Exercise & Weight Loss Correlation

Mr_Knight
Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm a data junkie. Always have been. Not apologizing for it. :smile: For reasons I don't even remember anymore, I was pulling all my Strava logs for the past 2.5 years into a database. And an immediate, obvious correlation popped out.

Like, like a giant meteor crossing the sky.

Every good month of weight loss - every. single. one. - matches up with a month of logging 20+ hours of moderate or higher physical activity (usually running/cycling). Not one month of logging 20+ hours of exercise happened without solid weight loss.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling motivated to add another 20-30k to this morning's 30k ride! :smiley:

:drinker:


Replies

  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    Oh heck yes

    I do not do well on calorie deficit only

    Bring on the hard cardio and deadlifts !

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    Yay! It is awesome that that works for you.

    For me, I'm losing weight just fine without exercise. I figure, I might as well start as I mean to go on. If I can work in exercise at a later time, great. If not, then I'm doing OK without it.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited July 2015
    professionalHobbyist wrote: »
    I do not do well on calorie deficit only

    Neither do I. I'm curious why it works that way for so many of us. It's almost like my body decides on its own...."Ok, this poopyhead is obviously going to keep pushing us hard for a while, may as well lighten up and make it as easy as possible"....
  • DuckReconMajor
    DuckReconMajor Posts: 434 Member
    Exercising makes me feel better. When I feel better I don't rely on food as much to make me happy. This is how it helps me.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,956 Member
    Well it makes sense if calorie intake was consistent. Higher deficits produce more weight loss. Of course there's a limit to it too.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Do not really want add another 30k to my 30k running each week... but I too am a data junkie or rather a data *kitten* and I too can say my weight loss numbers are greatest during the very very active running weeks...

    Since I lift weights (6 day splits) really do not want the added wear of 30k, but a look at the numbers is motivating and really nice on the waist line to say the least.... Good post..
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,209 Member
    Actually it also helps you lose at a higher caloric intake which in my non-scientifically backed opinion cannot hurt as compared to straight up losing by just eating very little.

    Of course you and I would probably still disagree as to whether it NEEDS to be intense and vigorous exercise as opposed to being able to achieve the same results with ANY exercise, or movements, that increase TDEE.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    i did better when i was losing weight with exercise because without it, my calories were pretty paltry and I just couldn't stick to them...exercise just gave me more room to eat in such a way that I didn't want to gouge my own eyes out and lose the weight pretty easily.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Of course you and I would probably still disagree as to whether it NEEDS to be intense and vigorous exercise as opposed to being able to achieve the same results with ANY exercise, or movements, that increase TDEE.

    For me it appears to be linked to the burn numbers. So from a "there are only so many hours in the day and I have other stuff to do" perspective, yeah, I can't get there without moderate and higher intensity.

    But if someone really did have four hours a day for dedicated walking/hiking, I strongly suspect that would work, too.

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I can also find a similar correlation for when my band has a busier rehearsal schedule....it's hard to be stuffing my face with a bass in my hands!

    But same thing with higher volume training months, it's easier to maintain that deficit when you're running 60km weeks!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I lost at a much faster rate doing cardio and bodyweight vs cardio and weightlifting. My weight loss rate after switching from bodyweight strength training to lifting weights (with cardio remaining constant) was much slower. I think it was a combo of not being able to tolerate as large a calorie deficit when lifting and the bodyweight exercise providing a greater calorie burn.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
    However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html
  • cwilso37
    cwilso37 Posts: 79 Member
    There might be a flaw in your thinking. Could it not be that the months you did so much more exercise you paid far more attention to what you ate as well. When you didn't exercise, I would assume you had both good and bad months.

    Just saying selection effect or missing variables at play.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Did you also consume less? Maybe exercise mediated your loss via appetite reduction, which happens to some but not all. Or maybe it upped your basic energy levels, so your NEAT increased.

    I also lose faster when I do more cardio and I definitely wind up eating less.
  • Diana_GettingFit
    Diana_GettingFit Posts: 458 Member
    I lost 18 lbs in about two months when I started running. I've also dropped two pant sizes. I kind of started calorie counting and running around the same time though, so I guess it was a double whammy!

Categories