4 ms·

It’s not inconsistent (obviously, because thermodynamics), but it does make CICO a pretty useless contribution to the conversation. Not the silver bullet that p

It’s not inconsistent (obviously, because thermodynamics), but it does make CICO a pretty useless contribution to the conversation. Not the silver bullet that proponents position it as. Successful dieting is about managing the sensation of hunger. That’s it.

garbanz0 4y ago
I've noticed a lot of overweight people using food as a crutch to manage emotional discomfort or distress, even when they might not be all that hungry. So there is something else going on.
- PuppyTailWags 4y ago
  I have a theory but I'm not entirely sure that food to manage emotional distress goes through a different pathway or structure than other kinds of distress management. Like, exercise, meditation, etc. we know tend to be healthier, longer-term alternatives. However there's something breaking in the brain reward system where food is actually working as a reward in a way exercise and meditation are not.
- drowsspa 4y ago
  I'm down to 71 kg from 83 kg in June, and yeah, that was a major factor to my overeating. Yet, some people have a different appetite, or a different reward system wiring for food, and they just don't feel the same impulse to do it even when they're stressed out.
edanm 4y ago
CICO isn't useless because so many people don't believe it. They think there is some magic bullet - it used to be to eat less fats, nowadays it's to eat less carbs, or do Keto or Intermittent Fasting (IF). All of these are valid approaches and can work! But you have to first know that CICO is what matters, in order to appreciate your (very correct) statement that "Successful dieting is about managing the sensation of hunger." If someone thinks that IF works regardless of CICO, they're going to get it wrong. I know, I was there many years ago before starting to count calories and losing a lot of weight. (Though counting calories works for me, I don't necessarily advocate it for everyone!) One other small point: While managing the sensation of hunger is a big part of it, other people "overeat" for other reasons. E.g. I have far less issues with hunger, than I have with just liking novelty in foods - I like to try a lot of different things, and lately I've started to cook a lot. That is a bigger source of problems for my dieting goals than feeling hungry, personally. Other people eat for stress, or to stay awake, etc. Hunger is a big part of the equation, but not the only part.

garbanz0 4y ago

I've noticed a lot of overweight people using food as a crutch to manage emotional discomfort or distress, even when they might not be all that hungry. So there is something else going on.

PuppyTailWags 4y ago
I have a theory but I'm not entirely sure that food to manage emotional distress goes through a different pathway or structure than other kinds of distress management. Like, exercise, meditation, etc. we know tend to be healthier, longer-term alternatives. However there's something breaking in the brain reward system where food is actually working as a reward in a way exercise and meditation are not.
drowsspa 4y ago
I'm down to 71 kg from 83 kg in June, and yeah, that was a major factor to my overeating. Yet, some people have a different appetite, or a different reward system wiring for food, and they just don't feel the same impulse to do it even when they're stressed out.

edanm 4y ago

CICO isn't useless because so many people don't believe it. They think there is some magic bullet - it used to be to eat less fats, nowadays it's to eat less carbs, or do Keto or Intermittent Fasting (IF). All of these are valid approaches and can work! But you have to first know that CICO is what matters, in order to appreciate your (very correct) statement that "Successful dieting is about managing the sensation of hunger." If someone thinks that IF works regardless of CICO, they're going to get it wrong. I know, I was there many years ago before starting to count calories and losing a lot of weight. (Though counting calories works for me, I don't necessarily advocate it for everyone!) One other small point: While managing the sensation of hunger is a big part of it, other people "overeat" for other reasons. E.g. I have far less issues with hunger, than I have with just liking novelty in foods - I like to try a lot of different things, and lately I've started to cook a lot. That is a bigger source of problems for my dieting goals than feeling hungry, personally. Other people eat for stress, or to stay awake, etc. Hunger is a big part of the equation, but not the only part.