Weight problems. - Weight Loss Message Board

radish · 03-13-2008, 12:16 AM

I am a 23 year old male around 171cm tall and about 90kg. I have a fairly healthy diet. I don't eat massive amounts of processed foods or take-out. I work on my feet and usually walk to and from work (half an hour each way). I find I am far healthier than alot of my peers yet they all tend to be quite slim and slender whereas I carry alot of excess weight on my chest, belly and thighs which can be quite embarassing for me. I can't really understand why my body holds onto so much fat and I'm not sure if this is something that I should see a doctor about or not. I'm not quite willing to spend money seeing one if they're just going to tell me that I need to go to a gym or something.

An interesting point worth mentioning is I haven't gained any height in over ten years. I had my last growth spurt early in my teens, and since then my weight has fluctuated greatly. I've always been a bit overweight and had an unflattering body shape. Is this unusual and could it have any influence on why I have weight problems? Should I be seeing a doctor?

rubato · 03-13-2008, 10:02 AM

Before you pay for the doctor, you might try a few things.

#1. It sounds like you're getting a pretty decent amount of cardio exercise (walking), but why not try lifting weights? You may not have much muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn (metabolism). If you're walking, you've probably got some muscle in your legs, but what about upper body and stomach?

#2. You really need to look at your diet. What exactly are you eating? The only way to do this properly is to count calories for a little while and see exactly how many calories you're putting in your body. There are calorie calculators online that can help you. You need to find out how many calories you should be eating for your height, weight, age and activity level. Then, to lose weight, you need to eat less than that. Since a pound on your body is the equivalent of 3500 calories, if you eat 500 less each day than your body requires, you'll lose a pound in 7 days. I don't know the formula for kg.

#3. The last thing is that we all carry weight differently. You are just genetically predispositioned to have more weight in your trouble areas. You cannot spot reduce fat. You have to lose it from your whole body. But, if you eat right, get cardio exercise and lift a few weights, you can be the best you're capable of. Good luck and hope this helps!