Weather Vs Weight

[chiang mai]

We've been staying in Chiang Mai for the past month and plan to stay for at least one month more, the change to a cooler temperature and lower humidity after several years in Phuket is actually quite welcome, we sleep better and of course we don't sweat continuously which seems to be a feature of Phuket life.

But one unexpected side effect of the past month is that I've started to gain weight and to really enjoy food much more, in the past week I've hit my all time high and now for the first time in sixty years am seriously considering dieting.

My question is, has anyone else ever experienced anything similar, I'm amazed at the extent to which I now enjoy food?

[Drew Aitch]

A lady fitness fanatic once told me that in order to lose weight all you have to do was break out into a sweat. Sweating in a humid climate, she said, will shed those excess pounds just as much as the sweat running off your brow as the result of a vigorous workout. She went on to say that some dieters lose weight without exercising at all, and manage to fight the flab just by frequenting a sauna and letting it all drip out!

Utter poppycock say I! The only weight we lose by sweating is water weight, not fat, which is quickly gained back by hydrating the body.

I mean, there wouldn't be a fat person in any of these tropical countries if sweating was the key to a slender being. Go to Bangkok and you'll surely see folks sweating buckets daily just by waiting for a bus! Also, overweight people tend to sweat more than thinner folks, yet they don't get any slimmer because of it! So weight loss is not down to whether someone is sweating under a hot sun, or not, which kind of knocks the climate theory on the head.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LIFESTYLE

I think you've pretty much touched on you weight gain by stating that you're really enjoying food here, and when we enjoy something we tend to indulge even more given the opportunity. But here's something that a lot of people don't get; dieting without exercise won't get you to your target weight just as exercise alone won't cut it either. Healthy diet contributes to between 55-60% of overall weight loss, give or take, and so in order to get slimmer and stay that way, it's not just about going on a diet but about embracing a total lifestyle change.

Chiang Mai is a pretty laid back place and there's not as much hare-tearing around here as there is in other parts of the country where hustle and bustle is a part of every day life.

If we go ON a diet, we have fixed in our mind that we will come OFF it once the target weight is achieved, and we all know what happens when we come off of diets right? Whereas a lifestyle change is a lifetime commitment to a new and healthier way of living.

Most people want to be thin, fit, and healthy, but usually not as much as they want to continue to consume their favourite foods and alcoholic tipples, hence the weight problem in humans. And exercise? Well, for many this is not something most folks want to do, especially as they get older which only adds to the waistline.

CONCLUSION

The climate is not to blame for weight gain but our chosen lifestyles. Anyone able bodied and really wanting to get into shape will. We all know what we need to do to achieve the body we so desire, and most can do it at any age if they want it bad enough, unless of course, a medical condition prevents it

Aitch

Edited August 20, 2011 by Drew Aitch

[AndersSN]

A lady fitness fanatic once told me that in order to lose weight all you have to do was break out into a sweat. Sweating in a humid climate, she said, will shed those excess pounds just as much as the sweat running off your brow as the result of a vigorous workout. She went on to say that some dieters lose weight without exercising at all, and manage to fight the flab just by frequenting a sauna and letting it all drip out!

Utter poppycock say I! The only weight we lose by sweating is water weight, not fat, which is quickly gained back by hydrating the body.

I mean, there wouldn't be a fat person in any of these tropical countries if sweating was the key to a slender being. Go to Bangkok and you'll surely see folks sweating buckets daily just by waiting for a bus! Also, overweight people tend to sweat more than thinner folks, yet they don't get any slimmer because of it! So weight loss is not down to whether someone is sweating under a hot sun, or not, which kind of knocks the climate theory on the head.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LIFESTYLE

I think you've pretty much touched on you weight gain by stating that you're really enjoying food here, and when we enjoy something we tend to indulge even more given the opportunity. But here's something that a lot of people don't get; dieting without exercise won't get you to your target weight just as exercise alone won't cut it either. Healthy diet contributes to between 55-60% of overall weight loss, give or take, and so in order to get slimmer and stay that way, it's not just about going on a diet but about embracing a total lifestyle change.

Chiang Mai is a pretty laid back place and there's not as much hare-tearing around here as there is in other parts of the country where hustle and bustle is a part of every day life.

If we go ON a diet, we have fixed in our mind that we will come OFF it once the target weight is achieved, and we all know what happens when we come off of diets right? Whereas a lifestyle change is a lifetime commitment to a new and healthier way of living.

Most people want to be thin, fit, and healthy, but usually not as much as they want to continue to consume their favourite foods and alcoholic tipples, hence the weight problem in humans. And exercise? Well, for many this is not something most folks want to do, especially as they get older which only adds to the waistline.

CONCLUSION

The climate is not to blame for weight gain but our chosen lifestyles. Anyone able bodied and really wanting to get into shape will. We all know what we need to do to achieve the body we so desire, and most can do it at any age if they want it bad enough, unless of course, a medical condition prevents it

Aitch

Yes yes yes. All well and good in theory.

but maybe you should have read the post instead of going on a rant, because you obviously have insight into the mechanics of dieting and weight loss.

The op clearly states that the cooler climate makes him enjoy food more and it's a well know fact that many people's appetite is affected by outside influences. In the case of the op the "weather".

Also purely physiological the body has a greater need for energy in cooler climates and the change for the op might "fool" his body into thinking it needs to stock up reserves, although this cooler climate doesn't pose a threat.

That is something I personally can relate to, last year I spent 2 months back home and gained an amazing 10 kg. Obviously there were family get togethers and parties with friends, but not enough to account for that much gain. I found myself with a much larger appetite than usual and eating four meals a day instead of the two or three I eat here. And as my mother likes to say: it's not what you eat between Christmas and new years that makes you fat, it's what you eat between new years and Christmas :-)

[funcat]

...yes,you are all right...it's not a diet,it's not a climate....it is a LIFESTYLE!!!....and of course it is your WILL to stay FIT !!!!!!!!!!!!...WOW,who will figure this one out ??!!!

[anselpixel]

It's a common misconception that the body uses more energy to cope with cooler temperatures. The opposite is true. Higher temperatures demand far more calories to keep the body functioning.

[realthaideal]

This is quite simple. Yes, op, yes. Just like seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the cooler weather and dark skies can trigger in some the urge to eat more, sleep more and basically go into hibernation-like mode. This is just a known thing. Funny thing is, that it's least what you expect to feel in Thailand. When I look around at friends right now, and who's feeling down and hungry or sad or thinking too much about love, and eating too much, I totally chalk it up to the dark gray rainy days we're having. I see on Facebook posts all over people are feeling the same mood.

When it is hot or sunny again just do get out n expose yourself to some warm weather and get yourself feeling in active (Falang) summer mode. You'll notice you're less hungry n happier as well.

[moe666]

I some people cooler weather stimulates appititte and hot weather stifiles it . we are all different and respond in different ways. If you are eating a lot now wait until the cool season.

[chiang mai]

It's perhaps worth adding here that all my life I've been a hard gainer, no matter what I did I always found it very difficult to gain weight. Then a few years ago I stopped smoking and within the space of three months I gained about five kilo's before my weight stabilized at a respectable and sensible level. This latest surge has seen me add a further five kilo's in the space of about six weeks, the most remarkable part of it all is that I'm not aware that I'm eating substantially more than before but that I am enjoying enormously whatever I do eat and rarely feel too full - it's all really very odd.

[funcat]

This is quite simple. Yes, op, yes. Just like seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the cooler weather and dark skies can trigger in some the urge to eat more, sleep more and basically go into hibernation-like mode. This is just a known thing. Funny thing is, that it's least what you expect to feel in Thailand. When I look around at friends right now, and who's feeling down and hungry or sad or thinking too much about love, and eating too much, I totally chalk it up to the dark gray rainy days we're having. I see on Facebook posts all over people are feeling the same mood.

When it is hot or sunny again just do get out n expose yourself to some warm weather and get yourself feeling in active (Falang) summer mode. You'll notice you're less hungry n happier as well.

yeah,right...get a hold of yourself..."you are,what you eat"...

[chiang mai]

A lady fitness fanatic once told me that in order to lose weight all you have to do was break out into a sweat. Sweating in a humid climate, she said, will shed those excess pounds just as much as the sweat running off your brow as the result of a vigorous workout. She went on to say that some dieters lose weight without exercising at all, and manage to fight the flab just by frequenting a sauna and letting it all drip out!

Utter poppycock say I! The only weight we lose by sweating is water weight, not fat, which is quickly gained back by hydrating the body.

I mean, there wouldn't be a fat person in any of these tropical countries if sweating was the key to a slender being. Go to Bangkok and you'll surely see folks sweating buckets daily just by waiting for a bus! Also, overweight people tend to sweat more than thinner folks, yet they don't get any slimmer because of it! So weight loss is not down to whether someone is sweating under a hot sun, or not, which kind of knocks the climate theory on the head.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LIFESTYLE

I think you've pretty much touched on you weight gain by stating that you're really enjoying food here, and when we enjoy something we tend to indulge even more given the opportunity. But here's something that a lot of people don't get; dieting without exercise won't get you to your target weight just as exercise alone won't cut it either. Healthy diet contributes to between 55-60% of overall weight loss, give or take, and so in order to get slimmer and stay that way, it's not just about going on a diet but about embracing a total lifestyle change.

Chiang Mai is a pretty laid back place and there's not as much hare-tearing around here as there is in other parts of the country where hustle and bustle is a part of every day life.

If we go ON a diet, we have fixed in our mind that we will come OFF it once the target weight is achieved, and we all know what happens when we come off of diets right? Whereas a lifestyle change is a lifetime commitment to a new and healthier way of living.

Most people want to be thin, fit, and healthy, but usually not as much as they want to continue to consume their favourite foods and alcoholic tipples, hence the weight problem in humans. And exercise? Well, for many this is not something most folks want to do, especially as they get older which only adds to the waistline.

CONCLUSION

The climate is not to blame for weight gain but our chosen lifestyles. Anyone able bodied and really wanting to get into shape will. We all know what we need to do to achieve the body we so desire, and most can do it at any age if they want it bad enough, unless of course, a medical condition prevents it

Aitch

Yes yes yes. All well and good in theory.

but maybe you should have read the post instead of going on a rant, because you obviously have insight into the mechanics of dieting and weight loss.

The op clearly states that the cooler climate makes him enjoy food more and it's a well know fact that many people's appetite is affected by outside influences. In the case of the op the "weather".

Also purely physiological the body has a greater need for energy in cooler climates and the change for the op might "fool" his body into thinking it needs to stock up reserves, although this cooler climate doesn't pose a threat.

That is something I personally can relate to, last year I spent 2 months back home and gained an amazing 10 kg. Obviously there were family get togethers and parties with friends, but not enough to account for that much gain. I found myself with a much larger appetite than usual and eating four meals a day instead of the two or three I eat here. And as my mother likes to say: it's not what you eat between Christmas and new years that makes you fat, it's what you eat between new years and Christmas :-)

Sadly I can relate to that, a few years ago I spent three months in the UK during the summer time and gained a similar amount, when I returned to Thailand and after being back for a few weeks the newly gained weight fell away.

[David006]

A lady fitness fanatic once told me that in order to lose weight all you have to do was break out into a sweat. Sweating in a humid climate, she said, will shed those excess pounds just as much as the sweat running off your brow as the result of a vigorous workout. She went on to say that some dieters lose weight without exercising at all, and manage to fight the flab just by frequenting a sauna and letting it all drip out!

Utter poppycock say I! The only weight we lose by sweating is water weight, not fat, which is quickly gained back by hydrating the body.

I mean, there wouldn't be a fat person in any of these tropical countries if sweating was the key to a slender being. Go to Bangkok and you'll surely see folks sweating buckets daily just by waiting for a bus! Also, overweight people tend to sweat more than thinner folks, yet they don't get any slimmer because of it! So weight loss is not down to whether someone is sweating under a hot sun, or not, which kind of knocks the climate theory on the head.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LIFESTYLE

I think you've pretty much touched on you weight gain by stating that you're really enjoying food here, and when we enjoy something we tend to indulge even more given the opportunity. But here's something that a lot of people don't get; dieting without exercise won't get you to your target weight just as exercise alone won't cut it either. Healthy diet contributes to between 55-60% of overall weight loss, give or take, and so in order to get slimmer and stay that way, it's not just about going on a diet but about embracing a total lifestyle change.

Chiang Mai is a pretty laid back place and there's not as much hare-tearing around here as there is in other parts of the country where hustle and bustle is a part of every day life.

If we go ON a diet, we have fixed in our mind that we will come OFF it once the target weight is achieved, and we all know what happens when we come off of diets right? Whereas a lifestyle change is a lifetime commitment to a new and healthier way of living.

Most people want to be thin, fit, and healthy, but usually not as much as they want to continue to consume their favourite foods and alcoholic tipples, hence the weight problem in humans. And exercise? Well, for many this is not something most folks want to do, especially as they get older which only adds to the waistline.

CONCLUSION

The climate is not to blame for weight gain but our chosen lifestyles. Anyone able bodied and really wanting to get into shape will. We all know what we need to do to achieve the body we so desire, and most can do it at any age if they want it bad enough, unless of course, a medical condition prevents it

Aitch

tend to agree with most of what say ....Whenever I am in cooler climate, as do most people I suspect, I tend to have a better appetite ?..I know that when I visit Canada or Australia's more temperate climates I do eat more with consequent immediate weight gain..maybe it's the climate, maybe it is because I tend to pig out on all the stuff I love/miss like mega hamburgers and fries ,lamb BBQ etc,etc.

I suspect it is all about individual metabolisms though... Every time I see a bovine Thai I wonder why it could be.. mainly because the Thai diet seems,for the most part, to be a lot healthier than the average westerners'?( lots of veggies/pasta and white meat)

[chiang mai]

I think the correct answer comes in two parts:

the first part involves greater water retention in cooler climates versus sweating a lot in hotter climates, the retained water adds weight.

the second and perhaps most important part is that I at least tend to sleep much better in cooler climates, the sleep is less likely to be interrupted and is deeper. The body converts calories into fat during sleep but this is not done effectively in warmer climates.

[cheynewalk]

drew aitch,

you exaggerate the importance of exercise in a weight loss regime ............ not that i disagree that exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, however tests have shown over and over again that people who diet only will lose just as much weight as those who diet and exercise ............. i.e when diets are similar, unless someone was engaged in an extremely strenuous exercise regime