Comment by Nevermark

Comment by Nevermark 4 days ago

I have had a similar insight.

People often wonder what advice they would give their younger self. This would be it for me.

It something seems too difficult, it is likely because you are still struggling with a pre-requisite. Go back to working on the previous foundation until your mastery is complete.

This is true for work, mental & fitness progress.

I.e. if you find losing weight hard, you probably need to improve your diet (not to lose weight, but to find healthy food you enjoy enough to become a self-reinforcing habit).

Don’t try to improve your diet in order to lose weight. That is trying to solve two big things, on two different levels, at once.

This may take a while, but eventually you can find your way to an exceptionally healthy diet you like too much to require any discipline to stay on.

That is a health foundation of lasting value. And with that foundatiin, when you try to lose weight again, it is much easier.

Likewise, if you find it is hard to improve your diet, even in increments, perhaps you are fatigued? You may need to improve your sleep routine until you are habitually not tired.

For some of us, that might take a lot of work. But focusing on it, instead of downstream efforts will pay off.

Etc.

Foundations should be iterated on until they are self-perpetuatingly solid. Then the next thing will be much easier.

Math and physics are mental versions.

The result for any path: Go slow (iterate & explore to complete fluency & habit) to go fast (compounding instead of linear gains in understanding & progress).

necovek 4 days ago

> ...exceptionally healthy diet you like too much to require any discipline to stay on.

There's no such thing. Eating only 50 avocados a day (so called "superfood") won't get you healthy or make you lose weight.

Too much of anything is not healthy.

A "healthy diet" is matched up with your body, short- and long-term needs, activities, mental state, etc.

I do agree with the suggested approach for achieving anything significant, just nitpicking on some of the language in your dieting example.

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Nevermark 4 days ago

> Too much of anything is not healthy.
You have lost me. I said a healthy diet you love.
So critiquing me as suggesting anything that is not a healthy diet seems odd.
A healthy diet can be created many ways, all involve a lot of variety.
But it can be convenient too. If you find the right mix (for your own tastes) of “superfoods” as a foundation. I.e. hummus, mixed greens, mixed berries, a mix of nuts, a mix of seeds, sardines, salmon & tuna (but not too much), eggs, etc.
If your fridge, pantry, and eating habits cover all your basic nutrition multiple ways by default, then adding a variety of other healthy foods can be done very spontaneously without any need for planning.
I know, it took me a few years, and a lot of iteration, but it would be hard to beat my diet.
Even my snacks are up there, like edamame, chocolate in moderation, fresh veggies, high protein low sugar ice cream, etc.
Achieving healthy autopilot is the point.

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- necovek 4 days ago
  
  In formal theory, it would be called a proof by contradiction when extended to an extreme.
  Even with the "right mix", if you eat 5x the amount your lifestyle and body and mind need, you ain't ever going to lose weight or get to a healthy state. Obese people are (usually) obese because they eat too much, not just because of the type of food they eat. Heck, today both keto and vegan are considered "healthy" and they are on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to diet choices.
  I am basically arguing that, to an extent, it's more important how much you eat, vs what you eat. Again, this is all comparative (eg. eating McDonalds burgers for the rest of your life is "healthy" compared to not eating anything at all, but that's a useless distinction).
  Plenty of people in the past have eaten "unhealthy" (white bread, fried meat and vegetables) yet didn't have an obesity or health problem, because they countered that with a balanced activity (physical work) and mental load (shared responsibilities).
  So my point is that you should reach that "autopilot" on the amount of the food you get, and then you can be pretty liberal in how you achieve it (obviously, don't have chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner). I do agree getting to the autopilot is where you should put your effort to.
  
  Reply View | 2 replies
  
  Nevermark 4 days ago
  
  If you need to eat more, you need to eat more. You need a different mix
  There isn’t a diet that works for everyone in both health & physical & psychological diet needs
  The point is always making progress. Accumulating foods that work better. So learn and continually try things.
  Anyone can make progress, that is beneficial.
  I am still making progress, in food quality & convenience, which blows my mind.
  And I don’t doubt there are medical and mental issues that need more than a healthy diet intervention
  But that doesn’t eliminate the benefits from being healthier, easier.
  You don’t know how much eating healthier automatically will impact seemingly independent or counter issues until trying. A sustained changed diet changes our responses to food physically & mentally in significant & positive ways.
  My diet has changed me.
  
  Reply View | 1 reply
  
  necovek 4 days ago
  
  I don't doubt that, and good for you! In a sense, that should be obvious to anyone who's ever been a bit more edgy because they lacked the carbohydrates for the moment ("eat some sugar"), but larger changes will certainly trigger a larger change in body response (hormones, energy levels, mood...).
  From the get go, I only challenged the notion that the main issue for people who want to lose weight is the type of the food they eat, but instead, the amount of the food they eat.
  It seems like we are arguing past each other though :)
  
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