[quote=CA renter]Regarding the “genes,” you can have five different siblings, but only one or two might have the “bad” genes. Just like eye color, hair color, height, intelligence, disease risk, etc.; you can have a family with certain genes, but they only manifest themselves in certain people.
Case in point: my sister was born 11 pounds, 2 oz. I was born 6 pounds, 8 oz. All our lives, I could eat twice as much as she did, but she would rapidly gain weight, while I would lose weight or remain stable.
Up until I started having kids, people would ask how I did it. I ate total crap — tons of sugar, fat, and fast food, but never gained weight, and looked very athletic. That all changed once I started getting pregnant. The hormones caused some sort of shift in my body, and it’s never been the same since.
When the overweight people used to ask me what my secret was, I shamefully admit that I used to think they were sneaking ice cream every day and lounging around on the couch all day; after all, when I watched them eat, they were eating better than I was, and they were always going for walks and trying to remain active. Of course, they had to be cheating, or else they’d be slim and athletic looking, right? I was one of the “lucky” ones who was arrogant and thought every overweight person was just lazy and lacked self-control. Now, I know better.
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Oh I completely agree. For some it’s more difficult, and your body does change with age and pregnancy. My wife has to do an hour of cardio, 5 days/week, to lose weight. I can do half that for the same results. Strict calorie control makes it easier, and that also means eating enough. I’ve had endomorphic “clients” (casual training for friends and coworkers – I was never certified) who didn’t have consistent results until they increased their food intake.
No matter the difficulty, an energy deficit WILL cause you to lose weight, so “bad” genes still aren’t an acceptable excuse (as a former 14-year smoker, no level of difficulty is an acceptable excuse in my mind). I’m also a firm believer in the moderate use of thermogenic drugs – not so much for their fat burning effect or appetite suppression, but for the motivation they give you to get moving.
The first couple weeks are the hardest. After that it gets much easier for all body types – both the cardio and the eating. Your stomach stretches with large meals, making you feel more hungry later. If your meals are consistently small and you eat enough (say 1500 cal/day for a woman), the pangs are minimal.
