Posts by homeskillet86

I love how everyone on these forums is a self-proclaimed expert. I had no idea I was in the midst of such greatness! Sorry, I am new to the internet. I did not realize that the opinions of people who claim they are educated is more valid than actual research. The next time I have a question about nutrition I will be sure to just ask you guys instead of looking it up, ok?

I just wanted to let you know that my family has been stressing me out for years. Both of my parents have now passed so that makes life a little easier (and harder, too), but otherwise I have a few strategies that have helped me deal with their BS. 

1) Do not try to fix them, even if your attempts are successful (and they almost never are) it is not your responsibility. Do not sacrifice yourself for people who do not want to help themselves. That being said, you can still love them and support them.

2) Don't let them drag you in the middle of their quarrels. Stay neutral and stay out of it.

3) If things get too crazy, take some time away from them. I know doing this seems like some sort of disloyalty to your family, but there comes a time when enough is enough. 

I have done the crying over my family thing many, many times like yourself. It is very hard to find the place between "screw them" and "I need to save them." Good luck!

Original Post by nadiavdv:

i'd just like to point out that well some medications cause weight gain due to increase of appetite this is not the case for all of them.  Some medications make you retain substantial amounts of water well others do mess with your metabolism.  I've worked with mentally ill people who were put on new medication and gained 30 plus pounds in a month and that was certainly not due to an increase of food.  When it comes to things like medications that are prescribed for a variety of reason generalizations aren't really helpful at all.

There are very very few medications that cause weight gain by means other than increased appetite. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule, but generally speaking most people will not experience this. You know what it's not a generalization, it's science. Also, you did not conduct a study on those patients, so you have no idea what exactly was going on with them. I can tell you right now that there is no way any person eating a regular diet could gain 30 lbs of fat in one month even if their metabolism somehow completely stopped. So either it was a lot of water weight, or their intake was increasing more than you thought. How do I know this? It's called the law of conservation of mass. 

Smashley - Yes, eating too little can lower your metabolism, but you have to eat much lower than the min. recommendation for men and women to see this happen. Your example of HCG users are a good example of the type of person who is messing with their metabolism. Btw, why do they have to take HCG if they are only eating 500 cals? I am basically talking about the type of people who eat less than they should to try to lose weight faster, end up bingeing, and then say they didn't lose weight until they increased their calories. There is a lot of denial going on and it keeps getting perpetuated. 

Martha - Yup, science is science. We don't need books to tell us how to eat, but they exist because everyone is looking for an easy answer. Weight loss is hard, I understand the appeal of trying to find an easy answer, but following nutritional advice based on false information is where I draw the line. 

Hi Teemix! I completely agree with everyone else that you should be eating more. Losing weight permanently takes changing the way you eat, so you are right to cut the junk and increase the fruits, veggies and whole grains. Yes, better foods are definitely more expensive, but hopefully you will save some money because you are not eating as much. I always try to plan out my meals and snacks in advance so that I only have to buy that much. Also, remember that while frozen fruits & veg are not as good as fresh, they are still much healthier than junk food and a lot easier on your budget. One of the reasons we all fall into junk food is that no one really cooks anymore. The more you cook from scratch, the more money you will save. You will also increase activity this way!

I just calculated your BMR (the amount of calories your body burns just to stay alive) and it said it was around 1850. If I were you I would try eating around 2000 calories a day for a while while continuing your exercise and see where that gets you. Just so you know, I used to weigh 278 and I was losing eating 2000 calories a day without any exercise. I currently weigh 185 and I eat 1750 and probably exercise about as much as you. Do not give up! You just have to figure out what works for your body. When I was heavier I tried eating at 1500 calories a day with no success, I was just too hungry.

I know it's hard and you are discouraged, but do not give up! Eating well and exercising has more benefits than just weight loss. You are taking care of yourself and that's what's really matters. Calorie Count is a wonderful community and there will always be support for you if you need it. 

Original Post by khigan:

I figured it was mostly me just reading into it too deeply; I know that he doesn't mean it in any kind of rude or disrespectful way, but it's hard to hear a compliment of "You look better now" and not hear "you looked bad before now".

Right, he probably wasn't intending to hurt your feelings, however that doesn't mean that your feelings are invalid. I think you did the right thing by talking it over with him and I personally think that it is never appropriate to make comments about specifically about a person's weight unless they open the conversation. A simple "you look great" is all someone needs to say if they want to be nice, it is not necessary to be specific. 

Eatclean - go to Macy's... I have a couple sports bras from there that are like freakin' pressure bandages or something. One of them I bought when I was a double D and now I'm a small C and it still holds tight.

*edit* I'm pretty sure they're Champions. If you are looking for one with a tight fit, get one with a front zipper bc they are WAY easier to get on. Otherwise, as long as you get one with the thick material & reinforced stitching you're golden. Oh, they sell them at Sports Authority too.