My 1-step program for losing weight: semaglutide. From 103 kg in November to 89 kg in June, no hunger.
(Of course, the problem is what will happen when I run out of semaglutide. However, the same problem is with running out of willpower, and that usually happens much faster.)
I agree about avoiding added sugar, but I think that even more useful heuristic is to eat meals that contain a lot of protein. This is anecdotal, but it seems like eating meat or dairy or legumes makes me feel full, while eating e.g. pasta (lots of carbs, but technically no added sugar) makes me want to eat more and more. It is important to check the nutrition table, because there are many products with “protein” in their title that actually do not contain more protein that their alternatives. So maybe ignore all the “protein” stuff and focus on meat and diary and legumes. Also, the advice to “eat this” is easier to follow than “avoid this”; the latter costs more willpower.
I wonder if the temptation to eat late is because the same signal—feeling low on energy—can be interpreted by the brain as both being tired and being hungry. If you are tired and you eat some sugar, it wakes you up a bit, doesn’t it? Which of course is bad for multiple reasons. So maybe we could turn this around, and when we feel the desire to eat something in the evening, think “this is probably my brain felling tired, I should go sleep”.
You will feel hungry every single day and constantly dream of food.
This sucks not just because hunger feels unpleasant, but because it makes difficult to focus on things, and because it makes easier to get angry. So it might be a good idea to reduce other sources of stress, if possible. For example, if your job is too stressful, and your overeating is partially a reaction to that, it may be impossible to lose weight while keeping the job. Or you may strategically time your hunger for your vacation.
About exercise, I agree that you cannot outrun the food in short term, but perhaps in long term the muscles increase the passive metabolism. But yeah, if your goal is to lose weight now, exercising is not going to do it. Except maybe in the sense that you don’t eat while you exercise, so maybe five hours on a hike means five hours away from the fridge.
Hunger might cause cognitive and emotional regulation problems through the same general process as any other aversive experience, but for many people there’s also a very specific physiological pathway going through low blood sugar. If this is a frequent problem, it might be worth investing in a continuous glucose monitor, or just trying to eat a very slow-carb diet (avoid most concentrated sources of carbs and eat lots of beans, or just increase protein, or just go full keto). Improving blood sugar regulation is life-changing for some people, even without any weight loss.
Oops, I totally replied from the LW account I mostly use for testing. I trust the 1st Viscount St Alban and father of modern scientific method won’t mind me using his name to encourage empricisim.
I got my Dexcom via Nutrissense. No prescription required. They offer an Abbot sensor by default (15-minute sensor readings) but ‘upgrade’ to Dexcom if you allow them to use your data for a study (Dexcom wants to get approval and wants data).
And here I am paying them $300. Their monthly costs seems basically what the Dexcom sensors cost on their own.
But also not definitely too much. Depends on the value of the data to you, etc. I was seeking to solve very distracting hunger, a problem that even a low chance of solving would be well worth the cost.
My 1-step program for losing weight: semaglutide. From 103 kg in November to 89 kg in June, no hunger.
(Of course, the problem is what will happen when I run out of semaglutide. However, the same problem is with running out of willpower, and that usually happens much faster.)
I agree about avoiding added sugar, but I think that even more useful heuristic is to eat meals that contain a lot of protein. This is anecdotal, but it seems like eating meat or dairy or legumes makes me feel full, while eating e.g. pasta (lots of carbs, but technically no added sugar) makes me want to eat more and more. It is important to check the nutrition table, because there are many products with “protein” in their title that actually do not contain more protein that their alternatives. So maybe ignore all the “protein” stuff and focus on meat and diary and legumes. Also, the advice to “eat this” is easier to follow than “avoid this”; the latter costs more willpower.
I wonder if the temptation to eat late is because the same signal—feeling low on energy—can be interpreted by the brain as both being tired and being hungry. If you are tired and you eat some sugar, it wakes you up a bit, doesn’t it? Which of course is bad for multiple reasons. So maybe we could turn this around, and when we feel the desire to eat something in the evening, think “this is probably my brain felling tired, I should go sleep”.
This sucks not just because hunger feels unpleasant, but because it makes difficult to focus on things, and because it makes easier to get angry. So it might be a good idea to reduce other sources of stress, if possible. For example, if your job is too stressful, and your overeating is partially a reaction to that, it may be impossible to lose weight while keeping the job. Or you may strategically time your hunger for your vacation.
About exercise, I agree that you cannot outrun the food in short term, but perhaps in long term the muscles increase the passive metabolism. But yeah, if your goal is to lose weight now, exercising is not going to do it. Except maybe in the sense that you don’t eat while you exercise, so maybe five hours on a hike means five hours away from the fridge.
Hunger might cause cognitive and emotional regulation problems through the same general process as any other aversive experience, but for many people there’s also a very specific physiological pathway going through low blood sugar. If this is a frequent problem, it might be worth investing in a continuous glucose monitor, or just trying to eat a very slow-carb diet (avoid most concentrated sources of carbs and eat lots of beans, or just increase protein, or just go full keto). Improving blood sugar regulation is life-changing for some people, even without any weight loss.
What continuous glucose monitor do you recommend?
I’ve been trying Dexcom G7 for the data, and seems pretty good. Data every 5 min. A diabetic I know referred to it as “the good sensor”.
Thanks, looks like Dexcom Stelo is coming out this summer that will be available without a prescription. I’ll order it as soon as its available.
Oops, I totally replied from the LW account I mostly use for testing. I trust the 1st Viscount St Alban and father of modern scientific method won’t mind me using his name to encourage empricisim.
I got my Dexcom via Nutrissense. No prescription required. They offer an Abbot sensor by default (15-minute sensor readings) but ‘upgrade’ to Dexcom if you allow them to use your data for a study (Dexcom wants to get approval and wants data).
I’ve checked Nutrissense and they want $250/month? Definitely way too much for a glucose meter! :)
And here I am paying them $300. Their monthly costs seems basically what the Dexcom sensors cost on their own.
But also not definitely too much. Depends on the value of the data to you, etc. I was seeking to solve very distracting hunger, a problem that even a low chance of solving would be well worth the cost.
I’ve found a new box of Dexcom G7 on Ebay for just $90, ordered it now to try it out.