Society/Culture Fat City - What can stop obesity?

[cartwright]

Junk food isn't cheaper than preparing your own food, if you know what you're doing. I shop and meal prep for me and my missus, I eat 6 meals a day, she eats 4. Cost me $80 for a weeks food (minus friday dinner, saturday lunch and dinner), there is no hope you could get that many meals as junk for cheaper.

$80?!??!!? for two. What are you buying?! That is just my fruit & vege bill for the week.

Power Raid, out of curiosity, was it obvious from standard tests that you had AI? Was it your thyroid?

Basically how did you discover you had AI?

I'm interested in understanding how people have found out they have AI when thyroid results are in the normal range?

cartwright

hmm. Well I found out thyroid issues after I went Hyper,... my tsh went to 0.001 and the only reason I found out was because I went to the dr for an unrelated issue. I was on some meds, and she wanted me to have a repeat, and I told her not an option as it made my hair fall out... (when I say half my hair I mean it.. I usually need two hair ties to keep my hair up, and within 2 weeks I had a straggly little ponytail). She ordered the tests.

Now my thyroid is in normal range, no dr wants to help me when I *know* its still not quite right.i.e. I know when its 1.70 its okay, 1.80 is too high.
Try to get a dr to acknowledge this. So, I just take a supplement to help.

 

[nicky]

$80?!??!!? for two. What are you buying?! That is just my fruit & vege bill for the week.



hmm. Well I found out thyroid issues after I went Hyper,... my tsh went to 0.001 and the only reason I found out was because I went to the dr for an unrelated issue. I was on some meds, and she wanted me to have a repeat, and I told her not an option as it made my hair fall out... (when I say half my hair I mean it.. I usually need two hair ties to keep my hair up, and within 2 weeks I had a straggly little ponytail). She ordered the tests.

Now my thyroid is in normal range, no dr wants to help me when I *know* its still not quite right.i.e. I know when its 1.70 its okay, 1.80 is too high.
Try to get a dr to acknowledge this. So, I just take a supplement to help.

What supplements?

It's so hard to get a doctor to do proper thyroid testing. Often if your TSH is in the normal range they say your thyroid is ok. TSH is merely the first thing in a line of things that can go wrong so this assumption is akin to a computer technician telling you that your computer is fine because it's plugged into a wall. Thyroid issues could be a problem stemming from your thyroid, gut, liver, cell downregulation, AI, conversion; not just pituitary gland which is what TSH is testing.

I've found that even integrative doctors are quick to dismiss thyroid issues on the basis of superficial testing. I understand the testing required for thyroid troubleshooting, but yet to find a doctor who will refer those tests.

 

[cartwright]

What supplements?

It's so hard to get a doctor to do proper thyroid testing. Often if your TSH is in the normal range they say your thyroid is ok. TSH is merely the first thing in a line of things that can go wrong so this assumption is akin to a computer technician telling you that your computer is fine because it's plugged into a wall. Thyroid issues could be a problem stemming from your thyroid, gut, liver, cell downregulation, AI, conversion; not just pituitary gland which is what TSH is testing.

I've found that even integrative doctors are quick to dismiss thyroid issues on the basis of superficial testing. I understand the testing required for thyroid troubleshooting, but yet to find a doctor who will refer those tests.

Just a bioceuticals thyroid one.

Yep. they will do the TSH, but never write down T3, T4 unless I state I want it. I also add iron & Vit D.

I think due to it being complex and involved, its easier to dismiss these issues. My friend I pushed to get testing every few months, from what she was explaining I was pretty sure she had a problem. Her TSH was 0.30, and the dr wanted her to ignore everything and come back in a year. After pushing her to go to more drs' they found nodules. smh.
I can see why people give up, or don't even know its an issue.

 

[DemonTim]

hormones


The basal metabolic rate of the body is controlled by the hormones T3 and T4, produced by the thyroid gland

I'm aware. My point is for the majority of people it is not actual hormone or digestive issues that are the cause of them not being able to lose weight. Their hormones may be off as a product of a bad diet, but it is not the cause of their weight problems. More likely the other way around.

 

[DemonTim]

$80?!??!!? for two. What are you buying?! That is just my fruit & vege bill for the week.



hmm. Well I found out thyroid issues after I went Hyper,... my tsh went to 0.001 and the only reason I found out was because I went to the dr for an unrelated issue. I was on some meds, and she wanted me to have a repeat, and I told her not an option as it made my hair fall out... (when I say half my hair I mean it.. I usually need two hair ties to keep my hair up, and within 2 weeks I had a straggly little ponytail). She ordered the tests.

Now my thyroid is in normal range, no dr wants to help me when I *know* its still not quite right.i.e. I know when its 1.70 its okay, 1.80 is too high.
Try to get a dr to acknowledge this. So, I just take a supplement to help.

Chicken, fish, veg for salad, veg to cook, rice, oats, Greek yoghurt, bananas, almonds, kangaroo meat

Buy bulk. $80 a week. Sometimes goes up if nothing is on special anywhere

 

[Catfish Alley]

Sounds manageable. I'm probably on around $160 for 4 of us.

 

[CM86]

Fat city bitch, fat, fat city bitch
Ten ten ten twenties overweight on the scales, bitch

 

[GreyCrow]

I'm aware. My point is for the majority of people it is not actual hormone or digestive issues that are the cause of them not being able to lose weight. Their hormones may be off as a product of a bad diet, but it is not the cause of their weight problems. More likely the other way around.

I find it ''lets '' people off the hook when I hear '' oh its my thyroids'' . Yes I am overweight yes I have thyroid issues and yes my metabolism could be better. But its the rubbish that goes into my mouth that pushes the belt notches out not anything else.

 

[hoianbulldog]

My wife has always been a healthy eater without being pedantic about it. She wasn't at her ideal weight by any stretch but was not obese either.
Late last year she had her thyroid medication increased and lost 10 kg over 3 months without any change to lifestyle.

I'm not saying all overweight people have thyroid problems but it was an interesting outcome.

 

[VineyIsLORD]

Chicken, fish, veg for salad, veg to cook, rice, oats, Greek yoghurt, bananas, almonds, kangaroo meat

Buy bulk. $80 a week. Sometimes goes up if nothing is on special anywhere

Thats similar to my diet. Steamed everything. Also throw in blueberries muesli and a block of dark chocolate. And a few beers. And a shitload of tea.

I used to eat a lot of junk food, like 3 or 4 times a week. Never got fat but holy s**t was it unhealthy.

 

[DemonTim]

Thats similar to my diet. Steamed everything. Also throw in blueberries muesli and a block of dark chocolate. And a few beers. And a shitload of tea.

I used to eat a lot of junk food, like 3 or 4 times a week. Never got fat but holy s**t was it unhealthy.

I used to be mega fat. Would have mates over and we would go through large pizzas, chips, chocolate, ice cream. Happened a few times a week

It annoys me that I didn't get into playing sport and fitness sooner

 

[VineyIsLORD]

I used to be mega fat. Would have mates over and we would go through large pizzas, chips, chocolate, ice cream. Happened a few times a week

It annoys me that I didn't get into playing sport and fitness sooner

I think sport kept me in shape. Always been into swimming, footy and basketball. Im not a health nut or anything like that, i just ate way too much bad food because i didn't know any better. A dinner of steamed broccoli and green beans with some steamed fish and hot sauce is ******* delicious and can be cooked in a steamer in ten minutes. I was simply not aware of this stuff til a couple of years ago.

 

[EagleShore]

TL;DR - Don't avoid fats, just choose the right ones!


Some of you here who have changed your diet in order to improve your health and reduce your weight is great, but whatever you do, don't go on a low fat diet. Your body needs fatty acids in order to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, & K) and other compounds in your food.

The best fats to use are (a) saturated fats such as virgin coconut oil (available everywhere nowadays), ghee from grass-fed cows (you can buy it online), and duck-fat; (b) EVOO (do not cook with it); (c) cold-pressed nut and seed oils like macadamia, avocado etc.; and (d) butter from grass-fed cows.

Do not use (b), (c), or (d) for your cooking (simple guide here), but add them to salads and on top of already cooked/steamed vegetables (grass-fed organic butter is delicious on steamed greens, OMG (salt, pepper, raw garlic, butter, and apple cider vinegar on kale is one of my favourite things to eat).

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy and use the cheap oils such as canola oil and those listed as "vegetable oil blend". Such oils make you feel sick/off if you pay attention to the feelings you get after a meal in which they're used. I opened a jar of olives at my Mum's the other day and they tasted like s**t. Not only were they lacking flavour, they were "marinating" in canola oil. Horrendous stuff.

I can go into all the lipid biochemistry behind this information, but it's beyond the scope of this forum, and the information is out there on the internets and googles . Basically though, high-heat extracted vegetable oils (margarines, vegetable oils, non-cold-pressed nut and seed oils like canola) contain free-radicals that oxidise your LDL (so-called "bad cholesterol") and it is this OXIDISED LDL that causes inflammation of the lining of your arteries (ie. heart/vascular disease). Saturated fatty acids do not cause this as they're more chemically stable (not prone to oxidation). Another factor is the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, which for optimum health is around 1, while the "modern diet" hovers around 5 or greater, up to 20+ in those who eat heaps of food fried in vegetable oils, such as fast-food.

Side note: Beware that, due to the fact that mainstream livestock are fed mostly grain, regular butter and animal fat contains higher levels of omega-6 and lower omega-3 (thus contributing to the pro-inflammatory scourge of the "modern diet"). This is why we should eat meat from grass-fed animals, ideally from organic farms.

A few doctors around the world are now measuring oxidised LDL, which correlates better to the risk of heart disease than simple LDL. Beware, mentioning this to your GP will most likely result in a confused look

The outdated information is still everywhere on the internet, and still unfortunately recommended by the Heart Foundation. Doctors and the medical industry in general are not taught much about nutrition. They tell you what they're told to tell you without researching it properly. With respect to most doctors, they have so much bureaucracy to wade through and so much evidence-based research to read (only, most of it pertains to medications and guidelines on managing disease, not nutrition).

 

[VineyIsLORD]

Eagle why wouldn't you cook with EVOO?

 

[Grin]

If you're obese and want to lose weight, forget the mumbo jumbo, fad diets or con artist pushing pseudo science.
Try eating less.

 

[DemonTim]

If you're obese and want to lose weight, forget the mumbo jumbo, fad diets or con artist pushing pseudo science.
Try eating less.

Not necessarily

 

[monotone]

A 1 hour walk a day has amazing effects

 

[Grin]

Not necessarily

Unfortunately, for about 99.9% of fat people, if they want to lose weight, they're just going to have to eat less.
You see, it's kind of like giving up cigarettes: If you want to give up cigarettes, you actually have to give up cigarettes.

Sounds crazy harsh, I know.

 

[DemonTim]

Unfortunately, for about 99.9% of fat people, if they want to lose weight, they're just going to have to eat less.
You see, it's kind of like giving up cigarettes: If you want to give up cigarettes, you actually have to give up cigarettes.

Sounds crazy harsh, I know.

Well again no. The two aren't comparable. Plenty of obese people aren't eating too much, they're eating the wrong things. Or binging at certain times of day because they skip meals. I see it at work all the time, people skip breakfast/lunch then scoff down a few donuts. Get maccas for tea because they're hungry

"Just eat less" isn't the solution. Especially for long term weight loss goals. It's counter productive.

 

[Grin]

The overweight people you're talking about sound like they have poor discipline or organisational skills and should eat less rubbish.
I wouldn't necessarily say that all people are overweight because they're undisciplined or lazy. I know overweight people who are disciplined and eat healthily, and although they seem to not over eat compared to the average person, still gain weight.

Weight gain is very complex. It includes genetic, socioeconomic, psychological, social, and other health and hormonal factors such as arthritis and hypothyroidism etc. etc.. Increasingly theories about gut bacteria are being considered. We know the enteric bacteria is different in obese people than people of healthy weight. It is not known what comes first, does this different bacteria lead to obesity or does obesity lead to a change in gut flora? It seems, as with alcohol, some people are more efficient at absorbing energy through the food they eat than others. These people would have a tendency to gain weight.

Obviously the quality of the food one consumes has an impact on weight, but the simple fact is that if you're going to consume more energy than you're using over a period of time, you're going to gain weight. Therefore, no matter the cause of your obesity, if you are to lose weight, you'll need to consume less calories. For some people, this might mean consuming very small amounts and feeling hungry most of the time, which would be very difficult to sustain without bariatric surgery.

 

[DemonTim]

The overweight people you're talking about sound like they have poor discipline or organisational skills and should eat less rubbish.
I wouldn't necessarily say that all people are overweight because they're undisciplined or lazy. I know overweight people who are disciplined and eat healthily, and although they seem to not over eat compared to the average person, still gain weight.

Weight gain is very complex. It includes genetic, socioeconomic, psychological, social, and other health and hormonal factors such as arthritis and hypothyroidism etc. etc.. Increasingly theories about gut bacteria are being considered. We know the enteric bacteria is different in obese people than people of healthy weight. It is not known what comes first, does this different bacteria lead to obesity or does obesity lead to a change in gut flora? It seems, as with alcohol, some people are more efficient at absorbing energy through the food they eat than others. These people would have a tendency to gain weight.

Obviously the quality of the food one consumes has an impact on weight, but the simple fact is that if you're going to consume more energy than you're using over a period of time, you're going to gain weight. Therefore, no matter the cause of your obesity, if you are to lose weight, you'll need to consume less calories. For some people, this might mean consuming very small amounts and feeling hungry most of the time, which would be very difficult to sustain without bariatric surgery.

All of that is very different to simply saying "eat less"

And no, an obese person should not be eating very small amounts. It does nothing for long term weight loss. Small decreases are a much better way to do things.

 

[Grin]

All of that is very different to simply saying "eat less"

And no, an obese person should not be eating very small amounts. It does nothing for long term weight loss. Small decreases are a much better way to do things.

The easiest way to lose weight is to not gain it in the first place, so number 1 is to not put on more weight.
Then I think aiming for 1 kg weight loss per month is a reasonable goal.
I wouldn't advocate fast weight loss because it is rarely sustained.
10 to 15kg weight loss over about 12 months is a fantastic achievement in my opinion. 20 to 30kg sustained over 2 years is something to be admired.

 

[DemonTim]

The easiest way to lose weight is to not gain it in the first place, so number 1 is to not put on more weight.
Then I think aiming for 1 kg weight loss per month is a reasonable goal.
I wouldn't advocate fast weight loss because it is rarely sustained.
10 to 15kg weight loss over about 12 months is a fantastic achievement in my opinion. 20 to 30kg sustained over 2 years is something to be admired.

45kg in 3 years then put back 10 on in mostly muscle.

My problem with your original post was over simplification

 

[Scotland]

The simplest advice is usually the best starting point.

 

[Max zero]

45kg in 3 years then put back 10 on in mostly muscle.

My problem with your original post was over simplification

The thing is maybe it needs to be simplified. So many weight loss techniques seem to imply weight loss without effort.

Anything worthwhile is never easy.

As a sidetrack does everyone have a medical condition but me? All these medications and treatments yet I haven't been to the doctor for 20 years (apart from regular checkups).

Notice the general lack of health in a lot of my workmates. Just wonder if its genetics or lifestyle.