Are You Overweight?

[dtaai-maai]

^^ Oh, alright then... <sigh> I'll make it a bit closer to the 63%.

[MrPlum]

No offence to anyone intended but you don't have to stay fat, if it bothers you.

There are some types who can't put on weight and some who can't keep it off. Understand what type you are, then eat accordingly.

If you live to eat and not eat to live, you are obviously going to have a challenge.

If you eat industrialized foods, that are mostly addictive... (the food giants put appetite stimulants in our foods, as well as our pets)... then go cold turkey and stop eating those foods.

If you eat after 6 pm you are almost guaranteeing weight gain. If you snack between meals, likewise.

Portion sizes are a big factor.

If you are always hungry, then fill up with foods that don't cause weight gain.

If you eat primarily sweet, sour and salty foods, then reduce them and increase bitter, astringent and pungent. Bitter foods (dark leafy greens), especially, will eliminate sugar cravings and balance blood sugar (a must for diabetics).

The problem isn't so much that there isn't good food to eat. It's that you CHOOSE industrially produced foods. It is only difficult to change because you tell yourself it's difficult. If you told yourself it's easy and went out and did it, you will succeed.

The main problem is that we no longer have agri-culture. We have agri-business. Those who run the food giants aren't interested in providing healthy, nutritious food. They want you addicted to their synthetic, industrial gloop, that shouldn't be called 'food' but 'poison'. They use chemicals to make it sweet, chemicals to make it smell good, chemicals to make it taste good, chemicals to increase shelf life, chemicals to kill bugs, chemicals to make it look good. If you refuse to recognize this and continue to eat what they offer, then they will keep giving you more of the same. They get rich, while you get fat and sick. Supermarket food is POISON.

I sympathize with those who are trapped into this paradigm but sympathy won't get you off your rear and exercise. Every morning you wake up, you have the choice. Start to exercise or sit down and eat. Every morning you tell yourself that today is the day you will make the effort. And every morning you do nothing. Getting started is the hardest part. It's very hard for the overweight to make the effort because the food they eat and the weight they put on causes lethargy. They need a solid kick up the rear to get moving. Once they see progress, they are motivated to achieve more.

Sarge is an inspiration. I've never met anyone closer to the grave and he transformed his life by taking up cycling. Weight drops off, depression lifts, sickness evaporates, vitality returns. All you see are gains. If you start to complain that you are missing your favourite food, then substitute the word 'poison' for 'treat' and see how long your craving lasts. Listen to your self-talk and change it.

It helps if you can find a buddy to work with. You motivate each other.

Stop talking as the years pass by and ACT!

[Takiap]

I don't believe skipping meals is the answer to losing weight - little and often of mainly healthy stuff seems to work - otherwise the body goes into starvation mode.

Yes Kate, I'm certainly not suggesting one should skip meals. I was only speaking for myself, and to clear up any confusion, I don't "skip" meals in order to control my weight. I just have never bought into the idea that one has to eat at set times and etc. The way I see it, and always have, if your body requires food, you'll feel hungry. When I was working offshore and doing very demanding physical work, I would more often than not eat three, or even sometimes four meals a day, since I was hungry by the time each mealtime arrived. Now that I sit on my ass all day, my body doesn't require as much fuel, and as a result, I don't get hungry as often. When I get hungry I eat, but if I'm not hungry, I really can't even stomach the thought of eating.

[richard]

Isn't age a factor too?

I've seen some charts in Polyclinic which suggest weight is also governed by height, gender, frame size and age

[hhfarang]

I've literally gained a pound per year since I graduated high school. Sure there have been diets and holiday gorges where I went up and down temporarily, but overall my natural weight seems to settle at a pound per year more. It's even weirder as my weight seems to match the year... in 1967 I weighed 167 pounds, in 1980 180 pounds, now 211 pounds. If I live to be 100 (fat chance ) I'll weigh 249 pounds!

[PeteC]

We had a rice, potato, bread debate the other evening concerning calories and carbs. I just looked up the results as follows:

White rice long grain cooked 1 cup: Calories- 205.4 Carbs - 44.509g

Brown Rice long grain cooked 1 cup: 216.45 - 44.772

Potato white with skin, baked, 3" - 4 1/4" diameter: 281.06 - 63.029

Potato white no skin, boiled, same size: 258 - 60.03

Commercial white bread 1 slice large, 30g: 79.8 - 15.183

Commercial wheat bread, 1 slice large 30g: 75.411 - 13.469

Draw your own conclusions but it looks to me as if rice is better than potatoes, but if you can eat your meat/veggies/Thai food with bread instead or either you'll be better off in the weight department. Pete

[KateB]

Takiap
Sorry, I wasn't referring directly to your post, though I see that it read that way - I was thinking of various times in my life when I've eaten differently to now - skipped meals then eaten too much (pigged out, basically) with no balance whatsoever - and ended up putting on weight.

Pete
Just wondering if you know anything about the rice that some of the vegetarian places sell - it's mainly white but has some reddish grains in it? (It's name, calorie content, nutritional value...?). Thanks.

Cheers to you both,
Kate

[hhfarang]

Just wondering if you know anything about the rice that some of the vegetarian places sell - it's mainly white but has some reddish grains in it? (It's name, calorie content, nutritional value...?). Thanks.

Kate, I don't know the calories or nutritional information, but that's the rice my (Thai) wife buys as she claims it is the healthiest rice available here. I questioned that as it tastes very good (and is mostly white) and for a while we were using a brown rice that I thought was healthier than white but it had much less flavor.

Pete, to your point, I probably eat more bread than rice (or potatoes) these days as I'm gradually moving away from a steady Thai food diet and adding back in a lot of my western favorites. I use that commercial brand of whole grain bread that you see in the 7/11s and supermarkets here and it tastes very good. They have a couple of different varieties of whole grain and I get the "Fine whole grain with 2.5% bran". The packaging says it is 60 calories per slice. That particular variety only comes in half loaves. Their regular whole wheat comes in full or half loaf packaging but imo isn't as tasty and is a little higher in calories.

[samman]

I find most of the bread produced here tastes sweet (better for a Thai ice cream sandwich?) and even after all these years can't eat it. Thankfully you can get decent bread easier now. The heat generally puts most people off eating but then you have to balance that against Thai food which is so delicious you just can't stop eating it, and it may not fill you for as long, so you eat or snack more often! Beer seems to be the biggest culprit though and lack of exercise.

[KateB]

Just wondering if you know anything about the rice that some of the vegetarian places sell - it's mainly white but has some reddish grains in it? (It's name, calorie content, nutritional value...?). Thanks.

Kate, I don't know the calories or nutritional information, but that's the rice my (Thai) wife buys as she claims it is the healthiest rice available here. I questioned that as it tastes very good (and is mostly white) and for a while we were using a brown rice that I thought was healthier than white but it had much less flavor.

hhfarang, I agree with you, it tastes really good - it's actually my favourite rice here when I can get it but not many places seem to sell it (eat in/takeaway places that is - we don't have cooking facilities). Anyway, I'm sure your wife's right, I'm going to believe her anyway.

Cheers
Kate

[PeteC]

I can't find anything Kate. The only thing that may be close is wild rice, and that is huge in calorie/carb....1 cup 571.2 - 119.84g. Pete

[KateB]

I can't find anything Kate. The only thing that may be close is wild rice, and that is huge in calorie/carb....1 cup 571.2 - 119.84g. Pete

indeed, Pete. Thanks (I think!) for looking though.

[PeteC]

Here you go, this is where I got most of the info from. The library is huge and you should be able to find just about anything. A lot of other nutritional value listed besides calories and carbs. Pete

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/

EDIT: I did a quick look see (2 minutes only) concerning noodles/pasta. Only saw Chinese types besides the normal western kind, they all seem to be close to rice. Assume Thai noodles are about the same as those listed.

[sargeant]

My advice is buy a bicycle and ride

mine (more like a tractor than a Ferrari)cost 5,000 my new wifes Shimano equiped twist grip 18 gear bees goolies bike 3,400 The difference between Hua Hin price and Pranburi price

We ride 3 or 4 times a week early about 0630 we do on average about 20/25 Kms a day and takes about one and a half hours

I am 5 foot 11 and am now stuck fixed on 84 kilos down from 112 Kilos but up from the 82 kilo lowest and i feel great ( at 82 kilos i did not feel i had any spare energy)

we eat black rice red rice and jasmin rice in equal proportions it is according to my wife less fattening i just like the taste we also eat a lot of pineapple and as i have said before a lump of old coconut each day
i also snack a little on a small bowl of sultanas raisins and almonds
but other than that eat normally although far smaller portions than i did before my weight loss

[richard]

Sarge

Soon you will emanate your avatar