When Is A Big Belly Considered Evil?



lectraplayer

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May 11, 2014
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I used to be skinny before I did much riding, but since I have started taking cycling halfway seriously, I have also gained from 170 pounds to 225'ish. Let's face it, though. I like being fatter better. I'm sure everybody here knows about the health risks associated with being fat, but is it caused by being fat, even for those of us who cycles 10+ miles a day, walkes 20,000 steps a day, and has a physically demanding job, or is "being big" simply found with the other risk factors, such as drinking, smoking, a sedative lifestyle, and a job where you work on your duff?
 
I have read that weight alone is not necessarily a dangerous factor but if you want to measure your health risk, measure your waist.
 
Excess poundage puts stress on your cardiovascular system and joints. Bigger bodies require the heart to push a larger volume of blood.

Excess weight is also correlated to unhealthy lifestyle factors.
 
I have also read that extra weight puts stress on the heart and it has to work harder, its also harder on the joints especially the knees.
 
lectraplayer said:
I used to be skinny before I did much riding, but since I have started taking cycling halfway seriously, I have also gained from 170 pounds to 225'ish. Let's face it, though. I like being fatter better. I'm sure everybody here knows about the health risks associated with being fat, but is it caused by being fat, even for those of us who cycles 10+ miles a day, walkes 20,000 steps a day, and has a physically demanding job, or is "being big" simply found with the other risk factors, such as drinking, smoking, a sedative lifestyle, and a job where you work on your duff?
How did you gain so much weight by cycling? Are you guzzling energy drinks, eating a ton of pasta and carbs and then going out for a brief ride of 10 miles?

There has to be something in there that's causing the weight gain and if you're gaining that much weight and riding and walking 20,000 steps then you can bet it's not something good that's causing that.
 
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Waist size is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Visceral fat (deposits of fat inside the abdomen) appears to be much more harmful than subcutaneous fat (fat deposits that lie just under the skin). Many health authorities now treat waist size as a more important indicator of dangerous levels of body fat than Body Mass Index. Being fit will reduce the risks of being overweight, but it is still better to be fit and slim. The American Heart Association regard a waist size of over 40 inches as a significant risk factor in men; The International Diabetes Federation set the threshold of risk at 35.5 inches.
 
While I read the evidence presented thus far, I still can't help but wonder how much of the risk is from the fat itself and how much is from causes commonly found with the fat (such as the colesterol on that double bacon cheeseburger) and not necessarily caused by "what we think it is." "Will deer and turnip greens do it to me as well?" type of stuff.
 
It's "what you eat". I walk a lot at work , I ride 40 miles Sat and Sunday, plus one or two rides during the week of 12 miles. Some weekend rides are 50-60 miles and I thought I was pretty healthy even though I was over weight. I was active so i figured that was all I needed.

Well I was in for a big surprise after a routine checkup and physical. My A1C number (sugar level) was at 7.5 which diagnosed me as a type 2 diabetic. OK so that was no big shock as everybody in my family is diabetic so I knew it was coming some day.

BUT!!! What shocked me were other readings I would not have suspected would be dangerous. My liver numbers were up as well as my kidney numbers. This was scary news since my father's kidneys failed from diabetes.

I get the number reversed of the top of my head but IIRC, the liver was supposed to be 80 and my reading was 145. My kidneys were supposed to read 60 and were reading 120.

So the doc sent me for a scan of my liver to see if there were any serious problems. Luckily it was just fat in my liver. Doc said if I watch my diet, that and the kidneys would take care of themselves.

Doc also said if I chose the meds route, I could start right away. But if I wanted to watch what I eat, she would monitor me for a few months to see if I could do it without med. I knew I could since I have always been of the competitive active nature. Plus I hate taking meds of any kind worried about side effects.

So I drastically changed my eating habits. I dropped my A1C number from 7.5 to 7.1 in the first 5 weeks. The doc said she wanted me at 6.7 which would mean I could avoid meds. I actually dropped down to 6.2!!!!! Doc called after the results were in to congratulate me and asking what I was doing to lower the number so much. All a change of eating habits. I'm actually at normal levels now but continue to monitor my blood at home.

Plus my liver and kidney levels dropped 60% putting me way below the max acceptable levels!!!! B)

Blood pressure is good and cholesterol is now good too!

It wasn't the diabetes that scared me straight, it was the scare of failing live and kidneys. I'd be a fool to let them fail knowing I was in danger.

Plus my cycling speeds and comfort levels have increased with little effort. :D

My diet is pretty much:

1 cup Cheerios, fresh strawberries, half banana and 3 lean turkey sausage links for breakfast.
3 oz water packed tuna, 2 slices wheat bread, 2 tomato slices and small apple for lunch.
3 oz steak or salmon, one cup of mashed potatoes (red) big salad with balsamic vinegar as dressing, fresh strawberries.

I haven't gone hungry at all. But diabetics must eat 3 meals per day to flush the sugar from their blood. Too many make the mistake of thinking not eating is healthy, it's not, you need to flush the blood by eating healthy.

So I've dropped 45 pounds in three months without really being concerned about weight loss. Not tricks or gimmicks, just eat right!

So you may think being fat is OK like I thought. But until you take a blood test and get all your result stating all your levels are good you never know!
 
swampy1970 said:
How did you gain so much weight by cycling? Are you guzzling energy drinks, eating a ton of pasta and carbs and then going out for a brief ride of 10 miles?

There has to be something in there that's causing the weight gain and if you're gaining that much weight and riding and walking 20,000 steps then you can bet it's not something good that's causing that.
It's incredible with all that physical activity that a person could gain a substantial amount of weight. I don't meant to be critical but something doesn't add up here.
 
limerickman said:
It's incredible with all that physical activity that a person could gain a substantial amount of weight. I don't meant to be critical but something doesn't add up here.
What "doesn't add up" is that I am gaining weight intentionally by eating more. While I am being careful of what I eat, including as much chicken and deer for my meats, and as many veggies as is practicable, I am also eating more breads thanks to the type of work I do. I also had poor results from strength training. My doctor is telling me my levels are safe, so until they start showing signs of a problem coming up, I intend to let my weight do what it does. Being heavier gives me some functional benefits as well in my line of work.
 
jhuskey said:
I have read that weight alone is not necessarily a dangerous factor but if you want to measure your health risk, measure your waist.
This is true. The weight ratio also has a lot to do with how tall you are.
 
Its definitely true that fat itself can cause problems as it puts stress on your bones and your heart. It can be uncomfortable physically as well, however the particular things you eat and smoking and drinking will increase health risks considerably over than if you were just overweight. :)
 
If it makes it difficult to move above or hard to breathe then it is about time to reconsider your diet and lifestyle. It took time before you had it so it will also take time to get rid of it.
 
Keyan said:
If it makes it difficult to move above or hard to breathe then it is about time to reconsider your diet and lifestyle. It took time before you had it so it will also take time to get rid of it.
If anything interferes with your lifestyle, it is given that it should be changed. Otherwise, I Don't see any harm specifically tied to weight other than load bearing related, excluding the commonly associated chemical reasons that accompanies common causes, like bacon. Even at that, most common work practices have a larger influence that I have been able to dig up than of the weight itself. Similar to comparing a lineman to a punter. ...so, if I'm not participating in the common risk factors, what is the risk exactly?
 

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