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Old 12-07-2009, 06:53 PM   #16  
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Originally Posted by Metal Chick View Post
Since June of this year I've been eating just once a day.
Anyway, I realized after a few days how much better I felt...so I continued it.
Just throwing that out there.
I'm probably going to be scolded for sharing this, but it's working somehow.
I think we've been BSed our whole lives, ladies!
I think that we have been conditioned not to realize
that eating throughout the day, whether 3 meals, or 3 meals 3 snacks etc. etc.
is a SOCIAL CUSTOM not a BIOLOGICAL NEED.

There's really no reason a person can't eat one meal a day.
There are research results out there saying one large meal is less healthy than 3 small ones, BUT....

There's a saying...when searching for an answer to a diet question, "follow the money".
The food industry has had a tremendous influence on our eating patterns, for MORE than 100 years.
It turns out that when we eat more frequently, profits of the food industry rise.
Nothing surprising about that.
Food Companies and Drug Companies fund Scientific Research projects
which are designed to increase profits.
Also, nothing surprising about that.
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Old 12-07-2009, 07:45 PM   #17  
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Originally Posted by mandalinn82 View Post
There are many types of "naturally thin" people, each as unique as every one of us...All the more reason to remember that we're all experiments of one, and comparing to what other people do eat/can eat without gaining isn't productive. I know what I can eat without gaining, and I stick with that, no matter what other people can do.

This was my point. One thin person describing his relationship to food (regardless of whether his assessment is accurate or not) has no bearing on the individuality of experience.

There was a recent study done that found that thin folks are just as unaware of their calorie intake and the calorie content of foods as fat people. Earlier studies have found that fat people tend to understimate the calories in high-calorie meals - but the recent study found that always-been-thin folks do the same thing (and with no significant difference as to the degree of error - the thin folks were off by just as many calories as the fat folks). So what?

There are fat folks who have a below average calorie level and an above average activity level, yet remain fat.

There are thin folks who have an above average calorie level and a below average activity leve, yet remain thin.

And there are many people in-between.

AND of all THOSE people, some are very aware of what and when they eat - their caloric intake/expenditure - and others not so much.

Again, so what?

That one thin guy doesn't eat all that much and exercises regularly - isn't really news to me. That he (erroneously) thinks he eats what and when he wants - or thinks that he "eats like a pig," again, not news. There's no reason to think this guy is typical (or atypical for that matter). It's just one of many possible variations.

All it "proves" is that he's no more aware of his eating/activity levels than many other people of various weights and habits.

This guys actual behavior makes more sense than his perceived behavior. That's true for many of us (thin and fat), there's no "news" there. But as to his actual behavior, again there's no "lesson" to take away, in that I've also known many people whose weight did NOT jive with their actual calorie/activity levels (on occasions of my spending enough time with them to be reasonable sure they weren't closet-eaters/purgers or sleep-joggers).

In essence personal experiences (except my own) have absolutely no bearing on what I need to do to lose weight and maintain the loss. In regards to weight, I've found that I don't benefit from comparing myself to others, and for that matter I don't benefit much from comparing myself to former versions of myself. It is what it is, and I have to deal with my current reality, the rest is trivia.

That some thin guy thinks he eats more and exercises less than he actually does, isn't really earth-shattering news to me. I could just as easily show you a thin person who really does have a much faster metabolism than his or her body weight would justify. Or a fat person who really does eat less and exercise more than his or her body weight would justify. I could show you people of all sizes who accurately assess their food/activity behavior - and the same for people unaware.

It also doesn't matter if I (erroneously, or rightly) believe that I am average or exceptional - neither changes the fact of what it is. Whether or not I believe I have a fast or slow metabolism (in comparison to other people), it doesn't change my metabolism. Again, it is what it is.

For myself, I do much better when I don't try to compare myself to someone else - especially an "average" that I have no way to determine - or change.

Last edited by kaplods; 12-07-2009 at 07:52 PM.
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Old 12-07-2009, 07:55 PM   #18  
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I think the point was not what people actually eat, but that what people report about their eating habits doesn't mean what we think it does. That we get ideas about what is normal because of what people say, or even what we see them do (at limited times), and it's not even accurate. However, I expect it's all balanced out by all the people who claim they just don't eat much, but they're a wee bit wrong about that. In other words, regardless of what people say about their eating, you probably can't put much stock in it, especially if you're not around them *a lot.*

On the other hand, the point is also true that it's kind of a moot point. It doesn't really matter much whether people report to us accurately, because even if they did, it tells us very little about what will work for us. Still, it takes away one more layer of misunderstanding.
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Old 12-07-2009, 08:19 PM   #19  
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I think the point was not what people actually eat, but that what people report about their eating habits doesn't mean what we think it does. That we get ideas about what is normal because of what people say, or even what we see them do (at limited times), and it's not even accurate. However, I expect it's all balanced out by all the people who claim they just don't eat much, but they're a wee bit wrong about that. In other words, regardless of what people say about their eating, you probably can't put much stock in it, especially if you're not around them *a lot.*

On the other hand, the point is also true that it's kind of a moot point. It doesn't really matter much whether people report to us accurately, because even if they did, it tells us very little about what will work for us. Still, it takes away one more layer of misunderstanding.
Yes Julie. Exactly. THAT was my point. I've heard people describe how they perceive OTHERS eat, but to hear someone describe how they themselves eat and for it to be so inaccurate (to me anyway) is what I found interesting.
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Old 12-07-2009, 08:25 PM   #20  
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Myths I've heard in person from others. Funnily enough, they seem to be pretty commonly heard in this thread:

"I eat whatever I want" (thankfully I only want to eat lettuce but you don't need to know that)
"I eat like a PIG" (every so often, when I skip breakfast and lunch, maybe once a month, but you don't need to know that)
"I don't exercise" (but I never sit down all day and am always on the go)
"I never plan my meals" (but I am a marathon runner and balance my proteins/carbs/fat for training reasons, but you don't need to know that)
"My weight hasn't changed since High School cause I'm naturally thin" (and I weigh myself every day and cut back if I go more than 4 pounds above my usual weight, but you don't need to know that)

I spent alot of years being angry that I wasn't "normal" but I didn't really know what normal was. I knew what people who had a normal weight said it was. Today, I could care less about what others claim or do. I only care about what I do and what works for me. I know that what works for me might not work for others and I know that I could spend years trying to listen to everyone in the diet industry tell me what is best. I know I used to listen alot and just got confused and bogged down. I tend to listen to what has worked for others who actually have lost the weight and kept it off. The rest to me is just exagguration or rationalization of behaviours. There is alot of self-delusion on both ends of the BMI scale, ya know? (I'll save you all the aggravation of hearing the delusional stories my obese friends and family tell me about their eating habits and "reasons" for why they are in an unhealthy state!)

Last edited by misskimothy; 12-07-2009 at 09:08 PM.
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Old 12-07-2009, 09:02 PM   #21  
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Originally Posted by Bright Angel View Post
Ithink that we have been conditioned not to realize that eating throughout the day, whether 3 meals, or 3 meals 3 snacks etc. etc. is a SOCIAL CUSTOM not a BIOLOGICAL NEED.

There's really no reason a person can't eat one meal a day.
Sure, whatever works. But, by the same token, there is NOTHING wrong with eating 3 meals/3 snacks a day if that's what works. I get super hungry, to the point of dizziness (rarely), so I eat every 2-3 hours.

It has nothing to do with a social custom for me, that's what I like and it's what works for me. (my snacks are stuff like string cheese, or a piece of fruit). I get hungry, so I eat (biological need?). Plus, I looove eating. Love food, look forward to food. I wouldn't want to only eat one meal a day, because...I like to eat! I am the same person I have always been, just a slender version. I made a plan that fit me and what makes me happy.

Sorry to be so fussy, but I always hate it when someone makes a post that makes me sound like a freak. You want me to accept your plan, okay, I am pretty cool with everybody's journey. But, show the same respect!

Last edited by Glory87; 12-07-2009 at 09:05 PM.
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Old 12-07-2009, 09:12 PM   #22  
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Oh - and one more post to talk about my glamor-puss, always slender mother. Thin all her life, always moving, fidgety, smoker, about 115 lbs (5'4"). I have seen her put away amazing amounts of food. Her last visit, we went to the Original Pancake House she had 2 eggs benedict AND pancakes and ate everything (I had oatmeal, natch). But, she also forgets to eat or just has a handful of Crunch & Munch for dinner.

Here she is the previous trip, polishing off an entire plate of crepes.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1401845193

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1401845193

I hope I look so hot at sixy freaking four.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1401845193

Hopefully!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1401845193
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Old 12-07-2009, 09:18 PM   #23  
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Maybe I've had a lot more experience with folks whose actions didn't reflect their statements on the subject, and maybe even also more experience with folks being disbelieved and accused of deception (or self-delusion) whose description of their situation turned out to be accurate and truthful. Maybe that's why I don't find it particularly interesting.

That some people lie, misrepresent or aren't self-aware of their behavior doesn't surprise me in the least. On any subject, I tend not to assume that someone is being completely honest and truthful (intentionally or not, with themselves or others), but I also likewise don't assume that a person's statements are inaccurate, either, without evidence.

When I've made either of those assumptions, I've often been proven wrong.
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Old 12-07-2009, 10:25 PM   #24  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrightAngel
I think that we have been conditioned not to realize that eating throughout the day,
whether 3 meals, or 3 meals 3 snacks etc. etc.
is a SOCIAL CUSTOM not a BIOLOGICAL NEED.
There's really no reason a person can't eat just one meal a day,
Quote:
Originally Posted by Glory87 View Post
I eat every 2-3 hours.
It has nothing to do with a social custom for me, that's what I like and it's what works for me.
Sorry to be so fussy, but I always hate it when someone makes a post that makes me sound like a freak. You want me to accept your plan, okay, I am pretty cool with everybody's journey. But, show the same respect!
I personally, don't eat only once a day,
and the post was a response of Acceptance to someone who does this.
My point is that each individual has the right and the ability
to choose any kind of eating pattern that works for that particular individual's body.
I believe that any choice we make that works for us is a Great one,
and there isn't any one "right" way.
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Old 12-08-2009, 06:07 AM   #25  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bright Angel View Post
I personally, don't eat only once a day,
and the post was a response of Acceptance to someone who does this.
My point is that each individual has the right and the ability
to choose any kind of eating pattern that works for that particular individual's body.
I believe that any choice we make that works for us is a Great one,
and there isn't any one "right" way.
IMHO that sums up this thread in a nutshell. And if every person wrote down exactly what they ate and how they exercised or moved or whatever every day (like most of us do to some extent) most of them would be quite shocked at the difference between what they think they do and what they actually DO!

I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks every day or I get dizzy and trembly etc. but my DH tends to consume most of his calories at dinner. Neither one of us is wrong or right (though it does make meal planning a bit difficult ).

Dagmar
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Old 12-08-2009, 10:09 AM   #26  
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My take-away from this was that perception of what and how much one eats can be way off reality. And, for myself I need to track and not depend on my self-perception.
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Old 12-08-2009, 10:19 AM   #27  
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Originally Posted by Nada View Post
My take-away from this was that perception of what and how much one eats can be way off reality.
And that's the truth. I read a study done with registered dietitians who were asked to track how much they were eating (sorry, I can't find the cite). And even when they tracked to the best of their ability, the pros underestimated their total calories by 20%. Most of us are off even more than that, I'd guess.

Our bodies and brains are all different and it's pretty useless to compare what people say they eat. Amanda summed it up best:

Quote:
There are many types of "naturally thin" people, each as unique as every one of us...All the more reason to remember that we're all experiments of one, and comparing to what other people do eat/can eat without gaining isn't productive. I know what I can eat without gaining, and I stick with that, no matter what other people can do.
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Old 12-08-2009, 10:50 AM   #28  
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WTH is a "chicken bottom"????
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Old 12-08-2009, 11:00 AM   #29  
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WTH is a "chicken bottom"????
Funny. I took it to mean the thigh and drumstick portion of a chicken.
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Old 12-08-2009, 11:22 AM   #30  
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You know how people "shadow" one another on the job, to learn what a particular job is like & how people get their work done? Well, I have done that with a "naturally thin" friend's eating, although I did it inadvertently.

A good friend of mine & I were attending an out-of-town wedding & were thrown in together for three straight days, during which we were rarely apart, due to having to share a guest room & a rental car & etc. We had a day away from the festivities during which we visited museums & saw a play together. We slept & ate at pretty much the same hours.

As always, when I travel, I brought healthy snacks -- nuts & fruit -- in case I got hungry between meals. But other than that, I decided I'd follow her schedule.

Oh, and with one other difference -- I exercised both mornings at the gym at my friend's apartment complex. An hour of cardio each day, plus weights one day & floor-mat exercises another day.

Let me tell you, I was ravenous half the time. My friend got by on very little food & sometimes left that unfinished. Most of the time, food seemed to be the furthest thing from her mind. Except when it came to the wedding dinner, when, unlike me, she drank her glass of champagne & ate a bit (though not even half) of the wedding cake. "Too sweet," she said. She thinks wedding cake is always too sweet.

It wouldn't have been too sweet for me, so I didn't even dare take a mouthful -- just ripped it up with a fork and pushed it aside firmly.

And when I got back from this vacation, I'd lost three pounds trying to adjust to her eating schedule. But I was on edge much of the time & feeling under-nourished.

I can't turn myself into her. She can't turn herself into me. We are like two different kinds of machines, performing different jobs, programmed differently. I concluded that I just have to find my own way. Which this thread just reinforces for me.
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