Why thin people get to eat more and stay thin...
Life is unfair. And if you are fat and trying to lose weight it may seem that mother nature has dealt you a raw deal. Have you ever noticed a thin person in a restaurant eating a huge amount of food, while you are trying to stick to your diet of carrot sticks and celery for dear life and then you eat one cookie and the scale doesn't budge! It's enough to drive you mad! Why, why, why does this happen?
I have often wondered why it is that people who are thin can eat so much and not gain weight while people who are overweight deny themselves and yet are still overweight. If you are anything like me, this little quirk of nature is enough to drive you crazy.
But, I think I have found the answer. This may not be rocket science to anyone else but it sure was an eye opener to me.
We all use a certain amount of calories every day, for argument sake lets say we use 2000 calories a day. People who are not overweight need the entire 2000 calories in order to maintain their weight. If you are overweight then you have additional calories on your person from that pint of Haagen Dazs last night, the pizza party last month or the birthday cake last year that was eaten in two days. So you do not need 2000 calories a day. You already had your cake and ate it last year at the birthday party and your body is still carrying it for you, keeping it safe and sound, stored away on YOUR thighs!
If you are overweight and you eat 2000 calories a day (assuming that is how many calories you use up in a day) you will simply maintain your weight, you will not lose or gain weight. If you wish to lose weight you must eat less than 2000 calories a day so that your body will use up the calories you've already eaten. That is why it may appear that fat people eat less than normal people because they may eat less but they still have the extra calories from previous overeating episodes to account for.
The trick to eating less is to eat more whole foods. Whole foods keep you from getting hungry. Have you ever noticed after eating some kind of junk food that you just want to keep eating and eating and eating? That's the way they work, food companies go to great lengths to keep your hand in that chip bag! Whereas when you eat whole foods like whole fruits, whole vegetables, whole grains, they fill you up so that you don't get as hungry as fast. I mean how many apples can you eat? How many heads of broccoli or oranges can you consume? I know I don't sit in front of the TV munching plums and grapefruits, no, but I could easily eat a whole bag of chips that would contain more calories than all the food I just mentioned!
Also, exercising helps to keep the hungries at bay and they contribute to calories burned. I find it amazing how much just walking can burn up hundreds of calories.
This is not to say that physiology has nothing to do with maintaining a thin physic. Some, lucky bastards ARE able to eat and eat and eat and never gain a pound while others are genetically predisposed to gaining weight. Not that I'm bitter (OK maybe a little bitter :) but it is a fact and unfortunately those of us that life has dealt this card to will have to be more careful when trying to maintain a healthy weight. Life is unfair, BUT should a famine ever hit we will be the ones to survive while the thin waifs will be dropping like flies (pause for glee), nevertheless I digress!
In order to achieve weight loss you have to eat less calories than you take in until your body has used up the previous calories stored as fat. And eating whole foods will enable you to do that. You don't have to join weight watchers, or Jenny Craig or Over Eaters Anonymous, you don't have to spend a ton of money or go to meetings, you just have to eat less calories than you use each day. Once you have done this you will be able to eat the entire 2000 calories that you use every day just like a thin person because you will have no extra stored calories on your body. That is a day to look forward to! Because, if you've been eating ..say 1200 to 1500 calories a day 2000 calories seems like a feast. Now if I can just get to that point!
**If you would like to earn money writing for hub-pages click here: http://hubpages.com/_earnmoneywriting
Related articles by Brie Hoffman
- How to make a Healthy Salad that tastes Good!
The first thing most people think of when going on a diet is salads. But did you know that many salads actually have more calories and are more fattening than other choices? Applebees grilled shrimp and spinach salad with dressing is a whopping... - How to Stop Eating Like a Pig by kicking your Sugar Addiction!
Sugar is the single ingredient that is wreaking havoc on the diets of the world! Cut out sugar and you will lose weight, feel better and greatly improve your health. Unfortunately it's not easy! - At Home Exercises for the Obese and Shut-In
The last thing you want to do when you are fat is go to a gym and work out in front of everyone. So, here are exercises you can do in the privacy of your own home. - I Want a Trike!
Ok, I'm 49 years old and I want a tricycle. I know it may sound dorky but there is something about those trikes that just strike my fancy. Maybe I'm starting my second childhood earlier than most but I've... - Vita Mix Blender
The Vita mix Blender is like having a lawnmower in your kitchen! YEAH BABY! Ok, OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but it is by far the most important appliance you will ever own. I can say without...
