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Ask HN: Any weird tips for weight loss?

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

#781

Post by wpietri »

jimkri wrote: post #693
Timpy wrote: post #514

This is a weird tip I think I could only share with the hacker news crowd. Once I learned about gut bacteria I started thinking of my cravings as something external to me. Like instead of saying "I'm hungry and I'm in the mood for something sweet" I would realize "the hormone ghrelin is sending hunger signals to my brain and the gut bacteria in my body is asking for something that's not actually in my best interest."…

This is a great point. I think my gut bacteria was something I really under estimated. For a couple months between Nov-Jan I would constantly have cravings for ice cream and other sweets. Being in NYC I can easily order snacks now and they will be delivered within 15 mins. I just hit a point where I ate a whole box of mini cones and just thought about it and didn't really know why I was eating them. So I just started…

Yes, great points. I'm the same way with sweets. The more often I have it, the more often I want it. A few mechanisms for that have occurred to me. But one of them is gut bacteria that live off sugars and have some way to make me feel bad when I'm not feeding them enough.

For others trying to break the habit, one really simple rule that has worked well for me is "no two days in a row". I do this with a lot of things that are addictive for me, like caffeine. It's simple enough that I don't need to track anything. "I can have it tomorrow if I still want it" is a great way for me to say no to a craving. And in practice, it seems to keep me from forming habits; "no two days in a row" turns out to be "weekly or less" in practice.

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

#782

Post by crazy1van »

The weight change = calories in - calories out theory assumes that calories out is some easy to deduce number.

Calorie expenditure can't be determined by just plugging your height, weight, and activity level into an online calculator. The body is more complicated than a bucket with a fixed size hole in it and all you have to do is pour water in at a rate less than it drains out. The body produces hormones to signal to its systems whether to store food. Those hormones are determined by many factors including how much you eat but also what you eat, your genetics, your stress level, how much sleep you get, etc.

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

#783

Post by thehappypm »

mmcconnell1618 wrote: post #735
thehappypm wrote: post #647

I lost about 30 pounds using Noom. I learned so many useful tips and tricks from that app and it really works without any gimmicks. You just learn a lot about which foods are filling but low calorie (yogurt, eggs) and which foods are toxic waste heaps (desserts, soda).

I've lost weight with Noom too. It has the usual things like tracking food you eat and weight but more importantly, it has a strong psychological component to address why you eat. It doesn't shame you into never eating pizza or chocolate, it reframes your relationship with food. I'm not sure if it is setting things up for long term success but it does work in the short term. It focuses a lot on foods that contain a h…

I found a ton of long term success just by making good meal habits.

Typical day for me: yogurt breakfast about 100 calories, egg sandwich or low cal tortilla quesadilla lunch about 400 calories, going into dinner with 500 calories consumed means you can really eat a big dinner or have beer or whatever

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

#784

Post by Johanx64 »

entropie wrote: post #755
birksherty wrote: post #745

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They are so adverse to exercise, that suggesting exercise seems offensive to them. They emphasize that it's entirely about diet. Disagree completely. Exercise does not lose weight. The amount of exercise one needs to lose the calorie gained from a burger is not possible to achieve on daily basis. Weight does not just come from air. It's all about what you eat. That's the science. Exercise helps to build muscle and…

I really wondered why this was the top comment on HN. Its just wrong. (And you are right - "Exercise does not lose weigh"). In fact, the body adapts to your lifestyle. And while running can burn alot of calories at the beginning it gets less once the body adapted. Its simple to lose weight. Eat less. Lots of "people" advertise their programs but at the end its simple as that. Eat. less.

Eating less as a dieting strategy in general doesn't work long term because it relies on willpower, a limited resource.

Any dieting strategy which doesn't involve eliminating sugar in liquid or edible form and replacing it satiating foods isn't going to work long term.

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

#785

Post by jlos »

Healthy lifestyle you enjoy is the true path to sustainably healthy weight and it requires only 2 things: 1. Physical activities that are fun with people you enjoy being around. - There is at least 1 sport you enjoy (try racket sports or climbing if you don't like team sports) - Play with other people. You'll be pumped to see your friends and have fun, just like when you were a kid - 'No pain no gain' is BS unless your training to be an athlete.

2. Healthy diet you enjoy - Find about 6-8 healthy meals you enjoy eating regularly - Fad diets are mostly BS (same BS as 'no pain no gain') - Shouldn't feel like your dieting.

3. Emotional Issues are often the biggest blocker - Emotional struggles easily attach themselves to eating habits. - Unhelpful attitudes about yourself also keep people back from trying new activities. I.e. thinking people will judge you for trying a new sport/going to the gym.

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

#786

Post by warmcat »

sithadmin wrote: post #772
warmcat wrote: post #749

I would say get checked by doctor/Endocrinologist and do the relevant bloodwork (Esp. Insulin levels, thyroid, etc). A family member is overweight and nothing changed even with diet changes and regular exercise. It took a long time to find out the root issues (especially Insulin resistance). Once we got the root cause, they put the member on Wegovy (weekly Injection) and started a low carb diet and exercise. It is am…

The main downside of Wegovy/semaglutide is that it is incredibly pricey ($800-$1100 USD per month), and most US health insurance providers will not cover it as a front line treatment, and many won't approve it as a second line treatment without a good deal of aggressive lobbying by the prescriber. More than one physician has told me that it's often easier to get bariatric surgery approved than it is to get Wegovy app…

Yes. You are absolutely right. My family member can afford to pay for it fortunately. It might not be in the budget for majority of people though unless you are desperate and nothing else seems to work. It literally doesn't make sense why insurers don't cover this treatment which might just save them a lot of money later on down if the affected person has host of other issues due to being overweight.

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

#788

Post by wdurden »

There's alway's John Walker's approach, the founder of Autocad

The Hacker's diet archived at fourmilab

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hacker%27s_Diet

https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/

Under your theory, more respirations would work "in theory." I forget what they say about theory and practice ... Don't get an oxygen tank, "You'll burn your lungs out kid!"

Uncoupling mitochondrial metabolism can actually work with the risk that you will cook yourself to death from the inside out. i.e. 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) Look up the history and stories on this one! New mitochondrial uncouplers are out there now that modern pharma companies have caught on.

Squats and appetite suppression is the lazy person's way. I'd also look into the Country Club Wives' Club secrets. Nature or nurture?

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

#789

Post by corry »

"You can't outrun a bad diet" - this right here.

Yes, regular exercise is important (lifting + some light cardio like power walking); but the real battle is around your food intake. Find a way of eating that works for you. Many of us find low-carb or macro-focused ways of eating helpful, mostly because of what you AVOID.

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

#790

Post by valarauko »

birksherty wrote: post #745
StevePerkins wrote: post #513

Lift weights two or three times per week, and walk just barely enough to avoid being completely sedentary. Nothing crazy, I'm talking about using the weight machines at a gym, and walking just ~8k steps per day with a pedometer watch to gamify it. I'm a naturally obese person, and I've read a thousand of these threads over the years. Nearly every comment is either: * Telling you to "hack your body", with keto or what…

> They are so adverse to exercise, that suggesting exercise seems offensive to them. They emphasize that it's entirely about diet. Disagree completely. Exercise does not lose weight. The amount of exercise one needs to lose the calorie gained from a burger is not possible to achieve on daily basis. Weight does not just come from air. It's all about what you eat. That's the science. Exercise helps to build muscle and…

My anecdotal experience as an obese 40 year old who recently started strength training - my appetite has somewhat increased, but I still end up eating less than when I was sedentary.
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