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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?

#371

Post by ckastner »

bin_bash wrote: post #350
ckastner wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just eat less man. It's pretty straight forward. Just eat one meal a day (lunch) and you'll see the weight fly off. You're suggesting a diet that requires a discipline that, empirically, is obviously beyond the reach of most people. Here's much, much simpler advice, that is also more enjoyable to do: Just eat better. Or just somewhat better, and do some exercise. You'd be surprised how easy it is to purchase or coo…

You’re suggesting a strategy that, empirically, is obviously beyond the reach for most people. That’s the mainstream method of losing weight. Every single person that’s wanted to lose weight has tried it, likely many times. I’m not saying IF is the solution, but it’s insulting to say it’s as simple as “diet and exercise”. If it was, 80% of Americans wouldn’t be overweight.

Fair enough. Although my intention wasn't to imply that it was easy in general, just easier than the suggestion I was replying to. In any case, the first step in losing weight is actually wanting to do something about it, as the submitter of this story does.

You mentioned Americans in particular, but I think that the problem with obesity in the U.S. is a kind of its own. When even the bread is sugared, I think a significant part of the 80% problem is systemic.

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

#372

Post by stephc_int13 »

My weird tip is kind of obvious but I think that many of us tend to miss it.

Food addiction is like any other addiction, triggered by unhappiness.

Any diet will work if you have the discipline, that is if you have the mental strength to control your impulses, you can’t do that when miserable.

But you can try to induce a positively reinforcing loop with a good diet tailored to your character and habits, seeing progress can feel good enough to maintain mental strength.

Or you can wait to be in a very good place emotionally and use it to improve your body and habits.

The most difficult part is not regaining later, as your body will fight during a few months, again the trick is discipline.

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

#373

Post by _williamkennedy »

Some of the advice here is bordering on dangerous.

From intermittent fasting to only eating one meal a day. These are dangerous things to jump into and recommend without some fact finding first. Although I appreciate people are speaking from their own experience.

I don't know your particular circumstances so I'm not going to recommend specific advice.

I need to know some things about you such as:

How overweight are you? What weight are you? How many calories do you consume each day? Are you allergic to anything? Do you do much physical activity? Do you have injuries? Do you have any medical issues? What have you tried before?

and so on and so on.

The best advice I can give you is to seek out more knowledge on the topic and invest in your health education. Checkout exaimine.com against any of the claims made here. Buy books or even hire a personal trainer or dietician. You can also email me and I'll will happily help you out as best as I can but be warned. I will probably just do more fact finding than recommend what you could do.

Also, books such as Atomic Habits can help you slowly adapt your behaviour to be healthier.

Weight loss is not complicated. At the end of the day, it's energy balance.

That does not mean it's simple either. There is a combination of environment, psychological factors, culture and so much more that can affect your own relationship with health and fitness.

Best of luck of OP.

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

#375

Post by watwut »

oxplot wrote: post #300
watwut wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Swim in cold water This makes your body easier to gain fat. (I did cold water swimming. They warned about this effect.)

I have read countless counter points to that (and some supporting it). Doesn't look that clear cut.

The counterpoints, afaik, amounts to "it consumes tons of calories". Which in fact it does. You then also get really hungry after. And when I ignored that hunger I got sick or was trembling and cold for longer, it was purely dumb to ignore it.

People who do winter swimming are not thinner then average. People who start don't seem to be getting thinner. The advice was to be mindful of what you eat after. But never seen advice to do winter swimming with intention to get thin.

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

#377

Post by can16358p »

Integrate physical action into your life. Walk more. Do calls while walking. Get a standing desk (or put some stuff on the table and your laptop).

Do cold showers and stay in cold. Eat less carbs and drink less alcohol and more water.

Skip breakfast. Or even lunch or dinner and have one meal a day.

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

#378

Post by davewasthere »

_steady wrote: post #213

Water is 27x more thermally conductive than air, so standing in water burns 27x more calories than air of the same temperature. So, go cold water swimming! (Plenty of normal healthy ways to lose weight but that's the weirdest hack I can think of)

Yeah, I remember reading something about measuring Michael Phelps' energy input/output and he would have been in a massive surplus, except for the fact he was in cold water so much - and the energy required to keep himself warm made up the balance.

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

#380

Post by KyeRussell »

ckastner wrote: post #371
bin_bash wrote: post #350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re suggesting a strategy that, empirically, is obviously beyond the reach for most people. That’s the mainstream method of losing weight. Every single person that’s wanted to lose weight has tried it, likely many times. I’m not saying IF is the solution, but it’s insulting to say it’s as simple as “diet and exercise”. If it was, 80% of Americans wouldn’t be overweight.

Fair enough. Although my intention wasn't to imply that it was easy in general, just easier than the suggestion I was replying to. In any case, the first step in losing weight is actually wanting to do something about it, as the submitter of this story does. You mentioned Americans in particular, but I think that the problem with obesity in the U.S. is a kind of its own. When even the bread is sugared, I think a sign…

I have spent a week in the US. The hotel buffet breakfast on its surface looked like any other. The typically ‘staple’ foods like bread was laden with sugar to the point where I couldn’t stand to eat them, and the typically “healthy” buffet breakfast options like fruit were remarkably low quality. I thought I had just picked a crappy hotel (though you wouldn’t know it for the price) but others have corroborated my experience. Losing weight in the US seems like pushing a rock uphill.
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