When I graduated from high school I weighed 151 lbs. For some reason, right around the time I turned 21 I put on a quick 15 lbs. (junior 15?) and spent most of my early 20s hovering around the 165 lb. mark. I spent most of my late 20s hovering around the 175 lb. mark, thanks in part to In N Out, Baja Fresh, and Sam Adams.
When I moved to the East Coast in 2004 I initially lost a little bit of weight, but then quickly gained about 20 lbs. within what seemed like just a few months. I think a big part of this weight gain had to do with moving in with my wife who happens to be a very good cook. Though obviously it's not her fault that I gained so much weight; she didn't actually force the food down my throat.
During the summer of 2007 I got up to about 205 lbs., which is the most I've ever weighed, and I have to admit, I was definitely looking portly. I'm just north of six feet tall, so while I'm not gigantic, I'm definitely not short, and I can generally hold weight pretty well, but 205 was just too much for my frame.
I've lost a little weight since then, and now I'm down to 192 as of yesterday. Ideally I'd like to get down around 185 which I think is realistic for my age. I doubt it would even be a good idea for me to try and get down to what I weighed when I was 25. I don't claim to be very informed on the subject of weight loss, but, based on my own experiences here's what I hold to be true:
1. I'm sure exercise is really good for your body, but just exercising doesn't really help you lose weight. You could argue that it speeds up your metabolism, but you could then counter-argue that all that exercise will increase your appetite.
2. The single most effective way to lose weight is to simply eat less. I don't think it's all about smaller portions as far as everyone's concerned, but I think smaller portions will go a long way for most people trying to lose weight. This is the only thing that has ever, personally, caused me to lose any weight.
3. I think because people don't want to eat less they want to bypass the process by focusing on what they're eating instead of how much, as though this somehow provides a way around the total caloric intake issue.
4. A few words about Atkins and Taubes-- basically I'm skeptical. I'm sure there are some good points to be made, especially about how certain kinds of carbohydrates aren't good for you, but Taubes's book smacks too much of an "everything you know is wrong" manifesto. Though I personally know people who have lost a lot of weight on Atkins, it doesn't seem like a plausible long-term diet plan for either keeping weight off or staying healthy. Again, the focus of this approach is more on what you eat than how much you eat. And this leads to my next point:
5. There is (naturally) a big difference between eating to lose weight and eating to be healthy. It makes sense that eating no carbohydrates and lots of animal protein would cause you to lose weight initially, but is that really a healthy way to eat, day-to-day, every day? It seems logical that eating to be healthy is more important, since if you're eating to be healthy, whatever your weight is once you've reached your optimal level of health doesn't really matter, because by default it's a healthy weight for you.
6. I'll say it again, I think eating less is really what it all comes down to as far as weight loss is concerned. As far as eating healthy I don't really know, but I'm not convinced that anyone really does.
3 comments:
>>but you could then counter-argue that all that exercise will increase your appetite.
Which is exactly what Taubes argues in his book.
>>but Taubes's book smacks too much of an "everything you know is wrong" manifesto.
I can't help what your feeling is, but you really should give the book a try. The man is a serious science writer, not a huckster pushing an infomercial product.
The book is actually a bit of slog in many places because he builds his case so methodically and carefully. There are over 450 footnotes and an extensive bibliography.
>>It makes sense that eating no carbohydrates and lots of animal protein would cause you to lose weight initially, but is that really a healthy way to eat, day-to-day, every day?
Atkins/Taubes aren't saying eat no carbs and lots of animal protein, they're saying eat much fewer carbs and more vegetables. Don't have chicken and rice, have chicken and broccoli. Don't have the mashed potatoes, have peas and carrots instead. And yes, there are people who have been living on the diet for years and they are perfectly healthy.
But yeah, the book is definitely an attack on the establishment. Sometimes it needs to be attacked, though, right?
Have you read this article yet? http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E2D61F3EF934A35754C0A9649C8B63&sec=health
I've gained weight too. I hate it. I walked to the beach today and I'm going on a run tomorrow morning.
A buddy from Spain was in town during my break and we smoked these thin cuban cigars what seemed like everyday. And my lungs are not looking forward to it.
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