The diet that really works • Hacker News Board

Re: The diet that really works

#51

Post by tobyo » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 7:07 PM UTC

menloparkbum wrote: post #18

gaius wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no breaking of the laws of physics involved here. Firstly you are still losing mass in this scenerio - but it is muscle tissue, not fat. Secondly, lower resting metabolic rate manifests itself in forms such as lower body temperature, or general lethargy, so you are burning fewer calories just for maintenance. Your body is a survival machine. If it thinks you are under threat of starvation, it will prioritize…

I read the first article listed on t-nation.com and it starts up with this poignant observation about olympic swimmers: "I'm sorry but these dudes look like AIDS patients. Would it kill you to at least get a tan and not remind the world of the Holocaust? And could you butch up the sport a little bit? Because deep down I know the male divers I just saw are in shower right now, naked, loofahing each other's taut athlet…

Do train like a madman, but not for more than an hour at a time. There are diminishing returns and, sometimes, losses. Weight training is definitely superior to cardio, but you need both.

If you are specifically trying to lose weight, limiting calories is key, but you must eat plenty before and after these madman workouts and then don't eat as much on non-workout days. Just be sure to eat healthy stuff with a good ratio of macro nutrients. If you don't, the training will be more difficult and less effective.

Luckily, your body should be pretty good at telling you when it's hungry. Don't fight it (much). Diet and exercise info is all over the map, but the basics I have mentioned here are more or less undisputed.

Re: The diet that really works

#52

Post by mattmaroon » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 7:14 PM UTC

brm wrote: post #3

why is food always the culprit? what ever happened to just increasing the amount of exercise you do? Michael Phelps seems to be doing ok on 10,000+ calories a day This also bothers me: "But what’s different about Arthur is, first, he is not selling anything, except for subscriptions to his website."

Let's check back in on Phelps in 20 years. If he's lucky, his current lifestyle won't have lasting effects.

Re: The diet that really works

#53

Post by shard » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 7:16 PM UTC

vaksel wrote: post #24

Diet doesn't really matter, I have a horrible diet I eat anything I want, I don't deny myself anything(junk food, fast food) but I'm in good shape because I work out an hour every day and burn off the calories I gain during the day.

You also need to consider the overall health effects of all the chemical additives in your food. Why dump those things into your body for the fleeting pleasure of succumbing to your lower brain.

Re: The diet that really works

#54

Post by Tichy » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 7:17 PM UTC

swombat wrote: post #26

caglouq wrote: post #11

Here is the ultimate diet "Slow down on the food you like the most" ... you may add to this diet the (always right) corollary "never stop your diet"

Hardly. "Slow down on the unhealthiest foods," perhaps. I love fruit. Should I slow down on fruit?

I've actually read one book about "sugar addiction" where one candidate allegedly got their sugar fix from eating lots of fruit. Not sure how credible the book is, though, but I thought it was interesting.

It did not say that fruits in general are bad.

Re: The diet that really works

#55

Post by mattmaroon » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 7:18 PM UTC

This guy should have just read In Defense of Food. Not much that he says here hasn't been known for quite some time. And it's very interesting to learn exact where our diet went wrong.

Re: The diet that really works

#56

Post by scott_s » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 7:32 PM UTC

menloparkbum wrote: post #18

gaius wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no breaking of the laws of physics involved here. Firstly you are still losing mass in this scenerio - but it is muscle tissue, not fat. Secondly, lower resting metabolic rate manifests itself in forms such as lower body temperature, or general lethargy, so you are burning fewer calories just for maintenance. Your body is a survival machine. If it thinks you are under threat of starvation, it will prioritize…

I read the first article listed on t-nation.com and it starts up with this poignant observation about olympic swimmers: "I'm sorry but these dudes look like AIDS patients. Would it kill you to at least get a tan and not remind the world of the Holocaust? And could you butch up the sport a little bit? Because deep down I know the male divers I just saw are in shower right now, naked, loofahing each other's taut athlet…

Whenever I read t-nation, I'm struck by how self-conscious some of them are about being big. I see little regard for the fact that some sports don't require athletes to have enormous amounts of muscle mass.

Re: The diet that really works

#57

Post by defen » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 8:32 PM UTC

Call me skeptical, but I doubt a 71 year old is capable of driving a golf ball 340 yards without some serious help from the wind.

Re: The diet that really works

#58

Post by vaksel » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 8:35 PM UTC

gms wrote: post #39

vaksel wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as your calories out => calories in, it shouldn't matter. Should it?

Junk food has a lot of calories. Are you sure you're burning those off?

well I'm 5'11 and weigh 170, so I would have to say yes?

Re: The diet that really works

#59

Post by swombat » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 9:01 PM UTC

tobyo wrote: post #47

swombat wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, most fruit is not energy-dense enough to cause you that kind of trouble. There's not enough room in your stomach to become obese on fruit. If you're eating a ton of fruit a day, keep doing it! It's probably the healthiest thing you can put in your mouth.

Fruit is not bad for you but If you combine it with other sugary food it is no good for you To be super healthy eat lean protein sources in every meal, a ton of vegetables, some fruit, and some good fats like fish oil and olive oil.

Totally agree. My point was opposing the "Slow down on what you love" advice, which I think is crazy.

Re: The diet that really works

#60

Post by swombat » Mon, Aug 18, 2008, 9:03 PM UTC

vaksel wrote: post #35

swombat wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait until you hit your mid-thirties and let's talk again.

As long as your calories out => calories in, it shouldn't matter. Should it?

I don't think it's quite fair that you're being modded down. Actually, yes, that's the main thing.

However, as you age, your calorie expense goes down dramatically at one point... for some it's around 25. Others it's around 35. Others, it never happens! But most people find that at some point they have to seriously decrease their intake of food (without changing their lifestyle otherwise) or else they get a spare tire pretty quickly!