Calorie counting

[CantankerousCamel]

I’ve just been reading about what calorie deficits women put themselves in to lose weight or to remain at a ‘goal weight’ they are preposterous.
Women regularly consuming half or just over the reccomended daily amount of food in order to fit what the world considers ‘correct’ Weight.

Thing is, many of them state they’re within BMI ranges and that they wouldn’t be if they ate recommended amounts of food.

Surely this is a clear way society prevents women from being free thinking, strong and sated.

I know when I was strong, athletic and healthy I was considered overweight and not just by a small amount.

First post, lets assume i just wrote a long one.

The tl;dr is learn how to 'hack' insulin resistance in your cells, and fat tissue will melt away. Quiet a lot of fat people dont eat all that many calories, but due to insulin resistance in their cells, they store what they do eat as fat. The system needs a reboot.

I'm 5'8" and am relatively active, run 3/4 times a week and average around 13,000 steps a day. I still put on weight eating 2000 calories, I need to keep it to about 1600. I have no idea how 2000 for women is supposed to be a healthy limit.

@uthikoloshe

Is there a website or link? I'd like to see about this for DH.

My husband's family are all big - there's clearly a genetic component - DH doesn't seem to eat loads and he tall and large build (rugby) but he just seems to tend to fat. DFIL the same & he has type 2 diabetes which obviosuly would be good to avoid in DH.

The kids - everything the same in upbringing meals etc but one is like my side and one like his. I must admit I never really "bought" the genetic thing but with the kids it's just totally obvious.

@socksrock I wonder if the current calorie guidelines were set when people had more active lives? Even when I started work in the 90s there was much more "built in" exercise that you couldn't avoid - far fewer lifts & escalators, fewer people had cars so walked to bus stops, even at work without so much computerisation there were heavy files to carry to your desk and back etc.

I wonder if they need revising.

OP, I know this isn’t what you’re asking, so apologies in advance!
Have you tried just replacing the ‘white carbs’, i.e. sugar, white rice, white pasta, potatoes with healthy, ‘good carbs’ - wholegrain bread, barley, veggies, etc.

I’m giving it a go for health reasons. I’ve just eaten a low calorie ready meal that’s full of fibre and I feel nicely full in my tum and full of energy.
It’s a way to eat healthily without feeling weak due to a caloric deficit. Apparently white carbs give you an energy spike then leave you really hungry straight afterwards. Very few of us eat enough fibre.
I watched that ‘the truth about carbs’ programme on iPlayer.

"Current guidance is based on the recommendations of the UK Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA), which were made in 1991. This guidance has since been adapted to include recommendations for fibre intake by the Food Standards Agency and for salt intake by SACN.

The current UK guideline daily amounts are 2,000 calories for women, 2,500 calories for men and 1,800 calories for children aged five to 10."

Could do with a review maybe.

At 5'3 and with a sedentary lifestyle and small build, 2000 is too many for me as well.

Interesting that a thread that was flagging a question around whether women are kept preoccupied with our weight (looks) to keep us distracted and docile

Has turned into a thread with diet tips!

Ah well. Sorry OP. FWIW I do think this is a feminist issue and a good topic for a thread so sorry for going off message!

sardine
So true and I’m guilty too.
Also guilty of not being entirely honest. I want to lose weight for health reasons, but also to look slimmer.
It’s ridiculous, because I’m not even overweight. I’m healthy and strong and fit. I just have a mum tum.
But other people think I’m fat.

Who thinks you're fat?

I mean is it a specific person / people or are you thinking that they do?

Sardine,

Type insulin resistance into google and read the wiki. Also go and type it into youtube and watch videos by doctor Berg, if you want a clue.
Insulin is the enemy and controling its levels will control fat. Get ready to say goodbye to carbs forver, but you wont miss them as much as you fear or think.

Oh, you know, people tell me directly to my face.
That and how old they think I look.
Often it’s meant in a bonding sort of way I think - you know ‘it’s hard being fat/ old looking like us isn’t it?’
Another person said ‘I’m not saying you look old but doesn’t x who’s the same age look young?’

It’s something I’ve noticed people doing since I hit forty. People assuming I must be unhappy with my appearance and it’s ok to make comments.
I would never do this myself!

@uthikoloshe thank you, I will tell DH to watch the vids and will read the wiki myself.

I seem OK with carbs and in no hurry to say goodbye to them but I can see that for him, he doesn't seem to be able to process them very efficiently (?) or something.

Nuffaluff OMG! Where are these people - where do you meet them?

I would never say that to anyone WTF -

Different people do get different things though I always get people telling me really personal stuff about sex I think I must look open minded or something

My friend has a thing that when someone says anything mean she always says they're jealous - which is probably a good reaction for confidence! If you are healthy strong fit not overweight I can only conclude that you know some pretty mean people (?) and they are trying to make you feel bad for some reason,

I'd say try to ignore them or possibly give them a death glare - but it's easier said than done!

@uthikoloshe he is doing the doctor berg body quiz right now!

Sardine,

Haha at the quiz. Dr Berg is a great source of data and motivation. Gym free excercise (cheap and no equipement) is best provided by calisthenics IMHO, and can be done infront of the tv, and is for every level of person from olympic gymnast to those clad in fat.

@SardineReturns - sounds plausible. I do a good amount of steps, but I have to work at it, if I have a day when I don't think about what I'm doing it can easily be as low as 4000. I'm lucky in one respect that our work car park is a 15min walk from the office, so on work days I get several thousand just from that.

Also that they seem to feel that women don't need as many toilets as men, so the ladies is the opposite end of the building and up a flight of stairs...

sardine
I don’t think they’re being mean necessarily, though I can see why you think that.
Are you forty yet? See what happens when you get there.

I honestly don’t know how to respond without being downright rude!

SardineReturns Fri 15-Jun-18 18:18:19

"

Interesting that a thread that was flagging a question around whether women are kept preoccupied with our weight (looks) to keep us distracted and docile

Has turned into a thread with diet tips"

YY Sardine

Sardine

Very astute observation!

Definitely an interesting topic. Most of the people in my family are struggling with their (too high) weight and related health problems. I've always been a healthy weight, which I attribute in part to an active childhood which set up good habits and my adult walk-everywhere lifestyle (I've not owned a car since 2002).

My sister in particular worries me sometimes...after two children, now in her 30s, she is a size 14 and trying to restrict her calories to 1,000 (net) per day to lose weight, and aims to do an hour of exercise most days. She says she wants to be strong and healthy, not small or thin, but 1,000 calories per day seems so little to me. I eat loads more food than her and we're nearly the same height!

This is a Canadian blog I used to read about women staying active, healthy and strong (regardless of size) where they discuss a lot of questions relating to clean eating, calorie intake, etc. from a feminist perspective:

fitisafeministissue.com/2016/05/17/clean-eating-is-a-crock/

I don't read it so much anymore because the two main authors have 'retired' somewhat and sadly the new, mostly younger ones who have replaced them have certain views that are too libfem/pc for me.

Actually, this book review they did years ago is perhaps especially relevant:

fitisafeministissue.com/2013/07/30/book-review-taking-up-space/