Fat (topic du jour)

sazz1

Totally disagree with this as very heavy weight leads to diabetes, heart problems, joint problems, and premature death.
There are very few obese people who live into their 90s. OH is obese and borderline diabetic with knee and hip arthritis.

This is just a plea to everyone to remind them that all people with diabetes did not develope this because of being fat , had bad food or were inactive. Some of us just got the wrong gene that caused it . I put on a stone when I started on medication for diabetes 22 years ago and am now on insulin and lucky that that did not cause more weight gain . Sugar is not the only enemy carbs are lethal they really spike your blood sugar.

The body is such a complex organism with millions of chemical reactions going on all the time that it's impossible to advocate a "one size fits all" approach.

There's a ton of fascinating research around at the moment not least regarding the interaction of the hunger and satiety hormones leptin and grehlin differing in every single one of us causing intense cravings in those whose individual body chemistry is wired that way, either through genetics or lifestyle or both, that overrides willpower every time.

The interplay of hormones is crucial - the old joke of "it's me glands" is really not funny and quite prescient because the effects of under or over functioning glands and organs and the substances they secrete can be devastating.

The tricky part is trying to discover how your individual body actually works and it's a hugely frustrating thing of trial and error.

The future IMO lies with use of tech to show what exactly is going on inside - for a start the NHS could do worse than issue continuous glucose monitors to all struggling with fat issues where it shows without doubt what foods trigger insulin responses not just of deadly sugar but of all foods that may have a deleterious effect on your particular biology...in some people the innocuous chickpea can cause a massive spike in glucose, who knew?

It would enormously help on a low carb eating plan and the cost would more than be recouped by a vast drop in the need for medication like metformin et al.

Of course, such an approach, in general, might not be appreciated by the companies making huge amounts of profit but that's possibly a topic for another thread.

Ooops, have wandered a bit there!

What I’m trying to express is that until a state of starvation/weight loss was set in motion, ie yo-yo dieting, the up and down weight doesn’t really happen. I think many people muck up their metabolism and their bodies lose the ability to eat well and sensibly.

I boarded from 1973 to 1979. Then went to the upper school at 18. Then worked till I was 21. I gave up because I needed a break from it all. Planned to return but grew breasts and had periods and never went back. My body was permanently held in a prepubescent form until I gained weight. I look at myself then and wonder how my family didn’t step in and help. I wore clothing for 11 Yr olds and was basically starving in front of them. Ballet dancers now look very healthy, to me!

It was a brutal time for gymnasts/dancers and led nicely into the anorexic look for models.

Yours was exactly the right approach Kim19
Advice about the best way to loose weight varies over the years with some idiotic diets along the way but consistently the advice is to aim to loose about a pound a week. That way the body doesn’t go into the primitive ‘starvation mode’ whereby calories are stored as fat as the body anticipates a famine.

I think the difference is between "diets" and "ways of eating". Diet in common usage sounds temporary in nature and not leading to long-term change.

We have been low-carbing for several years now and have not lapsed or put weight back on. DH had pre-diabetes when we started, but the levels have never gone up so no medication needed. We enjoy butter, cheese, cream, fresh fruit and lots of veg and avoid processed sugar in all forms. We eat small quantities of bread, potatoes and pasta, but not every day. We drink wine (a glass of cava brut has 2g of carbs).

AuntieEleanorsCat

Callistemon21 that’s dreadful.

As an 18/19 Yr old I hovered between 6st 10 and 7st 5. I was 5ft 5. The tutors would tell me “lose some/gain some” and that for me was the beginning of the yo-yo phenomenon. I was always hungry and wonder how I had the strength to stand up. At nearly 20, they told me to go home and not come back until I’d gained some weight. When I returned 6 weeks later, I was nearly 8st. “You’ve let yourself go!” They said and withdrew me from casting.

I gave up, not long after. Always thought I’d go back but I couldn’t stand it any longer. I feel embarrassed now when anyone refers to me as an ex professional classical dancer. I know people must think “who’s she trying to kid?” I was, and it nearly killed me.

That's terrible, AuntieEleanorsCat

Your story reminds me of what has happened recently with young gymnasts being bullied about their weight by coaches.

I never put on weight, apart from pregnancy weight, until I was in my late 30s and became pregnant again.

One reason some people can eat more than others and not gain weight is because they have more muscle. Muscle is metabolically active, even when not in use, and will eat up calories. It's one of the reasons weight training is good for you. Bone and flab are not metabolically active.

I lost 4 stones nine years ago and..... never put it back on again. Life changing. I didn't have any grandiose plans other than to eat less of everything and my target was 1lb a week loss. No stress, no difficulty, just perseverance. I think we try too hard and too fast which only leads to disappointment. No ego, no halo, just feel good. Did take me over a year but was well worth it. Also my weight loss was so gradual that nobody noticed and therefore never became the topic of conversation. I'm so grateful.

Callistemon21 that’s dreadful.

As an 18/19 Yr old I hovered between 6st 10 and 7st 5. I was 5ft 5. The tutors would tell me “lose some/gain some” and that for me was the beginning of the yo-yo phenomenon. I was always hungry and wonder how I had the strength to stand up. At nearly 20, they told me to go home and not come back until I’d gained some weight. When I returned 6 weeks later, I was nearly 8st. “You’ve let yourself go!” They said and withdrew me from casting.

I gave up, not long after. Always thought I’d go back but I couldn’t stand it any longer. I feel embarrassed now when anyone refers to me as an ex professional classical dancer. I know people must think “who’s she trying to kid?” I was, and it nearly killed me.

Does anyone else remember Energen Rolls? They were meant to be used as a substitute for bread and resembled nothing more than polystyrene, not that I've ever tried that. My mum bought them for herself and me as we were both inclined to carry excess weight. They were pointless because I loaded them up with butter and marmalade, or jam, or cheese, depending on the time of day.

I met my ex husband when I was very slim. When I met him again a couple of years later I’d put on a lot of weight having had a rather traumatic relationship breakdown. He was horrified that I was so tubby and, even though we were then in a relationship he chose to tell everyone we were just friends. I went from overweight to 7 stone in a matter of weeks by going on a high protein diet and I don’t think my metabolism has ever recovered. I was lucky that I didn’t damage my kidneys or my fertility. It actually reminds me of the storyline in Normal People.I was never thin enough for him.

I went to boarding school and they’d weigh us every week and stick us in the Diet Room for a while if we were seen to be gaining weight. I was ten

That is dreadful, it remined of what has happened recently to the gymnasts.

I do remember a friend at school telling me I was "fat" - I was about 8½ stone and 5' 5" and she was an inch or two shorter but just over 6 stone!

They were utterly revolting. I was 15 yrs old and I’ve been dodging that stone in weight, @Callistemon21 ever since ?

Mine's more than the one. I was 8 stone 2 lbs then.

Anyone remember “BranSlim”? You took two horse sized tablets half an hour before a meal (it was like chewing sawdust pellets with a soapy fragrance about them) and drank a bucket of water. They were utterly revolting. I was 15 yrs old and I’ve been dodging that stone in weight, @Callistemon21 ever since ?

I hear you @MayBee… I’m still doing my Couch25K at nearly 60 and have NEVER gotten beyond week four. Makes me feel like a massive failure as people say “Oh, it’s so, so easy!” ?

I went to boarding school and they’d weigh us every week and stick us in the Diet Room for a while if we were seen to be gaining weight. I was ten. I never went in the Diet Room but I was ALWAYS hungry and knew girls to literally break down on the scales and have to be helped off and into a chair. The public humiliation was mortifying.

I did the brown rice diet with a friend. Just brown rice for a week. I put Worcester sauce on mine to make it more interesting. We were both @ 19 at the time. We still joke about it. We still have endless chats about which diet we’re on. I think, if I’d known more about nutrition when I was young I would never have ended up in this endless cycle of losing weight and gaining it. But the sixties were all about being stick thin and Twiggy like. It was only when I went to a beauty parlour when I was in my thirties that the lady there told me that I was actually trying to be a stone less than my natural weight ie I was always trying to be 8 stone when I should have tried to maintain a weight if 9 stone but exercise and tone up. I wonder if health and nutrition is taught in schools these days? If not it should be.

Remember buying a loaf of Nimble bread

I seem to remember buying something called a Cambridge loaf when I was in my early 20s, after putting on weight trying to impress my new husband with my cookery skills (which I had to make up as I went along).

A slice of Cambridge Formula loaf, toasted, and a poached egg was a staple. No butter.

I have spent most of my adult life losing, then gaining, the same stone in weight. It’s absolutely exhausting.

No, I haven't, sorry but I am all agog, waiting for advice!

It did make me laugh, though, AuntieEleanorsCat, thinking of that same stone lurking around waiting to creep back on again at the first chance!

AuntieEleanorsCat

I have spent most of my adult life losing, then gaining, the same stone in weight. It’s absolutely exhausting.

We booked a week’s holiday to take my mums ashes to Italy, just before lockdown in 2020. I was slim. Felt confident and could get in all my clothes. I’d been on another diet/exercise routine. Now, two weeks to go and I’m my heaviest EVER. I’m so disappointed with myself. I’m now reduced to a very limited wardrobe and feel unattractive and shit, basically.

Any advice? I do wish I could give myself a break.

Me too. Every birthday ( which also happens to be New Years Day) I bemoan the fact that I’m STILL on a diet. The only time that I lost weight and maintained it was at the start of the pandemic as I lost weight having read that being overweight would increase my risk of being seriously ill with covid, and I didn’t overeat because I was worried about possible food shortages. Have recently put weight on and feel awful and lacking in motivation to lose it. Remember buying a loaf of Nimble bread when I was 16 and buying AYDS (remember them; like chewy toffee and very moreish) and slimming biscuits (which were just overpackaged biscuits) all of which I ate far too much of! It’s like Groundhog Day isn’t it!

I have spent most of my adult life losing, then gaining, the same stone in weight. It’s absolutely exhausting.

We booked a week’s holiday to take my mums ashes to Italy, just before lockdown in 2020. I was slim. Felt confident and could get in all my clothes. I’d been on another diet/exercise routine. Now, two weeks to go and I’m my heaviest EVER. I’m so disappointed with myself. I’m now reduced to a very limited wardrobe and feel unattractive and shit, basically.

Any advice? I do wish I could give myself a break.

Incidentally, someone mentioned being healthy and eating fruit. A few berries apart, fruit is a big no no for people like me and anyone who doesn't want to eat sugar - it will quickly turn to glucose and fat. I previously had no idea that fresh fruit could be 'bad'!

Fruit isn't really bad for type 2 diabetes. Not all, but many fruits are in the low to moderate categories on the glycemic index. In addition, they provide a lot of nutrients.

I was pre diabetic but I'm now in the normal range for blood sugar, even though I could do with losing a stone.

I have cut out rice and potatoes and I make some of my own bread and all my own pasta using Einkorn wholemeal flour, which is an ancient grain that doesn't elevate blood sugar levels to the same degree as modern wheat.

For bread I use Allinsons Einkorn blend, and for pasta, wholemeal Einkorn flour.

It works for me in terms of managing the blood sugar.

I've always wanted to keep my figure and remain at around 8 stone and have kept to this weight through life ( except when put on few pounds during my two pregnancies ) not by starving myself just eating well always had a good appetite, cut out sugar never in tea or coffee ect I think sugar spoils the taste of the beverage. I do like chocolate but not eat every day just few days a week as a treat

I love walking go out for a walk every day. I am 70 now in good health no major problems hope I stay healthy though as we age you can't be too sure.

I also cut out all soft drinks in my twenties as thought to myself they can't have any goodness in them I drink bottled water real fruit juice.

I know it's not all down to lifestyle what you eat how much you move around my sister has been obese most of her life has diabetes she said she can't loose weight and has the fat gene.

So people can only do what they think is best for them.

I think that people can though take responsibility for their health and weight as I see a lot more very fat people about can only assume that most eat junk food convenience food. So that's my take on the diet health situation for what it's worth.

I have watched that programme on occasion and noticed that too. I watched one where the son moved away from home halfway through his weight problem because he said his mother began to undermine his weight loss, once he had lost enough to walk about outside and do things on his own.

I have often thought that psychological counselling and support is as important for weight loss as reducing food consumption - and family dynamics play into that, it is not just the weightloosers thought processes that are important, but the whole household's attitudes to each other.

How do bedbound morbidly obese retain weight? just watch a programme called my 600lb life. The food is enabled by carers, often family