't heavy or loses weight they are assumed to be sick. (I believe we are the 7th fattest state and rural. This is the land of cream of soup carry ins.)  

[poppy]

I do not consider somebody who bikes daily or runs 10ks to be "working hard" - unless that person was doing it just in order to lose or maintain weight and did not actually enjoy it.

 

It would never occur to me that I "work hard" when I bike to work, walk an hour most nights, hike every weekend, or go backpacking in the Grand Canyon next week - we do those things because they are enjoyable and we love them, not because we care about our weight. It just feels good to be moving.

 

I also do not think that eating healthfully is "working hard" - it can come quite effortlessly.

 

Right. You've developed it as a habit. My husband is kind of the same way. He is at the gym doing fairly intense cardio 5 days a week and also belongs to a yoga studio and has spend maybe- I don't know - a few hundred hours developing a very specific diet to support his goals and lifestyle . It's effortless.

 

It's 8 hours a week working out , bare minimum, and a very firm daily focus on healthy eating and nutrition.

 

If You knew a 300 lb woman who spend 8 hours a week at the gym, minimum and paid close attention to each forkful is that working hard?

In my eyes there is not much difference really.

[Laurie4b]

Some of whether what you do to maintain is "hard work" or not does depend on culture/environment. For instance, a student on campus typically gets a fair amount of walking in, just to get to classes. It's part of life. Someone in a sedentary job would have to plan that same walking somewhere in the schedule before or after work. That's harder.  

 

Another possible factor: There is some research correlating higher altitude with ease at losing weight without someone "trying."  http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/food-matters/into-thin-air-weight-loss-at-high-altitudes/ . 

 

In addition to activity levels, some cultural niches make food choices harder. For instance, there was a thread not too long ago where a nurse working night shift posted that someone always left treats in the staff room. That is a different work culture than if people left extra produce from their gardens in the staff workroom. 

 

There is also research that who we hang around with affects our health choices, so it's no surprise that one poster could say "Everyone in my circle is x," and someone else could say, "Not one person in my circle is X." 

 

So part of "working hard" means that you are having to do things purposefully that aren't just part of your environment. And you may even have to "work against" that environment. 

 

The other part of working hard has to do with internal factors like genetics, but also whether or not you were previously overweight. Previously overweight people will have to work harder to maintain the same weight than a person who has always been that weight will have to do. 

Edited May 11, 2016 by Laurie4b

[frogger]

Well, maybe it is how you frame them and maybe it is how hard it is for you. I don't know. That is why I really want to focus my families efforts on things they can do their whole life rather than team sports or something that needs to be scheduled in busy seasons of life. Those things are good too but I have doubts my particular children will seek out a team to play on as adults and I want them to be used to doing active things so it is easy to continue.

 

I find that if something is more difficult for you then others than it can be more work and less fun.

 

My son's reading is less fun for him than for my other children. He is focusing on words and not just enjoying the story. When people around you can climb a mountain and you have to be excited to climb a set of stairs it might be more difficult to consider it fun. If you are in pain it might be less fun.

 

Honestly, most people just need to live a healthy lifestyle but others bodies want to pack on calories. They can't just simply eat healthy they have to actually restrict calories even if they never have unhealthy food and the more calories they restrict, the more efficient their body becomes. I know three people I'm very close to that cannot give up vigilance or they will gain weight. One I know has a diagnosed thyroid issue. She eats off a flippin tea cup saucer and has absolutely no sugar regardless of special occasions or eating out. She has always hiked, hunted, skied, etc even when she needed a replacement hip. She can do more without pain now. That IS work.

 

So yes, maybe for the person of average body chemistry in regards to putting on weight lifestyle can do it. But don't discount that for some it is flat out work.

[frogger]

Good habits definitely reduce the effort needed to accomplish a goal. I do agree with that.

[regentrude]

Right. You've developed it as a habit. My husband is kind of the same way. He is at the gym doing fairly intense cardio 5 days a week and also belongs to a yoga studio and has spend maybe- I don't know - a few hundred hours developing a very specific diet to support his goals and lifestyle . It's effortless.

 

It's 8 hours a week working out , bare minimum, and a very firm daily focus on healthy eating and nutrition.

 

If You knew a 300 lb woman who spend 8 hours a week at the gym, minimum and paid close attention to each forkful is that working hard?

In my eyes there is not much difference really.

If she is grudgingly at the gym and would rather be somewhere else - yes, working hard.

if she enjoys every minute of it - not working hard.

 

I have an acquaintance who is obese (had forgotten about her in earlier head count, as we are no longer close). She took up swimming and loves it. She is very puzzled by people commending her for working so diligently - because she is not doing it to lose weight. (she has an eating disorder and knows that any serious attempt at weight loss will trigger it again). She swims because it makes her feel great. She does not consider it working hard.

A person who grudgingly swims because she is trying to lose the weight would probably consider it working hard.

 

As Mark twain wrote in Tom Sawyer:

 

 

“he would now have comprehended that work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. And this would help him to understand why constructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill, is work, whilst rolling nine-pins or climbing Mont Blanc is only amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four-horse passenger-coaches twenty or thirty miles on a daily line, in the summer, because the privilege costs them considerable money; but if they were offered wages for the service that would turn it into work, then they would resign.â€

[kiana]

 I read an article this morning that said a study last year said that only 3% of people live a healthy lifestyle- including eating a fruit and veggie rich diet, physical exercise, no smoking and normal weight (I think there criteria is a bit strict personally but I think eating well and being active is far from the norm judging by everything I've seen).

 

Not only are their criteria a bit strict, but by their criteria it would be absolutely impossible for more than 40% of people to live a healthy lifestyle, because a healthy diet was categorized as 'in the top 40%'. While I'm willing to consider that currently not being in the top 40% means that you probably do not have a healthy diet, I really don't like defining health by a relative measurement versus an objective one. 

[poppy]

So 'work hard' doesn't mean work it just means misery? Not sure I agree with that. Whatever. It's all semantics.

[regentrude]

So 'work hard' doesn't mean work it just means misery? Not sure I agree with that. Whatever. It's all semantics.

 

It certainly is semantics.

To take an example: I would never consider hiking "work" at all. It's an enjoyable pleasure. But I know that for some people the same hike would be "hard work" and/or "misery"

[frogger]

My son has to work hard to sit still. :)

[Night Elf]

It certainly is semantics.

To take an example: I would never consider hiking "work" at all. It's an enjoyable pleasure. But I know that for some people the same hike would be "hard work" and/or "misery"

 

I see it differently too. I can walk up our local mountain, but I wouldn't call it a hike. It's a pleasant experience and the view from the top makes it worth it too. But I do consider it hard work. It's a fun thing to do, but definitely not easy. Are you discerning between easy and hard? Is that is what is defining your idea of work, that it's only work if it's something hard and unpleasant?

[hornblower]

Work = (force)(distance)

 

:p 

[PeachyDoodle]

Another possible factor: There is some research correlating higher altitude with ease at losing weight without someone "trying."  http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/food-matters/into-thin-air-weight-loss-at-high-altitudes/ . 

 

 

That's it! I'm moving to the Himalayas!! :lol:

 

So 'work hard' doesn't mean work it just means misery? Not sure I agree with that. Whatever. It's all semantics.

 

Right. I do enjoy my exercise. It is enjoyable. It was not at first, but now it is.

 

But, that doesn't mean I don't work hard at it. I turn down other activities -- frequently -- to keep my exercise schedule. I turn down parties and events that involve food to stick on my eating regimen. I spend HOURS planning food just to make sure that I don't go off track. And it's not like this is something I'll do for a month or two to drop 10 lbs and then I can back off. I CANNOT BACK OFF. EVER. I have to be "on" mentally and physically 24 hours a day, or I will gain weight.

 

I'm fortunate that I have the time and ability to do this right now. When I worked full-time, it never would have happened. It is a full-time job in and of itself.

 

I have to say, I am absurdly jealous of anyone who is so active and naturally drawn to a healthy diet that it is all play and no work. ABSURDLY jealous.