What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies • Hacker News Board

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#41

Post by nonbel » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:34 AM UTC

octamer wrote: post #4

Interesting review (that first graph in particular is definitely non-obvious to me), but under the diet section I think it understates the current body of research regarding low-carb/keto diets - some studies have begun to show energy expenditure[1] and insulin[2] benefits that uniquely exist with low-carb. I think we'll find out soon enough that a lower-carb approach, given the current American diet, does definitive…

First study:

>"During the test phase, high, moderate, and low carbohydrate diets varied in carbohydrate (60%, 40%, and 20% of total energy, respectively[...]We randomly assigned participants who achieved the target weight loss to high, moderate, or low carbohydrate test diets for a 20 week test phase.)"

Second study:

>"14 days of a low-carbohydrate diet (21 g of carbohydrates per day)"

So the first study went for 5 months but didn't include an actual low-carb diet:

  100 g -> ~400 cal -> ~20% of 2k cal/day

The second study only went for 2 weeks but did include a low carb diet:

  21g -> ~84 cal -> ~4% of 2k cal/day

Now someone just needs to combine these methods into one valid study.

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#42

Post by flukus » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:35 AM UTC

Negitivefrags wrote: post #23

mirceal wrote: post #16

The weight loss is not really what matters. anybody can lose weight. with a little education you can do it. the problem is doing it in a sustainable way and to actually keep it off. the hardest part about weight loss is keeping it off. you have limited will power and unless you are willing to change the way you live your efforts are in vain. Sure it may make you feel good about yourself and your journey but it's doom…

The hardest part of dieting is realising that in order to keep it off, you will have to continue like that forever. In the back of your mind, you want to think that the diet is temporary. Once you have lost the weight, you can go back to eating all the great tasting foods that you ate before. True success is the acceptance that, no, your life will be worse in very real ways. You will no longer be able to just eat whe…

> The hardest part of dieting is realising that in order to keep it off, you will have to continue like that forever.

Why would that be? To lose why your are taking a net negative mass balance, once the weight is lost you probably can't go back to the exact diet you had (otherwise you wouldn't need to lose weight) but an mass neutral one should suffice to keep you at the same weight.

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#43

Post by mirceal » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:36 AM UTC

chongli wrote: post #40

Negitivefrags wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hardest part of dieting is realising that in order to keep it off, you will have to continue like that forever. In the back of your mind, you want to think that the diet is temporary. Once you have lost the weight, you can go back to eating all the great tasting foods that you ate before. True success is the acceptance that, no, your life will be worse in very real ways. You will no longer be able to just eat whe…

True success is the acceptance that, no, your life will be worse in very real ways. You will no longer be able to just eat whenever you feel like it. You will no longer be able to eat until you are full, ever again. None of these things are true. With a good diet and exercise, you will feel better and be happier, with way more energy. That makes your life better, not worse. As another commenter mentioned, abstaining…

stop being a dog :| unless it's in another context where dog-like qualities are appreciated ;)

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#44

Post by dr_ick » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:37 AM UTC

ALL DIETS WORK IN THE SHORT TERM... The problem is keeping it off.

Please, please, please read the Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung: https://www.amazon.com/Obesity-Code-Unlocking-Secrets-Weight...

He provides all the science behind the current obesity epidemic, backed up with studies done on humans.

Obesity is a hormonal problem... Insulin makes us fat.

Current fads suggest eating ALL THE TIME.

This puts people in a state of high insulin all day, everyday. This is bad.

Intermittent fasting based around a common sense diet (limit sugars and starchy food to special occasions) will lower insulin levels, and cause the body to burn fat instead of insulin.

The keys is not what to eat, but when to eat and how often... and drink Apple Cider Vinegar. :P

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#45

Post by nonbel » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:39 AM UTC

erik_seaberg wrote: post #35

nonbel wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "You will no longer be able to eat until you are full, ever again" This is totally false. Just eat a low-carb diet and you will feel "full" after consuming much less food.

Protein has as many calories as carbohydrate, and fat has even more. To feel full you have to stuff yourself with placebos like fiber instead of food.

It isn't the calories that matter. To feel full your brain needs to receive signals from your body that you should feel full. It appears that carbohydrates mess with these signals so that your brain thinks you are not yet full when you should be. You can easily try it for yourself.

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#46

Post by Fricken » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:44 AM UTC

I had read somewhere that after about 45 minutes of cardio your body will start using it's fat stores, and continue burning fat for 6 to 8 hours afterwards. So when I found myself overweight I started doing long trail runs or bike rides, about 2 hours long, 3 times a week. Insomuch as I looked forward to doing the exercise, losing 3-5 pounds a week was nearly effortless. My appetite actually goes down during these periods because I'm burning my fat stores and my body isn't demanding that I replace those calories, and it's doing it for hours after I've stopped.

I've had people tell me that getting exercise is not a good way to lose weight, but my experience tells me that if you're doing the right kind of exercise, then, yes it a good way. Maybe there's just no reasonable expectation that most people will do enough cardio at a high enough level to activate fat burning.

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#47

Post by apsec112 » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:45 AM UTC

bobcostas55 wrote: post #14

You ever read about other people's experiences and it seems utterly alien to you? SSC had a post sort of on this theme[0]. I just don't understand how people can fail to lose 5% bf. Over 12 months, even! Just eat a bit less. 100kcal per day is enough to lose 5 kilos in 12 months, how hard can it be to eat 100kcal less than normally? It's literally one slice of cheese. I have regular cut periods where I lose more than…

As someone who has never smoked, never had more than a few drinks, and never done heroin, I find that it takes zero effort to not buy cigarettes, not buy drugs, and not drink to excess. What could be easier than not doing something, after all? I just have to sit here and play on my computer. And yet, obviously, many people find doing these things (or not doing them, rather) to be incredibly difficult. I can't just shrug that off, even if I lack any personal experience with it.

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#48

Post by Negitivefrags » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:46 AM UTC

atom-morgan wrote: post #33

Negitivefrags wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hardest part of dieting is realising that in order to keep it off, you will have to continue like that forever. In the back of your mind, you want to think that the diet is temporary. Once you have lost the weight, you can go back to eating all the great tasting foods that you ate before. True success is the acceptance that, no, your life will be worse in very real ways. You will no longer be able to just eat whe…

> You will no longer be able to eat until you are full, ever again. Wrong. I just ate and I'm very full. I could even fuck off and eat like shit more often than I do but I choose not to. I'm 6'0" about ~175lbs/80kg. And yet I often have people approach me in the gym to ask questions, advice, etc: https://www.instagram.com/adamjmorgan/ . It's possible to eat until you're full and still look good. -Signed, former chubb…

It’s great that your body is in a place where you are able to do that, but let me ask you something.

Have you ever been more than 130kg?

I have, and getting down to being no longer overweight requires a substantial mindset change.

It’s extremely unhelpful to talk to people who have been as large as I have about how you can eat how you want and still feel full.

Maybe you can lose the weight and still few full, but it’s just not realistic to paint that picture because all you are doing is undermining the reality of long term change.

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#49

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:46 AM UTC

Negitivefrags wrote: post #23

mirceal wrote: post #16

The weight loss is not really what matters. anybody can lose weight. with a little education you can do it. the problem is doing it in a sustainable way and to actually keep it off. the hardest part about weight loss is keeping it off. you have limited will power and unless you are willing to change the way you live your efforts are in vain. Sure it may make you feel good about yourself and your journey but it's doom…

The hardest part of dieting is realising that in order to keep it off, you will have to continue like that forever. In the back of your mind, you want to think that the diet is temporary. Once you have lost the weight, you can go back to eating all the great tasting foods that you ate before. True success is the acceptance that, no, your life will be worse in very real ways. You will no longer be able to just eat whe…

[deleted]

Re: What I learned from reading over 100 weight loss studies

#50

Post by mirceal » Tue, Jan 22, 2019, 2:46 AM UTC

atom-morgan wrote: post #39

mirceal wrote: post #16

The weight loss is not really what matters. anybody can lose weight. with a little education you can do it. the problem is doing it in a sustainable way and to actually keep it off. the hardest part about weight loss is keeping it off. you have limited will power and unless you are willing to change the way you live your efforts are in vain. Sure it may make you feel good about yourself and your journey but it's doom…

> if you are not willing to adjust your lifestyle and consistently make the better choices when it comes to diet you will fail. This statement applies to anything in life you want to get better at.

yes. people don’t normally see it as getting better at eating. it’s a problem they’re solving.