I find it kinda sad...

There is a VERY big difference between healthy and low calorie.

Avocados, for example, are very high calorie but are very good for you. If you aren't looking to loose weight, avocados are a great healthy option. However, if you are counting calories, they can be detrimental depending on how much you eat.

Going to Souplantation and seeing people pile on the salad 12inches high on 2 plates because the tray can carry 2 plates. Then go back for the cornbread, pasta, soup, muffins, etc. for the side dishes. And then watch them go for seconds & thirds for lemonade, Acai tea or raspberry lemonade to wash it all down. I suppose it's healthier, but how long to work it off?

Personally... I don't blame food for my obesity. I blame poor decision-making. I find it funny how several posts in this thread mention skinny people suggesting a treat as healthy alternative to something less healthy and you all want to blame fast metabolism... guess what... Their metabolism isn't any different than yours. Metabolism isn't some mystical power that varies in potency from person to person. Calorie deficit is the only thing that impacts metabolism. If you want a faster metabolism, eat less and move more. If you think denying yourself treats will get you there, then more power to you, but there is a significant psychological component to weight loss, and blaming food is a recipe for disaster where that is concerned.

Best of luck to you all.

Calorie deficit is not the only thing that affects metabolism. Hormones have an affect and our metabolism naturally slows with age.

I will give you that cortisol does impact metabolism, but the point to my post was that no one is born with a 'magical' metabolism that allows them to eat whatever they want. And as far as the natural slowing that occurs with age that happens to everybody.

I agree. My boyfriend's mother once complained to me about how an overweight relative would bring chips to a family potluck, and of course because this woman is overweight she would bring something unhealthy. She then commented that she was going to bring some nice, healthy vegetables in the form of green bean casserole. I did not know what to say.

i giggled

I was told it's not what you eat but how much. Ok in the grand world of weight loss this is true but for health this is BS. Also that beer is a healthy beverage to have after a run.

When I ran cross country, our coach was a big advocate of a beer after a competition.

Personally... I don't blame food for my obesity. I blame poor decision-making. I find it funny how several posts in this thread mention skinny people suggesting a treat as healthy alternative to something less healthy and you all want to blame fast metabolism... guess what... Their metabolism isn't any different than yours. Metabolism isn't some mystical power that varies in potency from person to person. Calorie deficit is the only thing that impacts metabolism. If you want a faster metabolism, eat less and move more. If you think denying yourself treats will get you there, then more power to you, but there is a significant psychological component to weight loss, and blaming food is a recipe for disaster where that is concerned.

Best of luck to you all.

Calorie deficit is not the only thing that affects metabolism. Hormones have an affect and our metabolism naturally slows with age.

I will give you that cortisol does impact metabolism, but the point to my post was that no one is born with a 'magical' metabolism that allows them to eat whatever they want. And as far as the natural slowing that occurs with age that happens to everybody.

I'll agree that magic has nothing to do with it, but heredity can affect metabolism. If you take 50 healthy people of the same sex, age, weight and body composition and feed them the exact same foods and have them do the exact same exercises, there is no guarantee that they will all be the exact same size. Some people burn calories at a faster rate than others.

Also, eating less and moving more doesn't guarantee a faster metabolism. Carrying too much weight raises your metabolism so, depending on your starting weight, eating less and moving more could result in a slower metabolism because of weight loss.

Personally... I don't blame food for my obesity. I blame poor decision-making. I find it funny how several posts in this thread mention skinny people suggesting a treat as healthy alternative to something less healthy and you all want to blame fast metabolism... guess what... Their metabolism isn't any different than yours. Metabolism isn't some mystical power that varies in potency from person to person. Calorie deficit is the only thing that impacts metabolism. If you want a faster metabolism, eat less and move more. If you think denying yourself treats will get you there, then more power to you, but there is a significant psychological component to weight loss, and blaming food is a recipe for disaster where that is concerned.

Best of luck to you all.

Please read this over and over again, great post

AMEN! I had fries for dinner last night, but I portioned them out, and even though I wanted to pig out on them, I ate only what was on my plate, and MAN were they heavenly. I am not upset at myself for allowing myself to have them. I went to the gym yesterday, went today, and will go every day this week as I usually do. I am eating less, moving more. I know why I got fat. Didn't care what I ate, didn't get off my butt, and got lazy. My boyfriend is a firm believer in the face that you can eat what you want (in some form of moderation) as long as you move. I don't eat anything I want, because I don't get to work out as much (I get a half hour a day on my lunch hour because I already work full time and will not take any more of my daughters time for something that isn't her fault. We do go out and play though!)

You have to eat, you have to move, just be smart

Personally... I don't blame food for my obesity. I blame poor decision-making. I find it funny how several posts in this thread mention skinny people suggesting a treat as healthy alternative to something less healthy and you all want to blame fast metabolism... guess what... Their metabolism isn't any different than yours. Metabolism isn't some mystical power that varies in potency from person to person. Calorie deficit is the only thing that impacts metabolism. If you want a faster metabolism, eat less and move more. If you think denying yourself treats will get you there, then more power to you, but there is a significant psychological component to weight loss, and blaming food is a recipe for disaster where that is concerned.

Best of luck to you all.

Calorie deficit is not the only thing that affects metabolism. Hormones have an affect and our metabolism naturally slows with age.

I will give you that cortisol does impact metabolism, but the point to my post was that no one is born with a 'magical' metabolism that allows them to eat whatever they want. And as far as the natural slowing that occurs with age that happens to everybody.

yes some people can eat large amounts of junk and not gain. but that doesn't mean they won't develop diabetes or other diseases from those choices.

Metabolism is not a thing. It is a general term to describe the bodily function of burning calories. Metabolic rate is the speed with which calories are burned. It fluctuates continually throughout the day. It doesn't stop or start and it only slows when your body is at rest. If some individuals are able to eat junk and not gain, it is because they carry more calorie-demanding muscle and are more active than other individuals.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1091498/pdf/pnas01945-0018.pdf

Or they have more brown fat, which also increases metabolic rate.

I gotta agree with the person talking about people able to eat junk and not gain. I was one of those people for most of my life. I can tell you, I ate a LOT of crap and did not do any deliberate exercise and I wore a size 3. My metabolism most definitely slowed when I got to about 29 years old and it's pretty much gone on strike since I went on Mirena.

Having seen this change in my own body, I can't discount it.

Personally... I don't blame food for my obesity. I blame poor decision-making. I find it funny how several posts in this thread mention skinny people suggesting a treat as healthy alternative to something less healthy and you all want to blame fast metabolism... guess what... Their metabolism isn't any different than yours. Metabolism isn't some mystical power that varies in potency from person to person. Calorie deficit is the only thing that impacts metabolism. If you want a faster metabolism, eat less and move more. If you think denying yourself treats will get you there, then more power to you, but there is a significant psychological component to weight loss, and blaming food is a recipe for disaster where that is concerned.

Best of luck to you all.

Calorie deficit is not the only thing that affects metabolism. Hormones have an affect and our metabolism naturally slows with age.

I will give you that cortisol does impact metabolism, but the point to my post was that no one is born with a 'magical' metabolism that allows them to eat whatever they want. And as far as the natural slowing that occurs with age that happens to everybody.

yes some people can eat large amounts of junk and not gain. but that doesn't mean they won't develop diabetes or other diseases from those choices.

Metabolism is not a thing. It is a general term to describe the bodily function of burning calories. Metabolic rate is the speed with which calories are burned. It fluctuates continually throughout the day. It doesn't stop or start and it only slows when your body is at rest. If some individuals are able to eat junk and not gain, it is because they carry more calorie-demanding muscle and are more active than other individuals.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1091498/pdf/pnas01945-0018.pdf

There are other reasons why they may be able to eat and eat without gaining besides muscle mass.

i worked with a guy for a while who could eat at a chinese buffet for lunch downing 2 or 3 plates of food, and then eat a huge mexican food dinner in the evening after having mcdonalds biscuits for breakfast. he weighed about 120 pounds and didnt have near the muscle mass i have. oh and in the evening he would sit around and drink beer. i personally know a lot of people who try and can't gain weight, and i know people who battle it so i don't believe all our bodies are the same.

Personally... I don't blame food for my obesity. I blame poor decision-making. I find it funny how several posts in this thread mention skinny people suggesting a treat as healthy alternative to something less healthy and you all want to blame fast metabolism... guess what... Their metabolism isn't any different than yours. Metabolism isn't some mystical power that varies in potency from person to person. Calorie deficit is the only thing that impacts metabolism. If you want a faster metabolism, eat less and move more. If you think denying yourself treats will get you there, then more power to you, but there is a significant psychological component to weight loss, and blaming food is a recipe for disaster where that is concerned.

Best of luck to you all.

Calorie deficit is not the only thing that affects metabolism. Hormones have an affect and our metabolism naturally slows with age.

I will give you that cortisol does impact metabolism, but the point to my post was that no one is born with a 'magical' metabolism that allows them to eat whatever they want. And as far as the natural slowing that occurs with age that happens to everybody.

yes some people can eat large amounts of junk and not gain. but that doesn't mean they won't develop diabetes or other diseases from those choices.

Metabolism is not a thing. It is a general term to describe the bodily function of burning calories. Metabolic rate is the speed with which calories are burned. It fluctuates continually throughout the day. It doesn't stop or start and it only slows when your body is at rest. If some individuals are able to eat junk and not gain, it is because they carry more calorie-demanding muscle and are more active than other individuals.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1091498/pdf/pnas01945-0018.pdf

Or they have more brown fat, which also increases metabolic rate.

I gotta agree with the person talking about people able to eat junk and not gain. I was one of those people for most of my life. I can tell you, I ate a LOT of crap and did not do any deliberate exercise and I wore a size 3. My metabolism most definitely slowed when I got to about 29 years old and it's pretty much gone on strike since I went on Mirena.

Having seen this change in my own body, I can't discount it.

The slowing of the metabolic rate is part of the natural aging process. Joints wear down, therefore, movement becomes less desirable which in turns slows the metabolic rate. I'm sure in your teens and twenties you were probably much more active than you are now.

The point that I'm trying to make people understand is that metabolism is a process that is performed exactly the same way between each individual. It is not the variable... metabolic rate is the variable.

I wasn't. That's my point. I exercise far more now than I did then and I struggle with weight now when I never did before.

I had essentially the same job and lifestyle at 24 as I did at 30, but at 30 I was eating healthier and 30 pounds heavier.

Honestly, my diet was McDonald's and pizza. Every day. Nothing but high-calorie junk. In high school, lunch was Little Debbie snacks and ice cream followed by fast food after school and probably a huge plate of pasta for dinner.

I delivered my daughter at 155 pounds (what I weigh now) and without even trying, and with eating a huge plate of pasta and cheddar cheese for dinner every single night, I was 120 pounds three months after giving birth and fit into my same old clothes. That was with a month of "maternity leave" so I was basically just sitting around the house all month.

There is a definite change in my metabolism.

The point that I'm trying to make people understand is that metabolism is a process that is performed exactly the same way between each individual. It is not the variable... metabolic rate is the variable.

So, have all these posts have just been about semantics? "faster metabolism" vs "faster metabolic rate"

I was talking to a lady at the gym while on the elliptical and asked her if she ever tried a Zumba class
she said that she hates Zumba and any class that is chereographed...she then went on to say that she has
never seen a "skinny" Zumba instructor! OMG! I almost fell off because guess who's a Zumba instructor?
Me and I tell her so. Now I'm by no means rail thin but I can give a great workout! It makes me so mad
when people associate size/weight with being a healthy person.

What a silly comment! The Zumba instructor at our gym is a rail thin guy! We call him Zumba Brad. He is quite entertaining.

I agree! News flash...there are some bigger people that are in better shape/health than some skinny people!

Subway is 100% healthy. It's packed with sodium!

I have had someone say that ice cream is good for you since it contains milk. Same person also said a Wendy's hamburger is good because you cover several food groups (meat, vegetables - lettuce and tomato, bread, dairy - cheese). sadly misinformed.

This is an example of 'good enough'. =| People make you think it is okay to eat like this "because you're picky" because you get 'at least' something good. It is sad..