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High intensity interval exercise has repeatedly been shown to lead to increased metabolic rate for hours after exercise with minimal increase in hunger. You ha

High intensity interval exercise has repeatedly been shown to lead to increased metabolic rate for hours after exercise with minimal increase in hunger. You have to put on quite a lot of muscle to raise your resting metabolic rate, and this probably isn't practical for most people. Resistance training (weight lifting etc) can be a great way to do interval exercise and get a real sweat going. Kettle bells for instance are particularly in vogue, although there are plenty of other methods. Resistance training is great for many other reasons, and we should all be doing some. Increased strength and coordination is a solid investment in your future health. Lower intensity exercise (eg jogging) does unfortunately increase hunger, and it is far, far easier to 1000 calories than to "burn them off". Some people are simply predisposed to put on fat and retain it. Aesthetically this may not be what they wish for, and that can lead to desperate dieting and more exotic attempts at fat loss. It is entirely possible to be "fat but fit" so health measures other than estimating subcutaneous adipose tissue are necessary to understand your health. It is also possible to be "thin outside fat inside" ie to look thin but have terrible cardiovascular health. The summary is that most of us should probably eat more green veggies and more fibre but less overall, and do more exercise. Any specific formula for this is a distraction from the general message, but if it works for, good. On mobile, apologies for lack of references.

tomp 11y ago
> Some people are simply predisposed to put on fat and retain it. Aesthetically this may not be what they wish for, and that can lead to desperate dieting and more exotic attempts at fat loss. Can you provide references for this? I'm not sure about this one. I've read that in reality, most people have the same resting metabolic rate, i.e. we spend roughly the same amount of calories just to live. It's very possible that there are differences in the efficiency of our digestion systems, but I find it unlikely that the differences are that great (apart from specific foods, e.g. milk). So I'd say that most of the "predisposition" is purely mental.
- austinjp 11y ago
  Sure. It's not "purely mental" for many people -- and even if it was, that doesn't mean we should disregard psychological causes of overeating, under-exercising, or body dysmorphia. Predisposition to fat gain may be due to maternal influences during gestation including malnutrition; genetic and epigenetic factors; sleep deprivation; poor coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety; childhood weight gain (hardly the fault of the child); complex glandular disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome; and many many other factors possibly including infection. Plus anecdotally we all know that some people simply put on muscle more than others. There will be plenty of research on this, I suggest trawling PubMed. The notion that some people are overweight or obese simply because their will power is less than others' simply doesn't fly any more. A handful of links below. Apologies for shoddy referencing style, on mobile. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood_obesity http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood_obesity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23700512 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23700512 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21720205 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21720205 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24010762 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24010762 (rat model) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24425725 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24425725
  - tomp 11y ago
    > The notion that some people are overweight or obese simply because their will power is less than others' simply doesn't fly any more. What does, then? Definitely there are other ways of losing weight (surgery, drugs), and there exist a few people here and there that have actual health problems (i.e. their bodies are functioning incorrectly), but I think their numbers are greatly exaggerated. Even if it might be harder for some people to do so, most people can lose weight by being disciplined (i.e. by willpower). Unlike many other medical issues that a person cannot solve by themselves (or things that were considered medical issues in the past, e.g. being gay).
    - austinjp 11y ago
      Will power is of course important. My point is that it's far more nuanced than simply "stop eating so much". Quite plainly, if it was that simple there wouldn't be a problem. Additionally, "will power" is tremendously complex. We must recognise this and add it to the understanding that people are non-deterministic, complex creatures -- physically, mentally, socially, and metabolically. It's no more someone's fault they're fat than its someone else's fault they're lean. Genetics, epigenetics, in utero influences, disease, social factors, mental health, sleep.... they are all significant. In a time where personalised medicine is making giant leaps and grabbing headlines we should recognise that obesity and fat-related health and social issues are complex and sensitive, and require deep understanding.
- s_baby 11y ago
  Give yourself an insulin injection and see how much your body composition fluctuates. That's just one factor of many.
- orbitur 11y ago
  austinjp already provided references, but I think it should be obvious that not every calorie ingested is a calorie digested. That's down to what types of bacteria you have in your gut among other things, and then you have insulin screwing things up if you eat a high sugar diet. I hate the "calorie is a calorie" parroting, because while it's true, it ignores every other factor involved in digestion and energy usage. I've been logging my food intake for a few years now, and I have a pretty solid idea of what my resting metabolic rate is, how much I need to eat when I'm building muscle and so on. The fact is, when I eat the same amount as guys who are similar in build and height, I better be ready to bulk. I simply cannot eat the same number of calories as my peers and expect to not gain weight, which means either my body is more effective at digestion, or I'm more predisposed to storing fat than they are.

tomp 11y ago

> Some people are simply predisposed to put on fat and retain it. Aesthetically this may not be what they wish for, and that can lead to desperate dieting and more exotic attempts at fat loss. Can you provide references for this? I'm not sure about this one. I've read that in reality, most people have the same resting metabolic rate, i.e. we spend roughly the same amount of calories just to live. It's very possible that there are differences in the efficiency of our digestion systems, but I find it unlikely that the differences are that great (apart from specific foods, e.g. milk). So I'd say that most of the "predisposition" is purely mental.

austinjp 11y ago
Sure. It's not "purely mental" for many people -- and even if it was, that doesn't mean we should disregard psychological causes of overeating, under-exercising, or body dysmorphia. Predisposition to fat gain may be due to maternal influences during gestation including malnutrition; genetic and epigenetic factors; sleep deprivation; poor coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety; childhood weight gain (hardly the fault of the child); complex glandular disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome; and many many other factors possibly including infection. Plus anecdotally we all know that some people simply put on muscle more than others. There will be plenty of research on this, I suggest trawling PubMed. The notion that some people are overweight or obese simply because their will power is less than others' simply doesn't fly any more. A handful of links below. Apologies for shoddy referencing style, on mobile. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood_obesity http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood_obesity http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23700512 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23700512 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21720205 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21720205 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24010762 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24010762 (rat model) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24425725 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24425725
- tomp 11y ago
  > The notion that some people are overweight or obese simply because their will power is less than others' simply doesn't fly any more. What does, then? Definitely there are other ways of losing weight (surgery, drugs), and there exist a few people here and there that have actual health problems (i.e. their bodies are functioning incorrectly), but I think their numbers are greatly exaggerated. Even if it might be harder for some people to do so, most people can lose weight by being disciplined (i.e. by willpower). Unlike many other medical issues that a person cannot solve by themselves (or things that were considered medical issues in the past, e.g. being gay).
  - austinjp 11y ago
    Will power is of course important. My point is that it's far more nuanced than simply "stop eating so much". Quite plainly, if it was that simple there wouldn't be a problem. Additionally, "will power" is tremendously complex. We must recognise this and add it to the understanding that people are non-deterministic, complex creatures -- physically, mentally, socially, and metabolically. It's no more someone's fault they're fat than its someone else's fault they're lean. Genetics, epigenetics, in utero influences, disease, social factors, mental health, sleep.... they are all significant. In a time where personalised medicine is making giant leaps and grabbing headlines we should recognise that obesity and fat-related health and social issues are complex and sensitive, and require deep understanding.
s_baby 11y ago
Give yourself an insulin injection and see how much your body composition fluctuates. That's just one factor of many.
orbitur 11y ago
austinjp already provided references, but I think it should be obvious that not every calorie ingested is a calorie digested. That's down to what types of bacteria you have in your gut among other things, and then you have insulin screwing things up if you eat a high sugar diet. I hate the "calorie is a calorie" parroting, because while it's true, it ignores every other factor involved in digestion and energy usage. I've been logging my food intake for a few years now, and I have a pretty solid idea of what my resting metabolic rate is, how much I need to eat when I'm building muscle and so on. The fact is, when I eat the same amount as guys who are similar in build and height, I better be ready to bulk. I simply cannot eat the same number of calories as my peers and expect to not gain weight, which means either my body is more effective at digestion, or I'm more predisposed to storing fat than they are.