I can be silent no more.

[Goldmoon]

didn't you say once you were in the military? I would assume there you'd have to step some guys.

Yes, I am currently still in the military. Ive had to step on, kick, gouge, slap.......you get the picture.

 

[Simplicity]

The whole idea that it is choice (or even mostly choice) which accounts for obesity is
in my opinion bunk.

Let me give you an idea of my typical days meals:
For breakfast: two cold brown sugar poptarts and water.
For snack: "Tear N' Share" size M&Ms." and a Pepsi.
For lunch: Turkey sandwich with cheese or PB&J and a Pepsi.
For threeses: A sprite or rootbeer. Maybe with another M&Ms if they are calling my name.
For dinner: Pasta usually. Some veggies on the side. Water.
Late night: Some snack (chips or something). Maybe a soda to go with.

I think I may have been to the gym a year ago. A couple of times.

I'm a computer programmer, so I sit in my cube all day, and typically the exercise I get each week is going up a few flights of stairs to get to my cube.

Now the kicker, I'm 6'4", and 170 pounds, and this is fat for me. I have recently had to increase my pant waist size to account for it. No, I'm not anemic. I can drop a few pounds by missing a meal... pretty much any time I want.

Sure, there are things you can do to reduce your caloric intake. Your body, and especially the bodies of the obese, have ways to compensate for that reduction that are really quite painful. Eat a little less, and your body will simply store more of what it gets. Eat a lot less, and you'll feel like crap and you will not be in the mood for exercise.

I really believe that scientists will discover that morbid obesity is literally a disease. Ulcers were once believed to be caused by stress. It turns out they were mostly caused by bacteria... It's just that having ulcers in your stomach tends to stress people out. My guess is that morbid obesity is also caused by an as yet unidentified organism that does better in some people than others.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My Sophmore year college roomie was 5'11" 125lbs to my 5'7" 197lbs. We used to work out together. We even had a contest- whoever had the greatest weight change over the course of a year won dinner on the other guy's dollar.

While I was cutting out blank calories and increased my bench over 300lbs, he was drinking Joe Wieder bodybuilder shakes and benched a little over his body weight.

Over the course of the 1st semester, I got down to 193, he got up to 131. We called it a draw because he couldn't stand the shakes anymore, and I couldn't squeeze in any more gym (and intramural sports) time to my schedule.

I still talk to him- he's back in the 120's...but he knows his weight is at least partially genetic.

His dad was an olympic level cyclist whose career was cut short by an accident, who at his fittest, weighed about 145. After he hit his 40's he put on about 20lbs of pure flab, despite maintaining his regimen.

My buddy is right about 39...

 

[GeorgeFields]

Six feet, three inches.

Me, too

 

[awayfarer]

My fathers side of the family were all fairly fat. The relatives on my moms side are all pretty wiry. I basically have a body that responds well to excercise but absolutely refuses to give up its protective layer of flab. I'm 5'9 and the last time I weighted myself I was 240 lbs. Basically I have the physique of a dwarf.

It could be worse. I was about 300 lbs throughout high school and briefly got as high as 315. At the time I could eat an entire bag of Fritos in a sitting. I was pretty depressed back then and not very active.

After high school I got a job as a stock boy in a mall and started working out regularly, about 45 minutes a day. I bottomed out somewhere around 210-220. Long story short, after about 5 years I eventually ended up climbing back up to 240 after I left work and started went back to college.

I haven't weighed myself since I started working out again but I FEEL much better. I walk about 3 miles a day, to and from college (with a couple of train rides in between) and thanks to a collection of MST3K dvd's a friend gave me last year, I have motivation to excercise at home again. I doubt I've lost weight but I've gained some stamina and I think I've lost width.

 

[Marchen]

During highschool I was a pretty big guy, and during my first year of college I was even bigger. At my highest weight I was probably around 250 or so. It didn't show so much, since I'm very tall (6'5"). About two years ago I decided to lose the weight. I don't even remember exactly what I did, but I ended up having some *ahem* problems over time. I started in November and by that summer I was down to 150-160 lbs.

I'm at an even 180 lbs now. I've gotten over my weight issues, mostly, even though they really were not intentional to begin with. I'm still fairly thin, just not to the point where people worry that it may be a medical issue. My girlfriend tell me, "I feel like I should feed you!"

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Hmph...your GF should have seen my roomie.

With his shirt off, you could see his heart beat from 10' away.

THAT's skinny.

 

[Aurora]

That's gross.
I feel sorry for my lil sister. She's only ever had 1 boyfriend and I swear it's because she looks 12. I think guys figure she is in junior high. Except, she's 24. She's cute though. Platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, but she's 5'1" and on a good day gets up to 85 pounds. She has to buy designer clothes because they are the only ones that come in a small enough size. It's that or shop in kids departments.
THAT's skinny.
I think she'll make a pedifile very happy one day. Oh, god I didn't just say that.....

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

No, that's TINY.

Both of my grandmothers were under 5' tall. 85lbs would have been about right for them at 5'.

BTW...how would your sister like a job as a Rolls-Royce hood ornament? All she needs is the wings!

As for her dating life, I'm sure she'll find someone.

Heck...send her to Japan and she'll come back with a wealthy Sumo wrestler!

 

[Jesus_marley]

That's gross.
I feel sorry for my lil sister. She's only ever had 1 boyfriend and I swear it's because she looks 12. I think guys figure she is in junior high. Except, she's 24. She's cute though. Platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, but she's 5'1" and on a good day gets up to 85 pounds. She has to buy designer clothes because they are the only ones that come in a small enough size. It's that or shop in kids departments.

Has she ever been tested for Turner's Syndrome?