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Comment by SnowHill9902 | Hacker News Reader

If you squat, deadlift and walk enough, and are generally healthy, you physically won’t be able to eat yourself fat.

I can overeat 1000 calories without even trying. It would take me 4-5 hours to walk off 1000 calories.

They must be one of those people who can eat a McDonalds double quarter pounder + fries (1000 calories) and be good for the day.

They'd be horrified how many of those combos I could eat in an hour while easily enjoying it.

Add a large coke and you can easily hit 1500 in one meal. 1 lunch, 1 dinner, a snack, and a nice healthy breakfast and you can easily clear 4000-5000 a day without feeling like you ate an abnormal amount.

I don’t know what gp implied but I know that in my personal case, I’m way less hungry after physical effort. So I wouldn’t think he talked about calories but more about the ability to eat.

Define enough. One hour workout every day? That's usually 500-1000 extra calories. It's not that hard for people to eat that much more extra, so they still put on weight.

Doesn’t work that way. Your basal metabolic rate is also increased. Squat and deadlift at least 3 plates for reps. Walk at least 20k per week. You’d have to force-feed yourself to get fat.

That's just nonsense. Been there and more, and trivially easily added fat.

It’s true that 3 plates is not a lot. I guess it depends on each one’s metabolism and age.

I cycle 200 - 400 Km per week on a road bike, with varying intensity, and yet it's very easy to eat way too much.

You can just do the math and see how much exercise you have to do to make any difference in your weight loss. You definitely can’t “walk” your way to weight loss

Walking 5 miles a day can be done in an hour and a half and can burn ~250-500 calories. That’s half a pound to a pound of fat per week, which is pretty significant.

250 calories is nothing and most people are going to think it gives them the chance to eat that extra bagel that’s going to be more than 250 calories.

Are you really suggesting that people walk and hour and half with the intention of burning 250 calories? There are a lot of reasons to exercise. But weight loss isn’t one.

You shouldn’t be eating excess cookies if you’re trying to lose weight. That doesn’t negate the effect of walking for an hour (the most base of exercises)

And just like the Nobel Winning Economist says about why people don’t save for the future, “none of us are Homo Economicus”. The same can be applied to diet. No one is a completely rational being.

You tell me that I have to walk an hour to burn off 250 calories, I’m not going to bother and neither are most people. Every study shows that exercise is a completely ineffective method to lose weight for most people.

I mentioned in another comment that yes I did eat like crap and lost and maintained weight by exercising in my mid 20s to mid 30s. I was also a part time fitness instructor, taught 10 hours a week (spinning, step, weightlifting, cardio kickboxing) and I trained for runs and I lifted weights three times a week. I had a commitment device to go the gym - regularly scheduled classes that I taught and got paid for. I had to be in shape. I would teach 2 hour classes on Saturday and Sunday and teach during the week.

Most people will never commit to that level or intensity of exercise. Even now, I have a home cardio gym and the only time I watch TV by myself is when I exercise.

I can also eat a 1000 calorie burrito while I'm walking.

You could eat 5 of them while sitting.

250 calories is 1 cookie and I can eat that in 10 seconds

You can stop eating too many cookies too.

Off season bodybuilders are an obvious counter example.

Exhibit A. https://d3h9ln6psucegz.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/201...

What?!

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