I don’t know why you were downvoted. It’s called “fasting,” and it’s an entirely legitimate way to lose weight. There’s good evidence that, if done thoughtfully, it can have health benefits.
Calories in, calories out. There’s no way around physics.
imo nobody who is struggling to lose weight needs to be told about energy balance. Everyone knows what a calorie is, and that there’s a daily amount at which they will either lose or gain weight. They probably know they’re above that amount, and need to bring it down to lose weight.
Unfortunately either a lot of good advice or a lot of bad advice can follow that. Nutrition and the psychological factors that influence people’s diets are more complicated and no answer is complete without getting into that too.
imo nobody who is struggling to lose weight needs to be told about energy balance.
I disagree when I’ve heard countless people make up wild reasons why they can’t lose weight and it’s never about eating more calories than they burn. I’m not trying to shame anyone (im overweight myself) but the billion dollar weight loss industry has convinced too many people that it’s some super complex problem that can only be solved with some wacky diet and a monthly fee.
I’m definitely with you in that diet culture does much more harm than good and the weight loss industry overcomplicates it in favor of wacky diets and subscriptions and such.
That being said, just because grifters overcomplicate something, doesn’t mean it’s actually not complicated - especially psychologically, which matters a lot when eating disorders, sensitivities, and difficulties acquiring and preparing quality food, all are in the mix. The psychological aspects are what “weight loss solutions” try to sidestep and I think it really sets people up for failure even if they see some short term loss early on.
Knowing about energy balance could be enough for some, but it’s also definitely reasonable for someone to have further challenges and seek outside help for it. A good nutritionist, trainer, or even therapist can be invaluable for someone struggling to lose weight and keep it off.
I don’t know why you were downvoted. It’s called “fasting,” and it’s an entirely legitimate way to lose weight. There’s good evidence that, if done thoughtfully, it can have health benefits.
Calories in, calories out. There’s no way around physics.
imo nobody who is struggling to lose weight needs to be told about energy balance. Everyone knows what a calorie is, and that there’s a daily amount at which they will either lose or gain weight. They probably know they’re above that amount, and need to bring it down to lose weight.
Unfortunately either a lot of good advice or a lot of bad advice can follow that. Nutrition and the psychological factors that influence people’s diets are more complicated and no answer is complete without getting into that too.
I disagree when I’ve heard countless people make up wild reasons why they can’t lose weight and it’s never about eating more calories than they burn. I’m not trying to shame anyone (im overweight myself) but the billion dollar weight loss industry has convinced too many people that it’s some super complex problem that can only be solved with some wacky diet and a monthly fee.
I’m definitely with you in that diet culture does much more harm than good and the weight loss industry overcomplicates it in favor of wacky diets and subscriptions and such.
That being said, just because grifters overcomplicate something, doesn’t mean it’s actually not complicated - especially psychologically, which matters a lot when eating disorders, sensitivities, and difficulties acquiring and preparing quality food, all are in the mix. The psychological aspects are what “weight loss solutions” try to sidestep and I think it really sets people up for failure even if they see some short term loss early on.
Knowing about energy balance could be enough for some, but it’s also definitely reasonable for someone to have further challenges and seek outside help for it. A good nutritionist, trainer, or even therapist can be invaluable for someone struggling to lose weight and keep it off.
Stopping entirely for long periods reduces metabolism. Intermittent fasting does work for a lot of people though.
Right. The idea is to do it thoughtfully, and informed. Exercising can kill, too, but it’s usually overdoing it that causes harm.
Right. It seems the top commenter was uninformed or too lazy to put actual useful information in their comment.