does food realy make you fat
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Calories in versus calories out does matter. I always ate what I wanted and I was fat. It was obviously too much and my body told me that regularly by having stomach issues. My sisters did not always eat what they wanted and actually ate much less than me and were not fat. They ate very small amounts and sometimes skipped meals. It is calories in versus calories out most of the time. I am losing weight eating less food so there is an obvious connection between calories consumed and fatness for me. No one would be able to get healthier and thinner if this connection did not exist.0
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9 times out of 10 when you notice someone who eats junk and doesn't gain weight that person a) doesn't eat that much food b) moves around more than someone who is gaining or c) both. I've met a few people who eat mostly junk but get full quickly, don't eat very often, etc.
When I go to my brother's house he always has Reese's peanut butter cups, Oreos, Nutter Butters... sometimes all three, plus ice cream and regular soda. He doesn't gain weight because his job is active, he walks to places that are near his house, he's contantly fidgeting/pacing and he exercises.0 -
1. Metabolic rate varies between individuals, but anyone can gain weight by eating more or lose weight by eating less, it's just a matter of figuring out how much more or less.
2. How old is your sister? I think it's common that people can eat whatever when they're young and not get fat, but those bad habits catch up to them as they age. That happened to me!
3. Is it possible that she eats junk food, but small amounts and/or not so often? I think sometimes people will observe a skinny person eating something unhealthy and/or a large meal one time and assume they eat that way all the time when they really don't.
4. "I can't lose any weight ever because genetics" is b.s. Genetics *might* make it more challenging for you to lose weight, but you can.
this0 -
Everybody's different. Some people just have a faster metabolism. My brother and his girlfriend eat whatever they want and never gain an ounce. He's 5'9", 120 lbs, and his girlfriend is 5'3" and 94 lbs.
I absolutely guarantee you beyond any doubt whatsoever that your brother and his girlfriend either eat far fewer calories than you think, or burn far more than you think. Possibly both.
The amount that people eat when just left to themselves without thinking about calories varies enormously. Left to myself, I'd easy eat 3000-5000 calories a day. One of my friends who "eats whatever he wants and doesn't gain weight" consumes more like 1900-2200. I've actually observed and calculated this for several people. He eats almost nothing but junk food and fast food. He just doesn't eat nearly as much of it as I tend to.
Quantity matters. It matters a LOT. At a party with a bunch of snacks out, I'll eat Doritos and he will eat Doritos. But he'll just eat a few chips and be done with it. I'll eat half the bowl.
The bottom line is that "metabolism" just doesn't vary that much from person to person. What really DOES vary a great deal is energy expenditure, in the form of movement, and calorie intake.
I agree that thinner people are usually eating less food. I watched my sisters, cousins, mom and many other people who were thinner than me throughout my life and they ate so much less food than I did. They ate much smaller portions less often. I can put away a lot of food on a daily basis.0 -
1. Metabolic rate varies between individuals, but anyone can gain weight by eating more or lose weight by eating less, it's just a matter of figuring out how much more or less.
2. How old is your sister? I think it's common that people can eat whatever when they're young and not get fat, but those bad habits catch up to them as they age. That happened to me!
3. Is it possible that she eats junk food, but small amounts and/or not so often? I think sometimes people will observe a skinny person eating something unhealthy and/or a large meal one time and assume they eat that way all the time when they really don't.
4. "I can't lose any weight ever because genetics" is b.s. Genetics *might* make it more challenging for you to lose weight, but you can.
this
FTW0 -
Too much food + no activity = Fatness
This at least applies to me anyways. My husband is pretty lean and eats a ton of junk food, but then again his cholesterol is pretty horrible. Just because you are skinny, does not mean that you are healthy.0 -
there was a prison study done and the doctor actually had the prisoners become fat, but the odd thing about this study is that they had great difficulty gaining weight and then maintaining the weight gain. They just couldnt even with the increase in calories.0
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Metabolism! That's what everything comes down too. I personally hate (well not hate, but am jealous) of those people that can continuously eat and gain nothing...but they're out there. I still eat what I enjoy, but much smaller proportions...moderation is key (for most people).
Good luck! You can work to improve your metabolism by exercising, drinking plenty of water and by eating breakfast every day!0 -
Too much food + no activity = Fatness
This at least applies to me anyways. My husband is pretty lean and eats a ton of junk food, but then again his cholesterol is pretty horrible. Just because you are skinny, does not mean that you are healthy.
That's almost certainly because of lifestyle and not food intake, FYI.0 -
Everybody's different. Some people just have a faster metabolism. My brother and his girlfriend eat whatever they want and never gain an ounce. He's 5'9", 120 lbs, and his girlfriend is 5'3" and 94 lbs.
I absolutely guarantee you beyond any doubt whatsoever that your brother and his girlfriend either eat far fewer calories than you think, or burn far more than you think. Possibly both.
The amount that people eat when just left to themselves without thinking about calories varies enormously. Left to myself, I'd easy eat 3000-5000 calories a day. One of my friends who "eats whatever he wants and doesn't gain weight" consumes more like 1900-2200. I've actually observed and calculated this for several people. He eats almost nothing but junk food and fast food. He just doesn't eat nearly as much of it as I tend to.
Quantity matters. It matters a LOT. At a party with a bunch of snacks out, I'll eat Doritos and he will eat Doritos. But he'll just eat a few chips and be done with it. I'll eat half the bowl.
The bottom line is that "metabolism" just doesn't vary that much from person to person. What really DOES vary a great deal is energy expenditure, in the form of movement, and calorie intake.
Nope. I've live with both of them. They live off fast food, lasagne, chicken nuggets, pizza, frappuccinos, and soda. And they put ranch on pretty much everything. If I started eating all my meals with them, I would absolutely gain weight. I can't think of a time I ever saw them eat anything healthy. His girlfriend won't even have vegetables on her hamburgers. She orders it plain, just meat and cheese. My brother works out every once in a while, but it's usually because he's recently watched a kung fu movie like Ip Man or something. His girlfriend never exercises. She says there's no point in working out since she's already skinny.
"I absolutely guarantee you beyond any doubt whatsoever" that you know the person I've known all my life better than I do, even though you've never met? That's a pretty foolish thing to say. I, however, (having eaten more meals with them than you have) can absolutely guarantee you beyond any doubt whatsoever that you don't know what you're talking about.0 -
Everybody's different. Some people just have a faster metabolism. My brother and his girlfriend eat whatever they want and never gain an ounce. He's 5'9", 120 lbs, and his girlfriend is 5'3" and 94 lbs.
I absolutely guarantee you beyond any doubt whatsoever that your brother and his girlfriend either eat far fewer calories than you think, or burn far more than you think. Possibly both.
The amount that people eat when just left to themselves without thinking about calories varies enormously. Left to myself, I'd easy eat 3000-5000 calories a day. One of my friends who "eats whatever he wants and doesn't gain weight" consumes more like 1900-2200. I've actually observed and calculated this for several people. He eats almost nothing but junk food and fast food. He just doesn't eat nearly as much of it as I tend to.
Quantity matters. It matters a LOT. At a party with a bunch of snacks out, I'll eat Doritos and he will eat Doritos. But he'll just eat a few chips and be done with it. I'll eat half the bowl.
The bottom line is that "metabolism" just doesn't vary that much from person to person. What really DOES vary a great deal is energy expenditure, in the form of movement, and calorie intake.
Nope. I've live with both of them. They live off fast food, lasagne, chicken nuggets, pizza, frappuccinos, and soda. And they put ranch on pretty much everything. If I started eating all my meals with them, I would absolutely gain weight. I can't think of a time I ever saw them eat anything healthy. His girlfriend won't even have vegetables on her hamburgers. She orders it plain, just meat and cheese. My brother works out every once in a while, but it's usually because he's recently watched a kung fu movie like Ip Man or something. His girlfriend never exercises. She says there's no point in working out since she's already skinny.
"I absolutely guarantee you beyond any doubt whatsoever" that you know the person I've known all my life better than I do, even though you've never met? That's a pretty foolish thing to say. I, however, can absolutely guarantee you beyond any doubt whatsoever that you don't know what you're talking about.
The fact that you keep talking about the types of food they eat, rather than the quantity or caloric content, tells me without any doubt whatsoever that you have not done a rigorous analysis of the food they consume. You don't lose weight by eating healthy foods, you lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn.0 -
yes - stop eating it. that is all.0
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Everybody's different. Some people just have a faster metabolism. My brother and his girlfriend eat whatever they want and never gain an ounce. He's 5'9", 120 lbs, and his girlfriend is 5'3" and 94 lbs.
I absolutely guarantee you beyond any doubt whatsoever that your brother and his girlfriend either eat far fewer calories than you think, or burn far more than you think. Possibly both.
The amount that people eat when just left to themselves without thinking about calories varies enormously. Left to myself, I'd easy eat 3000-5000 calories a day. One of my friends who "eats whatever he wants and doesn't gain weight" consumes more like 1900-2200. I've actually observed and calculated this for several people. He eats almost nothing but junk food and fast food. He just doesn't eat nearly as much of it as I tend to.
Quantity matters. It matters a LOT. At a party with a bunch of snacks out, I'll eat Doritos and he will eat Doritos. But he'll just eat a few chips and be done with it. I'll eat half the bowl.
The bottom line is that "metabolism" just doesn't vary that much from person to person. What really DOES vary a great deal is energy expenditure, in the form of movement, and calorie intake.
Yea, this ^^ is my experience over a lifetime of observing others as well. For example, my BFF and husband are seeming 'naturally slender'. They supposedly eat whatever they like. But when I take notice, I realize they just so happen to 'like' within less calories than me
, and they seem to have an appetite for better food choices than me. We both might order the same fastfood meal, but I'll dip each bite in bbq sauce, they like it plain and order "no mayo". Another thing I've noticed with both of them, they prefer, as example, oil & vinegar on their salad whereas I always went for a lotta creamy ranch and greasy croutons. In fact that they're not happy if they don't *always* have a big salad with their meals, meanwhile my 'natural' style is "no thanks salad, pass more cheesy potatoes". They also happen just to not want a few slices of heavily buttered bread to sop up every bit of gravy like I do. Heck, I love a gravy & butter sandwich (or two) while cleaning up after dinner . They prefer an Italian ice to ice cream, they like to munch on apples instead of chips, they just don't care for sour cream onion dip either, they stop at one alcoholic drink and a taste of the appetizers, and etc along that line.
Anyway, I agree with everything you said above ^^. Usually those that can eat 'everything they want' are not eating like some others.0 -
I realize this is a calorie counting site, so to say calories doesn't matter is like walking into a catholic church and claiming that God doesn't exist. But, I'm just being open minded. I thought it was unbelieveable that maybe calories don't matter as much as we think.
I have a friend that cannot lose weight. Of course he could if he ate 500 calories a day. But, I mean, in a reasonable way, he cannot lose. I watch him workout, I play tennis with him. He tracks his calories. He's done 1200 and he's done 3000. He does crossfit like a fiend, and also other workouts and is more active than me. And, this dude can literally barely liose 5 lbs. And, he needs to lose it.
Now, I am not with him 24x7, so I don't know if he's lying, and eating pints of B&J Ice Cream at night. But, I believe that he's not. He's just stuck. I know several people like this. I'm kind of like that. I can lose 10 lbs from where I am with intense struggle. But, I can stay where I am, and eat like a maniac with little or no care for what I eat all day.
I'm just saying there's something to the documentary. i would like to read more about this idea that BMR changes, and our bodies try to maintain more than it's as easy as cals in.out.
I'm trying to be open minded and consioder other factors. I understand the biology, thermodynamics, and math very well. I'm not an expert, but I've read enough and I get it. I'm just saying that maybe sometimes, you can open your mind to other possibilities.
I don't track calories anymore because in my situation, it just doesn't seem to matter. And, that 10 lbs I was talking about isn't worth the struggle. I'm happy where I am. And, I'm pretty dang fit by almost all standards.
He's lying. He's not stuck, he's just doing it wrong or not doing it at all.0 -
Yes, some people put on weight more easily than others. A lifetime of observation has shown me it is true and it is great to see science is finally catching up. Regardless of this, we are stuck with the cards we have been dealt. It is no use bemoaning the fact that some of us need to be a bit more careful than others - we just do! So THAT is why I am on MFP !
It's really not true actually. Some people put on more weight because they eat more or burn fewer calories.
It seems that these 2 posts are saying the same thing. Some people naturally burn more calories than others. If you take 2 people of the same sex, age, height, BF% and starting weight and feed them the exact same diet and they do the exact same activities, they will not necessarily lose / gain at the same rate.0 -
Yes, some people put on weight more easily than others. A lifetime of observation has shown me it is true and it is great to see science is finally catching up. Regardless of this, we are stuck with the cards we have been dealt. It is no use bemoaning the fact that some of us need to be a bit more careful than others - we just do! So THAT is why I am on MFP !
It's really not true actually. Some people put on more weight because they eat more or burn fewer calories.
Sorry Jonnythan but I'm afraid you don't know everything. You just think you do. And I dare say that nothing will change your mind.0 -
Food doesn't make you fat, the way we use food makes us fat. This is a lesson it took me 50 years to learn, and I wish we engrained it in small children -- when the number of calories going into our mouth is greater than the number of calories required to live for the day we will store those calories as fat (and we will get bigger). Simple Math. The number of calories required to live for the day is different for every person -- don't make the mistake of believing the averages you find on the internet, or the 2,000 guideline on the nutrition label -- only a body composition analysis from a health care provider can tell you your real number.
Those people who seem to be able to eat whatever they want have a very high calorie requirement to live, nice for them, unfair for us-- oh well - not everyone is thin, rich or beautiful either. Here's another lesson I've learned -- life has more to offer for enjoyment than food - thank goodness!0 -
I realize this is a calorie counting site, so to say calories doesn't matter is like walking into a catholic church and claiming that God doesn't exist. But, I'm just being open minded. I thought it was unbelieveable that maybe calories don't matter as much as we think.
I have a friend that cannot lose weight. Of course he could if he ate 500 calories a day. But, I mean, in a reasonable way, he cannot lose. I watch him workout, I play tennis with him. He tracks his calories. He's done 1200 and he's done 3000. He does crossfit like a fiend, and also other workouts and is more active than me. And, this dude can literally barely liose 5 lbs. And, he needs to lose it.
Now, I am not with him 24x7, so I don't know if he's lying, and eating pints of B&J Ice Cream at night. But, I believe that he's not. He's just stuck. I know several people like this. I'm kind of like that. I can lose 10 lbs from where I am with intense struggle. But, I can stay where I am, and eat like a maniac with little or no care for what I eat all day.
I'm just saying there's something to the documentary. i would like to read more about this idea that BMR changes, and our bodies try to maintain more than it's as easy as cals in.out.
I'm trying to be open minded and consioder other factors. I understand the biology, thermodynamics, and math very well. I'm not an expert, but I've read enough and I get it. I'm just saying that maybe sometimes, you can open your mind to other possibilities.
I don't track calories anymore because in my situation, it just doesn't seem to matter. And, that 10 lbs I was talking about isn't worth the struggle. I'm happy where I am. And, I'm pretty dang fit by almost all standards.
He's lying. He's not stuck, he's just doing it wrong or not doing it at all.
I think a lot of people feel like they are different or that cals don't matter or whatever else when they don't understand the secondary issues you mentioned earlier. As you said, things like age and hormones and genetics can and do affect the calorie out side of the conversation. When people don't understand those factors, and how those factors come into play for them specifically, they start to think that the science is wrong, or that they are special and unique, etc.0
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