#11610 OK, I know this is going to be long but bare with me; its well worth the read!! Theres been a lot of controversy on this page recently about losing weight, and this article --> cracked/quick-fixes/fat-officially-incurable-according-to-science/ is almost always posted in response to somebody saying that you CAN beat obesity. First of all, its Cracked which is not a very reputable source. It was also written in 2012, so dont you think we would have seen this breakthrough in science on the news by now? I saw the following comment in response to the aforementioned article on their website, and I think its worth it for all of you overweight/ obese yotes to take a look at and consider. Try not to fight in the comments kiddies, Im only posting this to spread knowledge and logical reasoning. Without further ado, here it is: _____________________________________________________ Of course thats how this works - your body weight is a function of genetics, environment, your own biology and your personal habits. Any sort of weight loss that was acquired by *force* that results in *any* sort of discomfort will undoubtedly come back - its just a matter of when. And when I say *any* discomfort - I mean it. You could mildly restrict the calories your body tries to force you to eat for a period of years, but you will break down eventually. Try to drastically restrict calories? You will only be able to keep that up for a matter of months at most. Depression, lethargy, and a significant decrease in quality of life are *not* worth weight loss - even if that is what you believe now. What this article completely misses, however, is that hope is not lost. Out of the four reasons for obesity I listed above, there are two that you can change: your biology and your habits. Changing these things does require discipline of course, and it isnt easy. However, with the right knowledge its completely doable. I do want to point out one thing here about genetics before I get onto habits, however; and it pretty much invalidates your entire article. Why are more of us getting more fat as the decades pass? Obesity has existed for the entirety of the human race; but never to this extent. Obesity rates in America have DOUBLED in 15 years! It takes longer than that for unfixable genetic conditions to start affecting us at such a large scale. Making the claim that it is impossible to permanently lose weight implies that there is some attribute inherent within ourselves that causes obesity - yet clearly this is not the case. ---------------------- Anyway, back on topic: the ability to change personal habits depends what youre talking about. However, if you suggest that a person cannot do such a thing, you are also implying that those who have quit smoking are either lying or will always end up a smoker again in their lives. Since we know that isnt true, and since we know that smoking is one of the most difficult personal habits to change, Im pretty certain lifelong changes in habit in regards to weight gain are attainable. Changes such as these are usually due to a personal epiphany or external trauma - and must be combined with the right knowledge to be effective. These changes can only come within. They need to be an understanding that you can feel down to your core, not a skin deep thought or external motivation. Read a sensational diet book? Unless you already have a deep, unbreakable desire, the details will be forgotten and your energy to continue will fade just like that time you swore youd learn a 2nd language. Hinge your success on posting your weight every day to Facebook? Your change will last until the day that one of your close friends forgets to like it. I *know* people want to lose weight and be healthier. But the first thing those people need to recognize is that our bodies are the way they are primarily via the habits that we have embedded within ourselves. Literally, our obesity is a result of the very nature of our personal being. ---------------------- But habits dont need to change immediately: instead, you can first focus on changing your biology. We know that your body works to maintain a particular weight by up and down regulating hunger, taste sensation, energy levels, and mood (among other things). The most important thing an obese person can do is learn how our metabolisms decide on what it considers to be our set point in regards to weight. Our goal should to be to set this set point lower down the scale, which will result in your body regulating hunger and energy appropriately as to bounce our weight back down. While there are many other factors that decide this, such as stress and sleep: the biggest one is your diet. Foods rich in simple carbohydrates greatly affect insulin sensitivity, for example: which has been proven to cause obesity (the extreme of this condition is also known as Type 2 Diabetes). This isnt a matter of soda is kinda-sorta bad for you so maybe Ill just have one - no, this is a matter of YOUR BODY HAS ALREADY PROVEN IT CANT HANDLE THESE KINDS OF FOODS AND YOU WILL DIE. Put down the ice cream, candy bar, fast food hamburger, white bread, and all the rest of the processed foods that make up our average diets IMMEDIATELY. Let me say this again: this is *not* a matter of eating these things responsibly - either your body has proven it cant handle these foods, or you have proven your cant consume them within your bodys safe limits. Im sorry, but unless you have a rare genetic, thyroid, or brain condition that assures obesity, you are no longer allowed to consume these foods and complain about how hard it is to lose weight. Have you developed an addiction to sugar? Pretend that youre a smoker and that youre quitting cigarettes cold turkey (now youll know what it feels like!). If you must, consolidate these foods into a single meal of the week. This is a proven technique for maintaining permanent diet changes, for many reasons. Especially in the beginning, when things are tough, this meal can be the difference between success and failure. If you mess up during the week? NEVER get in the mindset of oh, well I ruined my diet, back to pizza every night! Get back on the good eating habits, dont beat yourself up, and continue forward. A dietary screwup isnt going to ruin everything. While insulin sensitivity isnt the only reason why we get fat, and while most people (even those who are prone to obesity) can still enjoy complex carbohydrates without much ill effect, insulin sensitivity is pretty much the only common thread I see appear in any of the material Ive studied that explains why more and more people are getting obese. There are also many other hormones in play here: ghrelin and leptin, for example, are two big ones. Just like insulin, though, these hormones are directly affected by what we eat more than how much we eat. Generally speaking, the how much part is sorted once your body is properly in tune. The reality is that the majority of obese people are obese because of environmental, behavioral, dietary, and genetic factors messing with their hormones. That in turn leads to overeating and weight gain. Until very recently in human history, we have never had to made a conscience effort to counteract these things; but now that we exist in a fairly toxic environment in regards to food, we have to fight to keep balances in check. ---------------------- Exercise is also great for weight loss; but indirectly. Immediately after your workout, your body will increase hunger, taste and smell sensations - all but forcing you to re-eat the calories that you burned. The people who claim that you lose weight faster when you do strength training because added muscle takes more calories to maintain than fat are correct, but only in technicality. Your body will use more calories even while rested, for sure, but this also means - you guessed it - increased hunger! Like I said above, trying to maintain anything that causes discomfort will always cause your diet and exercise plans to fail. You are very likely to (and you should) reconsume most every calorie that you expended both in the excersise itself, and in your increased RMR. Yet, as I said, exercise is great for weight loss. Exercise is a natural mood booster and source of powerful endorphins. It helps regulate cortisol, which in turn helps you regulate sleep, which in turn helps you regulate weight. In fact, regular exercise has been shown to have the same anti-depressant effect as mild antidepressants! Considering that obesity is both a cause and an effect of depression, Id wager thats a pretty good investment - even if your only goal is to lose weight. In addition, exercise is the only way to keep other parts of your body healthy independent of weight. It gives you goals, and measurable progress (being able to do more reps, more complex moves, etc). It can also be a source of inspiration to you during your weight loss: I didnt lose much weight this week, but DAMN I never thought Id be able to do that many push ups!. Physical fitness is a skill, and a rewarding one at that. No, you probably will never be a proper athlete - but who cares? The results of a proper workout routine will be worth the 20-40 minutes a day investment. ---------------------- Everyone knows that eating healthy and exercising are how we combat obesity. But understanding the whys is much more important for someone wanting to inact a lifelong change. What this article fails at mentioning is that these people lost weight, then went back to their old lifestyles. The reason for them gaining back their weight is so obvious that I dont even understand why this article even exists. Lifestyle changes require that you create a plan that causes no discomfort, no calorie restriction, and promotes regular exercise to help with mood. Then you simply do that for the rest of your life.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:42:11 +0000
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