Boris declares war on fat

[Weallhavevalidopinions]

Boris has said his being overweight contributed to his problems with Covid-19.
Stories this morning suggest he will wage war on fat...

What type of help do you think might be suggested?

Have you decided to lose weight due to Covid-19 worries?

YABU - no I will not lose weight due to Covid worries
YANBU - I will lose weight due to Covid worries

If anyone has any tips that would be great! My Dh has hired me a treadmill which is coming next week and we are going on lots of long walks.

While the exercise will undoubtedly help, addressing your diet should be the main priority.

Now is the time for sticks to save the NHS and help nurses

Anyone noticed how many overweight nurses there are?

@Wilberforce1 - It is good that you are making inroads.

Do not get bogged down with complex plans etc

Just exercise - even a brisk walk, I would not go straight into running.Your body is carrying excess weight your joints may struggle to carry without injury. Try couch to 5k.

I am not one for calorie counting, but for a week download Myfitness pal, and EVERYTHING that passes your lips - log it. You can then see where you excess calories come from, and look to make adjuestments.

Good luck

I’m on sertraline which increases the appetite for some people, I just slightly increased my low calorie food and slightly decreased my high calorie food.

@SimonJT, that can certainly help. Pregablin for nerve pain was the medication that gave me a raging appetite and the hardest to manage.

One of the best ways to improve diet is to encourage people to cook. While we still have people in this society who can’t afford to switch the gas / electric on everyday that will be impossible.

@xenia - loving the 10% tax rate for a normal BMI

@AmelieTaylor Actually no one has ever managed to disprove the law of thermodynamics, if they did it would be the greatest scientific discovery of the century.

Anyone noticed how many overweight nurses there are?

Sssshhhhh. We're not allowed to criticise anything about the NHS.

Maybe Johnson could start by making sure Tate and Lyle don't sponsor the next Tory Party Conference...

@Hunnybears
I do think I’m lucky that I have a faster metabolism but that makes it difficult for those that don’t. I feel sorry for them

👏🏻thank you. Acceptance that some people have this easier, instead of being smug & blaming people, is much appreciated -
Enjoy your good fortune 🌷

One of the best ways to improve diet is to encourage people to cook.
And if you are short of time, batch cook. I have homemade ready meals in a freezer. They are massive help. Count what goes in them. It will stop you from eating crap when there is lack of time or motivation to cook. I have probably 8 different types of meals ready there, including 3 differently marinated chicken tenders to go into salads or with some rice maybe.

It more diet than exercise really. I’m an apple and lost weight running. But really the only thing that shifted the fat around the middle was cutting out carbs and sugar.
And not being frightened of being hungry for a few hours.

The whole “hangry”, feeling faint stuff lasts a couple of days and then you realise thin does actually mean not eating what you want just because you want it.

@Xenia If we deny people NHS care or make them pay up front if they are overweight they might start eating less or skipping a meal a day. We have tried too many carrots. Now is the time for sticks to save the NHS and help nurses. What about other things that cause health problems/costs? No NHS for STI's, no NHS for drug problems, no NHS for people who drink too much alcohol, no NHS for sports injuries, no NHS for maternity services after baby no 2. should all free up alot of NHS time and resources.

Yeah Covid has given me a kick up the bum to improve my aerobic fitness so I don’t die. It’s also narrowed done my exercise choices and trapped me in the house with the kids to the point where a run actually seems attractive for the first time in my adult life. I’ve improved quite a bit in that I’m running 5k for the first time and working on a decent time.

I've lost just over 2 stone since Christmas. Still got loads to lose and I'm finding lockdown makes it harder.

@IncrediblySadToo

thank you. Acceptance that some people have this easier, instead of being smug & blaming people, is much appreciated -
Enjoy your good fortune

You’re welcome. I honestly do think I’m very fortunate and have it much much easier than many many people. I can’t take the credit because I don’t go out of my way to exercise or count my calories. I don’t work hard on it at all, so I can only assume it’s my genetic disposition.

I can’t wait to go shopping tonight- it’s the highlight of my week buying all my treats 😂

I'm not overweight, but people who are overweight (esp. obese) could consider losing weight so they could better fight off COVID if they get it.

Mockers is so right at 'look, fat squirrel!'
This is total distraction. Also, obesity has the neat advantage of being able to be blamed on individuals (never mind the huge socioeconomic factors involved in levels of obesity.)
So instead of 'oh, look how the government fucked up the handling of Coronavirus' the story can be 'look at those terrible ignorant fat people dying of Coronavirus due to their disgusting greed'. Yep. The same poor and fat people in the lowest paid jobs being forced back on public transport into jobs that can't be done from home.

I need to lose about 4.5 stone to get my BMI below 30.

I eat healthy food. I don’t eat cakes and crisps and takeaways. I only eat my meals and don’t snack or binge. I’m not an emotional/stress eater. I’m doing weightwatchers and sticking to my points and have lost weight in lockdown. I’ve tried before and given up but knowing that you’re more likely to die imminently does focus the brain a bit. When I’ve had medicals for insurance/work etc my blood pressure, scans, cholesterol etc have all been fine. People can’t believe how much I weigh but there you go.

But why can thin people eat pizza and cake and takeaway and drink all the wine and not be the same size as me?

Why can't this idiot focus on the job he was elected to do for more than 48 hours? If he worked for me I'd sack him.

Xenia those are appalling suggestions. They are loaded towards richer people and also it would be a case of a wedge in the door for wider pay as you go options. And I'm sure you must know it, but perhaps that wouldn't affect you either way. Stick instead of carrot doesn't actually work, as any dietitian these days would acknowledge.

And not being frightened of being hungry for a few hours.
The whole “hangry”, feeling faint stuff lasts a couple of days and then you realise thin does actually mean not eating what you want just because you want it.

The truest thing on the thread. I ought to print this out and put it on my cupboards!

Fallulah

^^
You're obviously the exception to the rule

But why can thin people eat pizza and cake and takeaway and drink all the wine and not be the same size as me?

I used to think this, but for myself anyway and my group of friends, if we went out for food they wouldn't eat much the rest of the day. Not a conscious thing to eat fewer calories, but because they were used to eating a sensible amount they didn't feel they needed to as were usually full. They also tended to eat less- where I would eat a whole pizza they would share with someone else. DH is like this, he can demolish a large battered sausage, large chips, onion rings, banana fritters, piece of cod in one go (not saying that's healthy...) but he also goes hours and hours without eating, so he is usually within his caloties for the day even though he eats junk (again, doesn't mean he is healthy but he is a healthy weight). Whereas for me I was eating loads at meals with him, and also eating lots throughout the day.

I'm sure a ' fat tax' will be brought in soon enough and corona will be the catalyst. Especially if Boris is held up as the new poster boy for it and loses as much as Tom Watson did.

My husbands late sister was an overweight borderline alcoholic paramedic who was given 10 weeks free gym pass to get her act together ( years ago now , but it was a definite carrot) She lost loads and gave up drinking , but once the incentives dried up she gave up and went back to her old ways very quickly.
It's not easy fighting addiction to anything.
You need to want to do it long term.