A quarter of people who join a gym put on weight after doing so, almost certainly because they reward themselves with sweet treats or extra large meals afterwards. A survey of 1,000 gym users found that only 25% had lost weight since joining; while 49% said their weight had stayed the same. Around 35% said they rewarded themselves with extra calories after a workout, most typically in the form of a chocolate bar or a glass of wine, while 53% said the exercise made them feel hungrier. Most visited the gym more than three times a week, but 40% of them burnt off fewer than 300 calories per visit, while 4% exerted themselves so little that they burnt off fewer than 100 calories. (The Huffington Post)

All this might be true, but the expectations are faulty. You cannot expect to lose weight just by going to the gym. The point of the gym is to convert fat to muscle and strengthen your heart with aerobic activity. More muscle can actually increase your weight, even as it increases your use of calories. If you want to lose weight the main thing you need is “portion control”. There is an old man in my gym with a huge pot belly, which he has had for ten years. He is assiduous about the gym, but the fact is that if he wants to lose his belly he has to eat less (fattening) food, too. Needless to say, neither I, nor his personal trainer, am in a position to tell him so.

Epicurus believed in moderation, especially in food and drink. He is pictured as a gaunt and ascetic man, although he is famous for enjoying his life. Of course, he did not live in a society that added fructose corn syrup to every known food, including soup! Not to mention salt. So I correct myself – weight loss is not just a matter of portion control, but cutting out sweet food and harmful sodas, and the junk food that we let big business inflict on us. Epicurus probably drank water, but sneaked in the odd glass of Ouzo for fun.