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A million times this. People think that the second law of thermodynamics doesn't apply to them because "biology is complex!", which sounds an awful lot like the

A million times this. People think that the second law of thermodynamics doesn't apply to them because "biology is complex!", which sounds an awful lot like the creationists. You can't outrun your fork. Even if you want to create a caloric deficit through increased activity level, you'll need to hold intake constant, therefore you most likely have to track it to begin with. These days with things like MyFitnessPal there is no excuse. And while it's possible to lose weight without tracking (I've done it), it's not nearly as straightforward. If people are truly lazy, they'd put down the fork, as that's all that's needed, no time "wasted" at the gym necessary. But hunger is a hard thing to beat, and willpower can be used up, not to mention a lot of other factors (mindless eating, eating for comfort or to self-medicate, etc).

Floegipoky 11y ago
People tend to overlook the pervasiveness of food addiction
- npsimons 11y ago
  > People tend to overlook the pervasiveness of food addiction People have this misconception that "addiction" can only be to something that you can live without (such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, the Internet or gaming), when in truth you can be addicted to anything. If there's anything I'd demonize refined sugar for, it would be that it's easy to get addicted to, especially as it's put into far too many foodstuffs. Otherwise, it's just calories, and if you want it, fit it into your daily caloric budget.
kristiandupont 11y ago
I used to have this viewpoint but now I'm ashamed of it. I'm athletic, and my body weight tends to stay the same no matter what I eat and how much I exercise. I've gone on serious binges just for the fun of it and not gained a pound. I've also gone through days of food poisoning without noticing any significant drop in weight. I now make an effort to eat healthy, not because of weight but because I think it's the best thing to do for my body and future even if I don't see any difference at the moment. Sure, calories in and out matter, but it's very clear to me that the human body is complex, and if someone else has a body that reacts similar to mine, only with a significantly higher normal, I feel very sorry for them.
johnward 11y ago
>A million times this. People think that the second law of thermodynamics doesn't apply to them because "biology is complex!", which sounds an awful lot like the creationists. Well there are ways that make hitting a calorie deficit easier for some people. For me that tends to come from low carbs and lots of fat. I'm still losing weight because I'm at a deficit but I'm able to maintain that because I don't feel hungry like I do when I eat carbs.

Floegipoky 11y ago

People tend to overlook the pervasiveness of food addiction

npsimons 11y ago
> People tend to overlook the pervasiveness of food addiction People have this misconception that "addiction" can only be to something that you can live without (such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, the Internet or gaming), when in truth you can be addicted to anything. If there's anything I'd demonize refined sugar for, it would be that it's easy to get addicted to, especially as it's put into far too many foodstuffs. Otherwise, it's just calories, and if you want it, fit it into your daily caloric budget.

kristiandupont 11y ago

I used to have this viewpoint but now I'm ashamed of it. I'm athletic, and my body weight tends to stay the same no matter what I eat and how much I exercise. I've gone on serious binges just for the fun of it and not gained a pound. I've also gone through days of food poisoning without noticing any significant drop in weight. I now make an effort to eat healthy, not because of weight but because I think it's the best thing to do for my body and future even if I don't see any difference at the moment. Sure, calories in and out matter, but it's very clear to me that the human body is complex, and if someone else has a body that reacts similar to mine, only with a significantly higher normal, I feel very sorry for them.

johnward 11y ago

>A million times this. People think that the second law of thermodynamics doesn't apply to them because "biology is complex!", which sounds an awful lot like the creationists. Well there are ways that make hitting a calorie deficit easier for some people. For me that tends to come from low carbs and lots of fat. I'm still losing weight because I'm at a deficit but I'm able to maintain that because I don't feel hungry like I do when I eat carbs.