Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin • Hacker News Board

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#91

Post by kingnothing » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 3:59 AM UTC

nathos wrote: post #87

christofd wrote: post #77

Actually, intense thinking, as I recall, burns a lot of calories. The trick is diet, as mentioned on here (next to moderate levels of exercise). Eat mostly veggies, rice, pasta, avocados, fruit. Drink water and no pop. The other thing: look up glycemic index of foods. The easier it is for the body to turn something into sugar (processed foods, e.g. white bread), the more likely the body will create an insulin rush, w…

The fruit, rice and pasta are pretty high up on the glycemic index.

Pasta isn't a high GI food.

"Q: Why does pasta have a low GI?

A: Pasta has a low GI because of the physical entrapment of ungelatinised starch granules in a sponge-like network of protein (gluten) molecules in the pasta dough. Pasta is unique in this regard. As a result, pastas of any shape and size have a fairly low GI (30 to 60). Asian noodles such as hokkein, udon and rice vermicelli also have low to intermediate GI values."

from http://www.glycemicindex.com/faqprint.htm

As a reference for anyone unfamiliar with the glycemic index, a piece of white bread is typically set to be at 100, and lower is better.

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#92

Post by quellhorst » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 4:03 AM UTC

Ok, I'll speak as someone who has actually lost 70 pounds without diet pills, surgery or anything unhealthy. I had to change how I thought about food, eat stuff thats less processed, and find things that I really liked to do for exercise.

I love to bicycle and some days I will be on the trails for 3 hours. I burn 1000 calories per hour while exercising. Also by exercising more and eating better I actually started eating less.

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#93

Post by ars » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 5:24 AM UTC

cma wrote: post #89

ars wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've been here long enough to know that this is not how HN does things. You do NOT express disagreement with downmods.

From pg: http://news.ycombinator.net/item?id=117171 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=392347

Yes, I know about those, and despite what he says, that is not the current norm. (Those posts are from quite a long time ago.)

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#94

Post by codahale » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 5:30 AM UTC

nopassrecover wrote: post #88

codahale wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1,000 calories, considering the modern possibilities, isn't that much. I mean, that's a bit less than two slices of toast with Nutella. Weight loss programs have to focus on preempting and managing appetite. There's a wealth of studies connecting exercise to increased appetite (c.f. OP), especially focused, running-at-the-gym, doing-penance-for-those-donuts exercise. (Low-level activity—walking around, say—doesn't se…

1000 calories for toast with Nutella!? I assume by calories you mean kilocalories in which case you are probably looking around 1000 KJ (kilojoules) for two slices of toast with Nutella. That's around 239 (kilo)calories.

Wheat bread's about 75 calories a slice, so 150 for just the bread. I don't know about you, but I put it on thick—maybe a serving-and-a-half per slice, which according to the Nutella website is 570 calories. So 720 total. Not 1,000, but closer to it than 239.

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#95

Post by nopassrecover » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 5:37 AM UTC

codahale wrote: post #94

nopassrecover wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1000 calories for toast with Nutella!? I assume by calories you mean kilocalories in which case you are probably looking around 1000 KJ (kilojoules) for two slices of toast with Nutella. That's around 239 (kilo)calories.

Wheat bread's about 75 calories a slice, so 150 for just the bread. I don't know about you, but I put it on thick—maybe a serving-and-a-half per slice, which according to the Nutella website is 570 calories. So 720 total. Not 1,000, but closer to it than 239.

Okay wow I had no idea that Nutella was that high. That's freaking insane. You could have 2 and a half Snickers for that.

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#96

Post by Locke1689 » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 6:01 AM UTC

What I find interesting is that there may be an even better way to lose weight. Let's say you run five miles. That burns around 100 Calories or 100 kcal or 4.184 x 10^3 J.

Now, consider this. Let's say that a 165 lb (72.57 kg) human male is around 100% water (this is not true, its about 60% water, but for our purposes it'll be ok). Now, since this person is made of water, we'll consider that the specific heat of a human being is about that of water, thus 4.186 J/(g.C). Now, how much energy is expended in order to raise 72.57 kg 3 Celsius degrees? Q=c.m.dt = (4186 J/(kg.C)).(72.57 kg).(3 C) = 911,334 J.

What's interesting is this: by decreasing the temperature of your thermostat by 5.4 degrees fahrenheit, you can burn more than double what you get by running 5 miles. Of course, there are other benefits to exercise, but if your only gain is to lose weight, why not take advantage of the Laws of Thermodynamics? Of course, I'm simply restating what doctors have known for years. Unless you're a world-class athlete, your diet isn't providing energy for your various activity, it's providing "living energy." This is all the energy that your body requires simply to stay alive. The proper name for this term is the "basal metabolism." It makes up far more of the average person's metabolism than anything else. Thus, by using it to your advantage, you can lose weight quicker and easier.

Edit: You can also stop shoving calories into your face, but I don't get to do math/physics with that.

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#97

Post by codahale » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 6:30 AM UTC

jasonkester wrote: post #62

Actually, I suspect the point of the article is to help fat people feel better about being fat. People (especially American people) need reassuring that nothing is ever their fault. You didn't get fat by eating too much because it's all determined by genetics, and you actually have a medical condition. You don't need to worry about trying to lose weight because it's been scientifically proven that you can't. That's w…

You're ignoring the fact that the food industries in Europe and America are very different. When Italy has an Applebee's in each strip mall then Italians will be as fat as Americans. People are people; neither you nor Europeans are magical in their limited appetites. They simply haven't been conditioned from birth to overeat.

Or, alternatively, fat people are sissies. It's an, uh, interesting theory you've put forth. Best of luck in getting that paper published.

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#98

Post by barrkel » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 6:56 AM UTC

mr_luc wrote: post #16

The article itself it insightful. But, brother hackers, can we allow an article whose title is a blatant lie to be voted to the top of Hacker News? Running is exercise. Running 1600 meters, on average, burns 124 calories for a man. ("Energy Expenditure of Walking and Running", Syracuse Uni study). This only takes a few minutes. Even if a person is taking in massively more calories than their body needs -- let's say,…

Only a stubbornly dense reading of the title is a lie, like the cliched way imaginary characters like Spock or Data take statements literally.

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#99

Post by carterschonwald » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 7:33 AM UTC

jzdziarski wrote: post #35

Hmm I exercise daily and have been more tempted to eat healthier foods, rather than undo all the work my body has put in exercising. I'm down 30LB in the past 45 days. Time can suck it.

this is a very good point, that as one gets into better and better shape, you at the same time become sensitized to how your body reacts to how you eat! I myself have been noticing this over the past month or two.

Re: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin

#100

Post by gaius » Mon, Aug 10, 2009, 8:00 AM UTC

ars wrote: post #71

gaius wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I downvoted you as your last meal of the day should be high protein, low GI. Fruit is the opposite.

You've been here long enough to know that this is not how HN does things. You do NOT express disagreement with downmods.

This is not a difference of opinion, it's removing incorrect and even harmful information from the discussion. I'd have modded the same if he'd advised smoking to lose weight.