How can some people eat so much junk and gain no weight?
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I'm not trying to be mean or anything but since we can all agree that metabolisms vary based on a multitude of factors, what exactly is the discussion here at this point?
... Some people fidget, some people don't. Some people workout, some people don't. Some people have higher body temperatures, other people don't. Half of these things are things we cannot change, so I would think that the ultimate take away from this should be that we should focus on ourselves, no?
...You can't sit on the couch and get upset that someone else sitting on the couch can eat more than you. You can't workout for 30 minutes or even an hour per day and get upset that someone sitting on the couch can eat more than you. All you can do is do the best you can for yourself because your own body is all you have to work with.
...I would never, ever disregard someone's opinion due to their weight. It's callous and inane. I was overweight myself, many people here were/are; why in the hell would we treat someone like that? I swear discussions like this, while thought provoking, get muddled by certain individuals who have zero grasp on reality. Nobody is perfect, but if actual discussions are to be had, let's stick to what facts we do know instead of acting like statistical outliers are actually the norm. It defeats the purpose of topics like this.
Why are there always people in the MFP Community who like to squelch conversations just because they don't like what others converse about? I think that OP wrote a very thought provoking question that has generated interest.
We know that people have varying ages, metabolisms, health, and activity levels that impact CICO. Be happy and enjoy your health, youth, and whatever else you have going for you. If anyone compliments your physique do them a favor, perhaps, and nicely tell them that you burn off lots of calories with extra workouts so that you can eat more. I am enjoying reading about this topic.
I don't see where the conversation is being squelched more realigned to where it started...
[/b]
... by people who self-appoint themselves as thread monitors. I've only been around the MFP community a month, but have noticed this. It is disheartening at times.
Well for one thing, those of us who have been around quite a while have seen many a thread veer off topic, turn into a pointless debate or a dumpster fire, and then mods have to come in to clean it up, encourage everyone to get back on topic, or sometimes even close the thread altogether.
Secondly, many of those same veteran posters are knowledgeable enough to know that when you hear hoof beats, think horses not unicorns. The basic energy balance of CICO is immutable and the factors which may skew it one way or another, like thyroid conditions, are rare enough that almost every time they are brought up and posters cling to them for the explanation they've been looking for, they do not actually apply.
Finally, has OP even been back to this thread since the beginning? I would love to know why a male who is as active as he describes is only eating 1500 cals/day and then complaining about others eating more cals than he is. I'm not sure what OP's stats and goals are, but it is likely that 1500 cals is far too low and that perhaps by focusing on a more moderate deficit, OP wouldn't be so envious of what's on other people's plates...7 -
sky_northern wrote: »For those bringing up teenagers, I think teenagers and other children are a whole different ball game, growing uses energy.
Yeah, bottomless pits! I was still a chubby teenager though (although, I realize now, it wasn't so bad).1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I'm not trying to be mean or anything but since we can all agree that metabolisms vary based on a multitude of factors, what exactly is the discussion here at this point?
... Some people fidget, some people don't. Some people workout, some people don't. Some people have higher body temperatures, other people don't. Half of these things are things we cannot change, so I would think that the ultimate take away from this should be that we should focus on ourselves, no?
...You can't sit on the couch and get upset that someone else sitting on the couch can eat more than you. You can't workout for 30 minutes or even an hour per day and get upset that someone sitting on the couch can eat more than you. All you can do is do the best you can for yourself because your own body is all you have to work with.
...I would never, ever disregard someone's opinion due to their weight. It's callous and inane. I was overweight myself, many people here were/are; why in the hell would we treat someone like that? I swear discussions like this, while thought provoking, get muddled by certain individuals who have zero grasp on reality. Nobody is perfect, but if actual discussions are to be had, let's stick to what facts we do know instead of acting like statistical outliers are actually the norm. It defeats the purpose of topics like this.
Why are there always people in the MFP Community who like to squelch conversations just because they don't like what others converse about? I think that OP wrote a very thought provoking question that has generated interest.
We know that people have varying ages, metabolisms, health, and activity levels that impact CICO. Be happy and enjoy your health, youth, and whatever else you have going for you. If anyone compliments your physique do them a favor, perhaps, and nicely tell them that you burn off lots of calories with extra workouts so that you can eat more. I am enjoying reading about this topic.
I don't see where the conversation is being squelched more realigned to where it started...
[/b]
... by people who self-appoint themselves as thread monitors. I've only been around the MFP community a month, but have noticed this. It is disheartening at times.
Well for one thing, those of us who have been around quite a while have seen many a thread veer off topic, turn into a pointless debate or a dumpster fire, and then mods have to come in to clean it up, encourage everyone to get back on topic, or sometimes even close the thread altogether.
Secondly, many of those same veteran posters are knowledgeable enough to know that when you hear hoof beats, think horses not unicorns. The basic energy balance of CICO is immutable and the factors which may skew it one way or another, like thyroid conditions, are rare enough that almost every time they are brought up and posters cling to them for the explanation they've been looking for, they do not actually apply.
Finally, has OP even been back to this thread since the beginning? I would love to know why a male who is as active as he describes is only eating 1500 cals/day and then complaining about others eating more cals than he is. I'm not sure what OP's stats and goals are, but it is likely that 1500 cals is far too low and that perhaps by focusing on a more moderate deficit, OP wouldn't be so envious of what's on other people's plates...
Point taken1 -
violajunerose wrote: »I can go on any restrictive diet I want, and so far, I haven't lost an ounce on most of them. I experimented with not eating at all, and ate zero calories a day for two weeks. Nothing. I've adjusted my calories from 2000 to 1500 to 800 and never lost one pound. I've eaten paleo and atkins and everything else on the planet, and zip. I feel your pain.
None of this happened, especially the part in bold. There is no possible way on this planet- I don't care what medical conditions you have or what medications you may be taking or whatever- that any human being can go two weeks without any food whatsoever and not lose one single pound.
There are definitely variations in basal energy expenditure for everyone. Your height, weight, gender, and age are all factors to varying degrees- that's why they're variables in equations to estimate BEE, and that's ignoring movement and activity throughout the day. Barring serious medical conditions, no- other people are not magically eating insane amounts above their maintenance levels and not gaining a pound. Calories needed for weight LOSS are going to be much lower than people eating at maintenance- so yes, there may be a huge gap between the amount of calories one is able to eat to lose weight and what another can eat to maintain depending on what two people you're comparing. That's why it's not good to compare yourself to what others eat.
I know a lot of people who say they used to be able to eat whatever they wanted and not gain weight- I'm willing to bet not much changed about their metabolism (maybe a little bit with age) but with a variety of other factors- activity level for one. Also, they may have been more easily full or satisfied with smaller portions of food but they recall feeling like that was much more than it was. I know I went out to a couple of restaurants this weekend and ate until I was uncomfortably full- I felt like I must have consumed 3,000 calories. Then I realized I only ate like 1/3-1/2 of my meal, and the calories added up to be much less than they felt. I have been so used to restricting my calories that much less food feels like a lot more to me now. In the past I would have cleared my plate and felt comfortable. The stomach can be deceiving.
I think there's a lot of reasonable explanations for why one person can eat (or appear to eat) much more than another, many of which have been discussed in this thread. I do, however, caution anyone to not be too hung up on the idea of "there's DEFINITELY people who NEVER move and eat SO MUCH and it's not fair". In a way, it's another excuse or way of thinking that can only hurt your weight loss efforts. I've been there- I'm still there- I'm still obese but losing steadily- and I know all of the excuses and harmful things we tell ourselves to explain away why we are at a disadvantage in the weight game of life does nothing to help us.
Sorry I apologize. I wasn't making a dig at your weight or appearance. Actually I have no idea what you look like and assumed you must look terrific.
I think you quoted the wrong person
...when I took my eyes off the phone and should have looked more carefully before replying . Lol.
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sky_northern wrote: »For those bringing up teenagers, I think teenagers and other children are a whole different ball game, growing uses energy.
Yeah, bottomless pits! I was still a chubby teenager though (although, I realize now, it wasn't so bad).
I was a little bit too. I missed out on the lanky phase.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »I'm not trying to be mean or anything but since we can all agree that metabolisms vary based on a multitude of factors, what exactly is the discussion here at this point?
... Some people fidget, some people don't. Some people workout, some people don't. Some people have higher body temperatures, other people don't. Half of these things are things we cannot change, so I would think that the ultimate take away from this should be that we should focus on ourselves, no?
...You can't sit on the couch and get upset that someone else sitting on the couch can eat more than you. You can't workout for 30 minutes or even an hour per day and get upset that someone sitting on the couch can eat more than you. All you can do is do the best you can for yourself because your own body is all you have to work with.
...I would never, ever disregard someone's opinion due to their weight. It's callous and inane. I was overweight myself, many people here were/are; why in the hell would we treat someone like that? I swear discussions like this, while thought provoking, get muddled by certain individuals who have zero grasp on reality. Nobody is perfect, but if actual discussions are to be had, let's stick to what facts we do know instead of acting like statistical outliers are actually the norm. It defeats the purpose of topics like this.
Why are there always people in the MFP Community who like to squelch conversations just because they don't like what others converse about? I think that OP wrote a very thought provoking question that has generated interest.
We know that people have varying ages, metabolisms, health, and activity levels that impact CICO. Be happy and enjoy your health, youth, and whatever else you have going for you. If anyone compliments your physique do them a favor, perhaps, and nicely tell them that you burn off lots of calories with extra workouts so that you can eat more. I am enjoying reading about this topic.
I don't see where the conversation is being squelched more realigned to where it started...
[/b]
... by people who self-appoint themselves as thread monitors. I've only been around the MFP community a month, but have noticed this. It is disheartening at times.
Well for one thing, those of us who have been around quite a while have seen many a thread veer off topic, turn into a pointless debate or a dumpster fire...
Finally, has OP even been back to this thread since the beginning? I would love to know why a male who is as active as he describes is only eating 1500 cals/day and then complaining about others eating more cals than he is. I'm not sure what OP's stats and goals are, but it is likely that 1500 cals is far too low and that perhaps by focusing on a more moderate deficit, OP wouldn't be so envious of what's on other people's plates...
I wonder if OP really cares about the responses? He probably is just venting.2 -
When my parents got married, my dad was 5'11" and 150 lbs. He could eat whatever he wanted and as much as he wanted and not gain a pound. He was a big eater and a frequent eater (his lunchbox was a Coleman cooler). Still, his 8 pack abs prevailed.
Of course, he also ran 10 miles a day just for the fun of it (he wasn't so much into fitness as he just enjoyed the outlet of burning off the energy). He stopped running after they got married but he worked physical jobs (stock boy, dock worker loading trucks, picker/packer, etc.) and was the stereotypical energizer bunny on the job, practically running around, beating quotas, setting records...and then he'd come home and play tag with us kids or take us bike riding. Steady at 150 pounds and the 8 pack remained.
Then when I was in 5th or 6th grade, he started actually losing weight. He didn't like that so he started eating more. Still lost. He made deliberate efforts to eat as much as possible ("like a horse" in his own words) but kept losing weight.
Turns out he was also having heart palpitations at night and getting extremely fatigued during the day (to the point of going home sick because he didn't have the strength to do his job).
Turns out he had hyperthyroidism.
Nuked the thyroid, put him on synthroid and he was back to his old self.
Now dad drives a truck so sits for a lot of his day but still goes full bore during stops. He also goes on frequent walks with mom in the evenings. He still eats a lot and doesn't track his food (although he's definitely got a routine) but his lower activity level means he's not maintaining the eight pack abs anymore. Rather, he's holding steady just under 180.
Long story short:
My dad ate a lot but stayed very lean...but there were reasons why.
When the reasons changed, so did his weight.7 -
Oh, yeah. I was a fat kid and teenager, but boy did I eat!sky_northern wrote: »For those bringing up teenagers, I think teenagers and other children are a whole different ball game, growing uses energy.
Yeah, bottomless pits! I was still a chubby teenager though (although, I realize now, it wasn't so bad).
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Carlos_421 wrote: »When my parents got married, my dad was 5'11" and 150 lbs. He could eat whatever he wanted and as much as he wanted and not gain a pound. He was a big eater and a frequent eater (his lunchbox was a Coleman cooler). Still, his 8 pack abs prevailed.
Of course, he also ran 10 miles a day just for the fun of it (he wasn't so much into fitness as he just enjoyed the outlet of burning off the energy). He stopped running after they got married but he worked physical jobs (stock boy, dock worker loading trucks, picker/packer, etc.) and was the stereotypical energizer bunny on the job, practically running around, beating quotas, setting records...and then he'd come home and play tag with us kids or take us bike riding. Steady at 150 pounds and the 8 pack remained.
Then when I was in 5th or 6th grade, he started actually losing weight. He didn't like that so he started eating more. Still lost. He made deliberate efforts to eat as much as possible ("like a horse" in his own words) but kept losing weight.
Turns out he was also having heart palpitations at night and getting extremely fatigued during the day (to the point of going home sick because he didn't have the strength to do his job).
Turns out he had hyperthyroidism.
Nuked the thyroid, put him on synthroid and he was back to his old self.
Now dad drives a truck so sits for a lot of his day but still goes full bore during stops. He also goes on frequent walks with mom in the evenings. He still eats a lot and doesn't track his food (although he's definitely got a routine) but his lower activity level means he's not maintaining the eight pack abs anymore. Rather, he's holding steady just under 180.
Long story short:
My dad ate a lot but stayed very lean...but there were reasons why.
When the reasons changed, so did his weight.
You have one *kitten* of a memory
True story. It's actually a running joke in my circle of friends that I never forget anything and I'll bring up stuff about our childhood that they've long forgotten.5 -
singingflutelady wrote: »Anyone have the link to the British show where there were 2 friends, one thin and one obese where the obese friend was so sure her friend had a high metabolism and could eat whatever she wanted? they tested them and in fact the obese friend's metabolism was higher than the thin one
I do recall one where they compared two or three different people of similar ages. One was actually quite slim and did little exercise, took very little care over their fitness and ate a lot of fatty foods. However they remained at a reasonable weight, perhaps they burnt it off somehow.
The other guy was quite chunky and stocky with a bit of a belly on him. But in this case the guy regularly played rugby, his biggest downfall was the obligatory beer after the rugby.
When they tested them with various tests they found out that, yes, rugby guy did need to take better care of his fitness and needed to drop some weight. However, surprisingly, slim guy was the one most at risk of developing health problems. He had large fatty deposits around several of his organs, arteries that were at risk of clogging etc.
So, obviously your size is the number one indicator of your general health but 'eating right' and keeping fit matter too.
So although the guy in the OP's description seems able to eat large amounts of burgers, fries etc. that does not mean he is healthy.
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violajunerose wrote: »I can go on any restrictive diet I want, and so far, I haven't lost an ounce on most of them. I experimented with not eating at all, and ate zero calories a day for two weeks. Nothing. I've adjusted my calories from 2000 to 1500 to 800 and never lost one pound. I've eaten paleo and atkins and everything else on the planet, and zip. I feel your pain.
None of this happened, especially the part in bold. There is no possible way on this planet- I don't care what medical conditions you have or what medications you may be taking or whatever- that any human being can go two weeks without any food whatsoever and not lose one single pound.
But drinks have no calories right? A cold frap has ice, so negative cals, right?!
LMAO.
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huntersmom2016 wrote: »huntersmom2016 wrote: »Some people are just built that way. I have a nephew that tried so hard to get into the Marines but they kept rejecting him bc he didn't weigh enough. He would eat and eat to gain weight. Eventually he made the weight requirement... Barely
To add to my previous post... My nephew was born prematurely and very small. Probably affected him in some way that makes it hard to gain weight
Yeah, I don't think so...Or at least birthweight bears no relationship to adult fatness in my experience. My mom was a 100lb lady who popped out 10lb babies, we are all thin. My kids were big babies, they are all thin. My brother's kid was born prematurely, also thin. My best friend from high school was born prematurely, her parents are heavy, she is built heavy, round, curvy despite being a fitness professional (her job is to work out!) in fantastic good health.
I think genetics is at the bottom of a whole lot of differences in metabolism, appetite, weight. I am 100% sure if I found a baby on the doorstep I could turn it into one of my kids, culturally and academically speaking, but am not at all sure that their body type would be similar to my kids; I think we'd eat together and still the genetics would play out the way they are designed to. It's more like hair and eye color to me, we are made to be a size - overfatness is a different issue, that can be imposed by families overfeeding kids - but metabolism DOES differ between different people, as does appetite.
Just saying "they don't overeat", that's not really explaining it. Yes I think (based on my experience) that skinny people are adjusting, they can eat big meals, but then forget to eat all day sometimes, but WHY? Why do I not get hungry after our big breakfast, like my body knows that lasts me all day, but Fiance still gets hungry by lunchtime?0 -
gonetothedogs19 wrote: »
When I was in college - Almost 6' 1", 145 lbs., no exercise other than walking to class, ate like a horse, and could not put on a pound. I even bought a product called "Weight On." It didn't work.
When I hit my late 20's, I ate less, but started gaining weight.
There is only one answer - metabolism. With a super-fast metabolism, calories out seems to have no limit. At least that's how it worked for me.
It's still CICO!!!.....and what I said above in my comment that you quoted.1 -
There is something to intuitive weight management. My body used to be able to sense that it had enough fuel to last and later would alert me when my available glycogen stores needed refilling. I had normal hunger and fullness signals that naturally kept me in check and therefore I stayed thin. Over the years my metabolism slowed but my body didn't stay as fine tuned as to notice while the weight crept up.0
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Carlos_421 wrote: »When my parents got married, my dad was 5'11" and 150 lbs. He could eat whatever he wanted and as much as he wanted and not gain a pound. He was a big eater and a frequent eater (his lunchbox was a Coleman cooler). Still, his 8 pack abs prevailed.
Of course, he also ran 10 miles a day just for the fun of it (he wasn't so much into fitness as he just enjoyed the outlet of burning off the energy). He stopped running after they got married but he worked physical jobs (stock boy, dock worker loading trucks, picker/packer, etc.) and was the stereotypical energizer bunny on the job, practically running around, beating quotas, setting records...and then he'd come home and play tag with us kids or take us bike riding. Steady at 150 pounds and the 8 pack remained.
Then when I was in 5th or 6th grade, he started actually losing weight. He didn't like that so he started eating more. Still lost. He made deliberate efforts to eat as much as possible ("like a horse" in his own words) but kept losing weight.
Turns out he was also having heart palpitations at night and getting extremely fatigued during the day (to the point of going home sick because he didn't have the strength to do his job).
Turns out he had hyperthyroidism.
Nuked the thyroid, put him on synthroid and he was back to his old self.
Now dad drives a truck so sits for a lot of his day but still goes full bore during stops. He also goes on frequent walks with mom in the evenings. He still eats a lot and doesn't track his food (although he's definitely got a routine) but his lower activity level means he's not maintaining the eight pack abs anymore. Rather, he's holding steady just under 180.
Long story short:
My dad ate a lot but stayed very lean...but there were reasons why.
When the reasons changed, so did his weight.
sounds like my husband...physically active childhood kept him rail thin...physical job kept him thin....he sits in front of a computer at work now about half the time...he doesn't eat as much now to keep himself at a decent weight...
his dad is the same way...can drink a case of coke in 2 days...fry eggs in bacon fat etc...thin...but 12 hour shifts, a farm and 2 grand daughters keep him thin....0 -
I'm not trying to be mean or anything but since we can all agree that metabolisms vary based on a multitude of factors, what exactly is the discussion here at this point?
... Some people fidget, some people don't. Some people workout, some people don't. Some people have higher body temperatures, other people don't. Half of these things are things we cannot change, so I would think that the ultimate take away from this should be that we should focus on ourselves, no?
...You can't sit on the couch and get upset that someone else sitting on the couch can eat more than you. You can't workout for 30 minutes or even an hour per day and get upset that someone sitting on the couch can eat more than you. All you can do is do the best you can for yourself because your own body is all you have to work with.
...I would never, ever disregard someone's opinion due to their weight. It's callous and inane. I was overweight myself, many people here were/are; why in the hell would we treat someone like that? I swear discussions like this, while thought provoking, get muddled by certain individuals who have zero grasp on reality. Nobody is perfect, but if actual discussions are to be had, let's stick to what facts we do know instead of acting like statistical outliers are actually the norm. It defeats the purpose of topics like this.
Why are there always people in the MFP Community who like to squelch conversations just because they don't like what others converse about? I think that OP wrote a very thought provoking question that has generated interest.
We know that people have varying ages, metabolisms, health, and activity levels that impact CICO. Be happy and enjoy your health, youth, and whatever else you have going for you. If anyone compliments your physique do them a favor, perhaps, and nicely tell them that you burn off lots of calories with extra workouts so that you can eat more. I am enjoying reading about this topic.
I don't see where the conversation is being squelched more realigned to where it started...
[/b]
... by people who self-appoint themselves as thread monitors. I've only been around the MFP community a month, but have noticed this. It is disheartening at times.
Oh the self appointed thread monitors are a phenomena all across the internet. To this day there is no computer code that can stand in their way.
Edit: No disrespect to actual monitors. It's a tough gig.0 -
I'm not trying to be mean or anything but since we can all agree that metabolisms vary based on a multitude of factors, what exactly is the discussion here at this point?
... Some people fidget, some people don't. Some people workout, some people don't. Some people have higher body temperatures, other people don't. Half of these things are things we cannot change, so I would think that the ultimate take away from this should be that we should focus on ourselves, no?
...You can't sit on the couch and get upset that someone else sitting on the couch can eat more than you. You can't workout for 30 minutes or even an hour per day and get upset that someone sitting on the couch can eat more than you. All you can do is do the best you can for yourself because your own body is all you have to work with.
...I would never, ever disregard someone's opinion due to their weight. It's callous and inane. I was overweight myself, many people here were/are; why in the hell would we treat someone like that? I swear discussions like this, while thought provoking, get muddled by certain individuals who have zero grasp on reality. Nobody is perfect, but if actual discussions are to be had, let's stick to what facts we do know instead of acting like statistical outliers are actually the norm. It defeats the purpose of topics like this.
Why are there always people in the MFP Community who like to squelch conversations just because they don't like what others converse about? I think that OP wrote a very thought provoking question that has generated interest.
We know that people have varying ages, metabolisms, health, and activity levels that impact CICO. Be happy and enjoy your health, youth, and whatever else you have going for you. If anyone compliments your physique do them a favor, perhaps, and nicely tell them that you burn off lots of calories with extra workouts so that you can eat more. I am enjoying reading about this topic.
I don't see where the conversation is being squelched more realigned to where it started...
[/b]
... by people who self-appoint themselves as thread monitors. I've only been around the MFP community a month, but have noticed this. It is disheartening at times.
Oh the self appointed thread monitors are a phenomena all across the internet. To this day there is no computer code that can stand in their way.
and this conversation is just derailing a productive thread.
ETA: yes I am monitoring this because there is no need to derail a good thread with this...so...2 -
I'm not trying to be mean or anything but since we can all agree that metabolisms vary based on a multitude of factors, what exactly is the discussion here at this point?
... Some people fidget, some people don't. Some people workout, some people don't. Some people have higher body temperatures, other people don't. Half of these things are things we cannot change, so I would think that the ultimate take away from this should be that we should focus on ourselves, no?
...You can't sit on the couch and get upset that someone else sitting on the couch can eat more than you. You can't workout for 30 minutes or even an hour per day and get upset that someone sitting on the couch can eat more than you. All you can do is do the best you can for yourself because your own body is all you have to work with.
...I would never, ever disregard someone's opinion due to their weight. It's callous and inane. I was overweight myself, many people here were/are; why in the hell would we treat someone like that? I swear discussions like this, while thought provoking, get muddled by certain individuals who have zero grasp on reality. Nobody is perfect, but if actual discussions are to be had, let's stick to what facts we do know instead of acting like statistical outliers are actually the norm. It defeats the purpose of topics like this.
Why are there always people in the MFP Community who like to squelch conversations just because they don't like what others converse about? I think that OP wrote a very thought provoking question that has generated interest.
We know that people have varying ages, metabolisms, health, and activity levels that impact CICO. Be happy and enjoy your health, youth, and whatever else you have going for you. If anyone compliments your physique do them a favor, perhaps, and nicely tell them that you burn off lots of calories with extra workouts so that you can eat more. I am enjoying reading about this topic.
I don't see where the conversation is being squelched more realigned to where it started...
[/b]
... by people who self-appoint themselves as thread monitors. I've only been around the MFP community a month, but have noticed this. It is disheartening at times.
Oh the self appointed thread monitors are a phenomena all across the internet. To this day there is no computer code that can stand in their way.
and this conversation is just derailing a productive thread.
ETA: yes I am monitoring this because there is no need to derail a good thread with this...so...
See! They are not hard to find. Their goal is to expose themselves.0 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »RollTideTri wrote: »Yes all calories are burned by some kind of heat generation, but you don't believe people can burn variable amounts of calories given identical activity levels? People can't just have bodies that burn more calories than average? There are lots of processes that burn calories in the body that don't involve movement. Some people will burn more calories than you while sitting perfectly still or sleeping, some less.
Yes, that can happen, but only by generating excess heat. The energy must go somewhere. Movement and heat are the only net energy outputs the human body is capable of (and sound, but that's pretty negligible in our case compared to, say, a car) . All body processes which don't result in movement generate heat.
Obviously there is only so much hotter a body can run, unless you're talking about the human torch, so if the discrepancy is large, fidgeting and spontaneous activity probably account for most of it and extra heat only for a small proportion. But you can see the effect in the fact that a fair few "naturally skinny" people don't feel the cold and wear t-shirts in chilly weather.
I'm an engineer. This is very much my area of expertise. Energy in equals energy out in ANY system. It is not a matter of opinion, and in the human body there is limited variation in energy out unless there's big difference in activity level. Imo, those rare cases where someone genuinely eats hugely with little activity and fails to gain weight are more likely a digestive problem reducing the amount of energy going in.
Obviously energy in = energy out. Nobody is saying calories magically vanish somewhere. But people can and do have variations in their Basal Metabolism Rate (BMR) that are independent of activity level. It's affected by many things like age, genetics, glandular activity, etc. That is also not a matter of opinion.
All these teenagers who eat huge amounts of food without gaining weight aren't all super active or have digestive problems, be realistic. Yes CICO is a real thing, but sometimes people see it as more black and white than it really is.1 -
I had a skinny room mate back in college. She use to eat soooo much but wouldnt gain a pound.
After hanging out with her and spending 24-7 with her, I noticed she ONLY ate when she was hungry. Once she was full, she saved the rest of the food for later.
Not me, not I. Even though I was eating "healthier" than her, I would eat til I couldnt eat anymore. Saving food for later? What's that?! Also, I ate when I was hungry, bored, stressed, happy, sad, etc.
Your coworker may just be a special snowflake or.... not eating as much as you think he is.6
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