Humans do not need a lot of food...

[kevin1981]

I have been going to the gym recently as it is something productive to do with my free time and i enjoy the exercise. Naturally i have been thinking about weight loss as i would not mind shifting a few pounds ! I have realized that i could do exercise all day and it would not matter if i ate too much.

I have been watching my calorie intake over the last couple of weeks and have noticed that it does not take a lot of food to get to the recommended daily amount of 2500 calories.

So am i right in thinking that we have all this diverse food to eat these days but don't really need it ? Do Humans not need to eat that much to be able to function ?

If i am not careful i can easily eat over 2500 calories in a day, am i just being greedy ?

Why do men need more calories a day than women ?

Losing weight is actually very, very simple. All we need to do is burn more calories than we take in. So why is it such a hard thing to achieve ?

Just some thoughts of mine, thanks for any reply's

[Buttercup]

The more I exercise the hungrier I become. However, it's a chore getting in at least 900 calories per day. I've mentioned struggling with anorexia before, and despite seeing a doctor about it...still an issue. I could "live" on 600 calories per day (...did, for years...) and be okay. I'm a completely different person in this regard; used to live to eat. Now? Food has little true appeal. My mother will ask "What did you have for dinner?" It's still "3 square meals a day" with her. :-\

Why do men need more calories a day than women ?

Muscle mass?

[Noclevername]

Losing weight is actually very, very simple. All we need to do is burn more calories than we take in. So why is it such a hard thing to achieve ?

Our bodies aren't "programmed" to lose weight intentionally; humans come from scavenger stock, genetically almost unchanged from a time when food was scarce and every calorie was precious to our survival. And survival doesn't care what modern standards of beauty are.

[redshifter]

Consider that sugar, salt, and fats were scarce for all of us for the majority of human existance. Now they're available in mass quantities. Protien too. Combine that with the sedentary lifestyles of a lot of folks and no wonder weight loss is such a challenge for some.

[Gillianren]

Why do men need more calories a day than women ?

Because women are usually smaller.

[Swift]

Losing weight is actually very, very simple. All we need to do is burn more calories than we take in. So why is it such a hard thing to achieve ?

Not for me. I have to work pretty hard just to stay constant.

I think a lot of it is metabolism. I think my body actually tries to stay about a constant weight, even if that value is about 20 pounds above what it should be (I've stayed about the same weight for years), and my metabolism adjusts with changing food intakes and calorie burnings. I hit the gym 3 or 4 times a week, do additional hiking on the weekends, but my weight never seems to change. The last time I lost significant weight was when I had the flu a few years ago, lost over 5 pounds in about 10 days, but within a month I was back to where I started.

Unfortunately (I'm half kidding about it being unfortunate) I really love food; I find it one of the great pleasures in life. I don't think I grossly overeat, and I usually eat health, but I do like to eat, and to eat good stuff.

[starcanuck64]

Our bodies aren't "programmed" to lose weight intentionally; humans come from scavenger stock, genetically almost unchanged from a time when food was scarce and every calorie was precious to our survival. And survival doesn't care what modern standards of beauty are.

For some reason I got the image of bears pigging out at a garbage dump when I read this.<smile>

[Luckmeister]

I have been watching my calorie intake over the last couple of weeks and have noticed that it does not take a lot of food to get to the recommended daily amount of 2500 calories.

So am i right in thinking that we have all this diverse food to eat these days but don't really need it ? Do Humans not need to eat that much to be able to function ?

We need a variety of nutrients, therefore a variety of foods.

[Ara Pacis]

It depends on what you eat. I recall an experiment where people were provided with the types of food that were available to early humans, mostly fresh, uncooked veggies and fruit. They spend most of the day sitting around chewing and still didn't manage to consume enough veggies and fruits to get to the appropriate calorie count. Of course, that assumes they could extract those calories from the food well without cooking in the first place. And then there's all the calories spent chewing and moving a high fiber mass through the gut. I can't imagine that having a belly full of fiber and still being low on energy was conducive to amore, which might shed some light on low early population levels. Start adding bugs and small game and we're off to the races.

BTW, I've read that male metaolism is higher per unit muscle mass, so it's not just having more muscle mass.

[HenrikOlsen]

Why do men need more calories a day than women ?

On average men have a higher muscle/fat ratio so on average men burn more calories even at the same weight.

I strongly suspect that a man and a woman of the same weight, same muscle/fat ratio and the same muscle mass will require the same amount of calories.

[Perikles]

On average men have a higher muscle/fat ratio so on average men burn more calories even at the same weight..

I think that on average, women have a percentage fat in bodyweight about 5% more than men. I've read recently (on BAUT?) that if we were cold blooded, we would only need 1/30 of our hot-blooded food intake. This suggests that a large part of our intake is burned up just keeping warm, so if fat is more insulating than muscle, this might explain the difference in requirements. But I'm just guessing.

[Solfe]

Funny, I was thinking the opposite about this topic. My boys and I went camping and I consistently watched my younger son out eat me at every meal. He is in the bottom percentile for both height and weight and is often mistaken for a 6 year old; he is 8.

Children, I think, are on that ragged edge where they can play enough that they will lose no matter how much they eat. There isn't enough time for them to both tasks. Merely drinking enough water is bothersome to them.

Adults just aren't that driven, where in lies the my problem: I shop for us so I have to be particularly careful about what actually makes it home. If I ate like my kids...

We met a camper from Slovakia and her opinion of the food available at camp was pure amazement. She couldn't believe how much food there was. I agreed with her, camp is exactly like going to Denny's for every meal.

She commented that lunches for campers at home was limited to soup and finger* foods. Her dinners tend to be starchy foods and vegetables. Obviously, I couldn't really catalog a whole countries eating habits in a two hour conversation but it was intriguing and clearly different. (She also made it clear that her camp activities were very different from ours, but that is a story for another time.)

On average men have a higher muscle/fat ratio so on average men burn more calories even at the same weight.

I strongly suspect that a man and a woman of the same weight, same muscle/fat ratio and the same muscle mass will require the same amount of calories.

I am skeptical that there is any difference between men and women; I think it all boils down to lifestyle. My wife is on her feet all day at work and pounds out free weights and aerobics at the gym. I have a nerd job but I walk/jog 3 miles a day. She requires much more food than me everyday. Not exactly scientific but... it seems reasonable to me.

*edit I said "snack foods" at first, but really meant finger foods. Stuff that isn't messy and easy to carry.

[HenrikOlsen]

Kids use food to grow as well as just to exist,

[danscope]

We are all , each one of us constantly building and rebuilding our bones and bodies. It's the quality and quantity of "the Right Stuff"
that we need. Too much of the 'food' put forth for our consumption has any redeeming quality at all.
For starters,.......Throw away your soda. And lose the high fructose corn syrup. You will do better. Lose the aspartame and you will feel better. Eat some green leafy vegetables and maybe you will Live better....and longer.
It takes a little effort to eat well. It always did.
Eat well and prosper.
Dan

[R.A.F.]

Lose the aspartame and you will feel better.

I thought that substance was banned years ago...

[Noclevername]

I thought that substance was banned years ago...

A quick Google finds no signs of it being banned, according to WP it's still on the market under various names.

[R.A.F.]

Huh...did not know that...

...and I'm usually the one doing the google search before posting...I'm "losing it" in my "old age".

[Gillianren]

I am skeptical that there is any difference between men and women; I think it all boils down to lifestyle. My wife is on her feet all day at work and pounds out free weights and aerobics at the gym. I have a nerd job but I walk/jog 3 miles a day. She requires much more food than me everyday. Not exactly scientific but... it seems reasonable to me.

In situations where there is a lifestyle difference, that will be more of an issue than a male-female difference. However, this is one of those places where there really is a difference between men and women, all other things being equal.

I thought that substance was banned years ago...

Why should it have been? A few paranoids aside, no one has ever found anything seriously wrong with it.

[Ara Pacis]

On average men have a higher muscle/fat ratio so on average men burn more calories even at the same weight.

I strongly suspect that a man and a woman of the same weight, same muscle/fat ratio and the same muscle mass will require the same amount of calories.

But a different amount of exercise...

For example, research has shown that abdominal adipocytes are more sensitive to beta receptor stimulation by epinephrine than hip and thigh adipocytes in both men and women (Braun & Horton, 2001). This finding suggests that fat around the abdominal area is easier to mobilize than fat located in the hip and thigh areas. In addition, women tend to have a greater number of alpha receptors in the hip and thigh regions (Blaak, 2001).

Also...

Fat Metabolism at Rest
The level of fat metabolism at rest is positively correlated with the size of fat cells in the body, with larger fat cells having a higher lipolytic (causing TG splitting) activity (Blaak, 2001). In earlier research it was hypothesized that women may have a higher resting fat metabolism due to typically higher body fat stores when compared to men. However, recent research has found that resting fat metabolism (adjusted for differences in lean body mass) is actually lower in women than in men (Nagy et al., 1996; Toth et al., 1998). Although the mechanisms are unclear, this finding suggests that a lower resting fat metabolism may contribute to the increased fat storage in women as compared with men.

And...

Gender Differences in Fuel Selection
One of the most common methods used to determine fuel selection is the respiratory exchange ratio (RER). The RER is a numeric index of carbohydrate and fat utilization based on a ratio of carbon dioxide produced to oxygen consumed. A lower RER is an indication of a greater fat metabolism, whereas a higher RER is an indication of a greater carbohydrate metabolism. Current studies show that during low to moderate intensity exercise women maintain a lower RER when compared to men.

[ShinAce]

In situations where there is a lifestyle difference, that will be more of an issue than a male-female difference. However, this is one of those places where there really is a difference between men and women, all other things being equal.

My thoughts exactly.

Might I add that they're called eating 'habits' for a reason. You have to do it consistently to have an effect.

[Solfe]

Why should it have been? A few paranoids aside, no one has ever found anything seriously wrong with it.

Aspartame is my worst nightmare, I get insomnia when I consume products with it. I have never experienced anything like this and have never met anyone who reported the same effect. I find the experience frightening because it isn't that annoying insomnia where you can't fall asleep, for me it is like I don't need to sleep for days. The first time I encountered this effect was from a drink mix and it was actually a product I enjoyed. Of course, this created the problem where I drinking it at night because I couldn't sleep. That was close to the longest week of my life.

I checked online to see if it has this effect on other people but never found anything "solid", just the typical alarm ringing that occurs on the internet. My kids and wife suffer no ill effects when consuming it, so I just make sure I don't eat it.

[Noclevername]

My mother gets migraines wheneever she has anything with aspartame in it. I, who am prone do much more frequent migraines, feel nothing from it.

[DoggerDan]

At one point in my life, I tipped the scales into the obese category. Fortunately, that time in my life was short-lived when I learned that if I exercise hard for about an hour, and do that three times a week, my appetite is not only significantly reduced, my desired tastes change, as well. It also helps to do a variety of different things. I usually bicycle, but sometimes I swim. I also hike a lot, lift weights, and on occasion dust off my gi and spend some time on the mat.

Thus, I agree with kevin1981's "Losing weight is actually very, very simple." I think the problem is that a lot of people think they're "exercising" when they're just going through the motions, usually with a heart rate way too low to do much aerobic good, or with weights but hardly enough to break a sweat. A good workout takes effort, and to work out on a consistent basis takes discipline.

Same thing goes for eating. If you want to lose weight, changing your diet will take effort and discipline, too.

[kevin1981]

Thus, I agree with kevin1981's "Losing weight is actually very, very simple.

In theory it is ! But it does take effort, like you say.

Same thing goes for eating. If you want to lose weight, changing your diet will take effort and discipline, too.

I have been watching what i eat for a few weeks now. I do have the odd chocolate bar but i am trying ! But i hear what you are saying and agree with your post

Is it easier and safer for people with fat to lose weight than people without it. Because i am overweight and i have fat, could i eat less, because if i do not eat much my body can use up the excess fat and use it as energy? If i was slim i would not have any excess fat to use.

Are Humans energy efficient creatures as it seems we do not need much food on a daily basis to keep going ?

Also, i read that, as we get older our metabolism slows down so we burn calories slower. Would that mean as we get older we actually need to eat less ? Certainly if we want to lose weight it we would, would'nt it ?

[Gillianren]

Human metabolism is actually quite complicated. Eating less convinces your body that it is starving, so it doesn't want to burn fat. It might need the fat later. What works for one person as far as exercise routine does not always work for other people. And I have to say that I am physically incapable of a lot of exercise, because my knees and back are in such pain so much of the time. I can swim, but only when the pool at my apartment complex is open. Some days, the walk to the mailbox (which I can see from my bedroom window) is excruciating.

[Ara Pacis]

The link I posted also explained a little about why it's harder for people who are overweight to lose the fat due to enzyme action or something.

[DoggerDan]

I have been watching what i eat for a few weeks now. I do have the odd chocolate bar but i am trying ! But i hear what you are saying and agree with your post

Good for you! It's all about consistancy, duration, and intensity. Every other day, as in three times a week, is a good schedule. Half an hour to an hour a day, and as for intensity, for aerobics you want to get your hear rate between 80% and 85% of 200-age. For me that's around 140 bpm. For weight/strength training, which is just as important as aerobics, you want to exert yourself enough so that you're mildly sore, but not so sore that normal movement or exercise is troublesome.

Is it easier and safer for people with fat to lose weight than people without it. Because i am overweight and i have fat, could i eat less, because if i do not eat much my body can use up the excess fat and use it as energy? If i was slim i would not have any excess fat to use.

My college roommate is a trainer up in Denver. He told me your body needs sugar in order to efficiently burn fat. What he means is that if you want to burn fat, and you're working out at, say, 500 cals/hr, you'll need some blood sugar in order to ensure you body pullls from fat instead of merely shutting down that resource. He said about 200 cals/hr of simple and complex carbs is enough. He says that without any blood sugar, your body's metabolism hits a wall. He's hiked "a few" 14-ers (as in all of them here in Colorado), and he's hit that wall a few times.

He says that's why they recommend six small meals throughout the day, along with regular cardio and strength training for maximum fitness and weight loss.

Are Humans energy efficient creatures as it seems we do not need much food on a daily basis to keep going ?

I think we can become pretty efficient. I've read somewhere that people in many poorer countries live for years on between 500 and 900 calories per day.

Also, i read that, as we get older our metabolism slows down so we burn calories slower. Would that mean as we get older we actually need to eat less ? Certainly if we want to lose weight it we would, would'nt it ?

My dad kept up a long-running battle with his waistline. He'd always let his belt be his guide, and when it got tight, he'd go for walks after dinner and cut out the cookies. When it got loose he'd skip the walks and eat the cookies. He never really had much of a belly. Something like a 38 inch waist on a 6-foot, 190-lb frame.

When I first began doing some serious exercise long ago, I hated it! I ached, man. My joints were sore, and I felt like crap, but I kept it up, slowly but surely. Over time, my joints ached less. It takes a while to get used to regular exercise, but once you do, it's well worth it. My joints don't hurt at all, now.

[Ara Pacis]

Ugh, exercise. I actually like to be active. But in recent years it seems that as soon as I get a gym membership, I suffer an unrelated injury or illness and can't use it. I's fate, I tells ya. It's so bad now that all I have to do is think about renewing a gym membership and I strain or sprain something or slip a disc.

[danscope]

It's safer to just go for a good, steady walk. Low impact, good exercise.
Walk well and prosper.

[Ara Pacis]

It's safer to just go for a good, steady walk. Low impact, good exercise.
Walk well and prosper.

I do, when it's not over 90 degrees out. So, not much this summer, unfortunately.