# Weight loss **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 2, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561 "2012-02-02T19:21:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MsJinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@MsJinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsJinx)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/21 "2012-02-03T19:46:18Z")
I understand the calories in/buring calories thing, but why do some medications cause weight gain? And some do it very quickly. I think I’ve heard that steroids do this. I could see this happening if it caused the person to eat a lot more, but if calories/exercise reamined the same, would it still cause weight gain? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/22 "2012-02-03T20:20:59Z")
I recently thought of some other ways to lose weight quickly without diet or exercise… Cut off your arms and legs. You’ll lose a LOT of weight really fast. Remove as much of your liver as possible, have your abdomen fat liposuctioned, donate one of your kidneys and one of your lungs. Shave your head to get rid of the weight of your hair. Grind off as much of your skin as you can without dying from dehydration. Cut out your tongue and remove all your teeth. Cut off your ears, pluck out your eyes. This can all be done within a day, or just a few hours, and while I haven’t done the calculations, you’re DEFINITELY going to lose a lot of weight really fast! ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/23 "2012-02-03T20:23:00Z")
Cut your arm off. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/24 "2012-02-03T20:26:38Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Cut off your arms and legs. You’ll lose a LOT of weight really fast. In Steve Martin’s book _Cruel Shoes_, he created a sure-fire diet plan. It was (pardon the paraphrase, it’s been a long time since I’ve read it): Month 1: Eat one half of a grapefruit. Month 2: Drink a glass of water Month 3: If, after the first two months, you still haven’t reached your goal, start lopping off limbs until you reach your dream weight! ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/25 "2012-02-03T20:29:41Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > In Steve Martin’s book _Cruel Shoes_, he created a sure-fire diet plan. It was (pardon the paraphrase, it’s been a long time since I’ve read it): > > Month 1: Eat one half of a grapefruit. > > Month 2: Drink a glass of water > > Month 3: If, after the first two months, you still haven’t reached your goal, start lopping off limbs until you reach your dream weight! I love love love it! ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/26 "2012-02-03T21:02:26Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I recently thought of some other ways to lose weight quickly without diet or exercise… > > Cut off your arms and legs. You’ll lose a LOT of weight really fast. Remove as much of your liver as possible, have your abdomen fat liposuctioned, donate one of your kidneys and one of your lungs. Shave your head to get rid of the weight of your hair. Grind off as much of your skin as you can without dying from dehydration. Cut out your tongue and remove all your teeth. Cut off your ears, pluck out your eyes. > > This can all be done within a day, or just a few hours, and while I haven’t done the calculations, you’re DEFINITELY going to lose a lot of weight really fast! I don’t think you can donate a kidney and a lung, and get liposuction all on the same day. Sorry…but your plan will take more than a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/27 "2012-02-03T22:28:57Z")
About 7 years ago, I started taking metformin for diabetes. I don’t know what its mode of action is but mild weight loss is a common side effect. I lost about 20 pounds over the ensuing two years, without make any change in my diet or activity level. Then it tapered off. (:\>( ---
**Author:** ![Granny\_Rainbow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@Granny\_Rainbow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Granny_Rainbow)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/28 "2012-02-04T05:00:03Z")
It appears that most people have a funny method of making your body weigh less. There is a magic bullet. Research substances that speed up your metabolism. They work. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/29 "2012-02-04T05:07:36Z")
> [@Granny\_Rainbow](#): > > It appears that most people have a funny method of making your body weigh less. There is a magic bullet. Research substances that speed up your metabolism. They work. And are really dangerous to use without medical supervision. Assuming they work at all. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561/30 "2012-02-04T07:12:00Z")
> [@Granny\_Rainbow](#): > > It appears that most people have a funny method of making your body weigh less. There is a magic bullet. Research substances that speed up your metabolism. They work. Yes, they do work for weight loss. In just about all cases, though, they have extremely undesirable side effects, like early patient death. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-loss/611561.md?page=1)