Is Being Thin By Todays Standards Even Healthy? How Do You Deal With Being Overweight?

[lyfe]

I am 6 foot 1, 235 lbs. I have gained 35 lbs within the last 8 months and prior to that - I was 185 my lowest. I was rail thin at 185 and now looking back - felt like total hell. I started peating and gained weight rather quickly but I feel better than I have in years. To some extent - I feel so good that I dont even care about the weight. I would PREFER however, to get rid of my rolls and man boobs - but not if it means I lose my sanity and stop feeling good.

Do you guys put much emphasis on your weight? Is being thin by todays standards even healthy? I see alot of skinny people and even fit people that look run down and always stressed out. Why is it that by todays standards, more of an emphasis is put on having abs as an indicator of health instead of what foods you eat. You can have a six pack and be eating endless pufa!

I have even heard that having some extra fat on your chasis can be a good thing in such a toxic world. There are pollutants, heavy metals, etc all around us in our environment. Wouldn't it make more sense to pack a nice fat-shield in such an environment considering toxins often get stored in fat cells. Think about it - In a toxic environment who will be able manage toxicity better - the guy with 15 extra lbs or the guy with hardly zero body fat ? Wouldn't the toxicity just get stored in the organs instead of the fat?

Definitely not being an obesity supporter and I am sure that if you gain fat from healthy foods instead of processed nonsense - you'll be a healthier overweight person. I would like to be thinner but it seems that when I have extra weight I have a buffer and I feel better, especially mentally. What are your thoughts on this?

How do you deal with being overweight? Does it bug you?

 

[Peatful]

I tried to refrain from replying- but I feel compelled. (I am working so this may be cryptic or disjointed....)

Why do you ask?
You feel good.
You’re free, at peace I assume?
So honestly who cares what we think- or even what the world thinks.

There are many many orthorexics here. Many concerned about appearances and weight.


Congratulations on your health and making the world a healthier place because of that.
I celebrated with you- don’t ever apologize for that.
You do you.

Hugs.

 

[SOMO]

I am 5”8 and at my heaviest (like 135-140 lbs) I felt like a gluttonous puddle of protoplasm and very inflexible (in mind and body.)

At my leanest (120lbs) I feel most agile and flexible and, daresay, “light.”

I feel like the negligible amount of difference in adiposity (10-15 lbs) can confer tremendous benefits and noticeable differences in how grounded one’s body feels to this plane. I hate that I feel better the thinner I am, but this has been my n=1 experience.

Ironically, if I gained 10 pounds I would be LESS likely to work out, due to the lack of drive and the increased difficult and requires effort (real or imagined) of maneuvering my mass through the ether.

I exercise more when I am thinner, not less.

 

[lampofred]

I think being thin due to a high calcium and salt intake and good thyroid function is optimal but being overweight is healthier than being thin as a result of systemically burning fat instead of sugar.

 

[PaRa]

Don’t be offended by what I will say OP

objectively your leanest 185 is the heaviest most would consider as metabolically functional for your height

It depends on your bodyfat percentage, above 15% for a male it’s not optimal, if you have man boobs so you’re way above 15%

Modern environment toxins and pollutants are estrogenic as is excess bodyfat, the only thing that your fat surplus does is impairing your body and liver to process them efficiently


Btw if you feel good It’s good but remember that, for example, running on adrenaline makes us feel good but it’s just damaging the body

 

[YourUniverse]

This is just my theory, but I wonder if obesity is a protective response to weak bones, or at least significantly weaker than the person's genetic sort of blueprint calls for. If the skeleton cannot support the body and protect the spine, additional mass has to be added, sort of idea.

All the things that help build or regenerate bone help with fat loss - calcium, vitamin K, vitamin D, thyroid. Even protein and weight lifting help build bone.

Stress and malnutrition are the major things that lower bone mass, and are the major things that cause weight gain.

One of the first things to happen when most people "diet" is they cut carbs or fats drastically, cut calories usually drastically, and eat "diet foods" which virtually never include butter or milk (although they do tend to incorporate green leafies which have similar nutrition at lower calories). I think this weakens the skeleton and sets the stage for a lifetime of yo-yo dieting.

Of course this is probably super oversimplified. It could just be that the type of regeneration needed for bone growth tends to support fat loss and a stable healthy weight.

 

[lyfe]

Don’t be offended by what I will say OP

objectively your leanest 185 is the heaviest most would consider as metabolically functional for your height

It depends on your bodyfat percentage, above 15% for a male it’s not optimal, if you have man boobs so you’re way above 15%

Modern environment toxins and pollutants are estrogenic as is excess bodyfat, the only thing that your fat surplus does is impairing your body and liver to process them efficiently


Btw if you feel good It’s good but remember that, for example, running on adrenaline makes us feel good but it’s just damaging the body

No offense taken. I appreciate your honesty. Excellent point regarding how feeling good can be quite deceptive. The idea of feeling good has become the grand excuse for almost all addictions. Today I am in the process of re-evaluating everything I do. I need to do more exercise other than walking for 4-5 hours a week. It really does not seem to be cutting the mustard. Maybe Ill throw in some tae bo.

 

[GreekDemiGod]

I am 6 foot 1, 235 lbs. I have gained 35 lbs within the last 8 months and prior to that - I was 185 my lowest. I was rail thin at 185

LMFAO, 185 at barely ft1 is not thin.
That being said, beauty standards nowadays are striking, especially for women. Instagram model bodies, super slim waist, almost non-existant fat, that has got to be destructive if maintained over long term such low bodyfat.
Men are now expected to be 7% jacked year round with 3D delts, so no choice but to do roids.

 

[orewashin]

LMFAO, 185 at barely ft1 is not thin.
That being said, beauty standards nowadays are striking, especially for women. Instagram model bodies, super slim waist, almost non-existant fat, that has got to be destructive if maintained over long term such low bodyfat.
Men are now expected to be 7% jacked year round with 3D delts, so no choice but to do roids.

I think the Peatosphere is overpopulated with people who believe that bodyfat is healthy or at least not harmful, and it’s giving Ray a bad name in the mainstream.

People are shallow. They don’t know the significance of having a fast metabolism, unless it helps them become skinnier. Grasping its importance takes intelligence, which is unfortunately lacking in the population to begin with.

While starvation isn’t healthy, you only need to have a „normal” bodyfat to be decent in a normal sense, particularly in older populations, and that’s easily manageable if your metabolism is good. 185 lb at 6’1” is an example of normal.

Instagram, that stuff’s the modern magazine. You need to look exceptionally-something or whatever because people want something they don’t see everyday. It’s nowhere where you should be aiming from a realistic perspective.

 

[redsun]

I am 6 foot 1, 235 lbs. I have gained 35 lbs within the last 8 months and prior to that - I was 185 my lowest. I was rail thin at 185 and now looking back - felt like total hell. I started peating and gained weight rather quickly but I feel better than I have in years. To some extent - I feel so good that I dont even care about the weight. I would PREFER however, to get rid of my rolls and man boobs - but not if it means I lose my sanity and stop feeling good.

Do you guys put much emphasis on your weight? Is being thin by todays standards even healthy? I see alot of skinny people and even fit people that look run down and always stressed out. Why is it that by todays standards, more of an emphasis is put on having abs as an indicator of health instead of what foods you eat. You can have a six pack and be eating endless pufa!

I have even heard that having some extra fat on your chasis can be a good thing in such a toxic world. There are pollutants, heavy metals, etc all around us in our environment. Wouldn't it make more sense to pack a nice fat-shield in such an environment considering toxins often get stored in fat cells. Think about it - In a toxic environment who will be able manage toxicity better - the guy with 15 extra lbs or the guy with hardly zero body fat ? Wouldn't the toxicity just get stored in the organs instead of the fat?

Definitely not being an obesity supporter and I am sure that if you gain fat from healthy foods instead of processed nonsense - you'll be a healthier overweight person. I would like to be thinner but it seems that when I have extra weight I have a buffer and I feel better, especially mentally. What are your thoughts on this?

How do you deal with being overweight? Does it bug you?

See my posts below for the actual answer:

What Do Skinny People Eat?

Studies On Histamine's Effects

 

[MatheusPN]

See my posts below for the actual answer:

What Do Skinny People Eat?

Studies On Histamine's Effects

My experience tells me differently. I used to and still use occasionally/ continually Cyproheptadine, a histamine antagonist, It minimally alters my appetite, at most, and I don't experience any weight gain with it. Same experience at: 18,5 to 22,8 BMI.
Calories for me is virtually totally unrelated to my weight, always ate a lot.
Still, I would affirm that a lower is preferable than a higher histamine level.

 

[redsun]

My experience tells me differently. I used to and still use occasionally/ continually Cyproheptadine, a histamine antagonist, It minimally alters my appetite, at most, and I don't experience any weight gain with it. Same experience at: 18,5 to 22,8 BMI.
Calories for me is virtually totally unrelated to my weight, always ate a lot.
Still, I would affirm that a lower is preferable than a higher histamine level.

Others have reported weight gain from cypro and/or increased appetite. It also depends on one's own neurotransmitter levels.

And cypro works on other neurotransmitters not just histamine not too mention using a drug to temporarily inhibit histamine's effect on receptors is not the same as systemically lowering histamine levels. I have posted some studies on my thread in regards to histamine and bodyweight regulation.

 

[MatheusPN]

Others have reported weight gain from cypro or increased appetite. It also depends on one's own neurotransmitter levels.

Cypro works on other neurotransmitters not just histamine not too mention using a drug to temporarily inhibit histamine's effect on receptors is not the same as systemically lowering histamine levels. I have posted some studies on my thread in regards to histamine and bodyweight regulation.

Of course, in most people, it increases appetite, in our culture, it translates to more PUFA and endotoxin or a healthier appetite. I am curious why I am so different in that aspect, cypro and Dramamine increases neither hunger nor weight...

As the majority of people consume lots of PUFAs... Its expected the greater hunger with an histamine antagonist: PUFA Triggers Histamine Release

At my leanest (120lbs) I feel most agile and flexible and, daresay, “light.”

I feel like the negligible amount of difference in adiposity (10-15 lbs) can confer tremendous benefits and noticeable differences in how grounded one’s body feels to this plane. I hate that I feel better the thinner I am, but this has been my n=1 experience.

+1 so heartwarming to see that! Like you said I can feel even one kg. It's brutal how weight impacts so strongly sports like sprinting. You fight differently, grappling and striking. Even when its only muscle, sports like climbing and parkour is impacted generally negatively.

 

[Jessie]

I wouldn't use the word "thin" to describe a health body weight. For whatever reason there's thousands of people out hear that like to ignore the "calories in calories out" mantra. I don't find it surprising that most of these people are overweight. The reality is, if you exceed the amount of calories your basal metabolic rate can process, then you'll gain weight. This is the most important factor when it comes to weight loss. The reality is, no matter how you approach it, the body perceives weight loss as stressful.

There is ways to minimize the stress. For example, eating a high sugar diet while in deficient will keep thyroid hormones from tanking. Getting just enough protein (80-100g), but not too much, will support metabolism without causing you to waste protein via gluconeogenesis. About 20 grams of protein per meal is ideal, when you start going above that gluconeogenesis starts rising (and so does cortisol, bad for belly fat). Keeping the gut clean and endotoxin to a minimal should be a priority. Endotoxin can suppress your metabolism, causing you to get fat really easy.

So, a good takeaway for weight loss from a bioenergetic perspective would be:

- induce a slight caloric deficit (200-300 kal)
- eat enough sugar to keep T4 turning over into T3
- eat just enough protein, but not too much, to keep gluconeogenesis to a minimal
- keep your endotoxin as low as possible.


If all this is on point, there's a guarantee you'll lose weight. There's also certain substances like caffeine, niacinamide, or red light that can increase glucose oxidation. Whenever glucose oxidation is increased this can help with weight loss by burning down fats in the adipocytes to produce heat. This is essentially the weight loss pathway that happens on high carb diets, whereas low carb diets use lypolisis (fat oxidation).

There is some other minor ways to lose fat, like the liver exporting fat (under the presence of choline) as cholesterol for hormone synethsis and whatnot. But these are relatively minor compared to the aforementioned.

 

[Jessie]

Getting enough calcium is important too. Probably should've mentioned that.

 

[orewashin]

@Jessie Too much protein only increases gluconeogenesis and cortisol when it pushes blood sugar too low with insulin secretion. If blood sugar is sufficient, then this does not occur. It’s not a matter of too much protein at once, but not enough sugar with it.

 

[Jessie]

@Jessie Too much protein only increases gluconeogenesis and cortisol when it pushes blood sugar too low with insulin secretion. If blood sugar is sufficient, then this does not occur. It’s not a matter of too much protein at once, but not enough sugar with it.

This is true, however it's probably best to spread your protein out so you don't have to eat lots of carbs with concentrated doses of protein. This could inadvertently make it harder to stay in your caloric deficient in the long run. Also liver health seems to play a very big role here as well. If glycogen synthesis and storage is poor, then the subject will revert to gluconeogenesis much quicker. In which case, a over burdened liver will benefit by not getting too much protein at once. Clearing out the endotoxin should help a lot with this. If the liver is always busy getting rid the endotoxin, it dosen't have the capability of storing glycogen or converting T4. High protein diets could also turn anti-thyroid if you're eating too much tryptophan, methione, and cysteine.

 

[David90]

LMFAO, 185 at barely ft1 is not thin.
That being said, beauty standards nowadays are striking, especially for women. Instagram model bodies, super slim waist, almost non-existant fat, that has got to be destructive if maintained over long term such low bodyfat.
Men are now expected to be 7% jacked year round with 3D delts, so no choice but to do roids.

Yeah. If you hear sometimes the Diet of some of these Girls, it makes my head-shaking. Typically Low Calorie Diet's and mostly Vegetarian / Vegan. I have nothing against Vegetarian / Veganism since i am a Flexitarian myself. But Veganism is not perfected (Lots of Vitamin / Mineral Deficiencies incoming….) so i would strongly advise against it.
Rather doing Vegetarian / Flexitarian instead. It surely is Destructive over long term.

I have tried this out myself. When the Lockdown in Germany was active and all the Gyms there closed i gained 5 KG Bodyweight (DESPITE Training at Home 4x per Week). Maybe eating to much Calories (with Regards to lower Intensity from Home Training) was the Reason.

So i have undergo a slight Cutting Phase (500-700kcal less each Day) since the End of July. I was getting my Kilos off very easily without Starving myself. But that was the ''Peat Diet''. Now Think about a typical ''Girl Diet'' (Low Calorie Diet / Vegetarian or Veganism) EVERYDAY. That must surely be awful…..

I mean, some of the Gym Girls look good, no question about it ( ). But sometimes i try to think what there Diet looks like and if they Recover and Sleep Well.....

 

[orewashin]

Yeah. If you hear sometimes the Diet of some of these Girls, it makes my head-shaking. Typically Low Calorie Diet's and mostly Vegetarian / Vegan. I have nothing against Vegetarian / Veganism since i am a Flexitarian myself. But Veganism is not perfected (Lots of Vitamin / Mineral Deficiencies incoming….) so i would strongly advise against it.
Rather doing Vegetarian / Flexitarian instead. It surely is Destructive over long term.

I have tried this out myself. When the Lockdown in Germany was active and all the Gyms there closed i gained 5 KG Bodyweight (DESPITE Training at Home 4x per Week). Maybe eating to much Calories (with Regards to lower Intensity from Home Training) was the Reason.

So i have undergo a slight Cutting Phase (500-700kcal less each Day) since the End of July. I was getting my Kilos off very easily without Starving myself. But that was the ''Peat Diet''. Now Think about a typical ''Girl Diet'' (Low Calorie Diet / Vegetarian or Veganism) EVERYDAY. That must surely be awful…..

I mean, some of the Gym Girls look good, no question about it yum:). But sometimes i try to think what there Diet looks like and if they Recover and Sleep Well.....

Yum indeed. The stressful diet certainly reduces their sex drive, however. I'd prefer a Peat girl, even if she's a little curvy.

 

[David90]

Yum indeed. The stressful diet certainly reduces their sex drive, however. I'd prefer a Peat girl, even if she's a little curvy.

+1

My GF has ''sometimes'' even higher Sex Drive then me. At least in that Part she's Healthy, despite being not so paper thin like the Other Girls….

But more or less i think that Most Thin Girls Nowadays are too Vain and Arrogant (especially here in Germany). In my Single-Times i haven't even bother, because it was sometimes not worth it. Thankfully that Time is over for me.

PS: But i can also say this. They LIKE Muscle on a Men, even if they outright don't admit it. Regardless if it’s a Younger or Older Women (MILF). Especially Abs, Glutes, Chest and Arms

But i don't understand that they do such Diet's and feel well. But i think it's also do to much Disinformation. I would not Feel well, doing a Low Calorie Diet like this for long Periods. At Least pushing it up to Maintenance or very slight Deficit (200-250 kcal) would be ok. I do personally up it now to Slight Deficit and then Holding it at Maintenance.