_Keeping it off_ book

In article ,
Lictor writes
But does he eat when he is bored? Or when he is depressed/anxious? Does he
eat because of stress? Does having a full fridge, a buffet meal or whatever
cause him to eat as much as possible? He likes food, and he eats what he
wishes, but does he eat when he is not hungry or stuff that he doesn't want?
I think that's where key differences often are...

You know, I have one of these too. On the BMI index he actually
qualifies as seriously underweight. He was for most of our married life
6 ' and under ten stone. He's now hit 10 stone for the first time, and
is eating less. He doesn't do any of the things you say, but he eats an
average of 1000 cals a day more than me, and gets no formal exercise,
though he does take care of a big garden and loves long walks.

He loves to eat and is a real gourmet, but does have a good stop
mechanism when he's full, better than mine. If it's eg a celebration he
won't have dessert if he's already eaten enough, whereas I tend to .
Or tend to want to. But he will eat two slices of bread just because
it's hot and right from the oven.
--
Jane Lumley

In article , Lictor
writes
This adaptation occurred despite the men having initially engaged in quite
strenuous physical activity on the 3000 kcal diet but then reducing exercise
to an absolute minimum in an *unsuccessful attempt to become obese*."
Of course, it is quite possible that these people lost quite a lot of lean
mass, and that this is hidding the net fat gain. It's even probably, since
they stopped exercising. However, on such a diet and with no physical
activity, the weight gain should have been much higher. Besides, it's quite
a challenge to maintain on 5000+ kcal if you have lost a large amount of
lean mass...
Some studies report that some people will raise the level of pararasite
physical activities (wriggling, twitching...) when overfed. This is in
contrast to the apathy that some people exhibit when underfed. This could be
a further level of adaptation to keep the weight at the set-point.

My DH twitches less than I do. And he can effortlessly maintain a
weight under ten stone, with a minimum of bodyfat, on a diet of 4000kcls
per diem plus. (*******!) No way is this due to eating little, or to
additional activity. He is quite fit and strong too, though he doesn't
appear to have to exercise to maintain this either. Eg he can
effortlessly run 400 metres carrying a four-year-old. His whole fmaily
are fairly lean.

Having lived with him for years, he does, as I said, have a strong stop
signal for fullness and a very healthy, unemotional but keen
relationship with food. Nonetheless I think a lot of bs is talked about
the fat being out of touch with their bodies. His healthy attitude to
food is IMHO BECAUSE he's NEVER had to watch his weight, not the REASON
he doesn't have to. I tend to think, well, gods, tomorrow is my son's
birthday, let's see, if I have one egg instead of two for lunch and this
for dinner and that for breakfast then I can have a small piece of his
birthday cake. Result: when it's cake time I eat the cake regardless of
how hungry I am: dammit, I gave up all this and all that to have this
cake! All the calculating I do puts me further out of line with my body
and its signals, because if I actually listened to my body and ate every
time I was hungry I would be huge. But DH will wolf down two pieces of
cake without asking himself about it much.

So which of us is 'healthy'? To be healthy in the sense of not obese I
have to run like mad, do pilates, swim, and make endless calculations.
He doesn't.

--
Jane Lumley

"Jane Lumley" wrote in message
...
You know, I have one of these too. On the BMI index he actually
qualifies as seriously underweight.

As I posted elsewhere, underweight people might have an additionnal defense
mechanism, in the form of pumping their metabolism when overfed. That's why
it's very hard for true underweight people to *gain* weight, even if they
desperatly want to. During the Sims experiment, a few people were
*maintaining* on 6000kcal a day, with a basal metabolism gone through the
roof.
Though it's probably an ability most human beings have, some are just better
at it than others, just like some people are very good at building fats or
muscles but everyone can do it to some lesser extent.

He doesn't do any of the things you say, but he eats an
average of 1000 cals a day more than me, and gets no formal exercise,
though he does take care of a big garden and loves long walks.

Long walks and gardening qualify as exercise, formal or not. It is counted
as such when fighting sedentary lifestyle to prevent diabete for instance.
It's also a perfectly valid form of exercise when considering maintainance.
1000 calories is not that surprising when you consider man vs woman, and the
fact that he never dieted or anything. Woman are more energy sparing than
men. I'm still eating more than my girlfriend, but she's maintaining while
I'm losing weight.

He loves to eat and is a real gourmet, but does have a good stop mechanism
when he's full, better than mine.

I think that's the part many dieters don't perceive. They see the gourmet
part, and think the person can indulge in any thing they want, including the
"bad things that makes one fat", and is not from this planet or something.
But they don't see the part about not wanting more than they need. These
people get satiated from calories, not food concepts. If they have had their
fill of calories from that chocolate cake, they won't feel under the
obligation to stuff themselves with fish and fruits to make a dietetically
correct meal, they will just stop eating. Many dieters will still eat a
dietetically correct meal, even after a binge or over-indulging, as if the
meal could offset that. In that case, lean meat and vegetables can make you
fat...

If it's eg a celebration he
won't have dessert if he's already eaten enough, whereas I tend to .
Or tend to want to. But he will eat two slices of bread just because
it's hot and right from the oven.

Yes, that's because he has a totally neutral view on food. If he feels like
eating the bread, he will. If he doesn't feel like eating the dessert, he
won't no matter how delicious it looks. Dieters will see an opportunity to
eat the dessert they have been craving for and will just eat it because
they're frustrated. Or they will stuff themselves with "diet food" to resist
the temptation (with the same net effect: too many calories). Restrictive
diets can have a very perverse effect there.