Fat Acceptance

[AstroManLuca]

Those blogs make me uncomfortable. Those people seem to love being fat. That's no good. Accepting fatness is a good thing as long as you use that to focus more intently on actual health rather than only weight loss and appearance.

What I don't like is how being anything other than thin means that some people will look at me and assume that I must eat 5 Big Macs a day. They don't realize that being fat and trying to lose weight is a long struggle. To say "just eat less, fatty" is the same as telling a smoker to "just stop smoking." Seems easy in theory but it's not that simple. To someone who's used to eating a lot, reducing their diet is really hard because they will be hungry all the time. It takes strong, constant, and long-term willpower.

Furthermore, a lot of people seem to simply have an abject hatred for anyone fat. I don't know how fat is too fat, but how can you completely judge someone when you don't know whether they're actually putting forth a real effort to change things? I have no sympathy for the people at the "Eat A Cheeseburger" blog who seem to embrace and even encourage unhealthy habits, but what about people who are working at it and simply have a hard time getting noticeable results?

FYI: 6'1", 245 lbs here. BMI of 32.3, which makes me technically obese, but not insanely fat. I'm not sure if people here would look at me and hurl or if they're mostly referring to those gigantic tubs of lard you see working at fast food restaurants that probably weigh almost twice as much as me.

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: darkxshade
I don't expect much "movement" from fat people.

:laugh:

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Perhaps some do. I'm trying to lose weight, but that's because it's easier to do so than to argue with certain other people, and because I know they'd like/accept me much more if I do lose a lot of weight. Aside from that, I really don't care that I'm fat... I very, very much prefer being heavier than what the recommended weight is for someone of a given height.

So there's no scenario where you'd feel uncomfortable taking your shirt off? Or running? Or any sort of sport/activity you wouldn't feel comfortable doing? What about going to the beach?

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
To say "just eat less, fatty" is the same as telling a smoker to "just stop smoking." Seems easy in theory but it's not that simple. To someone who's used to eating a lot, reducing their diet is really hard because they will be hungry all the time. It takes strong, constant, and long-term willpower.

Actually, I'd say it is more difficult. A smoker CAN just stop smoking, because the act of smoking doesn't provide anything. A fat person still has to eat, they can't just cut it out complete or they'll die. If people could cut food out completely and drop to some ideal weight it would be a lot easier to stay in shape.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
Those blogs make me uncomfortable. Those people seem to love being fat. That's no good. Accepting fatness is a good thing as long as you use that to focus more intently on actual health rather than only weight loss and appearance.

What I don't like is how being anything other than thin means that some people will look at me and assume that I must eat 5 Big Macs a day. They don't realize that being fat and trying to lose weight is a long struggle. To say "just eat less, fatty" is the same as telling a smoker to "just stop smoking." Seems easy in theory but it's not that simple. To someone who's used to eating a lot, reducing their diet is really hard because they will be hungry all the time. It takes strong, constant, and long-term willpower.

Furthermore, a lot of people seem to simply have an abject hatred for anyone fat. I don't know how fat is too fat, but how can you completely judge someone when you don't know whether they're actually putting forth a real effort to change things? I have no sympathy for the people at the "Eat A Cheeseburger" blog who seem to embrace and even encourage unhealthy habits, but what about people who are working at it and simply have a hard time getting noticeable results?

FYI: 6'1", 245 lbs here. BMI of 32.3, which makes me technically obese, but not insanely fat. I'm not sure if people here would look at me and hurl or if they're mostly referring to those gigantic tubs of lard you see working at fast food restaurants that probably weigh almost twice as much as me.

I wouldn't call you overly "obese" (BMI doesn't mean much anyways), but dropping 40 lbs or so would help a lot. I never said it was EASY to lose weight, but the flip side of that is don't let it happen in the first place.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Yeah, I've actually been overweight my whole life. I've always found exercise somewhat difficult (though I still enjoy certain types, and I exercise often, mostly biking), and I think my parents gave me too much food when I was little. Having never really been thin I was never in a position to not let it happen in the first place.

BMI > 30 = Obese. I think people don't realize just what obese means. They throw it around to mean those Jabba The Hutt-esque people, when it actually (roughly) means anyone who could stand to lose more than 10-20 lbs.

My weight fluctuates a lot, as well. If I work at it and am very careful about what I eat (more with how much I eat rather than precisely what I eat), I can lose weight. I've varied in weight from 218 (my lowest) to as much as 270. I tend to stabilize around 250, but I know I can drop more.

I think a big part of this process is accepting hunger. Not self-starvation, but allowing myself to be a little hungry much of the time instead of always feeling full.

 

[T9D]

I love how these fatties seem to think they are like their own race or something. Oh yeah but other countries or even just other decades past didn't have this bad of a fat problem and were much thinner and healthier. You eat a hell of a lot and are lazy. And it's made you unhealthy and look gross to look at. It's seriously disturbing how much food people gorge themselves on. And whats sad is that everyone is so accustomed to eating such huge portions it's like they think thats normal. When I go out with others I can't believe how much food is on the plates and then can't believe how they even manage to get it all down. It would physically make me sick if I shoved that much food down my throat. You don't have to eat every last lick off the huge plate of food. It's ok to NOT eat some of it. I remember going out to breakfast all the time with my boss. It was disgusting eating with him. I'd take my time eating and enjoy it and he'd scarf it all down as fast as he can shove it into his mouth. It was gross. I'm a quarter done and then he's waiting for me. Now I'm sitting there feeling awkward. And the thing is this is NORMAL for most people I've found. But at least he knew he was getting fatter and knew he should change......he just never would. But when you look around and everyone else is even fatter than you it throws off your perception of reality and how fat and unhealthy you really are.

Part of the problem too is that fat people have stretched their stomach way to far. So yes you will get hungry if you cut back. And it will be tough. But you damaged your intestines in a way. They need to recover to a more natural size. It's going to take work and self control. Most of them just want to give up though.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Hey guess what, they just announced over the intercom at my office that there's an ICE CREAM CAKE in the break room. And I am not going to have any.

You guys better be fucking grateful, because even though I'm normally great at saying no to desserts, the prospect of free ice cream cake is hard to turn down...

 

[dmw16]

This is really sad. I used to be fat. I was 5'10" and 300lbs and wore a 42" waist pants. One day I'd had enough and started eating right and dieting. I now am 190lbs and wear a 34" waist pants and am very toned. There is no real excuse, just a lack of self control.

Unless you have a true medical problem just stop eating junk and exercise.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Perhaps some do. I'm trying to lose weight, but that's because it's easier to do so than to argue with certain other people, and because I know they'd like/accept me much more if I do lose a lot of weight. Aside from that, I really don't care that I'm fat... I very, very much prefer being heavier than what the recommended weight is for someone of a given height.

So there's no scenario where you'd feel uncomfortable taking your shirt off? Or running? Or any sort of sport/activity you wouldn't feel comfortable doing? What about going to the beach?

Yeah, there plenty of times when I'd feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off in public. But why would I want to? I can't think of any reason.

As for the rest of your questions, they're pretty much the reason I'm fat. I absolutely hate sports of every kind. I can't think of any I would enjoy in the least bit. So yeah, while I would feel uncomfortable playing just about any sport, I don't care, because I don't like sports... and no, not just because I can't participate. I even wish sports channels on TV suddenly ceased to exist. The same goes for the beach... I'll take an ice hut in Alaska during their coldest point of winter, over the beach. If I could find *anything* that I would honestly like to do, and can't, I'm sure that I would probably quickly find the motivation to lose a lot of weight.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Yeah, there plenty of times when I'd feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off in public. But why would I want to? I can't think of any reason.

As for the rest of your questions, they're pretty much the reason I'm fat. I absolutely hate sports of every kind. I can't think of any I would enjoy in the least bit. So yeah, while I would feel uncomfortable playing just about any sport, I don't care, because I don't like sports... and no, not just because I can't participate. I even wish sports channels on TV suddenly ceased to exist. The same goes for the beach... I'll take an ice hut in Alaska during their coldest point of winter, over the beach. If I could find *anything* that I would honestly like to do, and can't, I'm sure that I would probably quickly find the motivation to lose a lot of weight.

Well, for instance, September I have to go to a wedding on the beach. Now I personally don't give a shit about the beach, but being that the wedding has forced my presence there, I'd like to be able to be comfortable at the event instead of uncomfortable. Basically, life is full of events that I have no control over and being healthy removes a major stress barrier in those events.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Perhaps some do. I'm trying to lose weight, but that's because it's easier to do so than to argue with certain other people, and because I know they'd like/accept me much more if I do lose a lot of weight. Aside from that, I really don't care that I'm fat... I very, very much prefer being heavier than what the recommended weight is for someone of a given height.

So there's no scenario where you'd feel uncomfortable taking your shirt off? Or running? Or any sort of sport/activity you wouldn't feel comfortable doing? What about going to the beach?

Yeah, there plenty of times when I'd feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off in public. But why would I want to? I can't think of any reason.

As for the rest of your questions, they're pretty much the reason I'm fat. I absolutely hate sports of every kind. I can't think of any I would enjoy in the least bit. So yeah, while I would feel uncomfortable playing just about any sport, I don't care, because I don't like sports... and no, not just because I can't participate. I even wish sports channels on TV suddenly ceased to exist. The same goes for the beach... I'll take an ice hut in Alaska during their coldest point of winter, over the beach. If I could find *anything* that I would honestly like to do, and can't, I'm sure that I would probably quickly find the motivation to lose a lot of weight.

How about seeing your penis without a mirror?

 

[Nitemare]

I call it increased medical problems, decreased life longevity and poorer quality of life....but that's just me

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Yeah, there plenty of times when I'd feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off in public. But why would I want to? I can't think of any reason.

As for the rest of your questions, they're pretty much the reason I'm fat. I absolutely hate sports of every kind. I can't think of any I would enjoy in the least bit. So yeah, while I would feel uncomfortable playing just about any sport, I don't care, because I don't like sports... and no, not just because I can't participate. I even wish sports channels on TV suddenly ceased to exist. The same goes for the beach... I'll take an ice hut in Alaska during their coldest point of winter, over the beach. If I could find *anything* that I would honestly like to do, and can't, I'm sure that I would probably quickly find the motivation to lose a lot of weight.

Well, for instance, September I have to go to a wedding on the beach. Now I personally don't give a shit about the beach, but being that the wedding has forced my presence there, I'd like to be able to be comfortable at the event instead of uncomfortable. Basically, life is full of stress that I have no control over and being healthy removes a major cause of stress in life.

I went ahead and edited that for you.

 

[ric1287]

My ridiculous weight gain coincided with my depression and then caused more depression which caused more eating Its a vicious circle.

I went from 6'4" 175 to 260, then down to 248, stopped caring and went up to 280, now down to 270.

Now I don't condone "accepting" laying around all day eating ice cream, but I don't care that I'm a fatty since I'm still stronger and more athletic (minus endurance ) than most people. My goal is to get down to around 220, but its a long road ahead for that.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: skace
Basically, life is full of events that I have no control over and being healthy removes a major stress barrier in those events.

I don't feel a stress barrier. :-\

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
How about seeing your penis without a mirror?

That's just rude and uncalled-for. And doesn't make sense in this specific situation.

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus

Originally posted by: skace
Basically, life is full of stress that I have no control over and being healthy removes a major cause of stress in life.

I went ahead and edited that for you.

Stress? Howso?

 

[BW86]

Originally posted by: Anubis
Hey, you gonna eat that dead fat guy?

:laugh:

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Originally posted by: skace
Basically, life is full of events that I have no control over and being healthy removes a major stress barrier in those events.

I don't feel a stress barrier. :-\

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
How about seeing your penis without a mirror?

That's just rude and uncalled-for. And doesn't make sense in this specific situation.

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus

Originally posted by: skace
Basically, life is full of stress that I have no control over and being healthy removes a major cause of stress in life.

I went ahead and edited that for you.

Stress? Howso?

Sure it was direct, but you don't care about offending somebody else (not saying you do, but this thread has a few people that are offended by "fatties") by being fat so why should I care about hurting somebody elses feelings by being direct? Maybe you can see your penis, maybe you can't. Really it doesn't matter to me either way as its something you have to decide if you are okay with whatever the case might be. Okay then how about losing weight so it's easier to pick up those hotties you see walking around?

How does being overweight cause stress? Really? First off it stresses your heart, joints, organs, etc. Second its a cause of stress for you because you said in an earlier post that the sole reason to make you want to lose weight is because of other people accepting you. That right there tells me you feel like an outcast because of it, and that is a cause of stress if you realize it or not. Third when you have to worry about things because of your weight (for a semi-recent example airlines charging a second seat if you can't fit in one. I am not saying you are that overweight, but just as an example), that causes stress. Fourth constantly worrying about food can be a cause of stress as well (so can worrying about anything for that matter).

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
BMI > 30 = Obese. I think people don't realize just what obese means. They throw it around to mean those Jabba The Hutt-esque people, when it actually (roughly) means anyone who could stand to lose more than 10-20 lbs.

I know what is medically obese, but I disagree with the use of it. 10-20 lbs overweight is not obese to me, it's a little chubby maybe but not obese. I use obese for people who are 25%+ over what their "healthy" weight is. I put "healthy" weight in quotes because it varies by person. I have a good friend that is same age as I am, eats as much as I do, as tall as I am, but weighs 70 lbs less then I do. He is very underweight, but at the same time he doesn't have a whole lot of muscle mass. That means that his "healthy" weight won't be as high as mine (because I have more muscle mass).

 

[IGBT]

..could be a source of bioFuel. is lipo suction fat refinable??

 

[AstroManLuca]

That would be awesome. Sell your excess body fat on the energy market!

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Sure it was direct, but you don't care about offending somebody else (not saying you do, but this thread has a few people that are offended by "fatties") by being fat so why should I care about hurting somebody elses feelings by being direct? Maybe you can see your penis, maybe you can't. Really it doesn't matter to me either way as its something you have to decide if you are okay with whatever the case might be. Okay then how about losing weight so it's easier to pick up those hotties you see walking around?

No need to care about hurting anyone's feelings by saying something (you didn't offend me, I just thought it was out of line for this thread in particular). I don't care if I offend someone because I'm fat. And I really couldn't care less about the hotties walking around. If they wouldn't pay me any attention because I'm fat, they aren't worth my time if/when I become fit.

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
How does being overweight cause stress? Really? First off it stresses your heart, joints, organs, etc. Second its a cause of stress for you because you said in an earlier post that the sole reason to make you want to lose weight is because of other people accepting you. That right there tells me you feel like an outcast because of it, and that is a cause of stress if you realize it or not. Third when you have to worry about things because of your weight (for a semi-recent example airlines charging a second seat if you can't fit in one. I am not saying you are that overweight, but just as an example), that causes stress. Fourth constantly worrying about food can be a cause of stress as well (so can worrying about anything for that matter).

I was talking about mental stress, I know about the physical stress... and care about that much less than mental/emotional stress. My weight didn't bother me at all, until I recently started to *want* it to bother me, so I'd do something about it (and now I'm obsessed by it). I suppose that would be considered stress -- I'm used to defining stress as a much more immediate issue rather than long-term and not a source of constant conflict.

How does worrying about food enter the equation, when you're speaking from the perspective of someone who doesn't really care about weight? I never worried about food at all, ever. Ate a few meals a day, stopped eating when I wasn't hungry any more. That sometimes meant I didn't eat as much as other people (who are all very thin, athletic, etc), and I sometimes had food left on my plate. Now that I'm actually trying to lose weight, I worry about food CONSTANTLY... which is definitely stressful now, whereas before I never really thought or cared about it.

For me, it wasn't how much I was eating, it was what I was eating. I don't like salads. I don't like yogurts. I don't like veggies. The things I like -- potato chips, anything made from ground beef or sausage, subs/sandwiches (breads), etc -- things full of calories and carbs -- very quickly make me feel full. I could eat two McDonald's Double Cheeseburgers at noon for lunch, and not feel hungry again until late at night. Now I'm frequently eating salads from Subway and McDonalds (which of course have few calories or carbs in them), and while I feel like I'm eating 200% more than my stomach can handle when I have a salad, I'm hungry again within 20-30 minutes. Trying to manage what I'm eating while trying to lose weight, and dealing with the constant hunger, is definitely the most stressful thing I've encountered in the last few years, and is quickly catching up to the stress I felt when I was thrown out of the closet as a teenager, and was pretty much fighting for my life. It *REALLY* makes trying to lose weight seem not worth it at all.

 

[Snapster]

Originally posted by: darkxshade
I don't expect much "movement" from fat people.

I would think this would be the most movement they've done years.

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
Those blogs make me uncomfortable. Those people seem to love being fat. That's no good. Accepting fatness is a good thing as long as you use that to focus more intently on actual health rather than only weight loss and appearance.

What I don't like is how being anything other than thin means that some people will look at me and assume that I must eat 5 Big Macs a day. They don't realize that being fat and trying to lose weight is a long struggle. To say "just eat less, fatty" is the same as telling a smoker to "just stop smoking." Seems easy in theory but it's not that simple. To someone who's used to eating a lot, reducing their diet is really hard because they will be hungry all the time. It takes strong, constant, and long-term willpower.

Furthermore, a lot of people seem to simply have an abject hatred for anyone fat. I don't know how fat is too fat, but how can you completely judge someone when you don't know whether they're actually putting forth a real effort to change things? I have no sympathy for the people at the "Eat A Cheeseburger" blog who seem to embrace and even encourage unhealthy habits, but what about people who are working at it and simply have a hard time getting noticeable results?

FYI: 6'1", 245 lbs here. BMI of 32.3, which makes me technically obese, but not insanely fat. I'm not sure if people here would look at me and hurl or if they're mostly referring to those gigantic tubs of lard you see working at fast food restaurants that probably weigh almost twice as much as me.

I wouldn't call you overly "obese" (BMI doesn't mean much anyways), but dropping 40 lbs or so would help a lot. I never said it was EASY to lose weight, but the flip side of that is don't let it happen in the first place.

Other people on this board DO say that it's easy to lose weight though, and they're part of the problem; telling someone that it's so easy doesn't accomplish anything.

 

[Tim]

When you make fun of fat people, they strike back by making your medical insurnace rates go up. Tit for tat.

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus

Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Perhaps some do. I'm trying to lose weight, but that's because it's easier to do so than to argue with certain other people, and because I know they'd like/accept me much more if I do lose a lot of weight. Aside from that, I really don't care that I'm fat... I very, very much prefer being heavier than what the recommended weight is for someone of a given height.

So there's no scenario where you'd feel uncomfortable taking your shirt off? Or running? Or any sort of sport/activity you wouldn't feel comfortable doing? What about going to the beach?

Yeah, there plenty of times when I'd feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off in public. But why would I want to? I can't think of any reason.

As for the rest of your questions, they're pretty much the reason I'm fat. I absolutely hate sports of every kind. I can't think of any I would enjoy in the least bit. So yeah, while I would feel uncomfortable playing just about any sport, I don't care, because I don't like sports... and no, not just because I can't participate. I even wish sports channels on TV suddenly ceased to exist. The same goes for the beach... I'll take an ice hut in Alaska during their coldest point of winter, over the beach. If I could find *anything* that I would honestly like to do, and can't, I'm sure that I would probably quickly find the motivation to lose a lot of weight.

How about seeing your penis without a mirror?

DisgruntledVirus is a penis enlargement pill salesman

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: skace

Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Yeah, there plenty of times when I'd feel uncomfortable taking my shirt off in public. But why would I want to? I can't think of any reason.

As for the rest of your questions, they're pretty much the reason I'm fat. I absolutely hate sports of every kind. I can't think of any I would enjoy in the least bit. So yeah, while I would feel uncomfortable playing just about any sport, I don't care, because I don't like sports... and no, not just because I can't participate. I even wish sports channels on TV suddenly ceased to exist. The same goes for the beach... I'll take an ice hut in Alaska during their coldest point of winter, over the beach. If I could find *anything* that I would honestly like to do, and can't, I'm sure that I would probably quickly find the motivation to lose a lot of weight.

Well, for instance, September I have to go to a wedding on the beach. Now I personally don't give a shit about the beach, but being that the wedding has forced my presence there, I'd like to be able to be comfortable at the event instead of uncomfortable. Basically, life is full of events that I have no control over and being healthy removes a major stress barrier in those events.

It must suck to find yourself unattractive like that. I'm 6'1", 240 lbs, and I think I look great. I have a 40" waist. Sure, I could thin down a little, but I'm already quite comfortable with the body I have. I'm just as athletic as most of my thinner friends (I have more muscle than them in addition to more fat).

Perhaps being a generally mellow person has kept me at my current weight, since I don't get stressed out at places like the beach. I'd love to lose maybe 40 lbs, but despite regular exercise and a good diet my weight doesn't really change; I maintain my current lifestyle (which feels like I'm dieting) because I'm afraid if I stop, I'll start gaining weight. I said I'm comfortable at 240, I don't want to be huge