"Obese people really don't eat a lot."

[Dreamliner]

I read this frequently. And indeed, obese people I work with assure me that they really don't eat a lot. So ? And what follows ? That they should eat more than they do to lose weight ?

While it may be true that the majority of obese people don't shovel down untold thousands of calories a day. obese people that I work with are most assuredly getting enough calories to at least maintain, if not gradually increase their existing weight.

Case in point: I'm working with a 45-year old female who wants to lose fifty pounds in relatively short order. Her BMR is just a smidge over 1,600 calories and she's not terribly active. And like the typical American, she eats four of five times a day, so it's frightfully easy for her to get the 1,700 or 1,800 calories she probably needs to maintain her existing weight, to say nothing of those days where she goes overboard in social settings.

This is one thing that actually irritates me, the admonition from so-called experts, even certified nutritionists, to up calories in obese people to help them lose weight. They need fewer, not more calories.

[LeafUF]

And who exactly is telling people who are eating enough to maintain their weight as is that they should be eating more to lose weight?

Can you provide examples because this just sounds ridiculous?

[LeafUF]

A couple of thoughts on your other points.

Obesity is often not even as big as many think. Especially for shorter individuals.

It also is very easy to put in more than enough calories without even thinking you eat a lot. No matter how many meals you eat a day.

[adamgator96]

Probably a mixture of bad food, bad habits (eating too late in the PM), sedentary lifestyle, etc.

I have worked with more overweight vegetarians than you can shake a stick at. While eating a vegetarian diet doesn't guarantee a healthy lifestyle, these girls camp out on Taco Bell bean burritos. They eat late, don't exercise, etc.

Fewer calories is a start.

[Dreamliner]

And who exactly is telling people who are eating enough to maintain their weight as is that they should be eating more to lose weight?

Can you provide examples because this just sounds ridiculous?

Whereas there may be factoids in this article that may be correct, but overall can be EASILY misconstrued:

http://google.com/reader/shared/chrishighcock?c=CLa335bAsqkC

[Dreamliner]

Probably a mixture of bad food, bad habits (eating too late in the PM), sedentary lifestyle, etc.

I have worked with more overweight vegetarians than you can shake a stick at. While eating a vegetarian diet doesn't guarantee a healthy lifestyle, these girls camp out on Taco Bell bean burritos. They eat late, don't exercise, etc.

Fewer calories is a start.

Fewer calories is the end of it pretty much. It doesn't matter what foods you eat. And it doesn't matter when you eat them. We have become obsessed (to our detriment) with food choices and meal timing.

[Dreamliner]

A couple of thoughts on your other points.

Obesity is often not even as big as many think. Especially for shorter individuals.

It also is very easy to put in more than enough calories without even thinking you eat a lot. No matter how many meals you eat a day.

I have two trainees, both middle-aged women, who are 50-100 pounds overweight.

And it's hard to see where they put it. They don't look enormous in their clothes.

[Dreamliner]

We don't need fewer calories, we need more therapy!

http://open.salon.com/blog/big_fat_trauma_queen/2010/02/27/fat_people_need_to_eat_more_not_less

[LeafUF]

Whereas there may be factoids in this article that may be correct, but overall can be EASILY misconstrued:

http://google.com/reader/shared/chrishighcock?c=CLa335bAsqkC

Had to scroll pretty far down to find what you are talking about and what I did find was some stupid blog article. Hardly someone I would consider an authority. While I agree that advice in the blog was awful I really find it hard to believe that there is a large number of nutritionists telling people to up their calories when they come across the example in your OP.

[Dreamliner]

Had to scroll pretty far down to find what you are talking about and what I did find was some stupid blog article. Hardly someone I would consider an authority. While I agree that advice in the blog was awful I really find it hard to believe that there is a large number of nutritionists telling people to up their calories when they come across the example in your OP.

Yes, but it represents a two-fold problem:

(1) The guy's Paul Chek certified. I think Chek's a looney, but he carries a LOT of weight in the field of fitness and nutrition and the sentiment is widespread.

(2) With nutritionists this typically comes in the form of eating six or more meals a day to 'ramp up' the metabolism. This, in my experience, generally leads to an increase in calories and more failure and frustration. Nutritionists of all people ought to know better.

[el_lagarto]

you pay for a college degree or something out of a crackerjack box and and simply telling fat people to cut down on how much they pile into their fat mouths seems too simplistic. people think there is magic out there that can overcome what is simply too much volume of intake.

learn to be hungry, it wont kill you.

[LoyalGatorFan]

One of the simplest concepts in exercise...Caloric Intake < Caloric Expenditure= Caloric/Weight Loss....

Im with you guys..people try and get too fancy with losing weight....all you have to do is make sure you burn off more than what you take in....

One thing that has always blown my mind with obese people, or even largely overweight people, is this....we burn a lot of calories daily just by doing general activities (walking through your house, to your car, sleeping, laughing, having sex, etc)......now I don't know the exact number of calories burned doing those activities but to think that these obese people have to not only eat enough to offset the calories burned for general activities, they also have to eat like 1 or 2000 more caloires to put on the extra weight....I guess that shouldn't blow me away since I know how Americans eat but it does....

Whenever I watch the TLC shows that document some 600 or 700 lb person who is bed ridden because they are so big they can't get outta bed, the person they are living with (spouse, friend, etc) is BRINGING THEM THE FOOD TO THEIR ROOM!!! Not only is it more often than not bad food, but they don't make the obese person even get up to get the food! Being 600 lb doesnt happen overnight....

[Dreamliner]

One of the simplest concepts in exercise...Caloric Intake < Caloric Expenditure= Caloric/Weight Loss....

Im with you guys..people try and get too fancy with losing weight....all you have to do is make sure you burn off more than what you take in....

One thing that has always blown my mind with obese people, or even largely overweight people, is this....we burn a lot of calories daily just by doing general activities (walking through your house, to your car, sleeping, laughing, having sex, etc)......now I don't know the exact number of calories burned doing those activities but to think that these obese people have to not only eat enough to offset the calories burned for general activities, they also have to eat like 1 or 2000 more caloires to put on the extra weight....I guess that shouldn't blow me away since I know how Americans eat but it does....

Whenever I watch the TLC shows that document some 600 or 700 lb person who is bed ridden because they are so big they can't get outta bed, the person they are living with (spouse, friend, etc) is BRINGING THEM THE FOOD TO THEIR ROOM!!! Not only is it more often than not bad food, but they don't make the obese person even get up to get the food! Being 600 lb doesnt happen overnight....

Well, you'd think so on general activity, but that's just the thing, most of us don't burn very many calories above Basal Metabolic Rate. As an example, if an average-sized man were to walk for an hour continuously he'd burn ... a whopping 183 calories.

[jdrgator]

I read this frequently. And indeed, obese people I work with assure me that they really don't eat a lot. So ? And what follows ? That they should eat more than they do to lose weight ?

While it may be true that the majority of obese people don't shovel down untold thousands of calories a day. obese people that I work with are most assuredly getting enough calories to at least maintain, if not gradually increase their existing weight.

Case in point: I'm working with a 45-year old female who wants to lose fifty pounds in relatively short order. Her BMR is just a smidge over 1,600 calories and she's not terribly active. And like the typical American, she eats four of five times a day, so it's frightfully easy for her to get the 1,700 or 1,800 calories she probably needs to maintain her existing weight, to say nothing of those days where she goes overboard in social settings.

This is one thing that actually irritates me, the admonition from so-called experts, even certified nutritionists, to up calories in obese people to help them lose weight. They need fewer, not more calories.

Many reasons for obesity. Obviously too many calories taken in and not enough energy burned is at the root. But like other overweight folk, for me it was first a lack of exercise and second, periods of time in my life, such as toward the end of the semester where I'd pull all nighters and my eating habits totally went to sh##. I literally felt myself gaining weight at those times.

[adamgator96]

Many reasons for obesity. Obviously too many calories taken in and not enough energy burned is at the root. But like other overweight folk, for me it was first a lack of exercise and second, periods of time in my life, such as toward the end of the semester where I'd pull all nighters and my eating habits totally went to sh##. I literally felt myself gaining weight at those times.

The all-nighters will absolutely wreck a healthy diet. I was working on 11-day episodes with travel all over the country, so I was up late and up early. Getting back to the hotel at 10pm or later and starving was a recipe for disaster, because I didn't want to deprive myself of a good meal (I felt I'd earned it and needed the "down" time). There usually aren't a lot of healthy options after 10pm.

[LeafUF]

The all-nighters will absolutely wreck a healthy diet. I was working on 11-day episodes with travel all over the country, so I was up late and up early. Getting back to the hotel at 10pm or later and starving was a recipe for disaster, because I didn't want to deprive myself of a good meal (I felt I'd earned it and needed the "down" time). There usually aren't a lot of healthy options after 10pm.

Travel is a killer. I am on the road about 50% of the time and living off per diem. Eating out for every meal plus for me often changing time zones and not sleeping much means I end up eating crap. Fortunately for me I am disciplined enough at home that I don't do much damage.

[Dreamliner]

Leaf, I'm glad you brought up eating out. You may be in a different category, but I have noticed that whenever a trainee tells me they've 'fallen off the wagon', the context ALWAYS seems to be eating out.

First (again acknowledging that some are in a different category), I want to ask people, why are you eating out so much ? Do you HAVE to eat out as much as you do ?

Second, is it possible that you are using eating out as an occasion to pig-out ? If so, why ? Is it necessary to gorge when you go to a restaurant ?

[JohnC1908]

As a single male I find myself eating out more often than staying in. I'm not real sure why I do it, but I guess I get a little bored just staying home. Also, I travel for my job quite a bit and I guess I keep the habit up when I come home.

[chrisleakfan4life]

I try not to go out to eat, but its cheaper than making meals.

When i do go out to eat, I limit myself and track the calories.

When it comes to restaurants, i dont trust their calorie counts and judge portion sizes instead in order to get a general idea.

To me, from a calorie stand point. 500 calories in tacos is no different than a 500 calorie salad made at home.

Sure it may not be as healthy, but calorie wise its all the same.

Sent from my iPhone using GatorCountry

[Dreamliner]

There you go. It is clearly possible to control calories when eating out. It's just that people tend to use eating out as an occasion to load up on calories and then pretend that it was beyond their control.

[chrisleakfan4life]

There you go. It is clearly possible to control calories when eating out. It's just that people tend to use eating out as an occasion to load up on calories and then pretend that it was beyond their control.

Last week i went to Olive Garden and it listed something like 220 calories for angel hair pasta and 80 for marinara sauce so i ordered it and when the brought it out i laughed, there was no way in hell this giant bowl of pasta was under 700 calories.

So i ate a little bit and took the rest home.

Sent from my iPhone using GatorCountry

[chrisleakfan4life]

The only fast food places i eat at are Del Taco, Mcdonalds and Chipotle.

I only get a small fry and a jr hamburger from there when i go(which isnt often) and its about 480-500 calories i believe.

Carbs are the calorie count killers and i try not to eat too much when i have it.

Sent from my iPhone using GatorCountry

[ces1948]

Empty calories like a 400 calorie donut or a 440 calorie carton of chocolate milk will not come close to satisfying your hunger however a chicken sandwich with the same calories will.

[chrisleakfan4life]

Empty calories like a 400 calorie donut or a 440 calorie carton of chocolate milk will not come close to satisfying your hunger however a chicken sandwich with the same calories will.

Or a few slices of double fiber wheat bread.

The difference is being able to control your hunger and not give in.

400 calories is all the same energy to your body, hunger is all mental.

If i know ive had all the energy my body needs and i still feel hungry, that doesnt mean i should eat.

Sent from my iPhone using GatorCountry

[Jupgator]

Thing is we have to eat, so there is no getting away from food. Lots of emotional factors play into it, but I think many people get hooked on food for many of the reasons people get hooked on drugs. In fact, I'm convinced that food is every bit as addictive as drugs.

[Dreamliner]

Empty calories like a 400 calorie donut or a 440 calorie carton of chocolate milk will not come close to satisfying your hunger however a chicken sandwich with the same calories will.

Perhaps. Depends on the individual. And the problem is that when people deprive themselves of the foods they enjoy, such as donuts ... they end up eating two donuts later.

[Dreamliner]

Thing is we have to eat, so there is no getting away from food. Lots of emotional factors play into it, but I think many people get hooked on food for many of the reasons people get hooked on drugs. In fact, I'm convinced that food is every bit as addictive as drugs.

But we still need to examine why most of the people on the planet, apart from Americans, seem to resist this 'addiction.'

[LeafUF]

Leaf, I'm glad you brought up eating out. You may be in a different category, but I have noticed that whenever a trainee tells me they've 'fallen off the wagon', the context ALWAYS seems to be eating out.

First (again acknowledging that some are in a different category), I want to ask people, why are you eating out so much ? Do you HAVE to eat out as much as you do ?

Second, is it possible that you are using eating out as an occasion to pig-out ? If so, why ? Is it necessary to gorge when you go to a restaurant ?

Well I already explained why I eat out so much. Frankly, I live in hotels most of the time. In fact, I am in one now in Clarksville, TN.

As to the second question do I use eating out as an occasion to pig out? No. Do I eat things that I know to be high in calories or higher than I would make at home sometimes? Yes. Do I need to gorge myself? No and mostly I don't but I will eat foods that I normally would not eat. For dinner tonight I had a Piranha burger in Nashville, with the fries and coleslaw on the burger with a couple of beers.

That said when I go to a place that is known for something that is good I will enjoy it. I ate a ton of seafood in Savannah, schnitzel and brats in Munich and King Crab in Alaska. So for me some of it is just being in places I don't normally go and taking in the local cuisine.

[Dreamliner]

Yes, you're in a rather unique category. And you don't make excuses when you pig out.

[DrTobiasFunke]

I can vouch for eating really unhealthy food and large quantities of it as a key reason why I gained so much weight. Looking at my family history, I definitely have a tendency toward being heavy but I really could pack away the calories. It would not shock me if some days I once at 6-8,000 calories or more over the course of the day. The big thing for me was that I tend to be all or nothing. If I had already eaten poorly that day, I figured that I might as well go all in and eat whatever I wanted the rest of the day.

[LeafUF]

Yea and still I am trying to be better on the road. Fortunately its harder to find places to get excited about in Clarksville than it is in Nashville.

[GuyWhiteyCorngood]

But we still need to examine why most of the people on the planet, apart from Americans, seem to resist this 'addiction.'

roughly in order:

Diet/available food, genetics, hormones, will power, education