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Ask HN: Is there any scientific consensus on eating / weight loss / diets?

ReptileMan 4y ago
Yes. Every weight loss technique works fine in mice
- amalgamated_inc 4y ago
  Especially if you ask the mice questions about their diet preferences 2 years ago.
LewisVerstappen 4y ago
Yes. Calories In < Calories Out will result in weight loss. Every diet is basically just a way of implementing that formula so it’s sustainable.
- dexwiz 4y ago
  Many diets also implement this so it’s unsustainable. Most fad, fast, or crash diets fail to provide long term results.
- amalgamated_inc 4y ago
  Of course, CICO is a tautology. It is literally the definition of weight loss, so you're saying the solution to weight loss is weight loss. The problem is there is no widely-known, reliably-working way to sustainably eat fewer calories than you burn. So CICO is essentially an admission of failure. We don't know.
  - LewisVerstappen 4y ago
    Yeah that’s what I was saying. All we know is CICO. Every diet is just some form of implementing CICO in a sustainable way for you. Some people might do it with counting macros, some with fasting, some with solely living on a diet of steak, diet coke and ice cream and multivitamins (my strategy - lost 20 lbs).
    - amalgamated_inc 4y ago
      Almost no diet can sustainably make you eat less than you burn, though. We don't know of a single one that does it reliably in everyone. Sometimes, some people find a way to do it, temporarily. That is why no known diet or exercise program "works." edit: feel like I should clarify, mostly to help formulate my own opinion further. I strongly disagree with "every diet works." Practically no diet works for most people most of the time, which is why "CICO!" is such a frustrating distraction from actually looking for a solution. For example, I've done 3 months on carnivore (lots of steaks!) and I lost no weight at all. On the other hand, I've recently lost over 30lbs on a custom diet. Will that diet continue working? Would it work for others? Who knows. To judge if your steak/diet coke diet "works" we'd need to a) have other people try it, b) see it continue to work for you (i.e. unless you're already at a lean goal weight, would you lose more weight?) so it's not just a plateau effect because you're cutting out fiber and carbs.
mrkeen 4y ago
Maybe your title already implies this, but do your weight loss via dieting. Exercise doesn't seem to help with it.
svggrfgovgf 4y ago
I found these two books interesting w.r.t. weight loss/diet: Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Stay Healthy, and Lose Weight, by Herman Pontzer Pontzer measures total energy expenditure vs exercise. According to his work (and others referenced in the book), when you exercise more, your body reduces energy expenditure in other areas. This reduces the effectiveness of using exercise to reduce weight. He's explicit that exercise is still good for health, it just doesn't impact calories out in a 1-1 fashion. Also, we live in an environment with readily available high calorie foods which makes it easy to over eat. The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat, by Stephan J Guyenet What I got from this book (among other things) is that there is (may be?) some component of addiction in over eating due to inflammation in the brain. (I don't remember exactly which area.) Exercise may help reduce this inflammation leading to less addiction. I do seem to want to eat even when I'm not hungry, so I'm inclined to think this is a problem I wrestling with.
soueuls 4y ago
It obviously all comes down to Calories In < Calories Out. Here are the things that worked for me 1. Prioritize convenience over optimality. I spend several weeks exploring what I liked and disliked. I was drinking way too much soda and not enough water. I found water "boring" so I switched to sparkling water + lemon I am too lazy to cook vegetables properly (it's easy for a few days, harder when you need to do it for months and months). I buy a lot of high quality frozen vegetables (it's probably a bit worth in terms of nutriments, but at least I can stick with it). 2. Eating healthy 100% of the time is too hard. I make a high income and go out quite often. But intermittent fasting is quite easy to do. And after a week or two, you reduce your appetite. 3. I have no problems eating the same thing over and over. I love eggplants. I eat a lot of eat. I did not eat a lot of fruit. But I like banana so I eat a lot of it as well. 4. Eggs are the best source of protein (your body can use 50% of the protein from eggs) If you are used to eating shitty breakfast. Switch to eggs. Poached eggs or whatever. 5. I have read a few recent studies saying that exercising does not really help to lose weight (because your body finds a way to cut down calories expenditure elsewhere. It's probably true. But the thing I notice is that people who workout 3-4 times a week are never obese. So I exercice as well.
helph67 4y ago
When considering which diet to use don't overlook the Mediterranean diet, for the sake of your long term health. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/04/health/mediterranean-diet-2022-best-diet-wellness/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/04/health/mediterranean-diet...

Yes. Every weight loss technique works fine in mice

amalgamated_inc 4y ago
Especially if you ask the mice questions about their diet preferences 2 years ago.

Yes. Calories In < Calories Out will result in weight loss. Every diet is basically just a way of implementing that formula so it’s sustainable.

dexwiz 4y ago
Many diets also implement this so it’s unsustainable. Most fad, fast, or crash diets fail to provide long term results.
amalgamated_inc 4y ago
Of course, CICO is a tautology. It is literally the definition of weight loss, so you're saying the solution to weight loss is weight loss. The problem is there is no widely-known, reliably-working way to sustainably eat fewer calories than you burn. So CICO is essentially an admission of failure. We don't know.
- LewisVerstappen 4y ago
  Yeah that’s what I was saying. All we know is CICO. Every diet is just some form of implementing CICO in a sustainable way for you. Some people might do it with counting macros, some with fasting, some with solely living on a diet of steak, diet coke and ice cream and multivitamins (my strategy - lost 20 lbs).
  - amalgamated_inc 4y ago
    Almost no diet can sustainably make you eat less than you burn, though. We don't know of a single one that does it reliably in everyone. Sometimes, some people find a way to do it, temporarily. That is why no known diet or exercise program "works." edit: feel like I should clarify, mostly to help formulate my own opinion further. I strongly disagree with "every diet works." Practically no diet works for most people most of the time, which is why "CICO!" is such a frustrating distraction from actually looking for a solution. For example, I've done 3 months on carnivore (lots of steaks!) and I lost no weight at all. On the other hand, I've recently lost over 30lbs on a custom diet. Will that diet continue working? Would it work for others? Who knows. To judge if your steak/diet coke diet "works" we'd need to a) have other people try it, b) see it continue to work for you (i.e. unless you're already at a lean goal weight, would you lose more weight?) so it's not just a plateau effect because you're cutting out fiber and carbs.

mrkeen 4y ago

Maybe your title already implies this, but do your weight loss via dieting. Exercise doesn't seem to help with it.

svggrfgovgf 4y ago

I found these two books interesting w.r.t. weight loss/diet: Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Stay Healthy, and Lose Weight, by Herman Pontzer Pontzer measures total energy expenditure vs exercise. According to his work (and others referenced in the book), when you exercise more, your body reduces energy expenditure in other areas. This reduces the effectiveness of using exercise to reduce weight. He's explicit that exercise is still good for health, it just doesn't impact calories out in a 1-1 fashion. Also, we live in an environment with readily available high calorie foods which makes it easy to over eat. The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts That Make Us Overeat, by Stephan J Guyenet What I got from this book (among other things) is that there is (may be?) some component of addiction in over eating due to inflammation in the brain. (I don't remember exactly which area.) Exercise may help reduce this inflammation leading to less addiction. I do seem to want to eat even when I'm not hungry, so I'm inclined to think this is a problem I wrestling with.

soueuls 4y ago

It obviously all comes down to Calories In < Calories Out. Here are the things that worked for me 1. Prioritize convenience over optimality. I spend several weeks exploring what I liked and disliked. I was drinking way too much soda and not enough water. I found water "boring" so I switched to sparkling water + lemon I am too lazy to cook vegetables properly (it's easy for a few days, harder when you need to do it for months and months). I buy a lot of high quality frozen vegetables (it's probably a bit worth in terms of nutriments, but at least I can stick with it). 2. Eating healthy 100% of the time is too hard. I make a high income and go out quite often. But intermittent fasting is quite easy to do. And after a week or two, you reduce your appetite. 3. I have no problems eating the same thing over and over. I love eggplants. I eat a lot of eat. I did not eat a lot of fruit. But I like banana so I eat a lot of it as well. 4. Eggs are the best source of protein (your body can use 50% of the protein from eggs) If you are used to eating shitty breakfast. Switch to eggs. Poached eggs or whatever. 5. I have read a few recent studies saying that exercising does not really help to lose weight (because your body finds a way to cut down calories expenditure elsewhere. It's probably true. But the thing I notice is that people who workout 3-4 times a week are never obese. So I exercice as well.

helph67 4y ago

When considering which diet to use don't overlook the Mediterranean diet, for the sake of your long term health. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/04/health/mediterranean-diet-2022-best-diet-wellness/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/04/health/mediterranean-diet...