Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#661

Post by caeril » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:11 PM UTC

janmarsal wrote: post #620

Become snobbish and arrogant asshole. Look down on those who consume junk food. Consider yourself to be above such lowly habits. This way you can social pressure yourself for your own betterment. You might make a few enemies along the way but if you're successful enough you might make new friends who are all equally obnoxious as you have become with your new attitudes. Surround yourself with those you aspire to be. E…

I know you're being snarky here, but you're not entirely wrong.

I am a former fatty who has kept the weight off for over a decade by developing an intense hatred and disgust for being fat. It's really the only thing that works long-term.

Hate yourself enough. It works[1].

[1]: One exception to this: do NOT try this approach if you are prone to depressive spirals with positive feedback loops - it could have the opposite effect. This approach is only recommended for people with normal serotonin and mood.

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#662

Post by globular-toast » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:12 PM UTC

roomey wrote: post #264

Anyone saying just eat less is full of shit. Sorry man. I went from 18st to 12st (and back up to 15st). I found a few key things. 1. Decide you want to loose weight. 2. Up your plain flat water intake... Like a ton. Your body will get used to it after a day or two and you'll start feeling naturally thirsty. You notice all these skinny fit people are always drinking? That's plain water they are drinking. Seriously if…

> Anyone saying just eat less is full of shit. Sorry man. I went from 18st to 12st (and back up to 15st).

How can you say others are full of shit when you yourself have returned to being overweight?

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#663

Post by cephaslr » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:13 PM UTC

JKCalhoun wrote: post #568

cephaslr wrote: post #450

1. Intermittent fasting - I eat breakfast at 10am and last meal at 6pm. Its healthier and gives you 16 hours a day that you don't eat. Much easier to stay on budget. 2. 2 vegetable smoothies + Huel Black powder a day - I have a 400 calorie Black Huel powder smoothie at 10am and another at 1pm. This smoothie has > 40 grams of protein and I also blend it with frozen spinach (other vegetables as well on occasion) and th…

I like everything you posted except the Black Huel part. I checked out the link but began to think: come on, isn't there something "natural" instead of adding some commercial powder to a meal/smoothie? My instinct is, substitute a raw egg for Black Huel but I am probably missing something since I am just dipping my toe into this whole thing. (Great topic, BTW, I was just getting concerned about my weight last week, t…

It's a fair point and the powder is indeed a compromise, its reliable, stores well, I don't have to cook it and is fast. Raw egg would be great, except you would have to separate the egg whites as 2-4 yolks a smoothie every day could be problematic due to all things in the yolk.

I started with Soylent and that product really is a chemical mess. If I could just buy the brown rice/pea protein and flaxseed without all the vitamin additives it would be ideal and I do look for better powders every six months. To your point however, it can absolutely be improved and I am always looking for better ideas.

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#664

Post by alexander_singh » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:13 PM UTC

honkdaddy wrote: post #586

flexie wrote: post #246

Just eat less. Much less. And don't drink alcohol, juice, milk, ice tea, or soft drinks. Drink water. My suggestion: Skip breakfast. Take a cup of black coffee. A lunch consisting of a salat made of half a cucumber and a medium sizes tomato and either 1) a can of tuna (in brine, not oil) or 2) smoked salmon (100 gram), will make you quite full without adding more than 200 calories. Afternoon snack: Lots of chewing gu…

As an anecdote, I’ve been happily somewhere between skinny and sufficiently toned (depending on how much I’m working out) my whole life, and I largely attribute that to the fact I hated my mother’s cooking growing up (sorry mom), so finishing my meals often didn’t happen. I got used to only eating until the hunger signals stopped, not until the full signals started. Fast forward 20 years later, I almost never finish…

Weight gain and loss is much more about biology that "just eating less". There are significant genetic and metabolic factors that contribute to each individuals' appetite and ability to control that appetite.

The stigma around weight gain has been reliant on this argument of overeating for so long, while the research has indicated that there's a lot going on behind the scenes that has to be considered.

"obesity is innate, that weight regulation is not governed by a uniform tally of “calories in–calories out,” and to quote Jules Hirsch, that “there is a biochemical or basic biological element in what it is that we call `willpower.'”5 The views of many Americans notwithstanding, weight is clearly far from being entirely within an individual's control. Genetic predispositions, in tandem with the development of food environments that facilitate overeating and built environments requiring minimal energy expenditure, may help explain why so many Americans are obese today."

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmp1400613

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#665

Post by Andrew_nenakhov » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:14 PM UTC

There is no silver bullet. To lose weight, you only need to intake less energy than your body uses to function. When you have energy deficit, your body consumes energy stored in the batteries^Wfat. Thus, you lose weight. Exercising does not seriously increase the use of energy, so the biggest loss of weight comes from eating less. It is not too significant to follow the rules like 'no eating after 6', only the deficit matters.

Exercising helps because of you build muscle mass, you increase 'passive' energy consumption, because muscle tissue requires more energy than fat tissue.

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#666

Post by cruano » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:15 PM UTC

tomhoward wrote: post #496

I've been exploring "weird" approaches to health improvement (including weight loss) for years. In response to your post: it's not necessarily the case that more oxygen will lead to positive outcomes. Respiratory illnesses like asthma and sleep apnea can be caused by overbreathing/hyperventilation. The lungs need to maintain a certain level of CO2 in order for oxygen to be properly absorbed into the blood, and where…

> Regular barbell/dumbbell sets through out the day can help with this too, especially if you're not able to walk that much.

Man, how have I never thought about this. Been working from home so long I could easily crank up a set every hour

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#667

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:16 PM UTC

globular-toast wrote: post #652

unfocussed_mike wrote: post #606

Things that are easier if you live alone: Just don't buy rich foods over which you have no willpower. Don't go down those aisles in the supermarket. Don't keep biscuits (by which I mean cookies) and snacks in the house at all. Don't buy "meal deal" lunches that give you a discounted fizzy drink and snack. It's all very well people telling others that they need to develop willpower over knowing when they've had enough…

I agree with this. Don't buy ready-to-eat food at all. All food should be prepared for a specific meal. No snacking at all.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#668

Post by mjbeswick » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:16 PM UTC

thomasfedb wrote: post #331

mekster wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Anyone saying just eat less is full of shit. Exactly. A pattern that doesn't last will get you back into the previous state fast. I'm not a doctor but all you need is some exercise. Then you only need to let go of 1 item from your daily meal and also remove much sugar from your drinking by going tea or water and most people should do fine.

I am a doctor, and while exercise is really good for you (and we should all do more!) it has effectively no bearing on weight in the general population (non-athletes).

I have been into fitness and bodybuilding for 20 years, and I cannot emphasis how true this is. Also not all exercise is equal in that walking isn't a good example of exercise. Humans are extremely efficient at walking, so it is poor at raising your heart rate and doesn't provide any resistance.

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#669

Post by kryz » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:17 PM UTC

Yes yes diet and exercise as everyone is saying… BUT…

Cortisol can play a big role here as does metabolism. Are you chronically stressed out? What about your metabolic reactions to different foods?

Get some hormone tests done for the cortisol.

Pick up a CGM (from levelshealth ideally) and keep an eye on your glucose reactions to different foods.

Also, educate yourself about the insulin / glucagon cycle, likely change when you eat

Re: Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

#670

Post by barrell » Thu, Mar 10, 2022, 2:18 PM UTC

barrell wrote: post #356

Weird tips: - Eat potatoes and gourds. Here in holland we have 30% reduced calorie potatoes, an (uncooked) kilo of food can be less than 600 kcal - Learn to steam vegetables. Buy an electric steamer if need be. If you properly steam vegetables, you will grow to crave them. Just a little salt and pepper on some perfectly steamed broccoli can be surprisingly mouth watering. - Consider a carnivore diet (often includes f…

For what it's worth, I mixed up my units :) I meant to say consider 2+ grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. This is definitely the upper threshold of protein I'd recommend people consider but you asked for weird tips!

(2g per kg is roughly the minimum protein you should be consuming)