Being fat is a trap • Hacker News Board

Re: Being fat is a trap

#21

Post by yetihehe » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:10 PM UTC

adamgordonbell wrote: post #15

Losing weight is hard. Maintaining weight is easier, except that you have to do it forever. It was incredibly hard and took me a long time to lose 15 pounds as a always had been skinny person whose weight slowly crept up. I've never been obese and I'm sure it's super challenging to change, considering how hard loosing 15 lbs was for me. But if I were, I do think I'd try a GLP-1 agonist to get my weight down.

> Losing weight is hard. Maintaining weight is easier, except that you have to do it forever.

That second part makes it harder. Losing weight was pretty simple for me, but maintaining that low weight was much harder. Someone said that it takes about half a year to form a habit. I maintained lower weight for about a year, then it came back.

Re: Being fat is a trap

#22

Post by netdevphoenix » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:10 PM UTC

maztaim wrote: post #12

For me, quitting tobacco was simple, don’t use. Quitting alcohol was simple. Don’t drink. I cannot simply abstain from eating. I can relate to the struggles and feelings from this article.

You don't need to abstain. You can either eat less or simply eat more low caloric food (greens, potatoes, lentils, etc)

Re: Being fat is a trap

#23

Post by ido » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:11 PM UTC

adamgordonbell wrote: post #15

Losing weight is hard. Maintaining weight is easier, except that you have to do it forever. It was incredibly hard and took me a long time to lose 15 pounds as a always had been skinny person whose weight slowly crept up. I've never been obese and I'm sure it's super challenging to change, considering how hard loosing 15 lbs was for me. But if I were, I do think I'd try a GLP-1 agonist to get my weight down.

> if I were, I do think I'd try a GLP-1 agonist to get my weight down.

Don't they only prescribe these for the morbidly obese? As someone "merely" overweight (BMI ~27) I'd like to try but I don't think I'm fat enough to get a prescription.

Re: Being fat is a trap

#24

Post by netdevphoenix » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:11 PM UTC

flkiwi wrote: post #18

Ok, but there's also an environmental (and one completely reasonable mental) factor: I live in a place where it is unpleasantly hot (upper 90s and humid) most of the year and there are few public outdoor spaces generally thanks to rampant overdevelopment, I hate gyms and toxic gym culture, I have a quaint bungalow that doesn't have space for equipment, I work an intense job that keeps me focused for hours at a time,…

Calisthenics and bodyweight exercises require no equipment and can be done at home

Re: Being fat is a trap

#25

Post by atrus » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:11 PM UTC

flkiwi wrote: post #18

Ok, but there's also an environmental (and one completely reasonable mental) factor: I live in a place where it is unpleasantly hot (upper 90s and humid) most of the year and there are few public outdoor spaces generally thanks to rampant overdevelopment, I hate gyms and toxic gym culture, I have a quaint bungalow that doesn't have space for equipment, I work an intense job that keeps me focused for hours at a time,…

> Put another way, there are plenty of situations where all the mental fortitude, discipline, self-honesty, commitment to change, and persistence won't be enough in the face of it simply being difficult to find time, space, or money to be healthy.

If that was true, then literally everyone would be fat in your area. You can learn to cook, you have room for bodyweight exercises. You don't need equipment to feel really sore the next day! It's not going to be easy, it will be miserably hard, but it is possible.

Re: Being fat is a trap

#26

Post by lanfeust6 » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:12 PM UTC

maztaim wrote: post #12

For me, quitting tobacco was simple, don’t use. Quitting alcohol was simple. Don’t drink. I cannot simply abstain from eating. I can relate to the struggles and feelings from this article.

I mostly agree, though you could generously say the analogy would be "don't consume high-cal/low-satiety junk foods". I don't think one needs to deprive themselves forever of any indulgence to lose weight, but maybe some find it easier to fully abstain.

Re: Being fat is a trap

#27

Post by tonyhart7 » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:12 PM UTC

I think is just simply to diet and culture

take this quick video as example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg3Y3tCmBWo

the different portion size is ridiculous

and now you compare it to serving size from asian country, you would find it very hard to get fat at this places

and I mean it, even if you get fat its nowhere near american fat

Re: Being fat is a trap

#28

Post by alfanick » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:12 PM UTC

It’s super complicated and anecdotal topic. I have phases: a) “good phase” - I can compete in ultramarathons, I can run 100km a week, I can lift some insane weighs, b) I cannot. Temporary burnout. No physical activity, gain like 10kg.

Then I need something that motivates me again and move from b) to a).

Long term fat is bad, but if you are able to burn it, it is the fuel

Re: Being fat is a trap

#29

Post by mytailorisrich » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:12 PM UTC

lanfeust6 wrote: post #16

> Getting out of the physical fat trap, strictly speaking, is simple: Because it's CICO. Focusing on whole-foods can make you resistant to undesirable weight-gain, but losing substantial amounts of weight requires caloric restriction in some form or another. That isn't easy to adhere to, it needs to be done in whichever way is the most sustainable. Low-hanging fruit is to boost protein and fiber at higher-than-normal…

I found that removing carbs and calorie counting together works well. Psychologically (and perhaps physically), allowing for one weekly "cheat day" helps to keep to it a lot, IMHO.

Re: Being fat is a trap

#30

Post by ThatMedicIsASpy » Fri, Jun 06, 2025, 1:12 PM UTC

maztaim wrote: post #12

For me, quitting tobacco was simple, don’t use. Quitting alcohol was simple. Don’t drink. I cannot simply abstain from eating. I can relate to the struggles and feelings from this article.

Cannabis made me lose 20kg in a short span (~2 months). But the main reason was extreme loss of appetite. I cooked normal and after 40% of a plate I was full.

You do this for a few days and then you start changing your cooking habbits. This was a year ago and I've held the weight since and simply started eating less. My old eating habbits did not make me gain weight though as my old weight was constant for 10 years.

My main liquid is 98% water. I cant stand soda unless its mixed with 90% water.