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16 Comments

  1. Did we just get a 4th “B”? Band aids,bullets, beans and blubber!
    Y
    Joking aside this is a really good series. JBH has provided helpful reminders and suggestions.
    My takeaways so far are.
    Interval training is good.
    Consistency beats intensity in the long run.
    Make a plan to include strength training.

    One thing that I know from personal experience. Consistent cardio in conjunction with a sensible diet does really help with stabilizing blood sugar and cholesterol. Diet alone does not work for me.
    I am not diabetic but my body was trending the wrong way.
    Three years ago we started doing 45 minutes of cardio 4 days a week. I do the hamster routine on a treadmill. I get 3 miles in while changing elevation.

    My blood test numbers are much better, I got off the statins and my blood sugar is trending down. I am still fighting with 15 extra lbs.

    JBH correctly determines that cardio alone in most cases does not cause weight loss.
    Thank you for this timely series, Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

  2. “Century’s old art indicates that a little extra weight on women was viewed as positive at many points in our past. Why would that be, and why would it change?”

    “Why would that be?” It was seen as a sign of wealth and ease, therefor upper-crust sophistication. Also when everybody is lean muscle, a rounded women is alluring, unusual, soft. “Why would it change?” Because being fat is not healthy.

    When everyone actually worked and everyone, save the aristocrats (thieves), had to feed themselves people were hard. Now that nobody works and food is free, everybody is fat.

  3. You forget the 3 body types(genetics don’t change)endomorph,ectomorph,mezomorph or skinny,fat and in between. You can only deal with the genetics your parents gave you(Mc,ski etc) and does not correlate to the new fads of body fat% and BMI’s. You don’t differentiate between visceral(internal,around organs) or beer belly,and subcutaneous(in layers of skin) fat and how they affect health and wellbeing and performance(long term endurance on fat burning is exponentially greater than on blood sugar). The other factor is the insulating use of subcutaneous fat,those that are exposed to outdoors ,especially colder climates will know that as temps fall your body will put on subcutaneous fat(as much as #15-#20) and shed that much or more as temps rise(90+deg days/70+nights fat dissolves in 2 weeks or more),the ability to survive exposure to weather cannot be discounted(try going out in a cold rain for a couple hours even with good rain gear). Obesity is very bad but having a good body fat of the right balance should be the goal.

  4. Part of the problem with our overweight society is the aspect of
    “convenience”. There is a fast food joint or mini-mart on every corner. As a kid, getting a coke was a very rare reward for me, literally perhaps twice a year, today many people I know inhale 3 a day. We are mentally addicted to convenience, sugar, carbs which work against the motivation to become fit, even if suffering some level of physical disability.

  5. Good observations. Although I produce a lot of our own food, my grandparents produced everything they consumed. They worked hard physically all their lives, but were still hefty. As a female in her 60’s, who has struggled with weight, & an ethnic background that includes Scandinavian, Scottish & German, I have lost over 40 pounds in the last 6 months. Most effective weight loss program I have ever met: Folfox chemo for cancer. I literally cannot keep enough down to maintain weight. I am within 25 pounds of my high school weight now, halfway thru treatment, & my survival may well depend on those extra pounds I had. Cancer is not likely to just disappear if SHTF, although finding treatment might be problematic.

    1. Sorry to hear about your struggle. Have you watched the science of fasting? There’s some interesting science out there that fasting a couple of days before chemo can help out a lot.

  6. Great series. I can’t count the number of women I’ve observed going on a “diet” to “lose weight” with not a mention of exercise but it has been shown scientifically that if nothing is done to increase muscle size whatever “weight” does come off will include muscle and one’s calorie burning factory (muscle) will be reduced and one will never lose fat, but gain it.

    I have no interest in losing weight, only fat. A good “diet”, that is, how you eat, means eating less refined food and watching sugar (has a 100 names and is in most all processed food) and not drinking my calories because it’s too hard to take off.

    I like carbs but try to keep them whole and not refined where everything important has been taken out to allow it to sit on that supermarket shelf too long before it goes bad. Notice I didn’t say cut them out. I love my carbs. Did I mention that?

    Ladies, if muscle is our calorie burning factory, then you need to feed those muscles and that means protein and muscle exercises. The easiest way for me to increase my protein is protein powder and I usually get it at Costco (cheaper) and make my drink with 1/2 cup cold water, half cup of ice and only 1 scoop of protein (usually half the amount of a “serving” on the container) and usually a half hour after exercise. It enhances my protein intake while not going overboard, because I still like real solid food.

    Most women hit the wall with weight gain (fat gain, not muscle) at just about 40. But think about it. Child rearing is now past, no more running and lifting kids all the while with groceries in the other arm while going up the steps. It kept you stronger. But it’s gone now and has to be replaced.

    When I was better at following my own advise years ago, when I was in better shape and going to the gym, it took me hours to convince a friend that if she took up strength training she wouldn’t end up looking like the guy next door. It just ain’t gonna happen.
    What will happen, if you take to heart the very good advice of this writer, is that your body composition will automatically change without you even thinking about it. And one day you’ll get into that dress you haven’t been able to get into the past 10 years.

    1. “it has been shown scientifically that if nothing is done to increase muscle size whatever “weight” does come off will include muscle and one’s calorie burning factory (muscle) will be reduced and one will never lose fat, but gain it.”

      this is not true. excess fat can 100% be controlled by diet.

      Several years ago I was doing p90x and still not losing weight. Then I did intermittent fasting and low carb. Dropped 30 lbs in 4 months.

  7. I’ve long held the opinion that not enough fat isn’t a good thing. Look at what photographic artifacts we have from the American Indians; the early stuff. The people pictured weren’t lean at all! They had some fat on ’em! They lived in a feast or famine world. They ate well whenever they could, because their next meal was never guaranteed! They packed on the pounds in preparation for the lean times. In the coming times, this will be something we need to embrace as well…

  8. Excellent series… I whole heartedly agree with many points, especially the theory of adaptation of our ancestors to a hard scrabble life. The people who could manage to put on extra reserves allowed them to survive the winter, bouts of sickness, etc. Women especially needed those extra reserves when pregnant and nursing (look up the paleolithic carving named, the “Venus of Willendorf.”) We are built to survive the starvation times.

    My grandmother and her mother were peasants who came out of rural poverty… they were both short and “chunky” …they ate whatever they wanted, and tended gardens into their old age. Both lived to over 100.

    Years ago I postulated that the ancient “cave man” diet of primarily meat and green vegetables, with limited carbohydrates is probably the ideal. This is now called the “paleo” diet. Until they settled down and started farming, our ancestors didn’t have access to huge amounts of wheat, and the resulting diabetic issues (see the book “Wheat Belly.”)

  9. The next time you have a car loaded with hungry children running between school and after school activities, make a stop at the local drive through. Check out the menu and the prices. Look at the prices of the lower cost items also known as the dollar menu or other named affordable choices. Then look at the price list of the healthier choices on the menu. Now do some simple math. Add up the prices of the value menu vs the prices of the healthy choices. Assume four children and one or two adults. Take into consideration One parent is working overtime to try to pay for this meal, and one parent is lets assume working only 40 hour weeks so they can drive the children to and from multiple activities. Where do you find the time to shop and prepare nutritious meals three times a day for this family? Where do you drive through and find nutritious meals at an affordable price for a family of four children plus two adults? Lets not forget, the time demands on this family with the football practice, soccer, band practice, music lessons, cheerleader practice. Lets remember this family was at one time a one bread winner family, then it became a two breadwinner family, now its two breadwinner with one working all the overtime they can get. And we wonder why our children are not the most healthy of generations. How about “fast food” drive throughs offering nutritious choices at low cost like the “low cost items” that are not nutritious choices. How about helping a family out! BTW, most families do not have jobs where they are paid to exercise and get in shape but rather have to find time to “fit” it in. Families are struggeling and could use some help. If someone is “over weight”, perhaps it is due to the fact they are spending time with their children between after school shuttles, trying to have quality time rather than having time at the Gym. Its not simple people. Our children need us and it would be great to be able to work less, and excerise more and still have the time with our children we desire and hold in high esteem.

  10. The farmers wife tends to be thicker and larger than her counterpart from the big city. I wouldnt say unhealthy just more on the large, thick, well fed side of life.. certainly not slim, lean and shapely.
    I cant say why this is the case, But I do know that in big cities, people tend to do a lot more walking but their diets are less than ideal. One would think that with all the hard work and daily chores that rural living requires, coupled with a diet primarily of wild game and homegrown and preserved food the women would be slimmer and leaner, but this just isnt the case.

    The opposite seems to be the case concerning the kids, The kids in my town of 200 are thin, healthy and very active outdoors, while the kids in the cities tend to be chubby, inactive and more of the indoor couch potato types.

  11. re:
    “Fat”

    I might offer a different opinion about obesity.

    I was a Physical Therapist for decades, specializing in nutrition. The vast majority of obese individuals carry less fat… and more edema, water from inflammation.

    What causes inflammation? Injury. After a surgery or illness or trauma, the body manufactures cholesterol to heal the injured area. This is a normal reaction to injury. And injury is supposed to be temporary.

    What if injury is chronic? What happens from a diet high in inflammatory choices == grains, dairy, most oils, sugars such as alcohol, stimulants? C
    The inevitable result is chronic debilitating injury such as asthma, arthritis, cancers. Fatty liver disease. Dementia.

    What about ‘comfort foods’? Pasta, corn bread, ice cream, coffee? I have a theory on this == inside the human brain is a section devoted to addiction. Since the chemical structure of grains (and grain products (corn syrup)) is similar to opiates, our brain recognizes them as addictive. The result is a craving for those feel-good consumables (they are not ‘food’, they offer zero nutrition, they are poison).

    Do you want to lose thirty pounds in thirty days? Experiment with eliminating grains, dairy, stimulants such as coffee, soy, inflammatory oils such as soy, corn, sunflower, safflower. Replace those with vegetables and fruit, several servings with each meal including breakfast. Aim for twelve to fifteen servings of vegetables and fruits daily.

    To significantly reduce the potential for cancers, experiment with eliminating crops produced with petroleum-based chemicals.

    Picture a body constantly flooded with inflammation. Can you see the chronic aches and pains? The edema resulting from inflammation?

    Now, consider the example in the article == parent rushed to get something / anything in the stomachs of a vehicleful of youngsters, driving into a fast-food joint to purchase products to feed the cravings.

    Can you imagine a family participating in the growing and raising of their meals? Can you imagine a family working together to prepare this food? Then sitting to eat together as a tribe?

    My suggestions:
    Choose fresh local seasonal organic.
    Choose extended meditation to compensate for moments of competition.

    Experiment with the ‘Paleo lifestyle’. Diet… plus Paleo exercise == bursts of tree climbing during walks, bursts of sprints while walking. A burst of maximum-effort swimming while enjoying a float.

    Paleo includes sitting around the campfire telling stories of heritage. Include, and be included.

    Listen to your body. How about a journal listing everything you consume followed by the impact of the products and the circumstances of the consumption. How does a picnic with friends compare to eating while driving while talking on the telephone while looking in the mirror to adjust your wardrobe hair face while rising anxiety about some competition…

  12. two years ago, I was diagnosed with testiculaar cancer, I went throught chemo , which seems to have killed the cancer, ( almost killed me while taking the chemo drugs as well ), anyway, I started the therapy at 260 pounds, chemo and lying on your back for months on end does not help in managing weight, so it went up ! , my ancestry is German / slavic, so have always been very strong in my lower body, especially legs, my arms so so, deep chest, again ancestry, I started a low carb diet or Paleo eating plan in January of this year, I cut out all suger, restricted coffee intake to two cups for day, and used full cream ( unsweetened ) in my coffee or organic cocoa, used no milk, drank over 1250 mils of water a day, cut out all rice, white potatoe, cous cous, wheat, bread, and other starches, I drank or do drink, whiskey, vodka if I choose to 3 times a week moderately, bacon and eggs for breakfast most days of the week, my workout ? three times a week to lift intense weight for a brief 45 minute session, my cardio I limit to a 15 minute cycle or similar before doing the weights.

    After three months I had lost 3 inches of my waist and lost 25 plus pounds eating greens,( no peas though , meat ( all types ), no junk food, and now feel very, very good, I easily leg lift 160 pounds and arm lift 130 pounds, can I do better ? sure !, for someone who has gone through the pain and anguish of cancer I am quite pleased with my progress, I am not Arnie, but for my age of 60 quite ok, I still retain more body fat that I like ( 28 percent ), in closing I will say, to lose weight and be healthy, put less food in your mouth and exersize doing something you actually like will benefit you in the long run.

    For me , I find losing weight fairly easy , I suspect though it comes down to my European ancestry ( Nordic tall strong race of people ). My ancestors were all hunter gatherers, how much does that help ? I truly don’t know.

  13. I agree with the author’s observations regarding body composition. I’ve spent 25 years in the USAR and have fought”The Battle of the Bulge” the whole time. This despite normally scoring over 80% on each event of the Army Physical Fitness Test and usually near maxing the sit-ups and dusting young men much lighter and younger than me. I’m sure genetics plays a part, but body composition is a much smaller part of overall fitness than generally thought. Of course not that the Army will change that standard. Heaven forbid they admit they were wrong about something.

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