Biggie Size Me

[Otto Coarsen]

In my infinite reserve sitting, I've had the opportunity to see some decent Indy flicks. I just saw the Documentry "Biggie Size ME" where some dude eats nothing but Macdonalds for 1 month. The results are surprizingly scary.

As airline pilots, it is really very difficult to eat right on such an everchanging schedule.. Especially when the airports where we spend our time contain SO many easy and cheap fast food options.

I STRONGLY advise anyone who has the opportunity, to go see this flick... It's funny and entertaining, but pushes a serious message. This 6 foot tall guy went from very a healthy and active 185 lbs, to 212 lbs. His cholesteral went from 180 to 260. His triglycerides went through the roof. His liver actually started turning to fat and supposedly suffered the same kind of toxicity damage associated with long term alcohol abuse. His stamina dropped, his moods swung, his sex life was affected, and it took 14 months after filming the movie for him to get back down to his normal self with tons of excersise and good eating.

I left the theater last night thinking it may have changed my eating habits for good. I think I need to watch it once a month to keep it on my mind...

Anyhow, just thought I'd pass along a good review to a flick that could really positively affect our lives as pilots.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

junk fast food is terrible for you??

there's a surprising finding huh?

enlightening? maybe if you live under a rock..

3 squares a day for 30 days at McD's???

jeeesus...I think I would puke doing it 2X in a week..

 

[Otto Coarsen]

Whatever dude.

I though it was worth the 7.50 ticket...

I know I personally eat more fast food than I should.. I honestly didn't realize it did so much damage so quickly....

 

[Otto Coarsen]

Whoops,


I think the flick is actually called "supersize me"


Guess I have wendy's on the brain..

 

[Typhoon1244]

Whoops, I think the flick is actually called [Super Size Me]

You're actually right.

 

[Northern Lights]

I saw that guy on Letterman a few weeks ago. I know it's common sense that a month of McD's will mess you up, but it does look like an interesting story.

Like Otto said, the guy had to go through a serious detox program to get the junk out of his system and lose the weight.

So what do you all eat when you're on the road? I try to stay away from the fried stuff for the most part, but do indulge once in a while. I gave up all soda last fall, and drink a lot more water now.

 

[Otto Coarsen]

Water is deffinately key...

I've cut out soda period for about a month now. We have V8 on board, so sometimes I'll drink 2 of them and not eat lunch... I'm not sure if this is good, but it seems to hold me over. I've also been snacking on those bags of baby carrots...

Now if I could only quit smoking......DOH!




(Funniest part of that movie: During a picture comparison test, three 8 year old kids instantly identify Ronald Mcdonald, but can not identify Jesus Christ.... One kid guesses Christ's portrait as "George W. Bush"......LOL)

 

[Flic1]

We need a documentary to tell us eating McDonalds 3 times a day makes you fat???

Just look at Grimace!

 

[Swass]

A lady did the same exact thing but ate from McD's healthier items for a month and actually lost weight. You can do the same by staying home and eating crap as well. Common sense.

 

[AeroBoy]

Swass--Exactly!

Otto--The bottom line it that it's about the choices we make. The dude in the movie was eating the absolute worst things on the menu three times a day for a month. He was consuming almost 5,000 calories a day. I could stay home and eat high-calorie frozen foods for a month and get the same results, without ever stepping into a McDonald's. The bottom line is that if you eat crap all the time, you'll look like crap. But that's not to say that you can't have a Big Mac or fries every once in a while if you want, but not everyday and certainly not three times a day. The key is everything in moderation (this does not apply to sex, of course).

 

[JetPilot500]

Water is deffinately key...

I've cut out soda period for about a month now. We have V8 on board, so sometimes I'll drink 2 of them and not eat lunch... I'm not sure if this is good, but it seems to hold me over.

V8 is definately much better than a Super Size Big Mac Meal, but v8 has a lot of sodium in it, so it's not great for you either.

It's hard to do the right thing with food. The lables are so confusing. Low Fat doesn't always mean better for you, those are usually high in salt and carbs. Low Cal isn't always good either, they are usually small portions and you need to eat 6 portions to feel full.

I bought this tape a while back that was supposed to help you lose weight and it worked! It was a piece of Scotch Tape, you put it over your mouth so you can't shove anything in. Worked wonders!

Seriously, the best way I found to lose weight is to eat less. When I want to lose some weight and I have to eat out a lot, I eat half of what is on my plate and that is all. Apply a little common sense, like eat more veggies than fries. Skip the appetizers and deserts too. Just my $0.02.

Good Luck,
JetPilot500

 

[vossdr1]

In the sequel, the dude eats nothing but White Castles for a month.

He single-handedly solves the gas crisis (or creates one).

 

[Immelman]

Proper nutrition is right in front of us every day, but to follow it you'll be called a hippie, I guarantee it (and I say this living in the mother of all hippie towns in CA).

To see what I mean, buy a loaf of bread and turn it over - the label on the back of safeway brand and orowheat have the food 'pyramid' from our gov't printed on it. Take a good honest look at this.... are you eating ~8 servings of fruit + veggies a day? Try it out; eat the appropriate number of fuit/veg/grain servings a day and see if you're still hungry for that big mac (we all need protein too, I get really tired without it, but it has to be in proportion).

There are a bunch of other things I could go into, but I'll stop at one more which is working well for me.. there has been a lot of news lately about "trans fat", and some products are now being made without. Basically anything that is listed as "partially hydrogenated" oil is a trans-fat.. you can do your own research on this, its easy. Ths point is that shortening, margerine, MOST baked products that are boxed up and put onto shelves have this $#it in it... cut it out -- doing so you'll be forced to give up a lot of procuts that contain other nasty preservatives, artificial color, etc. This one hasn't been easy, but I think its made me a much more aware consumer.... always read the ingredient list & check out the nutrition facts.

The way I look at it it means the difference between a retirement crusing around in my taildragger carefree, or walled up in a home awaiting my next heart attack...

 

[chperplt]

Common sense goes a long way. Learning how certain foods react in your body is key.

I started out last January on the South Beach Diet. I don't count carbs and I don't eat strictly low fat. I stay away from foods with more than 2 or 3 grams of sugar in it per serving. That's pretty much it. If I'm going to have something with sugar in it, I make sure I eat something else with it to prevent the insulin from overflowing.

When I'm on a trip, fast food is the easiest and cheapest thing to eat. There is nothing low fat about a double cheeseburger from McDonalds, but it's on the dollar menu and is quite filling. Throw the bun away and add a side salad and it fits my needs.

I've been doing it since January and my cholesterol has dropped from the mid 200s to 124 as of last week. I've lost 56lbs and my body fat has gone from a scary 38% down to 24%. Still a long way to go before I'm truly healthy, but it goes to show that you can get healthy a great number of different ways.

 

[chperplt]

Do that, and you will not need to try the latest and greatest book, fad diet or magic pill.

Thank you Dr. 757

BUT it's not necessarily true. To lump the entire population into one group is not possible.

I ate three balanced meals a day for many months with no results. I walked, played basketball, and hit the treadmill as well.

Some bodies, mine included, produce an enormous amount of insulin when sugars are eaten. It's that insulin that causes food to be stored as fat or burned as energy. Too much insulin and food is stored as fat. You call them fad diets, I call them a new way of living.

Do what works for you but don't tell me I'm not "with the program", because the diet that works for you, didn't work for me.

It's really not all about burning more calories than you take in.. It's really not.

 

[chperplt]

Concience got the best of you???

I don't see where you're going with that....

Dude... All I was trying to say is that different things work for different people. I wasn't trying to piss in your cheerios.

You said

It's amazing to me people make this whole thing harder than it has to be

You also said

Eating the right amount of the right kinds of foods. No fad diets. No Atkins. Nothing out of the ordinary or drastic measures required. Eat proper portions of a well rounded, well-balanced diet. 3 meals a day. Regular exercise.

Again, I was just saying that what's thought to be the "normal" way of losing weight doesn't always work for everyone.

Don't see why you got so upset over my comments.


By the way.. What about my Colgan experience do I need to let go of? It's long gone my friend!!

 

[Northern Lights]

If I'm going to have something with sugar in it, I make sure I eat something else with it to prevent the insulin from overflowing...

...I've lost 56lbs

Congrats on the weight loss. I would think being in airline training for a few months would make it a little more difficult.

Question: What can you eat to prevent the insulin from overflowing?

My goal is to stay at my current weight, but keep control on my cholesterol and blood sugar.

 

[chperplt]

Question: What can you eat to prevent the insulin from overflowing?

If you eat foods that take a while to digest, you are maximizing the use of the insulin that has been produced and offsetting the negative effects of the insulin. Ideally, you want to stay away from sugar to minimize the amount of insulin produced. If you do eat something with a high sugar content (white bread), you can eat a salad with it to offset some of the damage.

The idea of how insulin effects the body is not a new concept. There have been many documented case studies that have proven it's ill effects.

On a side note.. My father started eating this way 5 months ago and went from being a type 2 diabetic to completely off his meds. His blood sugar levels have never been better and his blood pressure is outstanding.


I actually had an easy time during training. I was renting a room in a house and had access to a full kitchen. Other than the occasional urge for the Chinese buffet, I did very well.