Weight Loss: Physiology And Psychology

Blood Flow Physics

Circulation

Dehydration

Diabetes And Cardiovascular Disease

Energetics

Energy

Energy Fuels

Hunger

Muscle Protein

Nutrition

Powering The Body

Shoes

Trans Fatty Acids

Vitamins

Vitamins - Overview

Weight Control

Weight Loss And Exercise

The genetic make-up of the individual is unique and no two individuals can ever be alike. Only actual clones can do that where the genome is copied exactly. All 3 billion or so  'letters' (amino acids) in its code sequence from start to finish in exactly the same order. Identical twins are by definition apparently very similar and even if the appearance traits do not reveal differences, an entire 'lifetime' of experience of every moment for that lifetime could never be duplicated. Someone who is 5' 9" tall can never be 6' in height. It's a genetic and physiological impossibility. Body mass potential is genetic (bone size) and the consequence is that this potential can never be altered. A 'normal' 5' 9" individual may become a very well-built 5' 9", but never a well-built 6'.

The body can and does store fat and its physical appearance can vary depending on diet, yet the original genetic potential still does not change. When excess fat is 'burnt off' be it by diet alone or diet and exercise the original appearance will be restored. 'Body-built' muscle mass, however it may have been acquired, will eventually be lost if the stress that caused it is terminated. This won't be immediate, though it is inevitable. Weight reduction is generally regarded as only involving the removal of adipose (fat) tissue, but any such 'weight loss' should be replaced by protein in order that body function is not itself 'lost'. It is not possible to selectively remove only 'fat' tissue.

Removing the engine from a car may reduce
the overall weight of the vehicle,
but it just fails to function

Weight control does not mean weight loss, but body constitution changes. Excess fatty tissue is removed, but by exercise and using carbohydrate to effect removal of fat by 'burning it off', overall weight can actually increase. Protein (muscle) is heavier than fat and if fat is replaced (not interchangeable) by protein then the body size may decrease though the weight could actually increase.

The density of protein is greater than fat

The weight of a mass of protein is greater than the equivalent volume of fat. Depending on starting weight, the overall weight may not decrease as much as expected. It may not decrease at all. As fat is replaced by protein (diet and/or exercise), body weight may actually increase, though physical size may go down.

Protein and fat are not interchangeable:

the one cannot become the other, but

they can replace each other 

This can appear to cause conflicting information if only the weight alone is monitored, but without consideration of the body appearance. The loss of fat weight can be replaced by the gain of protein-based weight. The former is just an energy source and the latter a structural modification.

Hunger and eating habits are by definition psychological. To reduce an undesirable excess in body weight, the brain must be engaged: the intellect must be involved. The physiology and psychology of the individual complement each other and cannot be separated. Focusing on either one will still involve the other. An athlete must work on both the technique of the sport and nutrition. These techniques may be specific to the sport, but nutrition is a common factor regardless of the discipline. Good nutrition does not require an associated sport and can involve simply the health and well-being of the individual. An athlete's well-being depends on nutrition, but the effectiveness of the athlete depends absolutely on good nutrition.

A runner, swimmer, weightlifter or gymnast must still use quality foodstuffs since they are all human even though they are individuals with their unique genetic make-up. Human physiology works in the same way for all humans. Sports specificity is unique to a sport, but whatever sport is adopted the human remains human. Any future genomic adaptation remains in the realms of science fiction and science fantasy (?).

• Weight and mass are not the same thing
• Moon has about 1/6th the gravity of Earth.

The weight of a body depends on the gravity acting upon it. A 50kg mass will be considerably less 'heavy' on the Moon than here on Earth, yet it will not change in physical size.