Areala

Elaine,
I love your analogy about different stoves and furnances giving off different amounts of heat when supplied with the same amount of fuel.
Some stoves are more efficient than others. Just as some bodies are different because it certainly annoys me that my husband can eat and eat and eat and never gain an ounce. He eats full big bags of chips while on the computer late at night 2 or 3 times a week and has done so for years without gaining an ounce. Me on the other hand, all I have to do is pass thru the kitchen without stopping and I gain 5 lbs. LOL

suze

ahhhh Marilyn... thank ya darlin'. that's the sweetest thing I've read on the board all week!

in my 20's i know that i myself would *never* have believed the words of warning that would be what i want to post here if i said them (how's that for a sentence?)

easytraveler

Actually, Muck, I was a devout follower of Marie Antoinette -

"Let them eat cake," she said, so I ate cake and ate cake and ate cake.

Not pies, m'dear, cakes!

cigalechanta

Marilyn is a tiny person IMHO. Now I put on weight when I travel because my friends party for us but also the days we are alone, the husband must have his apertifs, digestifs, a not at home every day thing.
But at my age, I don't worry that much about my weight as in my younger days.

partypoet

There are several possibilities. One might be that you didn't eat enough, your body went into starvation mode and when you came home, everything turned to fat. Another factor might be that you didn't drink enough water and your body just didn't process the food efficiently. Or you might have had more carbs (pasta?? pizza?) than you are used to and your body gained wait from those. If you go back to your normal mode of eating with a little extra exercise thrown in, you should lose the weight fairly quickly.

Marilyn

Thank you, cigale dear! It's all done with smoke and mirrors, I assure you.

Mucky

LOL ok so it was the cake shop....
You had the keys and you gave them back . Either way you were Happy,satisfied,contented and comfortable in your trip. Therefore you put on a few pounds, get down the gym or simply walk a 2 miles a day as fast as you can you will soon be super skinny.

Good luck

Muck

Marilyn

I just had to post this quote from the "Public Eavesdropping" feature in the SF Chronicle:

"310 pounds!...I need to stop putting salt on my margaritas. It makes me retain water."

tcreath

suze, I'm one of those "twenty-somethings" who responded above. I absolutely think age makes a difference, but not everyone in their twenties (or under) are naturally thin. I used to be about 20 pounds heavier than I am now (and slightly overweight back then) and I had to work very hard to get that weight off. I've been working out consistently for over six years now and I think it definitely has helped my metabolism, but unfortunately I am not one of those naturally thin people who can eat anything. I put on weight very easily so I have to monitor what I eat and work out consistently to keep that weight from creeping back. So sure, weight does matter, but I definitely don't agree that I am thin just because I'm 26. My health is very important to me, so I'm thin because I work very hard to be this way.

Just thought I would defend some of us "twenty somethings"!

Tracy

Marilyn

Good for you, Tracy! Exercising and eating well are good habits to establish in your 20's, because believe me, you're going to need them in 20 years!

TexasAggie

Hi Tracy,
I'm with you girl. I do realize that my age helps me stay thin but I also exercise my butt off to stay that way. When not on vacation I eat reasonably well and I run a <u>minimum</u> of 20 miles per week. I also lift weights 2 or 3 times a week. I wholeheartedly believe that my exercise routine has a LOT more to do with my weight than my age. In my case, all I have to do is look to my younger sister. We are the same height and build and she is only 22... however she is avidly &quot;anti-exercise&quot; and consequently weighs 30 pounds more than I do. To my way of thinking, age is just one of many factors but exercise is the kicker.

suze

Tracy and TexasAggie, you both support my view from a kind of backwards perspective. Personally in my 20's I did not exercise at all and was naturally thin mostly because I didn't eat very much. In my 30's forward I added exercise to my weekly routine.

The point I am attempting to make is that now I could exercise 24/7 and still not be able to eat 3 gelattos and a couple slices of pizza. Ever. Period.

tcreath

TexasAggie, I absolutely agree! I do cardio 3-4 days at week at the gym and I lift weights (with my personal trainer and by myself) a minimum of 2 days a week. It's time well spent. Not only do I look better but I feel better and much healthier. Sure, many twenty-somethings can eat whatever they want too (at least now) and never gain a pound, but I'm not one of those people and work very hard to stay in the shape I am in.

My sister is 23 and doesn't work out at all (and eats whatever she wants) and weights a good 15 to 20 pounds more than I do. I hate to say it, but she is motivation enough for me to continue with my workout plan!

Tracy

tcreath

suze, I understand your point. However, that's a large reason why I decided to make a lifestyle change and add exercise to my regular routine long ago. I was never able to eat whatever I want and not gain weight, and I knew it would get worse as I get older. Making healthier lifestyle changes and exercising regularly now, in my 20's, should help with my metabolism as I grow older and my metabolism slows naturally. I look at my fitness routine as a life long commitment, not as something I do to lose a couple of pounds and then stop.

The reason why I can eat more on vacation (although I definitely can't eat 3 pieces of pizza and gelato in one sitting without getting sick) is that I am willing to allow myself to gain a few pounds on vacation (what's Italy without gelato and pizza? Its more than worth it and I will make up for it at home), and I walk so much on my trips that I usually end up burning it off anyways. I'm sure my metabolism has something to do with it, and I credit my strict fitness routine at home for that.

Tracy