Hare VS Tortoise

[Trexmaster]

Among my circle of entourages, I have two friends that want to lose weight. For obvious reasons, each has their routine planned, yet they have different strategies to achieve weight loss.


• The Hare friend

Hare friend wants to lose weight as fast as possible. No pleasantries. No dangerous excesses, of course, but if it is humanly possible to lose weight in a short amount of time, he'd do it. The hare method.

• The Tortoise friend

Tortoise friend wants to lose weight on his time, casually, without that particular grind. The general rule of thumb is that more weight must be lost than it is added, which he knows, but doesn't want to exacerbate or exaggerate. The tortoise method.


Now, both these friends are have their reasons and criticism about the other's way of doing it.

Hare friend argues that by losing weight as fast as possible, the better. Full stop. Being against time, against yourself, and that by extending the workout process, the more the Tortoise would be inclined to give up, to be reckless, or at one point in time stop & be content with what they achieved.
Tortoise friend argues that there's no point of risking ruining and shellshocking yourself. It doesn't matter, if it takes 5 years or 7 or 9 years to achieve the optimal weight, as long as it happens. Tortoise argues that, in order for the workout to be worth it, life mustn't be snapped from pleasantries or Hare will risk harming their body, their mental state, that is counterproductive.

Hare thinks of the Tortoise that they're a sisyphean ignoramus, losing view of what workout to lose weight means (”the hustle is the point”); whereas Tortoise considers Hare a misanthropic glutton for punishment in the making (”the grind reinforces you with time”).
Hare is expected to change first (no surprise) and prove the point, whereas Tortoise is mindful with the overall aftershock (the metabolism).


Which one would be popular in order to get people in losing weight?
Which one, the Hare or the Tortoise, is accurate in their assessment and criticism?

[faithbrah]

interesting thread

generally both have valid reasoning, but i'd say something between those two is the optimal choice for most people

[EliKoehn]

^^ I'd agree with Faith. The way you've put it OP, it sounds like your tortoise friend is not taking it seriously enough, while the hare friend is investing all of their hopeful gratification in the short run which will likely disintegrate with the inevitable burnout.

If you're already obese or have terrible habits, neither approach seems like a reasonable way to reform your life, and if you're relatively close to a fit body composition, it shouldn't require a huge or especially long undertaking.

So... I'm not sure if the analogy still holds, but, the snapping turtle approach? Lol

[spradish]

I don't think that either is completely right or wrong. Different strokes for different folks.

I might be more hare-like in that I found that slower weight loss helped me to develop better fitness habits and kept my calorie level sustainable.

Other people (I know that Tommy views fat loss this way) prefer to drop the fat asap, meaning dropping calories significantly lower than my preference.

It really is a matter of personal preference.

[xsquid99]

I don't think that either is completely right or wrong. Different strokes for different folks.

It really is a matter of personal preference.

^^^^ Bingo.

[lsiberian]

I focus more on the process myself. Instead of aiming to lose weight I aim to improve my nutrition and be consistent in my exercise routine.

[XinXom]

I like slow better the idea being that I'm trying to form habits and also because I feel like I can get more done in the gym when I don't feel the massive fatigue of a larger deficit. When im currently in a "hare" deficit my lifts go down and I feel terrible. On the slow plan I make gains while I'm cutting and the weights go up so for me its slow boy mode. I have lost about 100 Ibs in 2 years and that doesn't included losing the same 20ish pounds I regained at the start of covid. Not as fast as I like but considering I lift double what I started on all my core lifts and feel better than I have in a decade I cant really complain.

[ArnKap]

So you say...
Practically I'm Tortoise and I wanna be Here?
can I be a Tortoise which go a bit faster? :P
thank you for the post, somehow I'm clearing my mind!

[Luclin999]

Both are wrong.

Permanent weight loss is a lifestyle change, not a race to a finish line.

Failure to make long term, sustainable changes will ultimately result in weight rebounds and regaining most or all of the fat back once the "diet" is considered to be "over".

To that consideration though, "the Hare" is the one most likely to lose the fat faster and to also regain it again the quickest as well.

[TolerantLactose]

Hare thinks of the Tortoise that they're a sisyphean ignoramus, losing view of what workout to lose weight means (”the hustle is the point”); whereas Tortoise considers Hare a misanthropic glutton for punishment in the making (”the grind reinforces you with time”).

Your "circle of entourages" sounds like a hoot.

[Trexmaster]

STATUS UPDATE

The Hare friend lost quite a bit of weight and added some muscles. He definitely feels powerful, a lot more agile. He's becoming exactly like a hare, fast and somewhat strong.

The Tortoise friend, though he hadn't lost quite a lot visibly, he too feels strong in his arms & legs.
He, on the other hand, still is somewhat bulky but isn't weak nor weaker than our Hare friend – which just looks odd.

They both feel healthier, yet the Tortoise is bulkier. He's like that Spiderman character that looks obese but actually only muscles, the physique is a false outlook. He isn't obsese of course but didn't changed, visually, like the Hare.


I don't know what to make of it.

[Tommy W.]

The amount of fat to lose will determine how quickly Fatloss should happen. The less fat the Smaller the calorie deficit.

[air2fakie]

STATUS UPDATE

The Hare friend lost quite a bit of weight and added some muscles. He definitely feels powerful, a lot more agile. He's becoming exactly like a hare, fast and somewhat strong.

The Tortoise friend, though he hadn't lost quite a lot visibly, he too feels strong in his arms & legs.
He, on the other hand, still is somewhat bulky but isn't weak nor weaker than our Hare friend – which just looks odd.

They both feel healthier, yet the Tortoise is bulkier. He's like that Spiderman character that looks obese but actually only muscles, the physique is a false outlook. He isn't obsese of course but didn't changed, visually, like the Hare.


I don't know what to make of it.

I'm pretty sure the Tortoise & the Hare should just fight & whoever loses should stfu. That is if you weren't a troll & your story wasn't a fable, of course.

[Tommy W.]

I don't think that either is completely right or wrong. Different strokes for different folks.

I might be more hare-like in that I found that slower weight loss helped me to develop better fitness habits and kept my calorie level sustainable.

Other people (I know that Tommy views fat loss this way) prefer to drop the fat asap, meaning dropping calories significantly lower than my preference.

It really is a matter of personal preference.

As mentioned that depends on the amount of fat that needs to be lost. Lots of fat and let the fat feed you. Usually just eliminating the foods and drinks that were responsible for the fat will do the trick.

People in general look for excuses to tiptoe around any kind of even semi aggressive Fatloss.”I’ll lose muscle, My metabolism will crash, etc” any excuse to not address the problem. Nothing wrong with taking it slow however not seeing results in any kind of reasonable timeframe will just put that person in the “fuc* it this doesn’t work” mindset.

[TolerantLactose]

He definitely feels powerful, a lot more agile.

he too feels strong in his arms & legs.

They both feel healthier

Cool. A race without defined start and finish lines so everyone wins!

[Tommy W.]

Cool. A race without defined start and finish lines so everyone wins!

most entertaining thread of the year, lol.