Is Being Fat A Choice (If There Is No Underlying Medical Reason)

[robblok]

^{Most fat people eat too much and are lazy.The fatter one gets the lack of energy one has,hence no excersise}

But what to do?

There is so much conflicting information around.

Some say not to eat after 9 pm, another says Never go to bed hungry.

Some say hours of cardio, others say cardio is bad......

Some say intermittent fasting, others say eat six small meals.

I guess that I'll be dead by the time I find out

Still, I could be the fittest body in the graveyard

Yea that is the main problem too much conflicting information around. I just eat less calories and i workout a lot. Lifting heavy 4 days and rowing on a rowing machine 3 days. I got all bases covered. So far i am making nice progress but it has had its platteau's That is the real anoying part of it. Its hard to see when it works. I know im leaner then ever but still its hard to see if im now improving or not.. Looking at myself i think yes.

[TommoPhysicist]

^{Most fat people eat too much and are lazy.The fatter one gets the lack of energy one has,hence no excersise}

But what to do?

There is so much conflicting information around.

Some say not to eat after 9 pm, another says Never go to bed hungry.

Some say hours of cardio, others say cardio is bad......

Some say intermittent fasting, others say eat six small meals.

I guess that I'll be dead by the time I find out

Still, I could be the fittest body in the graveyard

Just cut out all the shit from your diet.

Stop eating all pre-processed foods. No beer of sweet drinks. No dairy products.

No baked food, no deep fried food, avoid all fats and fatty food. No sticky rice.

No kanom. So that's almost every western food and drink gone from your diet.

As much fruit and fruit juice as you like, all the Thai food you want.

You don't even need to exercise and you will soon lose weight.

Western food is almost entirely poison.

[Tolley]

We shouldn't really focus too much on actual weight because some thin people are very unhealthy with all sorts of medical conditions whilst others who look a bit overweight might be fit and healthy albeit carrying too much weight.

There are plenty of thin amphetamine addicts and indeed tobacco addicts but they are not usually healthy.

Bodyfat is an effective way of measuring if you are overweight but even having a low fat percentage doesnt mean someone is necessarily healthy although it is generally a good sign.

[Tolley]

^{Most fat people eat too much and are lazy.The fatter one gets the lack of energy one has,hence no excersise}

But what to do?

There is so much conflicting information around.

Some say not to eat after 9 pm, another says Never go to bed hungry.

Some say hours of cardio, others say cardio is bad......

Some say intermittent fasting, others say eat six small meals.

I guess that I'll be dead by the time I find out

Still, I could be the fittest body in the graveyard

Just cut out all the shit from your diet.

Stop eating all pre-processed foods. No beer of sweet drinks. No dairy products.

No baked food, no deep fried food, avoid all fats and fatty food. No sticky rice.

No kanom. So that's almost every western food and drink gone from your diet.

As much fruit and fruit juice as you like, all the Thai food you want.

You don't even need to exercise and you will soon lose weight.

Western food is almost entirely poison.

Not really a good idea to consume lots of high sugar fruit and of course thai food that is full of sugar and bad oils.

A traditional western diet is a better way to go. eg like porridge or boiled eggs for breakfast, sandwich with a piece of fruit for lunch and meat and three veg for dinner. And like you said cut out all rubbish.

[TommoPhysicist]

A traditional western diet is a better way to go. eg like porridge or boiled eggs for breakfast, sandwich with a piece of fruit for lunch and meat and three veg for dinner. And like you said cut out all rubbish.

Replace porridge with rice soup

Bread is a no-no replace with steamed rice

Meat (like fatty pork) is a no-no, steamed rice with a small amount of chicken and veggies.

[Tolley]

A traditional western diet is a better way to go. eg like porridge or boiled eggs for breakfast, sandwich with a piece of fruit for lunch and meat and three veg for dinner. And like you said cut out all rubbish.

Replace porridge with rice soup

Bread is a no-no replace with steamed rice

Meat (like fatty pork) is a no-no, steamed rice with a small amount of chicken and veggies.

I will keep the porridge as there are lot of health benefits from oats.

I would also keep the bread so long as it is wholegrain or substitute for brown rice but no white rice.

Small amount of chicken wont do it. You need more protein otherwise you get hungry and eat rubbish and again no white rice.

[laislica]

Well Gentlemen, more conflicting advice.

Clearly, there is no one answer - it's an individual thing.

Perhaps a good starting point is to determine what "type" you are:

Carb or Protein? (or a mixture of both)

How about pretending that you are diabetic and eat as such?

Robloc, you may be over training - it sounds hard to me and I ask where is the rest and recovery time?

Over training sure leads to a plateau.

Tomo, I don´t eat any processed foods - ever.

Did you know that while whole fruit is good because it has fiber which helps top slow down it's absorption - fruit juices on the other hand should be limited. The fructose molecule has only one transporter and that is in the liver. The molecule is similar to alcohol and is only processed in the liver. If you consume so much that you overload the liver, this can lead to problems.

Recent studies (yeah, yeah) show that ppl who consume HFCS in large quantities (Cocacola as an example, but it's in almost all processed foods ((as I have said before - they know that it is addictive and they want us that way)) can develop liver diseases as if they were an alcoholic, even though they never drank any alcohol.

The best advice I've seen (according to me ) is eat whole fruit and avoid juices - even home prepared ones.

Tolley, I agree totally, Some bidy fat is essential because if you become ill, you need your fat to survive. Further more, foods full of fat seemed to be the caveman's diet. Seeds, Nuts, the odd rabbit or other game. No bread, loads of veg. Foods full of fat (eggs, meat, avocado etc) fill you up and so you stop eating.

True we have had our whole lives to learn to eat the wrong stuff so when we do switch to the proper foods, it can take a while before our body regains it's sensitivity to food.

(Dam_n the food manufacturers)

Your diet ideas in post 65 look good to me, but Tomo had some good points in the next post.

Tomo has chosen low glycemic index substitutes - good idea. We don't want to trigger the release of insulin.

About bread - well if you make your own and know what's in it - good for you.

The trouble with bread is that it usually has a high GI but I won´t mention the additives

Currently I am in Spain and have access to excellent weather and food.

I walk along the shore line for an hour or two a couple of times a week. (The best and free "Free Radical" Treatment EVER!)

I can exercise in comfort.

I am alone and can control my eating.

I miss Thailand and want to get back asap but eye operations kinda get in the way a bit.

I'm hoping for November.

I try to confuse my body by doing everything in a totally random manner.

Starve, then overeat

No exercise, then like MAD!

No carbs, then stuff myself with them.

Then totally meat free, then gorge on it.

etc.

All mixed at random - whatever seems like a good idea at the time.

But no artificial anything.

No sugars of any kind

Nothing processed - cept cheese.

[stiggy]

Some on here sound like a bunch of ex smokers talking about those dirty smokers.

Health issues can and do play part in weight gain and loss, it's not always as simple as calories in and calories used as some are so infatuated with on here.

Of course healthy living, moderate excercise,whole foods etc etc play a huge part but isn't always the whole story.

I'm happy for those that have had success and applaud you.I do however feel some use this forum to simply beat others down and feel better about themselves that is wrong.

Untill I was 34. I was slim and fit, then suffered a massive envenomation.This in turn messed my entire body up and 6 years later its still a mess my entire cns system plus endocrine system is damaged .Now whatever I do it's hard to lose weight very hard, my Dr states at least I'm still alive and envetually all will settle down and hopefully I'll be back to the old me 75 kg and healthy.

For now I run cycle eat well workout yet never drop below 100kg.

There are plenty of others with health issues that affects there weight, so I state it's not always a choice.

[tropo]

*deleted*

[tropo]

A traditional western diet is a better way to go. eg like porridge or boiled eggs for breakfast, sandwich with a piece of fruit for lunch and meat and three veg for dinner. And like you said cut out all rubbish.

Replace porridge with rice soup

Bread is a no-no replace with steamed rice

Meat (like fatty pork) is a no-no, steamed rice with a small amount of chicken and veggies.

Better off dropping the rice no matter what the colour. Oats is far superior, but I know this from testing my blood sugar after meals, not just guessing - so, get a meter if you really want to know what to eat. It's better than guessing or listening to conventional (wrong) wisdom.

[tropo]

Bodyfat is an effective way of measuring if you are overweight but even having a low fat percentage doesnt mean someone is necessarily healthy although it is generally a good sign.

You need to monitor visceral fat in the R1 (abdominal) region if you want to be healthy. Below 0.9 kg is recommended for health.

[Tolley]

Bodyfat is an effective way of measuring if you are overweight but even having a low fat percentage doesnt mean someone is necessarily healthy although it is generally a good sign.

You need to monitor visceral fat in the R1 (abdominal) region if you want to be healthy. Below 0.9 kg is recommended for health.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that regardless of how good fat levels are you could still be unhealthy in other ways. This may be due to taking of drugs, steroids or bad lifestyle choices.

[laislica]

Some on here sound like a bunch of ex smokers talking about those dirty smokers.

Health issues can and do play part in weight gain and loss, it's not always as simple as calories in and calories used as some are so infatuated with on here.

Of course healthy living, moderate excercise,whole foods etc etc play a huge part but isn't always the whole story.

I'm happy for those that have had success and applaud you.I do however feel some use this forum to simply beat others down and feel better about themselves that is wrong.

Untill I was 34. I was slim and fit, then suffered a massive envenomation.This in turn messed my entire body up and 6 years later its still a mess my entire cns system plus endocrine system is damaged .Now whatever I do it's hard to lose weight very hard, my Dr states at least I'm still alive and envetually all will settle down and hopefully I'll be back to the old me 75 kg and healthy.

For now I run cycle eat well workout yet never drop below 100kg.

There are plenty of others with health issues that affects there weight, so I state it's not always a choice.

Sorry to hear about your health problem and I wish you well. I am curious about the venom - it must gave been really scary.

I have always struggled with my weight.

If I take my eye off the ball for a moment - game over.

I was fat as a baby, child and adult.

My Mum was fat and she did diets controlled by the doctor.

Even for a time in a clinic where they controlled everything she consumed.

They couldn't believe how she didn't lose weight at the rate that calories in v out would dictate.

I agree, it is not straight forward and I have great sympathy for those whose journey is long and hard.

At the risk of a battering from some of our friends on TV can I ask if you have tried HIT? (high intensity training) I mentioned it in an earlier post.(49). The rest period is as important as the workout period. Don't over do it! Since you are a lot younger than me it may help, basically you cause the release of the human growth hormone and that will burn fat like a candle.

It seems to help me but I do have a problem with motivation but I am getting there.

Currently about 71 Kg ( from the nearly 100) but bearing in mind my age and build, I have at least 10 pounds of unwanted fat.

The "Pinch an inch" from the old days is also a good indicator of body fat and I use an electronic fat caliper so I have no reason to "kid myself".

Good luck with your road to recovery.

.

[tropo]

Bodyfat is an effective way of measuring if you are overweight but even having a low fat percentage doesnt mean someone is necessarily healthy although it is generally a good sign.

You need to monitor visceral fat in the R1 (abdominal) region if you want to be healthy. Below 0.9 kg is recommended for health.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that regardless of how good fat levels are you could still be unhealthy in other ways. This may be due to taking of drugs, steroids or bad lifestyle choices.

I'm trying to make an important point about visceral fat.

Even people who appear thin outwardly could be carrying quite a bit of visceral fat. Where you deposit your fat mass influences your health and this is independent of total fat mass and % body fat. Fat deposited centrally (around the trunk region) is associated with an increased risk of having heart disease as well as a variety of illnesses including diabetes and hypertension.

One reason excess visceral fat is so harmful could be its location near the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestinal area to the liver. Substances released by visceral fat, including free fatty acids, enter the portal vein and travel to the liver, where they can influence the production of blood lipids. Visceral fat is directly linked with the higher total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol and insulin resistance.

[Tolley]

Bodyfat is an effective way of measuring if you are overweight but even having a low fat percentage doesnt mean someone is necessarily healthy although it is generally a good sign.

You need to monitor visceral fat in the R1 (abdominal) region if you want to be healthy. Below 0.9 kg is recommended for health.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that regardless of how good fat levels are you could still be unhealthy in other ways. This may be due to taking of drugs, steroids or bad lifestyle choices.

I'm trying to make an important point about visceral fat.

Even people who appear thin outwardly could be carrying quite a bit of visceral fat. Where you deposit your fat mass influences your health and this is independent of total fat mass and % body fat. Fat deposited centrally (around the trunk region) is associated with an increased risk of having heart disease as well as a variety of illnesses including diabetes and hypertension.

One reason excess visceral fat is so harmful could be its location near the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestinal area to the liver. Substances released by visceral fat, including free fatty acids, enter the portal vein and travel to the liver, where they can influence the production of blood lipids. Visceral fat is directly linked with the higher total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol and insulin resistance.

Yep this is a well known health risk.

[robblok]

@laislica

Im not overtraining as the rowing is done MAF style (meaning to keep it on a lowish heartrate) this way its not too harsh on the body. Combine that with the fact i have been training for a long time and slowly got my body up to this level of exercise

@stiggy the whole point was to exclude underlying medical things. That is why i put it in the topic title. Most fat people don't have those kind of issue's your facing. There is however a variation in metabolic rate, im on the low end of the scale. I count calories and exercise hard, still i don't make the progress someone else would (does not mean there is no progress because there is). Its always possible for everyone to make progress, just does not come easy and not everyone is willing to go to those extremes.

@tropo, yes i know about visceral fat i seen the documentaries, that is where the term skinny fat people comes from. That is the real killer.

[stiggy]

I understood that from topic title, but as always others in this forum have stated Medical issues are BS (read the posts preceding this its in there).

This attitude of calories in calories out in my opinion is overrated.There are a lot of undiagnosed physiological issues or diagnosed medical factors that play a part in weight fact.

There is also I agree a lot of people that just plainly eat to much and have lazy life style, it just annoys me that all are tarred it seems on this forum with the same brush.

[Tolley]

I understood that from topic title, but as always others in this forum have stated Medical issues are BS (read the posts preceding this its in there).

This attitude of calories in calories out in my opinion is overrated.There are a lot of undiagnosed physiological issues or diagnosed medical factors that play a part in weight fact.

There is also I agree a lot of people that just plainly eat to much and have lazy life style, it just annoys me that all are tarred it seems on this forum with the same brush.

I agree with you in that it is rather simplistic to just say calories in and calories out as there are many other variables.

We assume that all the various organs of the body are working optimally when we make these assumptions.

The reality is that many people have all sorts of underlying medical issues that might cause them not to be operating optimally.

[robblok]

I understood that from topic title, but as always others in this forum have stated Medical issues are BS (read the posts preceding this its in there).

This attitude of calories in calories out in my opinion is overrated.There are a lot of undiagnosed physiological issues or diagnosed medical factors that play a part in weight fact.

There is also I agree a lot of people that just plainly eat to much and have lazy life style, it just annoys me that all are tarred it seems on this forum with the same brush.

Stiggy, a lot of people are saying they have medical issues, not always true its often used as an excuse. I think that is what many members mean. People with real problems are excluded of course. But it still does not mean they can't try to live healthy.

After all the documentaries i have seen and shared with some members it is clear to me that not everyone burns caloreis at the same rate, some people are always hungery while others are not, and some have an inbound resistance against getting fat.

Just because you havent got everything going for you does not mean you can't try (not directed at you) I am 100% sure i got some things working against me as the amount of exercise and the fixation with a good diet (weighing food) does not lead to the progress it should. I make progress but lot slower as expected by the imput. But i wont give up.

Edit

But i understand not everyone will go the extra mile i go. Its a real commitment. I wonder how many people would give up their alcohol consumption (i have)

[stiggy]

Sorry Disagree, my point is many posters have an axe to grind, point to prove or experience to brag about. Just like ex smokers, I know as I'm one myself

Surely the "I'm to fat forum" is here to motivate people to be healthier, to do things for them self.Give good advice share ideas and experiences.

Not simply state unless your medically unfit its down to you, you are eating to much. As many here would have you believe, not very helpful and down right demotivating for some.

It takes courage to get of your arse and do something to change habits of a lifetime. For some they turn to forums like this to give them confidence, then see responses from others to your question that are just plain wrong.

As for not drinking well done, I have done it myself for 2 years and it felt great keep it up.

[robblok]

Sorry Disagree, my point is many posters have an axe to grind, point to prove or experience to brag about. Just like ex smokers, I know as I'm one myself

Surely the "I'm to fat forum" is here to motivate people to be healthier, to do things for them self.Give good advice share ideas and experiences.

Not simply state unless your medically unfit its down to you, you are eating to much. As many here would have you believe, not very helpful and down right demotivating for some.

It takes courage to get of your arse and do something to change habits of a lifetime. For some they turn to forums like this to give them confidence, then see responses from others to your question that are just plain wrong.

As for not drinking well done, I have done it myself for 2 years and it felt great keep it up.

But its the truth, why sugarcoat it. The only ones who can do something about it are the fat people themselves. I will always give all the support there is by telling them what is healthy and what can be changed.

But i wont sugarcoat it, they eat too much and (maybe) exercise too little if they are overweight.

Once they realize this they can start correcting it, using medical reasons as an excuse not to do a thing is not good at all. (unless they are really valid).

If they keep up drinking and eating the wrong things then who is to blame.. themselves.

But if they want to learn and want help they get it here always. People here give them advice. Problem is there is so much conflicting information and nobody including the experts know the right things. But we do know that alcohol is bad and many of the fast foods and sugar.

But if they are not willing to see they have to change because its their lifestyle then there is no point.

[stiggy]

Several replies to your original post called Bullshit on medical conditions having an affect, one even used the misfortune of refugees to prove a point.

Im not arguing the rest, just stating its wrong to have such an attitude on a forum set up to help people better themselves.

[robblok]

Several replies to your original post called Bullshit on medical conditions having an affect, one even used the misfortune of refugees to prove a point.

Im not arguing the rest, just stating its wrong to have such an attitude on a forum set up to help people better themselves.

Ok, im not responsible for other posters, i believe there are conditions for sure. I also believe and know that not everyone his metabolic rate goes at the same speed.

But i still believe in the end its mostly a lifestyle choice. I would always help people who are interested in loosing fat, and i wont send them into a gym. I believe people should exercise, but i also believe people should do exercise that suits them. Many studies do say exercise will not help too much in loosing weight, but even if it does not its still good for the body.

Diet wise by just cutting out things like alcohol, sugars, fried food, fast food most people would loose a lot of weight. Others might have to go the extra mile and count calories.

But many just expect it to happen without any sacrifices, it wont. People themselves are the key to success.

[Tolley]

Several replies to your original post called Bullshit on medical conditions having an affect, one even used the misfortune of refugees to prove a point.

Im not arguing the rest, just stating its wrong to have such an attitude on a forum set up to help people better themselves.

I think you have made your point and I agree that some posters are a little insensitive but there is still a lot of good advice in this forum so I suggest you focus on that and ignore the negative.

[laislica]

@Stiggy, I too thought that this forum was a place to exchange ideas and gain support and motivation and it is a pity that some posts detract from that. However, I choose not to respond to any negativity in a post but try to see the good ideas and learn from them. It takes two to tango so if I push back the negativity may increase.

@Robblok I have read that regular low intensity cardio can actually cause an increase in fat.

It seems that our wonderful bodies learn what we are doing with them and then they take action to make our “work” more efficient. The body may add a little fat so that you are ready to do your next session of “work”.

Here is a clip from a fitness course and I would be interested in your thoughts:-

When you exercise at a moderate pace for extended periods of time your body is burning fat during the exercise. While this may sound good, it’s actually bad news.

This sends a signal to your body to keep a certain amount of stored fat available for your next workout. You’re essentially telling it that it needs fat available to burn, because you’ll be doing this exercise again. So while we may be burning some calories during this exercise, after the exercise is over, our body begins storing up some fat for the next workout

The other big concern with moderately paced aerobic exercise performed several times per week is that it trains your body (heart, lungs, muscles, etc.) to become efficient. Again, this may sound good, but what is actually happening is bad for long term health. You are working only within your existing aerobic limits, without improving your aerobic capacity.

This is important because your aerobic capacity is what determines how your body responds in times of physical, emotional, and mental stress. If you reduce your capacity for work, as you do in this type of exercise, you’re reducing your long term health, not to mention a poor chance of burning fat.

The good news is, you can reverse these effects by instead focusing your workouts on high intensity resistance training, with workouts that last 15-20 minutes on average, and can only be performed 2-3 times per week.

[robblok]

I read it too, i just don't believe it. Anyway even if it is true my weightlifting sessions are similar to high intensity training. So for me there is nothing to worry about either way.

Other then that im not only interested in fat loss i also like it for my general cardiovascular health.

I have noticed when i do my cardio, that i do loose more fat then when i don't so in my case the low intensity (not that low actually) works. I just had an other 10km row on my concept 2 model d rowing machine.

But in the end with so much conflicting information people just have to check what works for them. Some things of course are too crazy for words but many things do have some merits. But not in every situation.

About the negativity, that will always be here and i am part of it sometimes too. But i will always try to help people who want to loose fat. But i don't claim that i know it all else i would have that 6 pack already. I really like helping people about training and food.

[KeyserSoze01]

Is Being Fat A Choice

Yes. Next question.

You can workout until the cows come home, but you will not lose weight unless you moderate your diet. To get lean and cut, you have to strictly control caloric intake and the types of calories you consume. Many people have the will power to get there, being ripped, but staying there is a different story.

[robblok]

Is Being Fat A Choice

Yes. Next question.

You can workout until the cows come home, but you will not lose weight unless you moderate your diet. To get lean and cut, you have to strictly control caloric intake and the types of calories you consume. Many people have the will power to get there, being ripped, but staying there is a different story.

Its a lifestyle choice, you can't just get there and go back to your old habits. It just does not work that way. That is why diets fail, people just go back to what got them fat in the first place.

[tropo]

Is Being Fat A Choice

Yes. Next question.

You can workout until the cows come home, but you will not lose weight unless you moderate your diet. To get lean and cut, you have to strictly control caloric intake and the types of calories you consume. Many people have the will power to get there, being ripped, but staying there is a different story.

That's not true. If you ate the same amount of food, no matter what you ate you would lose fat from exercise. To state an extreme example to make my point - do you think if I burned 1000 calories per day doing extra work (cardio session) I wouldn't lose fat?

You cannot bypass the equation: calories consumed vs calories burned. Food calories cannot magically disappear in a puff of smoke - they need to be burned or they will be stored as fat. This is an indisputable fact, a law of physics.

Talking about different speeds of metabolism and eating habits is a different issue, but it is still ruled by the same equation.

Scientists were trying for years to solve the mystery of the Atkins diet. It seemed to be disobeying the laws of physics. Eventually they discovered that people who follow the Atkins diet eat less due to their higher protein consumption and were in fact cutting calories.

[laislica]

Is Being Fat A Choice

Yes. Next question.

You can workout until the cows come home, but you will not lose weight unless you moderate your diet. To get lean and cut, you have to strictly control caloric intake and the types of calories you consume. Many people have the will power to get there, being ripped, but staying there is a different story.

That's not true. If you ate the same amount of food, no matter what you ate you would lose fat from exercise. To state an extreme example to make my point - do you think if I burned 1000 calories per day doing extra work (cardio session) I wouldn't lose fat?

You cannot bypass the equation: calories consumed vs calories burned. Food calories cannot magically disappear in a puff of smoke - they need to be burned or they will be stored as fat. This is an indisputable fact, a law of physics.

Talking about different speeds of metabolism and eating habits is a different issue, but it is still ruled by the same equation.

Scientists were trying for years to solve the mystery of the Atkins diet. It seemed to be disobeying the laws of physics. Eventually they discovered that people who follow the Atkins diet eat less due to their higher protein consumption and were in fact cutting calories.

I agree with a lot of what you say.

All calories are not created equal though.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before but Fructose and Alcohol molecules have only one transport system - the liver.

Consume too much of either or both and you will overload the mitochondria in the liver and fat will be passed directly into the blood stream and will be stored. Also once insulin is released, there is no chance of burning fat, the body would break muscle down to get the energy it needed and your ratio of fat to lean would change a tiny bit.

Of course, if you burned an extra 1000 a day and ate a balanced diet, then you would lose fat over time.

The body is a really tricky thing and does what it can to conserve energy (Dam_n it!! Why can't it learn that we have shops open 24x7 )

Perhaps the answer is moderation in all things?

The heart is muscle which is why over training can cause problems. A recent study of runners who had completed at least 100 marathons found that many had Right Valve Problems, here is a snip from mercola.com, I searched for Marathon

Too Much Cardio Can Even Damage Your Heart

One of the best examples of the risks of over-exercising can be gleaned from marathon runners. Running a marathon is often seen as the epitome of fitness and the ultimate show of endurance. But it puts an extraordinary stress on your heart.

According to a study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2010 in Montreal, regular exercise reduces cardiovascular risk by a factor of two or three. But the extended vigorous exercise performed during a marathon raises cardiac risk by seven-fold! Long-distance running also leads to high levels of inflammation that may trigger cardiac eventsⁱ and damage your heart long after the marathon is over.

In a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology,ⁱⁱ researchers recruited a group of extremely fit older men. All of them were members of the 100 Marathon club, meaning athletes who had completed a minimum of 100 marathons. If running marathons provided cardiovascular benefit this would certainly be the group you would want to seriously examine. So what did they find?

Half of the older lifelong athletes showed some heart muscle scarring as a result, and they were specifically the men who had trained the longest and hardest.

Research has also revealed heart scarring after elite cardio training. Published in the journal Circulation,ⁱⁱⁱ an animal study was designed to mimic the strenuous daily exercise load of serious marathoners over the course of 10 years. All the rats had normal, healthy hearts at the outset of the study, but by the end most of them had developed "diffuse scarring and some structural changes, similar to the changes seen in the human endurance athletes."

Yet another study showed that long-term endurance athletes suffer from diminished function of the right ventricle of the heart after endurance racing.^iv They also had increased blood levels of cardiac enzymes, which are markers for heart injury, and 12 percent of the athletes had detectable scar tissue on their heart muscle one week post-race. So it is more than likely that if you over-exercise you will do your body great harm.