Comments on: Results Not Typical

By: J. Neil Schulman

J. Neil Schulman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:03:05 +0000

A story in today's Los Angeles Times titled "Bacteria in intestines play role key role in weight gain, study finds" tells us that, "Many factors play a role in the propensity to gain weight, including genetics, physical activity and the environment, as well as food choices. But a growing body of evidence, much of it accumulated by Dr. Jeffrey I. Gordon of Washington University in St. Louis, shows that bacteria in the gut also play a key role." Thanks to David M. Klaus for the email linking the story.

By: og

og — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:29:02 +0000

I too have struggled all my life. I went on a ‘Quick weight loss center” beginning in 87, lost a couple hundred pounds, gained it all back over the course of fifteen years, had a lap-band surgery, which took me from 400+ to about 320 which is where I’m kinda stalled. I’m gonna go get another adjustment after the first of the year and try to get back on the way down again, and my knees wish I was doing it NOW. Best of luck. No, there are no good answers. It is a vicious cycle and there doesn’t seem to be anyone doing anything meaningful. All the drugs have been troublesome. All the exercise/diet programs are annoying. To hell with the moon;inertia is a harsh mistress.

One thing I have found that helps me, somewhat, is having someone to do something with that i like doing that is gently aerobic. If you can find someone who likes to walk, say 1 hour a day, and go someplace different on a regular basis to take those walks. I lose weight readily when I hunt, but I can’t do it every day. it’s not magic and it’s not quick but it’s something. Exercise for the sake of exercise is vile. Like diet food.

By: bud

bud — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:20:46 +0000

You could do what I did to lose about 30 pounds (242 to 210): have your mitral valve repaired followed a year and a half later by gall bladder removal.

But I have kept it off for the last year and a half by intermittant fasting. Don’t know whether that would work for you, but it’s doing it for me.

Don’t eat two days a week and make it to the club 2 or 3 times for an hour of weights and cardio.

By: Ole Phat Stu

Ole Phat Stu — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:06:18 +0000

People in the USA are fat.
People in (say) Dafur are thin.
You could always try moving

By: Charles Pergiel

Charles Pergiel — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:57:06 +0000

Good story. I have a few crackpot theories of my own (about obesity). I recently read that placebos have become as effective as SSRI’s (Prozac etc.). Also, butter didn’t used to be a staple, it was too expensive. During WWII even lard was hard to come by. And then we had margarine. My current theory is “information overload”: people with too many interests eat too much.

By: J. Neil Schulman

J. Neil Schulman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:42:18 +0000

Thanks to Jared Lobdell for his prayers and to Victor Koman for his atheistic “wish.”

After I released my article Yahoo News linked a new Time article from Monday titled “Teen Obesity: Lack of Exercise May Not Be to Blame.” The latest medical research says rates of teen activity haven’t significantly decreased in the last two decades while rates of teen obesity have soared.

You can read the Time article here.

Neil

By: Victor Koman

Victor Koman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:55:54 +0000

And you anticipated my next book! Damn your eyes!

By: Victor Koman

Victor Koman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:59:13 +0000

Neil–great post! I knew some of what you’ve gone through, but to read the whole story is gut-wrenching indeed. Obviously, the book is a parody of all the other weight-loss writers out there whose advice really does boil down to those two steps. And you can get the same advice in paperback for $6.95, instead of in hardback for $29.95! I wish you good luck and good health, and hope that you can find some way to control the diabetes and lead a long, full life.

By: Jared Lobdell

Jared Lobdell — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:26:13 +0000

Yes, I remember when you weren’t fat, and I remember when you got fat, and I know that once the body gets fat it usually decides it wants to stay fat. But since we can’t turn the clock back to the time before the fat, I guess I’ll just have to pray for you, and hope that helps.