Body Image

[Qlip]

It is probably because you have notice your own body image

No really.

If you think about the extreme cases like anorexia and bulimia, the people are skinny (most of them usually,) but they don't feel like their "normal" ideal weight/image.

This is definitely part of it, but also part of it is how I put on weight. When it's evenly distributed, it's not so much that I have a belly, I *am* a belly. When I get the the last 10-15 pounds, it's obvious where it is prominent and obvious where it is, and it shouldn't be there. Of course, I wouldn't notice this sort of thing without noticing my body image.

 

[Glycerine]

I think we are attributing a bit too much to genetics. Rates of obesity and being overweight are on the rise around the world. And even if people are skinny/within normal weight, there is the idea of "skinny fat".

Not everyone can fit a size 0 or 8 but saying genetics plays a big part in why people become overweight or obese seems like a copout. I would think it's a mixture of diet, activity level, environment, and to some extent, genetics (thyroid, how one's body handles cortisol, mental health, how the body metabolizes sugar, diseases, etc). Saying that 2/3 of Americans are overweight because in part of their genetics seems hard to believe.

https://www.cia.gov/news-informatio.../obesity-according-to-the-world-factbook.html

 

[miss fortune]

apparently [MENTION=5684]Elfboy[/MENTION] either hasn't heard of chubby chasers or wants to deprive them

I happen to like a man with some meat on his bones... I think that it's downright sexy The man happens to be on the hefty side and is working on losing weight (successfully) and I do support him, because I want for him to live at least as long as I do, but I don't want for him to be all bony by any means... not that he has a frame that could pull that off anyway

 

[Chiharu]

In the media, whether it be books, movies, TV, etc. when an overweight character is portrayed, they almost always seem to be portrayed as food-obsessed, lazy, stupid, or maybe a bit evil. It wouldn't be hard at all to have characters that just happen to be overweight but who aren't gorging themselves on food and aren't food obsessed.

The food obsession slant always pissed me off. I've never been a big eater. I'm overweight because I hated exercise for a long time (asthma+ bullying due to my large chest can really turn a girl off cardio) and because I ate a diet high in salt and refined grains (like most Americans do). Once I learned about proper nutrition and rediscovered my love for exercise, I brought my weight under control.

[MENTION=5684]Elfboy[/MENTION]: I understand where you're coming from. But I also had a mother who stress-ate while trying to save her marriage and I have a friend whose mother and sister bullied her for being short and roundish until she had a real weight problem. I think emotional eating and addiction to the "food" sold in America is just as big of a mental health issue as anorexia and bulimia are- and these issues are generally ignored, not over-diagnosed.

 

[The Great One]

how old are you, i was under the impression you were young.

I'm 24.

I believe in you

Thank you so much. **Hugs back**

 

[cafe]

Cracked says nobody maintains significant weight loss long term. Also, they cite a study.

And there is the BBC documentary about people who seem to be genetically programed to not gain weight. It's been posted on the forum before.

Having genes that are a mismatch for your environment makes your life hard.

 

[Chiharu]

Cracked says nobody maintains significant weight loss long term. Also, they cite a study.

That's not necessarily genes though. It's more to do with losing weight too quickly/not building muscle.

 

[cafe]

That's not necessarily genes though. It's more to do with losing weight too quickly/not building muscle.

I would agree if some people managed it. They can't all be doing it wrong, though, I wouldn't think.

 

[Qlip]

I would agree if some people managed it. They can't all be doing it wrong, though, I wouldn't think.

I couldn't quite decipher the study, didn't have time, but it looks like it's for a very specific type of dieting under specific conditions. I lost of significant amount of weight somewhere around 10 years ago, I weigh even less than the original loss now and at no point in time got within 30 lbs of the original weight loss.

 

[RDF]

Also, they cite a study.

The study that you linked says that 20% of dieters lose significant amounts of weight and manage to keep it off long-term. Read the summary section:

SUMMARY

Results of random digit dial surveys indicate that ≈20% of people in the general population are successful at long-term weight loss maintenance. These data, along with findings from the National Weight Control Registry, underscore the fact that it is possible to achieve and maintain significant amounts of weight loss. [...]

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/82/1/222S.full

The NWCR cited in the study is here: http://www.nwcr.ws The NWCR is a good place for weight loss tips and research findings on the best ways to lose weight.

As for why some people (20%) can lose weight and keep it off, I think it comes down making weight loss a top priority in your life.

A lot of people make an effort to lose weight, but they only attempt it haphazardly. They engage in fad diets; or they diet hard-core for a while, lose some weight, and then go back to their previous bad eating habits and regain the weight. These are the unsuccessful 80%.

Meantime, there is one segment of the population where people have almost 100% success at controlling their weight: People who spend their lives in front of cameras or on-stage: Actors, announcers, politicians, singers, newsmen, etc. Why are they so good at weight control? Because looking good is their top priority in life. Their appearance is their livelihood. Check them out in the off-season or between gigs, and you’ll see that they often gain weight. But when it comes time to get in front of a camera or go on-stage again, suddenly their weight is back under control.

So it’s my opinion that if you want to be one of the 20% successful crowd, you need to prioritize weight loss like your livelihood depends on it (IOW, like you were an actor or politician or newsman): Research the subject properly; use safe, effective, proven weight-loss techniques instead of fad diets; and make long-term changes to your diet and exercise instead of just dieting hard for a while and then going back to previous bad habits.

 

[Chiharu]

I would agree if some people managed it. They can't all be doing it wrong, though, I wouldn't think.

Well dieting in general is flawed. Dramatically cutting calories is wrong. Counting calories is somewhat futile. "Speeding up" your metabolism is ridiculous. Low carb diets, etc. are neither healthy nor necessary. And soy products (staples of vegan and vegetarian diets) can inhibit weight loss. With so much misinformation, is it really a wonder that so many people fail? Not to mention we look at success as "I lost 100 lbs in year!" instead of "I lost 100 lbs of FAT in 3 years and have kept it off ever since."

 

[Rail Tracer]

Well dieting in general is flawed. Dramatically cutting calories is wrong. Counting calories is somewhat futile. "Speeding up" your metabolism is ridiculous. Low carb diets, etc. are neither healthy nor necessary. And soy products (staples of vegan and vegetarian diets) can inhibit weight loss. With so much misinformation, is it really a wonder that so many people fail? Not to mention we look at success as "I lost 100 lbs in year!" instead of "I lost 100 lbs of FAT in 3 years and have kept it off ever since."

12 years of experience, eating consistently is the easiest way to remain (besides "normal" growth with aging) stable when it comes to weight. That sounds awful that I've been pretty stable all these years (I do eat, mind you...) but it goes in a line with the study that our bodies WANT to remain equalized (whether that weight is 200 or 130.)

There is a study that the body wants to be in equilibrium when it comes to weight. Your goal by losing weight or gaining weight is inconsistent with what your body wants (because it has gotten so used to that weight.) You choosing to exercises to lose weight here and there is inconsistent with what the body wants. Once you gain/lose weight and constantly stay at that weight, your body starts adapting to that new weight and that is when your body considers it the new equilibrium.

There are other studies too. In anorexic people, it has been found that they have the ability to ignore hunger signals far better than other people can because those types of people have consistently done it so many times that their body no longer tells the person that he/she is hungry even if their stomachs are essentially empty (don't try this at any extremity it is VERY VERY VERY unhealthy.) That same process happens to overweight people, in that consistently eating more than when your body tells you that you are full will increase the amount of food it takes to signal satiety.

I think the keyword is consistency. Do something enough times, and it becomes the new normal.

 

[Lexicon]

There are other studies too. In anorexic people, it has been found that they have the ability to ignore hunger signals far better than other people can because those types of people have consistently done it so many times that their body no longer tells the person that he/she is hungry even if their stomachs are essentially empty (don't try this at any extremity it is VERY VERY VERY unhealthy.) That same process happens to overweight people, in that consistently eating more than when your body tells you that you are full with increase the amount of food it takes to signal satiety.

I think the keyword is consistency. Do something enough times, and it becomes the new normal.

Yeah, I can attest to the bold. Mentally, in some ways, I've recovered from that- the desire to become thinner due to perception distortion, but my 10+years of ignoring hunger totally fucked up my body's signals. I forget to eat often when I know I need to. That sensation of "hungry" just isn't there. Then I feel tired and shitty at the end of the day and realize I needed to feed myself. I make breakfast mandatory for this reason. Set alarms. I don't know when eating regularly will become the new normal to my brain's messengers. Gotta be consistent.


This is a pretty interesting documentary about weight loss/gain: (they mention some of the same things you do, regarding a body's 'set point.')

 

[Bamboo]

I've always felt bad at being pretty incapable at saying anything helpful to people with body image issues. I just avoid at this point, bull in china shop. This started with a high school girlfriend whose mom told her she had to lose 10-15 pounds for homecoming, which was a ridiculous (she wasn't overweight in my eyes at least, maybe 130-5 5'6") and also almost impossible goal for a short time frame of a couple of weeks.

 

[Rail Tracer]

Yeah, I can attest to the bold. Mentally, in some ways, I've recovered from that- the desire to become thinner due to perception distortion, but my 10+years of ignoring hunger totally fucked up my body's signals. I forget to eat often when I know I need to. That sensation of "hungry" just isn't there. Then I feel tired and shitty at the end of the day and realize I needed to feed myself. I make breakfast mandatory for this reason. Set alarms. I don't know when eating regularly will become the new normal to my brain's messengers. Gotta be consistent.


This is a pretty interesting documentary about weight loss/gain: (they mention some of the same things you do, regarding a body's 'set point.')

<----- Been consistently adding milk to his diet. In fact, it is starting to become normal that I drink a glass (somewhere around 15oz...) per meal (total of around a half-gallon a day) and off meals. Trying to see how I can fare for a year or so along with my normal diet. I might have actually put on about 5lbs (both muscle and fat... because I am actually exercising also.) Strangely enough, it is the target amount that I should be adding anyways (about 2 pounds a week, both muscle and fat, at most.)

But the video, that was exactly what happened to me when I've talked to the doctor about not being able to gain weight (this was about 2 years ago.) I can't remember the name of the drug that I asked that induced hunger. What happened? Let's say I gained more weight than I could ever imagine. I think I ate like 3-4 times as much as I usually do for 3 months, and it was the most horrible feeling ever... even though the drug made me feel hungry. I got to my targeted weight and stopped the drug... I tried staying at that weight. The end result? I burned all the fat, and I went straight back to my original weight in a month or two. I can attribute it to eating portion sizes that I am NOT accustomed to (what I am doing now is a lot more manageable.)

I think I might be like these people. Eat until full, but can't really eat any more unless I force myself.

 

[93JC]

We truly are funny creatures. We're the only ones who feel shame, shame, shame.

 

[Rail Tracer]

We truly are funny creatures. We're the only ones who feel shame, shame, shame.

Nothing wrong with trying to be healthy.

 

[93JC]

Ah, but much of what we think looks healthy is a product of what we are told looks healthy. E.g. the example I spoke of earlier, pale skin. Tanning gives you cancer but that doesn't stop millions of people from doing it in the name of "having healthy, bronzed skin".

 

[kyuuei]

There comes a point of time where I think people get full circle in some sort of cycle.

- Don't care at all.
- Suddenly realize everyone else is caring.
- Suddenly realize your lack of caring is causing stress on yourself because others are starting to care 'too much.'
- Start genuinely caring based on that.
- Start caring too much.
- Get anxious/depressed/apathetic about it because it's way too draining emotionally to care about how you look constantly.
- Start not caring or obsessing as a result.
- Get drained from that and start realizing what is reasonable or not.
- Find contentment or resentment.
- Potentially start all over again depending on life events.

No one 'likes' their skin 100%. There's always flaws. I'm not saying body acceptance being preached is this lovey dovey 'omg everyone is beautiful' awesome thing. I'm saying it works because it's necessary for emotional survival. A lack of true acceptance stops you from accepting others, and greatly hinders relationships. If you cannot fully understand how to like yourself you will never understand how anyone else can like you as you are. And that just causes more tension and drama in all sorts of other ways.

Your body type will remain how it is. I say, if you're TRULY so depressed about your weight/size ratio, get a nutritionist or do some research on what will work for you exercise/dietary wise and stick to it. I don't care if it's weight watchers, home cooking, detailed scale-weighted-stuff, cook yourself thin, etc. Find what works and do it. You can change how much fat you carry, but it does take active effort. (My mother has a disease that requires strong medicines.. she will never be 130 lbs ever again despite being that way her whole life. She's hovering at 200, and she hates it, but it doesn't feel so bad when she's eating right and exercising. She has to accept that she'll never see 130 no matter what kind of diet she is on, but she can get lower than 200 if she stays active and healthy.)

You don't really get HAPPY with your body. It's more contentment. When you're overly happy about your body anything that changes it stresses the fuck out of you. (If you watch Game of Thrones, think Jaime Lannister and his hand.) Contentment is more what you want to aim for.

 

[93JC]

^That's a very... healthy... outlook.