Quote:
Originally Posted by Juche
Well, there are drugs that make diet and exercise more effective, and that improve long term prognosis. Right now long term prognosis seems to be the biggest problem. Virtually everyone who wants to lose weight has done so, but they just can't keep it off. Drugs that improve long term maintenance success rates from their current 1-5% rates to something like 40-50% would be a very welcome method of obesity treatment.
I have been reading along for a while, and am finally voicing my opinions.
The reason that people have the ability to lose weight, but not keep it off, has absolutely nothing to do with diet pills or supplements, or prescription medications that don't even exist yet. It is about lifestyle change-period. Everyone can go on a diet and lose some weight-but only those who make permanent lifestyle changes keep the weight off. It isn't about some futuristic prescription medication-it is about changing your eating habits for life, and regular exercise for LIFE.
Really, which would be more healthy-to change your lifestyle to a healthier one permanently, or have scientists come up with a drug for everyone to take for the rest of our lives-that our bodies have to metabolize forever?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Juche
What I'd like to see is a drug that makes moderate lifestyle changes more effective. ie, a drug where all you have to do is eat healthier and exercise and you'll lose weight and keep it off without having to become overly anal about food, become hungry, deprive yourself or obsess over weight, food or exercise.
Moderate lifestyle changes are already effective without some new prescription drug. If you eat healthier and exercise regularly then you will lose weight and keep it off. You don't have to obsess about food and exercise, be hungry all the time, or deprive yourself. The key is moderation. I don't think limiting chocolate to a small piece once a week instead of eating it every day and in a larger portion is depriving myself at all. I don't think exercising daily is obsessing-I fit it into my schedule just like taking a shower, or making an appointment for a haircut. You don't have to be hungry-You can eat low calorie and not be hungry-just choose higher volume foods such as 2 cups of strawberries instead of a slice of bread if you are having issues with hunger. (both around 90 calories) A lot of times this simple trick will keep hunger pangs away. I just don't feel there is a need for some new prescription drug when there are already perfectly natural solutions to these issues that are drug free.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Juche
I know some long term maintainers and they only maintain by becoming so intolerant of bodyfat that they are a chore to be around. They are hateful, angry and bitter because that is the only way they know to keep their motivation high enough to keep the weight off.
I suggest that you visit the maintainers section of the forum here at 3FC, because there are some wonderful, caring, and supportive women over there. My stepfather is also a former competing bodybuilder, and even though he no longer competes, he still eats healthy and exercises every day. He is one of the most loving and postive people I have ever known-and doesn't have a bitter or hateful bone in his body. It is an unfair assumption to say that all maintainers are bitter, angry, hateful, and are a chore to be around.
What I have noticed in my own weight loss experience though, is the thinner and more fit and healthy I get, the more rude and insensitive others who are still unfit and unhealthy around me get-because I believe that they are jealous of my successes-not because I am angry, hateful, and bitter. I have found that I have "outgrown" a lot of my fat friends, because I no longer have the desire to revolve my life around food and a sedentary lifestyle-and now associate more active and health minded individuals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Juche
A drug that just lets you eat a healthier diet and maintain the loss would be a godsend. In the long run people are going to want a drug that lets them lose weight w/o healthier lifestyles. But I think right now most people would be happy with a drug that made reasonable lifestyle changes effective enough to result in permanent weight loss.
Permanent lifestyle changes are already enough to make reasonable lifestyle changes effective. The reason maintaining a weight loss is so rare, is because people rarely keep up these changes for life-but revert back to their old habits that made them overweight in the first place.
Yes, I agree with you that people in the long run are going to want a drug that lets them lose weight without practicing healthier lifestyles, but what about responsibility for ones self? I made myself fat by being sedentary and overeating, and it is my responsibility to fix that.
When I was a kid I wanted a lot of things, and I am sure glad that my parents didn't always give in. We don't always get what we want handed to us, it is good to have to work for it. It build character.
Besides, even if tht miracle drug were invented, our bodies would still have to metabolize that drug every day, and there would be side effects.
I am 100% for actually preventing and curing health ailments rather than just treating them with drugs if at all possible. My MIL is a prime example of this-she has a bad back, and takes all the prescription medications for it instead of doing what it would take to CURE her back-which would be to lose weight to remove some of the strain on it, and to do the list of exercises given to her by her doctor and physical therapist to actually strengthen and rehabilitiate her abs/back/core to heal the condition. That's just too much work I guess, and taking the pills is easier.
She complains about the pain, and takes the pills-but doesn't do anything to actually help the problem-she is only treating the symptoms.