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The Physics Diet April 5, 2006

Here’s an interesting story from physicist Richard A. Muller about how he lost weight using the first law of thermodynamics: The Physics Diet.

Exercise is a very difficult way to lose weight. Here’s a rule of thumb: exercise very hard for one hour (swimming, running, or racquetball) and you’ll lose about one ounce of fat. Light exercise for an hour (gardening, baseball, or golf) will lose you a third of an ounce. That number is small because fat is a very energy-dense substance: it packs about 4,000 food calories per pound, the same as gasoline, and 15 times as much as in TNT.

His solution? Eat less.

It reminds me of a ‘miracle diet’ skit I once saw on the satirical lifestyle show Life Support. Dr Rudi had come up with an amazing new concept for weight loss – “eat less”. Everyone is so caught up in fad diets, cleansing programs, miracle weight loss cures, exercise programs, drugs, metabolic stimulation, therapy and even surgery, that it’s actually funny to hear someone suggest that eating less is an effective way to lose weight!

Of course, if you eat less you’ll need to learn how to deal with hunger. What does Muller recommend? He suggests that you think of hunger as an itch, and you should stop scratching it. He draws inspiration from Lawrence of Arabia, who said, “The trick is not minding that it hurts”.

I told myself that the mild ache was only the sensation of evaporating fat.

Remember, being fat is just as much of a choice as choosing to lose weight. You may not have consciously chosen to put on weight, but once you notice the extra pounds and do nothing about it, you’re choosing to be fat.

Anybody can lose weight. Energy is conserved. Just stop scratching that itch. Of course, you’ll have to sacrifice instant gratification. Is it worth it? You decide. Food is delicious and cheap. You might reasonably choose to take advantage of this unique historical circumstance, and decide to be fat.

Everybody already knows how to lose weight – eat right, eat less, exercise more. You don’t need a doctor or a physicist to tell you that.

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