4 ms·

Interesting. I stay thin because I'm always watching what I eat and keep a mental note of how many calories I've had that day. If I'm trying to lose a few pound

Interesting. I stay thin because I'm always watching what I eat and keep a mental note of how many calories I've had that day. If I'm trying to lose a few pounds I have to actually record my calories so I know when to stop eating. I can eat pretty much non-stop. I could eat a large pizza myself, and 30 minutes later eat another. The grass is always greener. Some people wish they could eat as much as me so they could gain some weight. I wish I couldn't eat so much so I didn't have to spend so much mental energy on ensuring I don't over-eat.

lancesells 4y ago
I'm the same. I stick to ~2000 calories a day and know that each pound is around ~3500 calories. If I gain some and want to take it off I'll work out a little more and know that any deficit contributes to taking away part of the ~3500 cals. I don't obsess over this but it'll help me cut out some snacks or put in an extra mile or two on my runs (which is supposed to be around ~100 calories). Everyone is different but looking at weight loss/gain as an equation works for me if I notice my pants getting tighter.
MichaelCollins 4y ago
> I could eat a large pizza myself, Sure you could. But do you actually do that often? If you eat like me, you're eating two large pizzas a night two or three times a week. If you stay thin, I guarantee you don't eat as much as me. At least not unless you have an activity level comparable to an actively training Olympic athlete.
- linuxftw 4y ago
  I don't think the problem is as black and white and as you think. Some people can eat large amounts of food and not gain weight, even relative to their activity level. I do agree that those people won't be able to eat in the same quantity as people that generally struggle with weight and that their desire to eat seems to end quicker than some others. I think most people 'eat until not hungry.' For me, my default is 'eat until full' which I'm not sure is the same at all. I think it's primal programming to eat until full for many of us, because 10k years ago that might have meant surviving or not. I am usually in 'want to eat' mode. If I eat something, I might put that mode on pause for a few minutes, depending on how much, but I'll be there before the next meal. Then, I convince myself I'm going hungry, so the next meal I'll over eat. This cycle increases my stress level, which leads to more eating. I find that doing any physical activity outdoors reduces my desire to eat immensely. I don't mean a 5-15 minute walk, I mean being outside for a couple hours or more. My body seems to have two modes, eat mode and work mode. Sitting at a computer is what's causing my problems IMO. I have a low-stress job, but I think the very nature of a computer job creates some kind of primal-stress.

lancesells 4y ago

I'm the same. I stick to ~2000 calories a day and know that each pound is around ~3500 calories. If I gain some and want to take it off I'll work out a little more and know that any deficit contributes to taking away part of the ~3500 cals. I don't obsess over this but it'll help me cut out some snacks or put in an extra mile or two on my runs (which is supposed to be around ~100 calories). Everyone is different but looking at weight loss/gain as an equation works for me if I notice my pants getting tighter.

MichaelCollins 4y ago

> I could eat a large pizza myself, Sure you could. But do you actually do that often? If you eat like me, you're eating two large pizzas a night two or three times a week. If you stay thin, I guarantee you don't eat as much as me. At least not unless you have an activity level comparable to an actively training Olympic athlete.

linuxftw 4y ago
I don't think the problem is as black and white and as you think. Some people can eat large amounts of food and not gain weight, even relative to their activity level. I do agree that those people won't be able to eat in the same quantity as people that generally struggle with weight and that their desire to eat seems to end quicker than some others. I think most people 'eat until not hungry.' For me, my default is 'eat until full' which I'm not sure is the same at all. I think it's primal programming to eat until full for many of us, because 10k years ago that might have meant surviving or not. I am usually in 'want to eat' mode. If I eat something, I might put that mode on pause for a few minutes, depending on how much, but I'll be there before the next meal. Then, I convince myself I'm going hungry, so the next meal I'll over eat. This cycle increases my stress level, which leads to more eating. I find that doing any physical activity outdoors reduces my desire to eat immensely. I don't mean a 5-15 minute walk, I mean being outside for a couple hours or more. My body seems to have two modes, eat mode and work mode. Sitting at a computer is what's causing my problems IMO. I have a low-stress job, but I think the very nature of a computer job creates some kind of primal-stress.