Comments on Cranky Fitness: Fat is Not Fair

Thanks Craby for making such a nice blog. Lobster...

2009-10-31T20:13:35.383-04:00

Thanks Craby for making such a nice blog.

Lobster and you make a cute arthropod couple. :)

One of the component of weight gain or loss that is almost always left out is stress.

Stress hormones can start to be pumped in the brain as early as childhood or anytime of life when abuse is involved.

Both Roseanne and Oprah were abused and had, have and will have to struggle with weight all their lives.

A slow metabolism combined with a lifetime of stress hormone production is, I believe, the culprit for most cases of dangerous or morbid obesity.

I also think that society is making us body schizophrenic.
Media body ideal is the barbie doll, something impossible to achieve unless getting plastic surgery.

In between celebrity interviews, we get endless commercial for food loaded with chemical and cheap fat fillers.

These kind of addictive and nutritional empty food is also hawked during children programming all the way to the ones targeting seniors.

Roseanne and the Oprah show are cut by the same type of commercials.

To stop being assaulted by those, one has to forgo television entirely.

But speaking of Oprah, her website and her magazine along with every other magazine on the market have ads promoting the very same unhealthy food while urging people not to eat it on the next page.

The first step to make healthy eating habit part of everyone life would be,
to ban food commercials from children programming and school cafeterias.
and set up salad and healthy warm food bars at schools instead.
to build smaller neighborhood schools which could be accessed by parents and children by a short walk or bike trip.
to build safe bike paths between schools and homes.

European don't exercice but used to walk or bike everywhere.

Countries which still have large walking and biking traditions have less obese people than countries which have taken on the car/fat food american way of life.

The Netherland belongs to the first category while the U.K and France belong to the second.

I suspect that there is even a difference between northern and southern France as weather and length of daylight has a strong
influence on diet.

I truly appreciate you blog Craby, because you tell the truth about exercising and keeping fit

It hurts and it's annoying unlike glorious food which turns on the pleasure center in the brain and calm us down.

Thank you for this article! I have a regular work ...

2009-08-11T15:07:06.924-04:00

Thank you for this article!
I have a regular work out schedule and I eat and drink healthy but I don't drop weight fast. I have a friend who dropped 30 pounds in a blink of an eye by simply not eating as much. She never works out...in fact she hates it. It's a bit frustrating sometimes, but at least she doesn't rub it in my face.
I do hate it though when friends who are skinnier than you complain about how they are getting fat. You just want to shake them.

It would be lovely if we (society) could accept an...

2009-05-11T15:52:00.000-04:00

It would be lovely if we (society) could accept and (omg) celebrate the differences rather than insisting everyone had to be uniform. I believe we would all be much happier for it.

At one time in history, a woman with extra weight was considered beautiful and desirable. It was a sign of wealth (ofc, can you see rich men stuffing their wives with food just to show how wealthy they were?)

Thin doesn't equate to healthy and fat to unhealthy although that is what we are told. How many thin celebrities do you see smoking (probably to help surpress appetite)? Something is not quite right in the messages we are being given.

People who are naturally thin run into similar issues as those naturally larger. Comments made about anorexia, fear of showing their bodies, etc.

OK a bit rambling but really, do we all have to be the same? How boring!!!

thank you for great advice and time to act

2009-05-06T10:24:00.000-04:00

thank you for great advice and time to act

You deserve the body, friends, job, and LIFE that ...

2009-04-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

You deserve the body, friends, job, and LIFE that you have. Only exception could be family. Everything else is a result of your actions.

Exercise a lot and eat "healthy" and you're still fat? Well, you can still get fat eating avocados and chicken breasts. And having a weekend-long binge every month is a good way to keep fat -- despite those other 28 days of being "good".

You deserve the life you have.

Unless you have a medical condition such as those ...

2009-04-30T08:19:00.000-04:00

Unless you have a medical condition such as those that affect hormones or thyroid, you can lose weight and achieve a normal weight. "Healthy food" is only half the battle -- knowing the best times to consume what, and in what amounts and how often is key. If you think you're eating healthy and doing a lot of aerobics but you're still overweight, you're doing something wrong. Too much aerobics, for example, can increase cortisol and prevent you from losing weight. Yes, doing 5-10 hours of aerobics could STOP you from losing weight.

If anyone wants a comprehensive resource that outlines diet, exercise and tips for individualization (ie., there are specific recommendations based on your body type, aka somatype), go buy (and google) Precision Nutrition by Dr. John Berardi. I'm not affiliated with them, but I did use his guidelines to lose 50lbs, then gain back about half that in LEAN body mass.

The online forum is full of people of all kinds -- teens to seniors, obese people to elite athletes, desk jockeys to fitness professionals, all who use the Precision Nutrition system. Go take a look at the 40+ body transformation contest winners -- you will see that no matter how fat you are, as long as you don't have a prohibitive chronic disease, you can lose weight and gain an attractive body - WITH THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE.

Just found this post, and I have this to add:I was...

2008-11-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

Just found this post, and I have this to add:

I was skinny-to-normal my entire life (size 4 to 8 on a 5'3" tall medium frame) until I started taking Effexor. In no time at all--like, within a couple of months--I had gone from an easy size 6 to a tight 14. My hips went from 35 to 45 inches, and my waist measurement is now what my bust measurement used to be.

Part of the "problem" (if you look at weight gain from ADs as a problem) is that I can now eat. I'm no longer so depressed and anxious that I have no appetite.

Another part of the so-called problem is, according to my shrink, that some ADs (Effexor among them) cause your body to be more efficient with the calories you take in. You can gain weight incredibly quickly, even without upping the amount you eat, because your body's doing on 800 calories what it used to take 1000 to do.

Do I hate this? Sometimes. Sometimes I get very depressed that I'm no longer a waiflike Manic Pixie Dreamgirl. Most of the time, though, I remember what it was like to live in utter misery all the dadratted time, and the issues with weight are small by comparison.

Oh, yeah--I work out 6 days a week, can bench 120, and run 3 miles in 24 minutes. I'm just bigger all over than I used to be. *shrug* So...it's not necessarily *genetics*, per se, but normalizing your brain chemistry can do a number on your waistline.

I think the key to losing weight is 75% or more wh...

2008-10-30T23:39:00.000-04:00

I think the key to losing weight is 75% or more what we eat and the rest is exercise.

Bull.Everybody has to work hard to get impressive ...

2008-10-30T00:50:00.000-04:00

Bull.

Everybody has to work hard to get impressive physique. Genetic predisposition towards storing fat means you have to work much harder than others, but it's doable. It's possible. The problem is, it takes incredible power of will to work harder than others. It's much easier to say "I'll never be thin" and cut back on the work instead...

I have recently admitted to myself that I'll never...

2008-09-24T11:25:00.000-04:00

I have recently admitted to myself that I'll never be thin- I realized this when I trained with a very nice trainer for several months, went to the gym 5 days a week doing weights and cardio, and kept a food diary, all to the tune of gaining 2 pounds. Then I thought back throught my childhood and realized that even as a child I was never thin- always chubby, even throughout an active childhood. I'm going to continue with my fitness routine, but it I think I've finally resigned myself to being the size that I am, and have been since I was 14 years old. It also makes me a little frustrated that I've always worried about my weight, even since I was a teenager. Almost like I've never had that "carefree, who cares about what I eat" period in life. When I mention this to my friends, they don't get it, mainly because most of them don't work out at all and still are thin, and act like I shouldn't be resigned to my fate. But, I truly think that in my case, my DNA really wants me to look the way that I do. 5'3" and 140 pounds.

you all need to exercise more, plain and simple

2008-09-07T17:23:00.000-04:00

you all need to exercise more, plain and simple

Oh my gosh. This hit me hard. I am one of the unfo...

2008-09-05T16:09:00.000-04:00

Oh my gosh. This hit me hard. I am one of the unfortunates. I exercise about 10-15 hours a week and lose no weight. I teach Yoga also..and get nowhere. I am 5'10" in pretty good shape...but it's like my body just doesn't take to excercise anymore. It's crazy. I would like to lose 30 pounds and that 30 pounds is the weight that just wants to hang around and stay.

I work with a waif. And it infuriates me because she can't even lift her own body weight, but yet she reaps all of the aesthetic rewards of what i'm trying to get. She doesn't have to work out, but she looks like she does because she's skinny. Meanwhile I kill myself at the gym and I'm still chucky. NOT FAIR, NOT FAIR, NOT FAIRRRR!!!!!!!!

Well, for those that have not experienced the diff...

2008-07-01T14:42:00.000-04:00

Well, for those that have not experienced the difficulty have no idea. Thank you for the great post. I don't cling to genetics as my issue but I do know that I have a very difficult time losing weight as I have only lost 9 lbs since December. Some of that is because I haven't been religious with diet and exercise but the majority of it is because I do have an extremely slow metabolism (have had it measured). I try to stay positive but at the same time I also belong in that darker scenario. I see other people just cut back a little and lose weight. It is infuriating for those of us that do have underlying issues and have to be diligant 24/7 with diet and exercise to see any kind of result. *sigh. Thanks again for the great post. Maybe others will start to have a little more understanding that it's easier for some than others. It's not necessarily because we are sitting on the couch eating bon bons all day.

Crabby,I have now linked to this article of yours ...

2008-06-28T20:37:00.000-04:00

Crabby,

I have now linked to this article of yours in my new blog post today -- giving my own personal take on the matter:

http://goodbyetoallfat.blogspot.com/2008/06/fattitude-part-1.html

Best wishes,
Sharon

This is a great topic. I think you articulated th...

2008-06-27T17:24:00.000-04:00

This is a great topic. I think you articulated things very sympathetically & non-judgmentally. And I would even broaden the category to all overweight people, assuming that genes ALWAYS plays a role in someone gaining a lot of extra weight. Every single overweight person that I know is devastated about it in private, but puts on a good public face. I wouldn't assign a category for those who are fat because it's their fault, and those who are fat because it's out of their control. It's just painful to introspect and wonder what percentage of my weight came from cards being stacked against me & what percent came from me "choosing" to be fat. It's really hard not to be harsh with yourself when you're trying so hard.

I've been "chunky" since I was a toddler. I never ...

2008-06-27T09:55:00.000-04:00

I've been "chunky" since I was a toddler. I never lost my "baby fat", so to speak. And I learned poor eating habits from my family. I'm also not build to be a size 2. But because I was constantly receiving messages(verbal, visual, social) that I wasn't thin enough (which I understood as not being good enough), I tried to become something I could never be. And I failed miserably. My life for about 20 years has epitomized your Darker Scenario.

Thankfully, I'm finally learning to accept the fact that I can trust my body and love it as it is. I've lost some weight, and while I may always be "overweight" by BMI/medical standards, I am healthy, I exercise pretty regularly, I eat well most of the time, and I'm gradually addressing the behavioral/emotional issues that led to my obesity in the first place.

Still, it's hard not to listen when I hear/read "If you would only do this, you'll be thin like me" stories.

I don't know if I'm lucky or not, metabolism wise....

2008-06-27T07:41:00.000-04:00

I don't know if I'm lucky or not, metabolism wise. If I work hard, I lose weight. However, I'm 22 and I think that's rather helpful. I'm certain if I'd let this go on until I was 30 or 40 I'd have gained at least another 100 lbs and it would have definitely been harder to lose.

I think genetics played a role in my propensity to being overweight - but I think the food I was fed as a kid (never "junk" but my mother STILL won't accept that her cooking is simply too high in fat for every day), the portion sizes I learned to enjoy and the exercise I never did because I hated it, being already bigger and slower than my peers - was the larger factor. My sister, however, was always skinny, though she was fed the same food as I was of course. She simply didn't have the appetite I had.

I don't have a great metabolism and have to remain...

2008-06-25T04:47:00.000-04:00

I don't have a great metabolism and have to remain pretty focussed and committed to keep in that healthy weight range. Exercise helps enormously, as does eating well during the week and relaxing a bit more on weekends. I've found the things that (mostly) work and stick to them.

I've spent a fair amount of time thinking "it's not fair", "so and so can eat like a horse, so why can't I", etc, etc. But you know, it's a completely useless and counter-productive way of thinking. Amidst all that whining and "not-fairing" my health and weight didn't change.

It was only when I realised "fair" is a completely useless concept in this situation, that things changed for me. While I was feeling hard done by, I didn't miraculously get healthier / fitter / thinner. I just got more and more pissed off.

I recently though about this myself... as someone ...

2008-06-24T11:56:00.000-04:00

I recently though about this myself... as someone who was always thin, I assumed people who weren't just weren't active enough. Then I developed anemia (unknown at the time) and was tired all the time... stopped being active, didn't eat much differently... gained about 10 pounds. I know that's not a lot by some standards, but it was more than I'd ever gained in my adult life. I've recently lost 8 pounds, but in the process began to feel that perhaps someone carrying 50 or 100 excess pounds would probably feel as tired as me (altough thankfully the anemia is improving)... and the effort involved in just getting started could be overwhelming. When I was younger and fitter, going hiking really was "a walk in the woods". With the anemia, going hiking was a hellacious test of cardiovascular endurance...

Now that I've rambled on, I'm really sure what I meant to say except that even though I had compassion before, I didn't really understand. I don't know if I understand any better now since I'm not obese, but I feel that perhaps I can relate more.

I think it take a conscious effort to steer your m...

2008-06-23T18:44:00.000-04:00

I think it take a conscious effort to steer your mind away from society's push to look young, beautiful, and THIN and focus on being a healthy and fit person whether or not you are big or little. It's even harder for those with slower metabolisms, especially if they've been working hard at losing weight.
I think the solution - albeit really hard to do! - is to change one's perspective and focus on health instead of thinness.

Wow- what a great first post I've happened upon (I...

2008-06-23T16:59:00.000-04:00

Wow- what a great first post I've happened upon (I'll be sure to be back!)

I don't even think about my genetics when I am crying aloud about how hard it is for me to lose weight. I suppose it makes sense. I'm one of those people who work really hard and has to watch (AND write) down what I eat to stay on track. I am currently trying to lose weight and I know I work really hard.

So no, I dont think its a cop out for everyone. I also have had enough of the Darker Side (In which you've described with Stunning Accuracy) and so I'm working on the Brighter Side.

Excellent post - thanks for writing!

Certified member of Fat Kids Anonymous in the hous...

2008-06-23T16:10:00.000-04:00

Certified member of Fat Kids Anonymous in the house...

I've always been heavy, but also always been active. I danced, played softball and volleyball and generally reaked havoc on P-town well through my high school years. Come college and living on my own, it was much easier to grab the quick meals than cook good food without mom around. I'm paying for it now, at 25 I am overweight but I've accepted it as who I am.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not resting on my laurels (are those like big ass cheeks??), far from it actually. I am in the gym 5 days a week, lifting with the boyfriend. Cardio 2-3 times a week work permitting and open gym/league volleyball 2-3 nights a week. We also do as much outdoor fun as we can, staying active when weather permits in Oregon. I'm active, but after almost 3 years of really trying to loose the weight, I'm getting fed up with the constant losses and gains of 5 lbs.

I understand now that maybe my body naturally wants to be heavy, and I'm ok with that, but I don't want to be heay the way I am anymore. Really, if I could just loose another couple inches off my hips, thighs and belly, I would be completely happy in a size 12. I just don't know how much harder I can work.

Alas, I still keep plugging along and keep up with the boyfriend pretty well in how much I can lift (recently cleared 55 a side on dead lifts), but I'd love to be the pretty girl on the beach in a cute bikini when we go to Hawaii in September...

Crabby, I love this post. Seriously, I think it's ...

2008-06-23T13:59:00.000-04:00

Crabby, I love this post. Seriously, I think it's one of the best you've ever written.

As many people already know, in 2007, I was the Weight-Loss Diary columnist for Shape magazine. I am five feet tall and when I started the column, I was 147 pounds. At the end, I was 121 pounds -- still well over what some might consider the ideal weight for a five-foot-tall woman. But here's what I learned:

There is a genetic component to how your body looks and it is the biggest influence. That doesn't mean I say, "I'm always going to be heavier, so screw it." It means I became a much happier person when I focused on becoming the best ME I could be -- genetics and all. Yes, I can get down to 100 pounds; I did it as a teenager. But it's not called a healthy lifestyle...it's called an eating disorder.

Your choices matter -- what you eat, whether you exercise, how you think about yourself. It's all part of the overall picture. It's sort of like the old saying about how you can't control what happens to you, but you can control your response to it. It's like that with genetics and the body, too.

When you do something like I did with Shape and work so hard with vigilant eating and exercise -- under the direction of professionals -- you really get a glimpse into the power of genetics vs. lifestyle. I'll never look at my body the same way as I did before this experience.

Oh gosh, this is an awesome post, Crabby. And it's...

2008-06-23T13:35:00.000-04:00

Oh gosh, this is an awesome post, Crabby. And it's important to bear in mind that not only genetics can stack the deck. Most notably, there are all kinds of medications that list weight-gain as a side effect. (And for those who argue that "there aren't that many people taking those meds," have you looked around lately? Freakin' EVERYONE is on something these days.)

Also, eating disorders can slow your metabolism to a crawl. So can dieting, if you diet by restricting food drastically. And most people who lose weight regain it all PLUS some more (according to the National Weight Control Registry). People who lose and regain multiple times are more likely to end up fatter than they were when they started, sometimes by a lot.

I can't say that my genetics are predisposed to obesity: I don't see much, if any, of it in my family. But I know the years I spent starving myself didn't help my metabolism. And about a month ago I was diagnosed with some medical conditions that may be contributing to my weight. Hopefully the medical stuff will alleviate some of the weight, but up until now, the only way I could lose weight was to cut my calorie intake back to no more than 800 calories, and get at least 60 minutes of cardio a day. That would result in my losing 1/4-1/2 pound a week.

And that leads to something else: what if being a "healthy" weight leads to so much mental and emotional sickness? Can anyone still call that healthy? Mental health has to factor in at some point, too.

One more thing (and then I'll shut up, I promise!). Some of the newest studies are suggesting that it might not be the fat on our bodies causing a lot of the medical problems: it might be the constant stress a fat person lives under, because of the constant societal shaming that comes their way. All the diseases that are associated wit fat are also associated with super-high levels of cortisol in the blood. And in more isolated communities (even within the U.S.) where fat people don't experience the same amount of shaming, they have similar disease rates to "healthy weight" people in the rest of the nation.

Ok, I'm climbing off my soapbox now - sorry this got so long! ;) I wonder if I can find the links to those studies . . .

When calorie-counting, I find that I generally mai...

2008-06-23T13:32:00.000-04:00

When calorie-counting, I find that I generally maintain when I eat 1,500 cals a day (and that's with cycling for 45 mins 5 days/week and going to the gym 3 times/week.) If I'm lucky, I might lose half a pound. I am only 5 ' 2 but I still feel it's a bit unfair!

The one time in my life when consistently lost 1-2 pounds/week, I was three stone heavier than I am now, and I was eating about 800-900 cals/day (which I now realise is too few. I'm hoping I didn't screw up my metabolism by doing so.)

I've got mild PCOS, which I'm pretty sure is a contributing factor.

So I'm definitely not as unlucky as some, but I do have to really struggle to maintain my (finally reached!) goal weight...