Ever wonder why some people get fat?

[Yankee427]

About two years ago I lost 70 lbs. It was the best thing I ever did. I can definitely say that this has a correlation on business, because after I lost all that weight, I started trying to build my own business and had confidence that now I could build my own successful viable business. Losing all that weight was the hardest thing I ever did, as it is an entire lifestyle change, so anything after that is easy.

I received a lot of motivation from the book by Steve Siebold called Die Fat or Get Tough: 101 Differences in Thinking between Fat and Fit People.

 

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[Shades]

I wouldn't consider myself a food/health expert, but I am definitely a health "enthusiast". In my opinion (and I am not an expert) I think processed foods in general are what can cause a lot of negative effects on our body, and I would clump gluten into that category. So much of the food we eat today are full of really terrible things for our bodies, and if we eat too much of these foods, the negative effects will begin to show and cause issues. I am a vegan, so I eat no animal products at all and no meat, and I try to eat a lot of raw, organic, and non-GMO foods. I have been vegan for 2 years, and the difference of my body is incredible. I have more energy, I am very rarely sick, I have better skin, just everything changed dramatically. I think it has a lot to do that I cut out these processed foods. My grandmother cut out gluten and had the similar results.

I once watched a very interesting documentary (I am blanking on the name) and it compared our current Western diet to the diets of people in impoverished countries, and it concluded that in these poorer countries diseases like ciliacs disease, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancers are almost non-existant compared to America where these diseases are running rampant. And the difference is, processed foods are everywhere in the West, while in these other countries they are nonexistent. It was just really mind boggling to me how much our diet has an effect on our bodies, and I think it is definitely something worth reading into and researching.

May it have been Forks over Knives? That was a interesting one.

I cant go full on Vegan. Just not for me. But Over the last month or two ive transformed my eating habits. Cut out most all processed food, which really wasnt as hard as I thought it would be. Just making most meals at home, I used to eat out all the time. Now I can control the quality of the ingredients. Bread intake went way down too. But I can still have great tasting foods. Ive already been drinking just water for years so that wasnt hard. I know many people have a tough time giving up soda.

A couple days a month ill have a slice of pizza or even a half of cheesesteak. Im not gonna never have things like that again. But I think its about having them sparingly. Eating good foods most of the time. Exercising, DDP Yoga has been great. I drink smoothies now and green juices to get some of those disgusting greens like kale in me somehow lol. I do overall feel much better. So much of the lazy feeling I used to have so often is gone. Energy level is without question better. Must have had a lot to do with eating so much terrible food.

This reminds me of a MJ Youtube video from years back.

 

[Stubbers]

I thought it was so they can ride around on electric scooters all day at Disney and shortcut the lines ... thats how it looked 3 weeks ago! as @100k says burn more calories than you consume

 

[Rem]

I have lost 16 pounds in the last 2 months. I have another 16 or so to lose. It definitely is a process. I am not sure I agree that eating better and exercising is a lifestyle change though. I believe it is a "belief change". You have to change the way you view food, health, and life in general. The process is still there, but for me it's very small changes that can make a very large impact. For example, I don't have to change my lifestyle to grab a carrot or an orange for my afternoon snack instead of opening up a bag of chips and some dip. I still have to go shopping, but I may go down different isles to grab different food and make healthier purchases. I spend most of my time in the produce section now. I exercise for an hour and a half each evening 5 times per week, instead of watching Netflix and catching up on shows. It's not much of a lifestyle change, I just changed out Netflix for exercise. I think people toss around that saying without really thinking about it. Maybe that's why more and more people are having a tough time getting healthy because somewhere deep down inside they think "LIFESTYLE CHANGE" and it puts up these barriers.

I made no lifestyle change to not go back for seconds during dinner. I made no lifestyle change carrying a simple pad of paper and recording calories after I eat. These are all minor changes. I think with business it's the same thing. It's making many many small and proper changes day in and day out and sticking to the process.

I think of lifestyle changes as having to change your career, or get a divorce, or move from the country to the city, or go through chemotherapy, or lose a limb or loved one. To me those are lifestyle changes. Adjusting how you eat, and switching out Netflix for exercise in the evening is just a priority switch which starts with changing your belief system and how you view health.

I used to use food to reward myself. How terrible is that? Not that I can't enjoy food when I make it but making a mental shift to view food from simply a nutritional standpoint is the key.

 

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[AubreyJ]

May it have been Forks over Knives? That was a interesting one.

I cant go full on Vegan. Just not for me. But Over the last month or two ive transformed my eating habits. Cut out most all processed food, which really wasnt as hard as I thought it would be. Just making most meals at home, I used to eat out all the time. Now I can control the quality of the ingredients. Bread intake went way down too. But I can still have great tasting foods. Ive already been drinking just water for years so that wasnt hard. I know many people have a tough time giving up soda.

A couple days a month ill have a slice of pizza or even a half of cheesesteak. Im not gonna never have things like that again. But I think its about having them sparingly. Eating good foods most of the time. Exercising, DDP Yoga has been great. I drink smoothies now and green juices to get some of those disgusting greens like kale in me somehow lol. I do overall feel much better. So much of the lazy feeling I used to have so often is gone. Energy level is without question better. Must have had a lot to do with eating so much terrible food.

This reminds me of a MJ Youtube video from years back.

yes! It was Forks over Knives, I don't know why I couldn't think of the name.

I actually went vegan for moral reasons (my views on animal rights) and so that made the entire process much easier. It made it so that I didn't turn down meat or dairy, for health reasons, but because I genuinely felt like it was wrong to eat it. So because of that kinda "obligation" I felt towards animals, really helped me become vegan and stick to it. But regardless of whether someone wants to be vegan, vegetarian, or a meat eater, I think it is just so important to eat quality foods, and it's amazing how much of an effect it has on you.

I have lost 16 pounds in the last 2 months. I have another 16 or so to lose. It definitely is a process. I am not sure I agree that eating better and exercising is a lifestyle change though. I believe it is a "belief change". You have to change the way you view food, health, and life in general. The process is still there, but for me it's very small changes that can make a very large impact. For example, I don't have to change my lifestyle to grab a carrot or an orange for my afternoon snack instead of opening up a bag of chips and some dip. I still have to go shopping, but I may go down different isles to grab different food and make healthier purchases. I spend most of my time in the produce section now. I exercise for an hour and a half each evening 5 times per week, instead of watching Netflix and catching up on shows. It's not much of a lifestyle change, I just changed out Netflix for exercise. I think people toss around that saying without really thinking about it. Maybe that's why more and more people are having a tough time getting healthy because somewhere deep down inside they think "LIFESTYLE CHANGE" and it puts up these barriers.

I made no lifestyle change to not go back for seconds during dinner. I made no lifestyle change carrying a simple pad of paper and recording calories after I eat. These are all minor changes. I think with business it's the same thing. It's making many many small and proper changes day in and day out and sticking to the process.

I think of lifestyle changes as having to change your career, or get a divorce, or move from the country to the city, or go through chemotherapy, or lose a limb or loved one. To me those are lifestyle changes. Adjusting how you eat, and switching out Netflix for exercise in the evening is just a priority switch which starts with changing your belief system and how you view health.

I used to use food to reward myself. How terrible is that? Not that I can't enjoy food when I make it but making a mental shift to view food from simply a nutritional standpoint is the key.

Good for you and congratulations on the weight loss! I do agree, I think on the day to day aspect and in the beginning of going on a "diet", it isn't as much a lifestyle change, but just little changes here and there. But I think that these little changes morph into a lifestyle change. You get used to choosing fruit instead of chips, or water instead of soda, or walking outside instead of watching Netflix, and 6 months or a year down the line it becomes a habit, and it has now become that lifestyle change. But I think that the term "Lifestyle Change" is a very daunting phrase, and it can probably turn people away the whole idea of getting healthy by changing their habits- so instead they try these get thin quick schemes that very rarely work.

But I 100% agree with you, it has so much to do with a belief change. A few months ago I saw a picture online saying that an extremely health conscious person no longer looks at foods the same. Instead of looking at a bagel and seeing a delicious breakfast, they look at a bagel and see 300 calories, 50 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fat...etc. And it is so true. To get fit and stay fit, your whole idea and belief for food has to change.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Ever wonder why some people get fat?

Because people eat like shit and don't exercise. End of story.

 

[SteveO]

Because people eat like shit and don't exercise. End of story.

I went in to the office yesterday and was faced with caramel and chocolate coated popcorn and peanuts. How do you say "NO"? Well, I couldn't.

But, I have lost 15 pounds in the last month.

 

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[NickT41]

Because people eat like shit and don't exercise.

Exactly. First Law of Thermodynamics. If you consume more calories than you expend, you get fat.

 

[Yankee427]

I have lost 16 pounds in the last 2 months. I have another 16 or so to lose. It definitely is a process. I am not sure I agree that eating better and exercising is a lifestyle change though. I believe it is a "belief change". You have to change the way you view food, health, and life in general. The process is still there, but for me it's very small changes that can make a very large impact. For example, I don't have to change my lifestyle to grab a carrot or an orange for my afternoon snack instead of opening up a bag of chips and some dip. I still have to go shopping, but I may go down different isles to grab different food and make healthier purchases. I spend most of my time in the produce section now. I exercise for an hour and a half each evening 5 times per week, instead of watching Netflix and catching up on shows. It's not much of a lifestyle change, I just changed out Netflix for exercise. I think people toss around that saying without really thinking about it. Maybe that's why more and more people are having a tough time getting healthy because somewhere deep down inside they think "LIFESTYLE CHANGE" and it puts up these barriers.

I made no lifestyle change to not go back for seconds during dinner. I made no lifestyle change carrying a simple pad of paper and recording calories after I eat. These are all minor changes. I think with business it's the same thing. It's making many many small and proper changes day in and day out and sticking to the process.

I think of lifestyle changes as having to change your career, or get a divorce, or move from the country to the city, or go through chemotherapy, or lose a limb or loved one. To me those are lifestyle changes. Adjusting how you eat, and switching out Netflix for exercise in the evening is just a priority switch which starts with changing your belief system and how you view health.

I used to use food to reward myself. How terrible is that? Not that I can't enjoy food when I make it but making a mental shift to view food from simply a nutritional standpoint is the key.

Well for me it was definitely a lifestyle change because everything changed. It starts with beliefs, but gave me confidence in every other aspect of my life. I'm starting a business now which is definitely a lifestyle change directly because of motivation I have from this aspect of my life.

Changing my beliefs to be positively motivating toward something instead of negative excuses as to why I couldn't lose the weight or whatever the case may be changed my life views on everything. Every failure is just one step closer to success. Other people may not have same outcome as me or go as far with this.

 

[jazb]

People get fat because they eat too much, nothing else.

You consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight
You consume less calories than you burn, you lose weight.

Just count your calories pure and simple. The biggest problem that needs to be addressed is people gaining weight quickly after a diet. This is because they have a weaker metabolism after dieting, and now they are eating as much as they did before, hence quicker weight gain.

And please don't confuse healthy eating with weight loss. if you ate 8000 calories of healthy food, you will gain fat. the same way if you ate 1500 calories of junk food, you will lose weight

 

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[CommonCents]

there are plenty of ways/process/mechanical reasons of HOW people get fat. But not drilling down to underlying motivation on what is driving their decisions==>WHY. I think the WHY is more of what drives their decision to do what they do. Not what they do to get fat.

The true WHY lies in emotions, perceived payoffs from pursuing pleasure, and/or avoiding pain.

 

[Gale4rc]

Hes asking the question - Why do people do this to themselves, not the obvious how do people get fat? I don't think he would ask on the forum to get the answer everybody already knows. (eating too much, no exercise, bad foods, etc)

 

[Enigmatic One]

Complacency is a killer. Either someone gets married, or has kids, or sprains their ankle after getting off the couch because their water bottle (burrito) is too far. Excuses are a way of life for some I suppose.

Don't want man titties? Do some pushups

Don't want that flabby gut? Quit eating that damn burrito.

It's as easy as 1, 2 (there is no 3).

 

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[splok]

Ever wonder why some people get fat? Me Too!

You don't really care about "some people" do you? That's a very anecdote-seek way to phrase the question. How about "why is such a high % of the American population fat?"

Because food is delicious?
Because instinct drives us to stuff ourselves in times of plenty so we don't starve in times of famine?
Because much of the food that's available is engineered not to push as many of those instinct buttons as possible?
Because there are billions of dollars to be made getting other people fat.
Because there are billions of dollars to be made from the health problems that come from being fat.
Because there are billions of dollars to be made from fat people that want to be fit.
Because modern life doesn't require us to expend much physical energy.
Because expending significant energy unnecessarily is, by definition, a lot of work, and people generally avoid work when possible.
Because it's taught and encouraged. (When your family is fat and you've grown up essentially being taught to be fat...)
Because it's socially acceptable.

But mostly because the actions are separated from the results.

It can take years to get fat and years to get fit again. If you're 30 and fat right now, you've probably spent the last 10 years getting fat, maybe the last 30. No single day, no single decision made you fat. It's a system of decisions spread across your entire life that did it. No single day will make you fit either. Us humans are pretty shitty at dealing with things that don't have immediate and fairly linear results, just like saving money or building a business. Sure, it's possible to make a change, but it's a painful change that stays painful for a long time. To make it worse, the reward for doing it is so gradual that it never really feels that you've gotten a reward. Humans just aren't very good at making changes that are painful and stay painful.

Why do people eat too much, drink, smoke, or do anything that's very slowly self-destructive?

Because it feels good now and the consequences are far away.

 

[MKAmsterdam]

Awesome wish, hope that you can help people remain at their peak longer.

About me:
I've played competitive field hockey for 8 years, switched to boxing/muay thai (got injured playing hockey, and now injured in my elbow, too much jabbing)

I've raced 5 half marathons (top 20% Finishing) and various shorter distances. I am focusing now on muscle growth. I am a ski, bootcamp & boxing instructor.

My biggest passsion is dropping into a sport and learning as much as possible, in the shortest possible time. The rush of improvement (or helping others improve!) is addicting, that's why helping people breakthrough plateau's is important.

Good luck!

 

[MKAmsterdam]

feel free to PM me for a call, I also know other people involved in facilitating goal setting for sports.

 

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