To think that unlike Adele, lots of us are getting bigger after lockdown?

[caperberries]

Having been reading about Adele's amazing weight loss, I feel as though I've performed a similar feat in reverse! I'm normally slim and healthy, I haven't been overeating that much during lockdown, so assume that it's just that I'm less active. I weighed myself this morning and have put on over half a stone! Speaking to friends, quite a few seem to have the same issue. AIBU to think that lots of people are gaining weight during lockdown? Or am I in denial and others are getting healthier, like Adele?

NathanNathan fairly irrelevant whether you want to believe it. Here is some science about the chances of keeping weight off as a formerly obese person:

ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302773

I’m not saying she is naturally obese but when your body has been in that state for a long time, all your adult life in fact, and probably during childhood too, the only thing that has a realistic chance of working is surgery. Which I think she has had and which i hope she has had because if not, she will struggle hugely.

It probably depends on whether you live with others and how much you are willing to venture out to the shops.

I live on my own and getting food once a week only - if I don't add anything snacks / cakes / chocolate to my basket then I can't snack. FWIW the most exciting snack last week was apples, although did finish them in first 3 days. Although I have shops nearby I'm scared to pop out for any treats and don't want to order takeaway as much as I'd love a Pizza!

And I'm calorie counting to maintain my weight (which I did before anyway) and eating less than would do when going to work when I'd be walking around all day etc. Exercising at home every day, often twice a day but doesn't compare to my previous activity level.

However I do sympathise with people that living with partners and children who eat cakes, snacks and treats. If I had them in the house I'd consume them and be a dress size bigger by now myself!

@Shedtheload thanks, good to see some actual science.

Again though, nothing about "your body fighting to get to being obese" and surely more to do with the physiologically needing to address and maintain eating habits and triggers the person has established and maintained over a long time enable them to get to be obese?

Have to say what JoeExotixseyebrowRing says makes a lot of sense:

I would have thought that most people putting weight back on is psychological rather than their body physically trying to get back to obesity?

Also for all of the experts of this thread, if it's inevitable the weight goes back on do you advise that people stay obese, don't bother and become ill from all of the related diseases?

I think it would be a sad day when we said to obese people no point in losing weight as you will put it back on and secondly that the only option is expensive surgery to clip your stomach.

Some people do lose weight and keep it off. It ist technically possible to do that.

An even sadder day would be if we turned them away from a hospital because of their weight.

NathanNathan you might also want to speak to some bariatric experts about how your body reacts post weight loss but it’s fine if you don’t want to believe it and just put it down to inability to stick to a diet.

And no, I don’t think that people who are obese shouldn’t bother. Any reduction in body size is likely to have a positive effect on health. However, it’s really not realistic to tell obese people that ‘you can be like Adele’ when for nearly all of them, that would be impossible without surgery.

If you look at the people in the public eye who did go from large to tiny, none of them are still tiny and in hindsight have revealed that the methods used were highly unhealthy. You can also look up the scientific studies that have followed the Biggest Loser contestants who all went from obese to slim and who nearly all put all the weight back on very quickly after the show. If it was straightforward to maintain a new low weight, why was it so hard for them? And what makes Adele so different, esp given that she lost a less drastic amount in the past and regained it?

I'm sorry Shedload I don't mean to be rude, but you keep insisting most people can't maintain a healthy weight after being obese. What are those people to do then? Give up? If you are a bariatric expert (or seem to have access to some?) perhaps you can advise rather than just repeat?

I think that where there may be a problem here is about "sticking to a diet".

It's not about sticking to a diet, it's about relearning what a correct portion size is, what mix of protein carbs and fat is best for not overloading your pancreas, how many calories your body ACTUALLY needs, not what we have been accustomed to in modern life.

You can also look up the scientific studies that have followed the Biggest Loser contestants who all went from obese to slim and who nearly all put all the weight back on very quickly after the show. If it was straightforward to maintain a new low weight, why was it so hard for them?

As a couple of people have said, it was so hard for them to learn and maintain a completely new set of eating habits, when they had learnt over many years, while becoming obese, to overeat.

@shedtheload there are plenty of examples of very overweight people who lost weight and kept it off.

Why quote some scientific research and then come out with something as unscientific as Once obese, your body will be desperate to return to that state which is why drastic diets tend to fail.

Total cobblers. Many overweight people seem to have addictive, compulsive, emotional eating patterns that are hard to break including binge eating disorders. Without serious work on their eating patterns, relationship to food, self image and mental emotional state, weight loss may not be sustained.

Sounds like you’re trying to justify something to yourself.

TatianaBis NathanNathan sure okay. I’m sure that study of 150000 odd people was just wrong... Hiding this thread now as life’s way too short.

@Shedtheload as with anything, one study does not make a conclusion.

I would hate for someone to read this thread and think there is no point in trying.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.amp.html

Someone may have posted it but this is an interesting article in the Biggest Loser contestants. They found that their metabolism stayed lower than the average person of their size and also they produced more or the hunger hormone.

I know 2 people who had been overweight all their lives since childhood. Both drastically changed their lifestyles about 5 years ago or longer and still fit and slim. They both now love exercise

That's really nice to hear manc. The biggest loser article is really interesting, I take from that that it needs to be worked at. Your metabolism reduces so you need to continue to monitor your calories and do exercise, but it's probably doable, but hard.

Yes I have put on weight but no fucks given

Couldn’t care less about Adele weight loss though she does now look unwell

Nothing wrong with being fat and healthy

All diets are stupid

*Couldn't care less about Adele weight loss though she does now look unwell
*
Of course you don't and of course she does 🤦🏻‍♀️, ye gods.

We got a Peloton; it makes a difference.

I am another one that does to 5.2 so that combined with doing more power walking have lost weight. I enjoy my walks with music blasting in my ears. I hate running. That is the trouble you have to be able to fit exercise in and if you work from home plus young children you may not have a chance in hell doing it.

God yes I put on a few pounds in no time. Have turned it around though and signed up to a 12 week nutritional education programme that’ll set me up for life. That’s the plan, fingers crossed 😝

Some people do lose weight and keep it off. It ist technically possible to do that

I agree that's true - technically it is possible and people have done it. But the majority of people I know, including myself, have put it back on because there is much more to it than the technical