I have to laugh

Perhaps he forgot to exercise.

He's really enamored of his denial, isn't he tinymouse? Ugh.

As someone who has struggled with weight loss as an adult, it makes me want to scream when people blame their spouses for their poor habits. Unless, the person is a food pusher or is using food to manipulate the relationship, our choices are...OUR CHOICES.


Ultimately, we are each responsible for ourselves. While I can be irritated at h's ease in losing weight because he has a male metabolism, irritation won't burn any calories.

I learned this mantra when I was studying for my group excercise certification "We lose weight in the KITCHEN. We strengthen our bodies and give our heart a workout in the gym."

75-90% of weight loss is nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices. Period. And processed meals? Ugh. Might As well eat salt right from the box. LOL

Exercise is fantastic, but not an excuse to gorge on junk food.

Damn, now, I want a cookie.

Helen, I understand and believe you.  I've done a lot of personal experimentation as well, and against what my intuition was telling me, I found what @zumbamami mentioned above to be true.  All the exercise in the world can't overcome excessive caloric intake or simple Bad Diet.  And the wrong/bad caloric intake will definitely prevent you from even being able to do "All the Exercise in the World".  You'll be worn out, tired, and sore, but you're not building muscle or increasing metabolism.  Your body has nothing to run on and nothing to build with.  So, you're just tired.  

But I was being serious and I had a specific case in mind.  I have a friend that was a high school and collegiate athlete, and it appears he's trying to commit suicide with food.  I've watched him stuff several HoHos into his gob and laugh.  We go on sales calls, and he has to eat a couple sausage biscuits before we get on the road.  When we stop for gas, there's usually a danish or fritter that works it's way down his throat.  Then we buy the client lunch.  And on the way home that same gas station danish is again calling to him.

He's always on the Adkins diet.  He hates vegetables and generally refuses to eat them.  His wife has told my wife that she's found three empty Haagen Dazs Ice Cream quarts hidden under other garbage so as not to be caught.  

He tells me stuff about eating many small meals/day.  So, I ask him about metabolic flexibility, and the medical fact that obese folk don't have it.  They cannot handle being hungry.  I've watched him get light headed and NEED to eat something mid-afternoon after a huge lunch.  If I had to guess, I'd say he's got to be diabetic, but he says he's not.  

He's a stay up all night, sleep all day kind of guy and always was.  And he HAS Kids younger than mine.

@creelunion Right, I also believe what Z said is correct. I'm just adding that maybe 90% of your weight is diet and exercise and for someone like me, 80% is diet and exercise and 10-15% is chemical imbalance if it's not treated (when it is treated, I'm obviously back to a normal diet/exercise equation).

Your friend as you describe him may have other problems but clearly needs to manage his food intake. It sounds like he, in fact eats more than you (or same volume but higher calories/lower quality) and is in denial. I am not defending him. Although there are thin people who eat like that, at least until their metabolism changes and finally they have to learn about healthy habits to maintain a weight that was once effortless. Come to think of it, I wonder if that's your friend's problem, he just can't eat like an active teenage boy anymore without gaining weight?

We have a family friend staying with us right now. He was always overweight. His entire life he spent struggling to eat less and being miserable.

Then he discovered cycling. He cycles 100km per weekend day before noon. At that point he's tired enough that if his wife is up for a bike ride they are at about the same level.

He also became a spin instructor. He teaches spin classes after work 3-4 times per week.

He sold his big house and bought a small condo that's much easier to care for.

He can now eat pretty much whatever he wants. I'm guessing he burns 3-4000 calories most days.

Simple. Because if she's happy and healthy, it benefits me. I call it leadership. Or, if you prefer, rational self-interest.