An Engineer's Guide To Weight Loss

http://teddziuba.com/2008/05/an-engineers-guide-to-weight-l.html

by twampss • 18 years ago

12 38 18 years ago

teddziuba.com

Tichy• 18 years ago

Start smoking, eat more ice cream, drink lots of coffee... Hm... Seems to be the old fashioned type of engineer.

Maro• 18 years ago

Start training for an Ironman. Worked for me (-16 kg).

swombat4• 18 years ago

Lame article. First of all, that system (I've tried it) sucks. It requires constant attention and effort. I'd be surprised to meet anyone who's male and can be bothered to count their calories every day for more than 1 or 2 weeks (though some girls seem to manage, but they really care). You won't lose much weight in 1-2 weeks, so this system will only result in making you feel bad for yet again failing to lose any significant weight.

As I propose in my article here: http://www.inter-sections.net/2008/01/02/feedback/ - you need a good, timely, but also effortless system of feedback. Something that requires you to carry a notepad and add up numbers every day is a still-born failure.

The system that worked extremely well for me was much simpler: weigh yourself every day (including body fat %). Plot that on a grid, and that'll provide you motivation enough to keep your calorie intake down.

As an engineer, you should be aware that there's a few key vital behaviours that, if you implement them, typically make all the difference. According to various food associations, there's 3 vital behaviours for losing weight:

- Weigh yourself every day

- Eat breakfast every day

- Have a way to exercise at home

Since I lost 10kg in 3 months by doing just 2 out of those 3 (but going heavy on the "weigh yourself" bit by actually charting my weight and BF%), I can say that it certainly seemed to work for me.

scott_s4• 18 years ago

I'd be surprised to meet anyone who's male and can be bothered to count their calories every day for more than 1 or 2 weeks

I take it you don't know any bodybuilders, or any guys in a weight-class sport, like wrestling, boxing, BJJ or MMA.

I think exercise can be feedback unto itself. Performance gains in strength training and calisthenics come surprisingly fast.

swombat4• 18 years ago

(serious) body builders: a) aren't normal (they're a small minority) b) don't have 50 pounds of extra flab

This article is obviously not targeted at body builders.

rewind• 18 years ago

What most people who have never counted calories don't realize is that once you know general counts for the foods you consume the most and once you realize what portion size corresponds to those calories, you're not doing that much counting. The reason is that most of us tend to eat the same types of food, You're only learning a bit at the beginning. After that, there is very little thought that goes into it and it becomes almost second nature because you get used to specific portion sizes for the main staples in your diet. You just have to be a little more careful of those "indulgence" meals or days or anything that might throw your count way off.

edw5192• 18 years ago

The real engineer's guide to weight loss:

"The Hacker's Diet"

http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/

Written by John Walker, author of Autocad. He claimed to have solved every problem he had except weight loss, so he just treated it as another engineering problem. Very interesting read for those with scientifically oriented minds. The Palm software is cool, too.

jgrahamc• 18 years ago

I've been following The Hacker's Diet (had 7kg to lose to get to my 'ideal' weight) and it's been relatively easy. At some point I plan to blog all the data, but I've been consistently losing about 0.6kg per week since I started 5 weeks ago.

Quick summary of what has worked for me:

1. Stopped eating anything between meals. I probably cut out 12 cans of Coke, 2 chocolate bars, and 2 cakes/treats per week. I estimate this at 2,640 kcal alone

2. Started listening to my stomach so that I'd stop eating when I was full, and didn't take second helpings that I didn't actually need.

3. Have been following the exercise plan and now avoid taking lifts or escalators.

4. I am not counting calories for my meals since excluding my between meals rubbish I eat fairly balanced food.

Also I'm saving money... basically I'm losing weight, feeling better and saving about 26 Euro per week. Since I plan to cut out that stuff permanently I'll be able to afford a spanking new iPhone after 6 months.

Lose Weight, Save Money, Feel Better, Get an iPhone!

eru3• 18 years ago

I read that guide, too, some time ago. Unfortunately, I am not overweight -- so no iPhone for me coming soon.

benzado• 18 years ago

I hope you have made progress in the two months since you posted this. I developed an iPhone app called FatWatch, which is modeled after The Hacker's Diet Palm application. Perhaps you can get an iPhone now, if you justify it as an aid in your weight loss effort. :-)

mhartl• 18 years ago

When I saw the link at HN I figured it was this. Thanks for posting it.

bootload• 18 years ago

"... The real engineer's guide to weight loss ..."

I'd follow a diet by an engineer as much as I would listen to algorithms from Nonagenarians from Okinawa.

Okinawans (Japan) have the longest life expectancy on Earth due not only to a good dose of genetics but through a) regular hard physical work, b) good diet and c) community of friends ~ http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/026/e/long.html

Following the link shows me a great application. But listening to Engineers about food, exercise is a waste of time. While engineers may be educated. They are also stupid. Take for an example ~ http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/exercise.html some of the reasoning in the HD diet:

   1. Exercising consumed time.
   2. Exercising was not programming.
   3. Therefore, by exercising, less 
      time was available for programming

This is the same sort of stupid logic Ted uses. Combine that with the distorted Modern view on food and this leads to all sorts of distorted behaviour. Instead of looking to new cultures. Cultures that have evolved post the emergence of the "Agro-Industry". Try looking at how older cultures solved this problem and re-import the best ideas.

Here's a couple.

1) Exercise a lot

2) Eat lots of vegetables, fruits, some meats and stay away from processed foods.

3) Eat with other people (reduce chance of eat too much)

4) Practice, "'hara hachi bu', eat until your four-fifths full" ~ http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2257391.htm A peculiar Japanese concept to counter over-eating.

Part two is becoming a problem as Industries have sprung up claiming to solve this and substituting unprocessed foods with highly processed foods. Good for making money, bad for health.

I like Ted, foul and potty mouthed as he is. He's made of the stuff "Goo-Micro-Hoo" software corps wants in employee. Well educated, hard working. The mould of hacker that will do everything to avoid exercise. I went to my hacker cousins birthday a month or so back. I had to give up my usual game of "spot the fit bastard". Playing a game of cricket in the park was a fun experience. These engineers exhibit the same boolean logic as Ted. It's ironic listening to hackers like Ted whine about how exercise is hard. Just like Jocks complaining Calculus should be removed from math because it's too hard.

Now if he'd just get off his arse, exercise and eat well.

mr_gunn• 18 years ago

yeah, except that the hacker diet /kinda/ sucks. It's the sort of solution someone comes up with by assuming no existing solution is worth anything, and striking out on their own. There's some insights, but mostly it's stunningly naive and banal.

The real secret is to eat fresh, whole, minimally processed food. It doesn't matter if it's organic, free-range, hormone-free, genetically engineered, or anything else, as long as the first three hold.

That said, anything is better than nothing.

tungstenfurnace• 18 years ago

My goodness, if he'd advertised his thoughts as "The Cholera Diet: a great way to lose 20kg" they could hardly be less attractive.

If he could discover why he desires cheeseburgers so much then perhaps he could find a way to _want_ to eat less. As it stands he is using force on himself and there is a heavy psychological price tag for that, as he acknowledges. This will effect the rest of his life in ways he may not appreciate.

edw5192• 18 years ago

"The Cholera Diet"

There used to be a diet bar named "Ayds".

In the early 80's people just stopped buying them. Nobody wanted Ayds anymore.

gaius• 18 years ago

"Dieting and exercising suck. This is possibly the most miserable thing you can do to yourself. You are not going to have fun."

Bzzzt! Wrong attitude. If you hate the exercise you are doing, find another one, there are more sports than anyone can count. If you hate healthy food, learn to cook, I guarantee that anyone who knows what they are doing can prepare a healthy meal that tastes better than pizza or a burger.

Setting out to make yourself miserable is setting out to fail.

pg2• 18 years ago

Yeah, that was weird. To me playing soccer is just about the most fun thing in the world.

ardit332• 18 years ago

second that. It is one the most geek friendly sports, it can be from very relaxing to very competitive (depending on who you are playing with). You don't have to be huge, extra tall, have any extra abilities to be decent in soccer.

And I love that there are soccer field sprinkled all over SF, and plenty of co-ed leagues (which tend to be more fun).

Plus, having a great run, gives you a certain natural high, that it is just awesome. Running all the way to Golden Gate Bridge from my home and back, feels just great.

notauser• 18 years ago

I walk for 5 miles every evening. It's not very strenuous exercise, but I'm always happy to do it (thank you BBC comedy on radio 4). I suspect doing something easy 7 times a week beats blowing off something hard every day.

The diet part was only hard for two weeks, which I got through by having only one day's food in the house at a time. Now not eating that much just feels normal.

frederiksen• 18 years ago

This article was terrible. Staying fit is easy if you can have a great time doing it. I work out with friends and try to play as many sports as I can with people whose company I enjoy. The self-discipline with respect to eating can be tough, but he's right, if you can keep your intake low for a couple of weeks you won't find yourself wanting to eat so much all the time.

augustus• 18 years ago

I am in the top 5% of fitness of those above 30. My weight has been consistent for more than 12 years. I have more muscle today than I did 12 years ago.

Frankly, I have never followed any diet. I simply limit my carbohydrates to a level that matches my physical activity. I eat about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and limit fats. I lift weight three times and try to run about 2 times and it works.

All those micro-managed diet programs have never worked for me. The main thing is to enjoy your workout and to enjoy the fitness lifestyle.

Prrometheus• 18 years ago

I disagree with the exercising part. Playing pick-up and adult league sports around town is far more satisfying and less boring than an elliptical or treadmill machine. As a bonus, you get to satisfy some of your social needs as well.

I play Ultimate Frisbee and Basketball. I sucked at first, but eventually it taught my brain to think and react in new ways and I got better - which is pretty cool! For a guy like me who moves to a new city every two years, the social benefit of being part of the Ultimate Frisbee network cannot be overstated.

signa11• 18 years ago

why should i care, i have the body of a god : http://www.huongsengrand.com/

umjames• 18 years ago

South Bronx Paradise!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_%28Aqua_Teen_Hunger_Force_...

Seriously though, if coffee is an appetite suppressant, what about the sugar and cream most people put in their coffee? Not to mention the fact that coffee servings can come in large containers too.

And recommending smoking to replace drinking? Surely he can't be serious.

kingkongrevenge• 18 years ago

> Caffeine is an appetite suppressant.

It is not.

jakewolf• 18 years ago

Chew more times per bite and use smaller plates. Reduces available food and taking longer to eat let's your brain realize you're not hungry anymore.

Tamerlin• 18 years ago

I hike in the mountains regularly (with a 50 pound pack) and spend 6-8 hours a week in the dojo. :)

mightybyte• 18 years ago

http://crossfit.com

Enough said.

An Engineer's Guide To Weight Loss

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