Weight Loss

[foodforthought]

How shocked I am at the daily decisions some people make that go directly against their efforts to lose fat and get lean (despite their claims that they are "trying everything").
Well, once again I'm baffled. Here's what I saw...
I was waiting for a flight last week, and I wanted to get something to eat before getting on a 3 hour flight back home. Even though I had some almonds and a couple whole food bars to snack on in my carry-on bag (I try to always be prepared with healthy snacks while traveling), I knew I was going to need something more substantial to eat to hold me over until I would get home later that night.
Although most of the places to eat in the airport were your typical chain fast food joints, I was lucky enough to stumble onto a small cafe that actually had some surprisingly healthy options.
Now here's what shocked me...

There was a fast food joint ( D's) right next to this healthy cafe. The line for the D's was at least 20 people deep with everyone that got through the line stuffing their face with all sorts of deep fried nasty-ness.
However, there were only 2 people in the healthy cafe (and I was the 3rd)! Huh!?!
Now I do realize that in recent times, the major fast food chains are at least attempting to offer up some healthier options for people to choose from, but I can assure you from what I saw, nobody was choosing any of the healthy options over the deep fried junk.
Not only that, but as I scanned the long line of people waiting patiently for their chemical-laden trans fat infested "happy" meals, I noticed that not 1 single person was normal weight... every single person in the line was overweight!

I can also make the prediction that if you conducted a survey of those 20 overweight people waiting in the D's line for their junk food, and asked them if they wanted to lose weight, probably at least 90% of them would tell you YES. The other 10% are the people that simply don't care at all about their health or their appearance.
So once again, this begs the question... if these people honestly do want to live healthier and lose their fat, why are they making the decision to eat at the fast food joints, when a cafe with healthy options was right there next to it, and didn't even have a line to wait in?
Perhaps it has to do with the clever marketing of fast food joints and that people are semi brainwashed into choosing the fast food over some non-chain which isn't branded into their heads?
Perhaps they can't resist the fast food joint once they smell the fried food?
Perhaps they feel that the healthy cafe would be too costly instead of the cheaper food at the fast food joint?
I'm not sure of the answer. Again, as with anything involving the mind and decisions, it is a complex subject.
I do think that the cost issue is ridiculous if you think about it. Maybe a fast food meal full of junk would cost you $4.00 and the healthy meal at the cafe would cost you $6.00. My thinking is... isn't it worth the extra $2.00 to eat something that will make you feel better, look better, and live longer?
Maybe I'm just crazy, but it just makes sense to me to pay a little more for quality.

Something to think about as you're out there on a daily basis making these types of decisions that will affect your health (and appearance).

[Wesley]

But is this a gay Thialand thread or one on health eating? Althoug not the best size I could be and was a few months ago, I do not forgo thoes who choose to die early, as well as persue it with diligence at Kentucky Fried.

Wes

[Marsilius]

I do not think you are taking account of the fact that those people were still on holiday (even if waiting at the airport to fly home).

A lot of people I know try to lose weight at home but then - illogically, I know - think to themselves "It's holiday now. Time to enjoy myself. And that means rich, tasty food as well - and lots of it. I'll go back on the diet when I get back home."

[Wesley]

actually I eat less when I am on holiday as I am more consious of the way I look.

Wes

[PeterUK]

Now here's what shocked me...

There was a fast food joint ( D's) right next to this healthy cafe. The line for the D's was at least 20 people deep with everyone that got through the line stuffing their face with all sorts of deep fried nasty-ness.
However, there were only 2 people in the healthy cafe (and I was the 3rd)! Huh!?!
Now I do realize that in recent times, the major fast food chains are at least attempting to offer up some healthier options for people to choose from, but I can assure you from what I saw, nobody was choosing any of the healthy options over the deep fried junk.
Not only that, but as I scanned the long line of people waiting patiently for their chemical-laden trans fat infested "happy" meals, I noticed that not 1 single person was normal weight... every single person in the line was overweight!



You were 'shocked' by the sight of twenty overweight people queuing to eat at a fast-food joint instead of a health-food cafe next door? How easily shocked you are! Think of them as twenty old men queuing to enter a go-go bar in preference to a morris-dancing display next door. In both cases the reason is the same: they are ADDICTS.

[Beachlover]

This really has nothing to do with gay Thailand.

And yes... it's really quite stupid. I don't know how people can let themselves become overweight and not exercise.

Most people don't understand how bad some foods is. And they don't exercise. Exercise makes you naturally crave healthy food.

Personally, I eat whatever the hell I feel like... but I naturally crave healthy foods and only feel like unhealthy foods (like cakes and fried food) in moderation. I feel naturally better eating good stuff. If I eat unhealthy stuff it's no drama because I burn it off so quickly exercising anyway.

Exercising a lot naturally gets you wanting to eat healthier.

We were never built to lead non active lifestyles. Our bodies are evolved to be active for most of the day.

It feels unnatural not to exercise. If you're NOT in a job where you're doing physical work at a normal pace all day then you need to do some seriously hard and rigorous exercise before or after work to make up for all those hours of sitting still.

And being on holidays is the best time to lose weight and drive your fitness higher. You're free of all the distractions and stress of work. And on holidays you usually have access to beautiful beaches, water to swim in, pools to do laps or a gym where you're staying, which you might not otherwise have.

Eating healthier AND exercising so much... it makes me cringe thinking how crap it must feel to do the exact opposite, eat crap and not exercise to burn it off at all. I don't know how people can bear such a crappy existence.

Exercise also makes you more alert, releases "happy" hormones (most natural way to stop depression), keeps you healthy, keeps you fit and able, keeps you looking hot and increases sex drive.

And the more you do it... the easier it is. It's easier to exercise 6 days a week than it is to exercise just 2-3 days a week.