Being skinny or looking good doesnt mean you are healthy

Also, what is considered to be "short term?"

Lean gains define it as 16 hour fasts every day, I think... Eat stop Eat defines as 24 hour fasts, 2 times a week....

You kidding right? 16 hours fasts everyday? 24 hours twice a week? Did you personally tried to do some intense workouts without passing out? Cuz I eat in moderation and maybe not as much as I should, and sometimes have trouble already. And with no eating? Does your car drive without gas? If it does, I wanna buy the same kind of car

On a 16 hour fast you eat the same calories per day as you would if you were not on the fast. With the Eat Stop Eat one you eat the same as you would in a week as when you are not on it. Where is the problem? I would suggest you do some research as you do not understand the context.

We are not cars - we have energy stores - it's more like a motorbike that has a reserve tank.

Also, what is considered to be "short term?"

Lean gains define it as 16 hour fasts every day, I think... Eat stop Eat defines as 24 hour fasts, 2 times a week....

You kidding right? 16 hours fasts everyday? 24 hours twice a week? Did you personally tried to do some intense workouts without passing out? Cuz I eat in moderation and maybe not as much as I should, and sometimes have trouble already. And with no eating? Does your car drive without gas? If it does, I wanna buy the same kind of car

16 hour fasts each day equates to an 8 hour feeding period per 24 hours. That could be ANY 8 hours...8am to 4PM....10 am to 6pm, whatever..just an 8 hour chunk. most of the "fasting" period is while sleeping, when you just wake up, and right before bed...doesn't sound so crazy now does it?

the 24 hour fasts with EatStopEat are done from dinner to dinner, so you DO eat each day, you don't wake up , go all day without food, and go to sleep hungry....you begin your 24 hours after a full day of eating but stop at about 5 PM or whatever, then don't eat the next day until 5PM, making 24 hours, but you eat a big fat dinner before bed.... see, NOT so crazy....

and your car/gas example?
it's not running it without fuel...it's the difference between dropping a gallon into the tank every 20 miles you drive, or filling the whole tank and then going on a long road trip all at once....still got fuel, just loaded up for the long haul.....

thank you. It does seem to be the general consensus that as long as you're skinny, losing, or under your calorie goals, you can eat whatever you want, but every time I see this I'm disgusted, and surprised that so many people still don't get it.

i agree! i see many people who are having a cup of coffee for their daily intake. It's not a healthy way to lose weight, and all the pounds lost will come straight back on as soon as they eat something again!

The big problem with trying to lose weight by eating very little is that your body still needs to get the calories from somewhere. If you're not eating it, then it will get this from the body itself.

Sure, this sounds all great and what not, but most people don't realize that muscle is easier to break down into usable energy than fat is. If your body needs the calories right away, which it will, it will start eating away at your lean muscle mass before it'll start eating away at fat.

From this, you will lose weight, but you'll still have all the fat. Once you stop this diet, which everyone would have to eventually, you'll have even fewer calorie-burning muscles, and it'll be a lot easier to put the pounds back on - as more fat.

The scary thing about it, is the new pounds will come on fast as visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat underneath the abdomen muscles, around your organs. Your body puts the fat there, because it's easier to do so than it is anywhere else. this dramatically increases health risks, as visceral fat puts pressure on your internal organs.

The only truely healthy way to lose weight is through exercise. Your burn off the calories naturally, you still feed your body properly, and you build muscles which will help keep the fat off once you've stopped your diet.

The weight loss will be slower, but it'll stay off for as long as you keep working out.

The big problem with trying to lose weight by eating very little is that your body still needs to get the calories from somewhere. If you're not eating it, then it will get this from the body itself.

Sure, this sounds all great and what not, but most people don't realize that muscle is easier to break down into usable energy than fat is. If your body needs the calories right away, which it will, it will start eating away at your lean muscle mass before it'll start eating away at fat.

From this, you will lose weight, but you'll still have all the fat. Once you stop this diet, which everyone would have to eventually, you'll have even fewer calorie-burning muscles, and it'll be a lot easier to put the pounds back on - as more fat.

The scary thing about it, is the new pounds will come on fast as visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat underneath the abdomen muscles, around your organs. Your body puts the fat there, because it's easier to do so than it is anywhere else. this dramatically increases health risks, as visceral fat puts pressure on your internal organs.

The only truely healthy way to lose weight is through exercise. Your burn off the calories naturally, you still feed your body properly, and you build muscles which will help keep the fat off once you've stopped your diet.

The weight loss will be slower, but it'll stay off for as long as you keep working out.

This is such a good explanation! thank you for this

I made my post with the intent to find people who care about their health and well being. But so many others sort of twisted this and emphasized on weight or "looking good." Im on the hunt for people that think about more than jean or dress size. I prefer to befriend people that also care about sodium, iron or sugar levels , pay attention to carb intake, people who know about vitamin supplements. PEOPLE THAT I CAN LEARN FROM. When im trying to eat healthy and i click on a diary of a person who looks healthy but only eats 600 calories a day with no exercise it just feels pointless to me. I want to click on a diary that reminds me to add flax seed in my oatmeal or to put hemp seed on my salad for extra omega benefit. I dont ridicule people. I dont argue like a high school girl. I dont condemn. I dont tell people how to eat or live or think they should do what i want to do. Im just looking for people with similar goals.

To be blunt, you would have been better off titling this "Looking for people who eat like me" or "Want friends with similar goals" instead of the provocative one you chose.

Agreed - and posting it in the introduction section.

Also, Im at the point now that i try my best to keep junk food out of my diet and away from my family as well. Im slowly learning more about processed and packaged foods and it really scares me. :-( Even in moderation it scares me.

Dosage and context are always relevant. Eating a little junk here and there shouldn't scare you. What SHOULD scare you is the potential to develop a fear of certain food items.

Adopting an all or nothing strategy where you completely eliminate food because of the belief that ANY amount of that food item is harmful, is probably not the best route to take both for dietary adherence, and sanity.


In my opinion, of course.
EDIT: I'm not judging you when I share the above opinion. I just want to be clear on that since I don't tend to sugar coat things. I'm just sharing my opinion about this topic.

So just to understand you feel things like say McDonalds French Fries and burgers and Doritos are fine to include in a healthy diet and lifestyle? I think I understand your point, but as someone who used to indulge in those types of foods, I honestly do not think they have a place in a healthy diet or lifestyle in any amount.

I think the key to being healthy is finding healthy, wholesome replacements for all the processed crap food that is wrecking our lives. No being so restrictive we fail, Eating is an enjoyable part of life.

So for example, Instead of going and pigging out at McDonalds which is just pink slime burgers with tons of trans fats, sodium and calories, I will instead go to my local butcher who gets 100% whole beef burgers which are so fresh and lean they barely shrink when you grill them. I will grill a burger and put it on healthy fresh baked, toasted 12 grain bread with a little bit of fresh mozarella cheese and some sauted onions. I will have a completely satisfying, savory awesome burger, with no where near the crap and calories in a McDonalds burger. And I will only indulge in this every now and then - not eat it every day for lunch like many people in this country still do because they are addicted to the fat. sodium and sugars in processed junk foods.

I agree that part of a healthy diet is not restricting yourself but I disagree that processed junk food has a place anywhere near a healthy diet or lifestyle - especially now that there are so many healthy great tasting substitutes.

Also, Im at the point now that i try my best to keep junk food out of my diet and away from my family as well. Im slowly learning more about processed and packaged foods and it really scares me. :-( Even in moderation it scares me.

Dosage and context are always relevant. Eating a little junk here and there shouldn't scare you. What SHOULD scare you is the potential to develop a fear of certain food items.

Adopting an all or nothing strategy where you completely eliminate food because of the belief that ANY amount of that food item is harmful, is probably not the best route to take both for dietary adherence, and sanity.


In my opinion, of course.
EDIT: I'm not judging you when I share the above opinion. I just want to be clear on that since I don't tend to sugar coat things. I'm just sharing my opinion about this topic.

So just to understand you feel things like say McDonalds French Fries and burgers and Doritos are fine to include in a healthy diet and lifestyle? I think I understand your point, but as someone who used to indulge in those types of foods, I honestly do not think they have a place in a healthy diet or lifestyle in any amount.

I think the key to being healthy is finding healthy, wholesome replacements for all the processed crap food that is wrecking our lives. No being so restrictive we fail, Eating is an enjoyable part of life.

So for example, Instead of going and pigging out at McDonalds which is just pink slime burgers with tons of trans fats, sodium and calories, I will instead go to my local butcher who gets 100% whole beef burgers which are so fresh and lean they barely shrink when you grill them. I will grill a burger and put it on healthy fresh baked, toasted 12 grain bread with a little bit of fresh mozarella cheese and some sauted onions. I will have a completely satisfying, savory awesome burger, with no where near the crap and calories in a McDonalds burger. And I will only indulge in this every now and then - not eat it every day for lunch like many people in this country still do because they are addicted to the fat. sodium and sugars in processed junk foods.

I agree that part of a healthy diet is not restricting yourself but I disagree that processed junk food has a place anywhere near a healthy diet or lifestyle - especially now that there are so many healthy great tasting substitutes.

For one, not everyone can go home and cook a burger all the time. We live in a hectic environment a lot of the time when convenience sometimes has to trump home cooked meals. Having a diet that also enables someone to have a little more time in their day is also good for peoples health (mental as well as physical). It is not a simple or black and white as processed junk food is detremental to a healthy lifestyle (emphasis on the word lifestyle). Also, many fast foods are actually not necessarily less 'healthy' than foods that are made at home. I actually never eat fast foods because I am a vegetarian and they are very meat orientated, but can see no issue with incorporating them in to someones diet if done occasionally. And with regard to processed food....it is not always 'bad for you'. Milk is processed, bread is processed, a whole bunch of stuff is processed. It does not necessarily mean it is bad for you (and yes, I realize the paleo folks will disagree).

So just to understand you feel things like say McDonalds French Fries and burgers and Doritos are fine to include in a healthy diet and lifestyle? I think I understand your point, but as someone who used to indulge in those types of foods, I honestly do not think they have a place in a healthy diet or lifestyle in any amount.

Yes, I do think they are fine to include, with the key word being dosage. Do I think you should eat McDonalds twice per day? No. Do I think you can treat yourself every now and then? Absolutely.

I DO think processed foods should be limited and I think artificial trans fats should be very limited.

I think the key to being healthy is finding healthy, wholesome replacements for all the processed crap food that is wrecking our lives. No being so restrictive we fail, Eating is an enjoyable part of life.

I'm not sure where you stand on this. In one sentence you say not being so restrictive that we fail but then you also say that we should replace ALL processed food.

So for example, Instead of going and pigging out at McDonalds which is just pink slime burgers with tons of trans fats, sodium and calories, I will instead go to my local butcher who gets 100% whole beef burgers which are so fresh and lean they barely shrink when you grill them. I will grill a burger and put it on healthy fresh baked, toasted 12 grain bread with a little bit of fresh mozarella cheese and some sauted onions. I will have a completely satisfying, savory awesome burger, with no where near the crap and calories in a McDonalds burger.

Nothing wrong with that practice. I also find ways to replace various restaurant food with home-made versions so that I can reduce calories and have better control over food ingredients.

What I'm suggesting is that it's great to do the above when you can. When you CANT, then it's fine to eat a little bit of processed crap now and then.

I agree that part of a healthy diet is not restricting yourself but I disagree that processed junk food has a place anywhere near a healthy diet or lifestyle - especially now that there are so many healthy great tasting substitutes.

I'm not suggesting that people should actively go out and seek to eat processed foods. If you can replace your favorite processed food item with something whole and nutrient dense and minimally processed then more power to you. I am disputing the necessity to do this 100% of the time under all circumstances.

Dieting is hard enough as it is. There is no need to adopt an all-or-nothing strategy. For one, I've not yet seen any evidence that there's a physiological need or benefit to do so given that you're capable of including a small portion of junk food into an otherwise healthy diet. This is again, where dosage comes into play.

And secondarily, I've said it before and I don't mean to keep tossing this word around, but orthorexia is a health concern too. Establishing a "taboo list" of foods (absolutely NO processed foods, ever!) is not a smart way to develop a good relationship with food.

Well Im NO pro at all. Im always learning new things related to nutrition, vitamins etc. But I have been spending most of my life trying to be healthy. Like i said in my first post i was so wrong when i was young. Thinking that being skinny was good enough. Its not. I mean when i was young i could run on the treadmill every day for a week and eat extremely lighty and drop weight quick. As I got older it didnt work that way. I paid attention to fat grams back then rather than calories, carbs, sodium and glucose. So I was way off. I have exercised a lot , drank 8 glasses of water a day from the age of 14 and taken vitamins through out my life. But anyhow at this point (age 36 with 3 children) Ive decided that keeping my diet close to earth is best. The fresher the better and try to stay away from packaged processed foods. Ive very recently decided to watch my carb intake because that will lower sugar intake as well and this program tells me i go over every day :-O So thats where im at. And i need to exercise SIX days a week if i want to see my body change. Otherwise IT stays the exact same. :-) But Im not trying to rush to any certain weight. I woud however like to be more toned. Thats a work inprocess

Remember that back in the 90s all the emphasis was on fat grams and not on calories, carbs, sodium etc and I know when I was young I was not worried about high blood pressure (even though I had it when I was obese in Jr High), diabetes, etc. A lot of the info we have available now was not out there back when we were younger and we didn't have the internet back then either lol

I tried getting rid of the junk but the kids craved it more. Moderation is our new goal. and as I make better choices , they tend to follow. I track my kcals and my nutrients and aim for a variety of antioxidants.

I try to eat healthy every day and take a multivitamin "just in case". Unless you have a specific deficiency, you are wasting your money buying all those "remedies" and supplements. What, specifically, is the remedy a remedy for? According to dictionary.com, a remedy is "A medicine or treatment for a disease or injury." Spend your money on healthy veggies and lean meats.