elharo comments on Optimizing for attractiveness - Less Wrong

13 Post author: MrMind 31 May 2013 09:14AM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (219)

You are viewing a single comment's thread.

Comment author: elharo 31 May 2013 09:59:05AM *  4 points [-]

If you haven't tried it seriously already, do Atkins. I.e. low-carb. Completely eliminate sugar, corn, wheat, bread, HFCS, potatoes, non-diet soda, milk (but not cream and butter), and so forth. Don't count calories or carbs. Just don't eat these foods or products that contain them. Avoid low-fat foods such as egg whites and skim milk. Avoid transfats.

Atkins doesn't work for everyone; but it works for more people than it doesn't; and most of the people it fails with, it fails because of a failure to maintain the diet. If you have tried Atkins before; but didn't really stick to it, or cheated a lot, try it again and this time use precommittment and buddy practices to increase the likelihood you'll stick with it.

Comment author: diegocaleiro 31 May 2013 01:28:28PM 0 points [-]

Atkins is very similar to Kurzweil's and Tim Ferriss's diets if you need validation before trying.

Comment author: elharo 31 May 2013 01:45:49PM *  1 point [-]

Yes, it absolutely is similar to these. I think there's enough research and evidence to be confident that low-carb works for most people, and is certainly the first weight-loss approach you should try. However there's not enough evidence to distinguish among the different low-carb options. E.g. paleo == Atkins - dairy or Ferris == Atkins + beans + cheat days. I usually just say "Atkins" because it's the low carb plan that's most likely to be recognized and understood by more people.

Comment author: malcolmocean 01 June 2013 02:14:51PM 2 points [-]

Ferriss' slow carb diet has the advantage of being easier to stick to due to the cheat days. Like, psychologically you have less of a sense of missing out.

Comment author: CasioTheSane 05 June 2013 08:31:19AM *  2 points [-]

I don't think the high carb "cheat" meals just help psychologically, but help avoid many of the long term biological consequences of low carb diets which can inhibit weight loss: low thyroid function, low leptin levels, and chronically low liver glycogen levels.

A single high carb meal raises leptin levels for up to a week, which increases your metabolism, AND powerfully suppresses hunger. There's been a few studies looking at how carb cycling works that show major hormonal changes. Personally, I notice my body temperature and energy levels are higher, and I hardly have any appetite for about 24 hours after a heavy carb feed.

Comment author: malcolmocean 05 June 2013 11:14:54PM 0 points [-]

Yes, his book and other sources support the value of glycemic cycling. I was thinking about the cheat days as a generally awesome part of a diet, which is not the relevant point here as we were already talking low carb.

Comment author: CasioTheSane 06 June 2013 03:26:14AM 0 points [-]

The terminology "cheat meal/day" bothers me, as it implies that it's not a critical part of the diet or even some sort of "planned moral transgression"- and leads many people to think they might get better results if they avoid it, do it less often. In reality it's a critical part of the method.

Comment author: malcolmocean 07 June 2013 10:08:34PM 0 points [-]

Likewise, somewhat. Well, call it a binge day then. Or a gluttony day. Or an indulgence day.

Comment author: Izeinwinter 15 August 2013 11:54:27AM 1 point [-]

Same problem. For accuracy, just call it carb or cycle day.

Comment author: drethelin 01 June 2013 10:00:58PM 0 points [-]

I've had the mots success with using a cheat day but not eating carbs the rest of the itme

Comment author: malcolmocean 02 June 2013 08:38:23PM 0 points [-]

That's basically the slow carb diet.

Comment author: drethelin 02 June 2013 09:16:31PM -1 points [-]

well, except for the fact that you actually eat a ton of carbs on the slow carb diet. Beans, yams, what have you.