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JayWolf 60M
565 posts
2/6/2016 10:43 pm
typical weight-loss conversation with a female



me: get regular exercise of whatever kind suits you, stop eating (...), (...), and (...), and stop drinking (...), and (...).

her: for how long do I have to do that?

me: forever.

Which is usually the end of that discussion, and the last time she ever asks me for advice on that particular subject. Yeah, I know, discipline is a bitch. Especially if you're a weak, hormonally driven creature who considers food a source of pleasure and comfort, and eating a means to relate to those around you. But how anyone can be stupid enough to expect permanent improvement from temporary effort escapes me.

Occasionally some observant lady will then point out that she has sometimes seen me eat and drink the very things I tell her to stay away from. Fair enough. My bodytype is mostly ectomorph, my workdays are mostly spent on my feet, and often pulling, pushing, carrying, and throwing stuff, and I have trained hard and regularly my whole adult life. As such, my own physical battle has never been losing fat, but rather gaining - or at least retaining - functional bodyweight. And trust me, that requires some discipline too.


shellfac1 62F
2293 posts
2/7/2016 4:13 am

My typical weight-loss conversation with myself:
Me: Today I will be good (exercise and eat light).
Me: Ooh, look...cake! Yumm....oh, and it's raining. Maybe I'll go to the gym tomorrow.
That was yesterday. Now excuse me while I get up and go to the gym.


quietroar 59F
9647 posts
2/7/2016 1:28 pm

I just want to know how I ate and drank my way across so much in Europe (literally, I ate my way through six countries and denied myself nothing) and had my lowest weight ever when I returned to America- and while I am a very healthy cook, etc- regained it plus more (I give some of it to smoking but I shed those pounds already).


JayWolf 60M
1325 posts
2/7/2016 7:24 pm

    Quoting shellfac1:
    My typical weight-loss conversation with myself:
    Me: Today I will be good (exercise and eat light).
    Me: Ooh, look...cake! Yumm....oh, and it's raining. Maybe I'll go to the gym tomorrow.
    That was yesterday. Now excuse me while I get up and go to the gym.
Going by your profile picture, I wouldn't worry too much about the occasional piece of cake.


JayWolf 60M
1325 posts
2/7/2016 7:24 pm

    Quoting  :

Exactly.


JayWolf 60M
1325 posts
2/7/2016 7:29 pm

    Quoting quietroar:
    I just want to know how I ate and drank my way across so much in Europe (literally, I ate my way through six countries and denied myself nothing) and had my lowest weight ever when I returned to America- and while I am a very healthy cook, etc- regained it plus more (I give some of it to smoking but I shed those pounds already).
My guess: Europe was a vacation trip, while at home in America you were working. Work = stress = increased cortisol = higher propensity to store bodyfat.


quietroar 59F
9647 posts
2/8/2016 9:16 am

I was there for three years. I really don't call it a vacation as I worked odd under the table jobs here and there- but more of an anthropological experience as all of us Social Liberals kept saying- well, look at how great things are in Europe! so I thought to myself- okay, I will go see how great things are in Europe.

They were great- I ended up marrying one of them!

Here is my synopsis:

Smaller portions with less focus on rushing through a meal.
Better quality of food and reliance upon seasonal foods and dishes rather than having everything available always.
Less chemicals in the snacking foods (let's face it- a chocolate bar in Belgium tastes much better than a chocolate bar in America so you need less of it to be chocolate satisfied).
More walking because even if you drive there, it's not like there are parking lots in front of everywhere you are going.
Sundays were always days for going out and socializing, especially if it was sunny. Entire days were rearranged to be outdoors if the weather was good and it was a weekend.
I noticed that when people ordered, they tended to order less and share.
I believe Western Europeans are overall less stressed than Americans and focus more upon being happy with what they have rather than focusing on what they don't. Sure, the politics are just as insane but even the attitude of how the EU vs. America on issues of money, etc., are vastly different. I also think that Europeans spend far less time worrying.
While I definitely had language barriers during my time of exploration, I found overall that Europeans are far more relaxed in their attitudes toward health which leads to less obsessing and then, as you point out, less stress.

I liked Europe for a number of reasons and I liked different countries for different reasons. You can not compare the Southern French and the Danish no more than you can compare the people of California and New York. But there were some overall things about Europe which I noticed that happened in every country I went to, and that even as an American, I was welcomed and treated kindly as I would ask people when I was there- what do you recommend?

(and my worst hangover ever was on German beer- an experience I would rather not relive . . . )


JayWolf 60M
1325 posts
2/8/2016 11:15 am

    Quoting quietroar:
    I was there for three years. I really don't call it a vacation as I worked odd under the table jobs here and there- but more of an anthropological experience as all of us Social Liberals kept saying- well, look at how great things are in Europe! so I thought to myself- okay, I will go see how great things are in Europe.

    They were great- I ended up marrying one of them!

    Here is my synopsis:

    Smaller portions with less focus on rushing through a meal.
    Better quality of food and reliance upon seasonal foods and dishes rather than having everything available always.
    Less chemicals in the snacking foods (let's face it- a chocolate bar in Belgium tastes much better than a chocolate bar in America so you need less of it to be chocolate satisfied).
    More walking because even if you drive there, it's not like there are parking lots in front of everywhere you are going.
    Sundays were always days for going out and socializing, especially if it was sunny. Entire days were rearranged to be outdoors if the weather was good and it was a weekend.
    I noticed that when people ordered, they tended to order less and share.
    I believe Western Europeans are overall less stressed than Americans and focus more upon being happy with what they have rather than focusing on what they don't. Sure, the politics are just as insane but even the attitude of how the EU vs. America on issues of money, etc., are vastly different. I also think that Europeans spend far less time worrying.
    While I definitely had language barriers during my time of exploration, I found overall that Europeans are far more relaxed in their attitudes toward health which leads to less obsessing and then, as you point out, less stress.

    I liked Europe for a number of reasons and I liked different countries for different reasons. You can not compare the Southern French and the Danish no more than you can compare the people of California and New York. But there were some overall things about Europe which I noticed that happened in every country I went to, and that even as an American, I was welcomed and treated kindly as I would ask people when I was there- what do you recommend?

    (and my worst hangover ever was on German beer- an experience I would rather not relive . . . )
Yeah, but the Southern French speak French, and the Danish speak Danish, while both the people of California and New York speak English. That's the main difference here as opposed to North America, you travel a few hours and you need several languages to get by. In the past several currencies too.

Food, having lived in Canada for about ten years, and the rest of my life mostly in Germany and briefly in the UK, I honestly didn't notice too much of a difference. Probably because I tend to look for the same foods in stores no matter where I am.

You got a hangover from BEER...?!



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