Exercise doesn't help you lose weight...say what?
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stevencloser wrote: »
If that part time job has the side effect of making you want to spend more.Jruzer wrote: »
I need to save up some money. I want to get a part-time job to earn extra income, but my friend says the only way to save money is to spend less, and that working more won't help you get extra money.
Very good Jnuzer
Yes, I was thinking of writing a follow-up. That's a second-order effect, but it can be important.
If your part time job is far away and costs a lot for gas, or requires a new wardrobe, it may not help you at all. Or if you're so happy with the new income that you spend all that you earn (and maybe more!), it won't help. Perhaps you're so busy at your new job that you have less time to cook and get expensive takeout instead.
You still have to watch the bottom line.0 -
LyndseyLovesToLift wrote: »A person that eats 1600 calories per day and doesn't exercise will lose the same amount of weight as a person that eats 2000 calories and burns 400 calories per day, without fail, from exercise.
That is only necessarily true for a brief moment. As soon as any weight is lost, it starts becoming un-true, based on the type of exercise and the choice of calories, because body composition is changing, and it is not only possible, but quite common for that 1600 to result in a smaller deficit than the 2000 + 400 exercising.
Think....skinny fat.
Exercise has more effect on weight loss than just letting you eat back a few calories...
This all depends on the type of exercise, though. A cardio queen will still be skinny fat.0 -
NFL Offensive/Defensive lineman are probably much more conditioned/fit and faster than many average lean fit people. And many are gluttons and are overweight for their size.bcalvanese wrote: »I have to disagree and say that fitness is just as (if not more) important than diet. I know I will be attacked for this, but I just cannot agree.
Fitness is key to weight control. If a person is at a good fitness level, they would have to literally be a glutton to become over weight. In addition, the more over weight a person is, the lower their fitness level.
Let the attacks begin...
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
Isn't a retired NFL player likely to average 55 years of life and have an increase of 37% higher then average for Alzheimer's? Aren't linemen also twice as likely to have CVD? I guess it is good those linemen are in good shape. Or, maybe it is good to be an average lean fit person. Hmmm......
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_Terrapin_ wrote: »
NFL Offensive/Defensive lineman are probably much more conditioned/fit and faster than many average lean fit people. And many are gluttons and are overweight for their size.bcalvanese wrote: »I have to disagree and say that fitness is just as (if not more) important than diet. I know I will be attacked for this, but I just cannot agree.
Fitness is key to weight control. If a person is at a good fitness level, they would have to literally be a glutton to become over weight. In addition, the more over weight a person is, the lower their fitness level.
Let the attacks begin...
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
Isn't a retired NFL player likely to average 55 years of life and have an increase of 37% higher then average for Alzheimer's? Aren't linemen also twice as likely to have CVD? I guess it is good those linemen are in good shape. Or, maybe it is good to be an average lean fit person. Hmmm......
I believe the Alzheimer's correlation was mainly with the "speed" positions (QB, RB, WR, TE, etc) than the linemen positions... the players on the field who are generally more lean. I would guess concussions and brain trauma would be the cause of that, not their weight.0 -
I think it was across all position, not just the QB, RB, WR, TE positions or linemen. I have n't read the study in a while so you could be right._Terrapin_ wrote: »
NFL Offensive/Defensive lineman are probably much more conditioned/fit and faster than many average lean fit people. And many are gluttons and are overweight for their size.bcalvanese wrote: »I have to disagree and say that fitness is just as (if not more) important than diet. I know I will be attacked for this, but I just cannot agree.
Fitness is key to weight control. If a person is at a good fitness level, they would have to literally be a glutton to become over weight. In addition, the more over weight a person is, the lower their fitness level.
Let the attacks begin...
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
Isn't a retired NFL player likely to average 55 years of life and have an increase of 37% higher then average for Alzheimer's? Aren't linemen also twice as likely to have CVD? I guess it is good those linemen are in good shape. Or, maybe it is good to be an average lean fit person. Hmmm......
I believe the Alzheimer's correlation was mainly with the "speed" positions (QB, RB, WR, TE, etc) than the linemen positions... the players on the field who are generally more lean. I would guess concussions and brain trauma would be the cause of that, not their weight.
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A good diet makes you look better in clothes..... working out makes you look better naked.
So I've heard. I avoid exercise like the plague. :-P0 -
Sure you can. You just need to exercise more than average. Michael Phelps had a diet of up to 12,000 calories a day when he was training around 5 hours a day. Source: hereashleypetrie4 wrote: »You can't out run a bad diet, so if you're exercising, but eating like crap then it won't help. If you're eating well and in a deficit, but do not exercise, you will still lose weight. Using exercise to create a deficit is fine, but you still have to eat well.
As for the actual question in hand: working out is so much more than just losing weight. Both weight lifting and cardio help to strengthen the heart as well as lungs etc... Weight lifting can help strengthen bones by making them thicker. Weight lifting helps you maintain lean muscle that helps burn calories. The list goes on.0 -
Kimegatron wrote: »From what I have learned here, your friends are correct.
Then you learned some incorrect information. Exercise burns calories. Whether you create a deficit through eating less or burning more doesn't matter.
Exercise absolutely DOES help you lose weight.0 -
_Terrapin_ wrote: »
I think it was across all position, not just the QB, RB, WR, TE positions or linemen. I have n't read the study in a while so you could be right._Terrapin_ wrote: »
NFL Offensive/Defensive lineman are probably much more conditioned/fit and faster than many average lean fit people. And many are gluttons and are overweight for their size.bcalvanese wrote: »I have to disagree and say that fitness is just as (if not more) important than diet. I know I will be attacked for this, but I just cannot agree.
Fitness is key to weight control. If a person is at a good fitness level, they would have to literally be a glutton to become over weight. In addition, the more over weight a person is, the lower their fitness level.
Let the attacks begin...
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
Isn't a retired NFL player likely to average 55 years of life and have an increase of 37% higher then average for Alzheimer's? Aren't linemen also twice as likely to have CVD? I guess it is good those linemen are in good shape. Or, maybe it is good to be an average lean fit person. Hmmm......
I believe the Alzheimer's correlation was mainly with the "speed" positions (QB, RB, WR, TE, etc) than the linemen positions... the players on the field who are generally more lean. I would guess concussions and brain trauma would be the cause of that, not their weight.
that's definitely down to head injuries.0 -
NFL Offensive/Defensive lineman are probably much more conditioned/fit and faster than many average lean fit people. And many are gluttons and are overweight for their size.bcalvanese wrote: »I have to disagree and say that fitness is just as (if not more) important than diet. I know I will be attacked for this, but I just cannot agree.
Fitness is key to weight control. If a person is at a good fitness level, they would have to literally be a glutton to become over weight. In addition, the more over weight a person is, the lower their fitness level.
Let the attacks begin...
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
Understood, but I was talking about average people, not athletes. Especially ones who bulk up. I know a pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh a pound, but muscle is denser and weighs more than the same volume of fat.0 -
I don't think they are gluttons. They are pressured and struggle to take in 7000+calories per day. What they do to their bodies is abusive.bcalvanese wrote: »
NFL Offensive/Defensive lineman are probably much more conditioned/fit and faster than many average lean fit people. And many are gluttons and are overweight for their size.bcalvanese wrote: »I have to disagree and say that fitness is just as (if not more) important than diet. I know I will be attacked for this, but I just cannot agree.
Fitness is key to weight control. If a person is at a good fitness level, they would have to literally be a glutton to become over weight. In addition, the more over weight a person is, the lower their fitness level.
Let the attacks begin...
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
Understood, but I was talking about average people, not athletes. Especially ones who bulk up. I know a pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh a pound, but muscle is denser and weighs more than the same volume of fat.
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SingRunTing wrote: »I don't think this is a controversial topic really.
To lose weight you need to create a calorie deficit / negative energy balance. You can do so by:- diet alone
- exercise alone
- a combination of diet and exercise
Many people choose a combination of diet and exercise because it doesn't entail the greater time commitment of the exercise only approach or the greater reduction in food intake than the diet alone approach. However they can all be successful.
This!
Theoretical person has a sedentary TDEE of 2500 with normal daily activity (they don't currently work out). They want to lose 2lbs a week --> 1000 calorie a day deficit.
Any of these three methods will work, but I'm ranking them from hardest to easiet (IMO of course).
Hardest: Continue to eat 2500 calories a day, do 1000 calories a day of working out. Not easy to sustain that level of activity day in a day out.
Easier: Eat 1500 calories a day, no working out. Not too bad, but it's a little hard to work in treats regularly on 1500 calories so I would give up after a few months.
Easiest: Eat 1700 calories a day, do 200 calories of working out (or whatever level of working out is sustainable for you). You get to eat a little more, but aren't killing yourself with the workouts either. If you find that you want more calories, add extra workout time.
**applause**
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It's amazing to see how many people think exercise is not that important. I don't know one person (not athletes or body builders) who is at a good fitness level that has any kind of weight control issue.
And this is a "MyFitnessPal" forum, not "MyCaloriePal"...
I have been using exercise as my primary method of losing the weight because lack of exercise over decades is what made me gain all the weight. Sure I watch what I eat more, and have learned a little more about nutrition. I have always liked vegetables, fruits, and foods that are good for me, but I also like a cheesesteak or a couple slices of pizza once in a while.
I'm going to be the person who uses fitness to control my weight, and once I get fit and get to a healthy weight, I'm going to be the person who doesn't have a weight control issue anymore.
JMO.0 -
chrisdomico wrote: »I hurt my back the first week of July and couldn't do any exercise for several days. That whole week, I stayed to my diet of 1500 calories a day and still lost weight. When my back was better and I started exercising every day again (eating about 1800 a day but burning off about 300), my rate of weight loss pretty much continued.
In my experience, people who tell you "exercise doesn't matter" are usually the people who constantly make excuses about why they don't exercise. The flaw in all these "studies" about how exercise doesn't matter is that they all seem to ignore the fact that it's human nature to think we can eat more and still lose weight if we just simply exercise once every day or two. And it blows my mind sometimes when I hear what some people consider to be exercise. Walking a mile on your lunch break every day is barely going to get your heart rate up enough to matter.
Are you kidding?
I walk 3 miles at lunch at a 3.5 to 4mph pace, and get my heart rate well up into the cardio zone. But then again I'm a 57 year old out of shape guy... 0 -
bcalvanese wrote: »It's amazing to see how many people think exercise is not that important. I don't know one person (not athletes or body builders) who is at a good fitness level that has any kind of weight control issue.
And this is a "MyFitnessPal" forum, not "MyCaloriePal"...
I have been using exercise as my primary method of losing the weight because lack of exercise over decades is what made me gain all the weight. Sure I watch what I eat more, and have learned a little more about nutrition. I have always liked vegetables, fruits, and foods that are good for me, but I also like a cheesesteak or a couple slices of pizza once in a while.
I'm going to be the person who uses fitness to control my weight, and once I get fit and get to a healthy weight, I'm going to be the person who doesn't have a weight control issue anymore.
JMO.
No, eating too many calories over decades is what made you gain weight. Exercise might have helped you create a calorie deficit, but the calorie deficit is what made you lose the weight.0 -
bcalvanese wrote: »It's amazing to see how many people think exercise is not that important. I don't know one person (not athletes or body builders) who is at a good fitness level that has any kind of weight control issue.
And this is a "MyFitnessPal" forum, not "MyCaloriePal"...
I have been using exercise as my primary method of losing the weight because lack of exercise over decades is what made me gain all the weight. Sure I watch what I eat more, and have learned a little more about nutrition. I have always liked vegetables, fruits, and foods that are good for me, but I also like a cheesesteak or a couple slices of pizza once in a while.
I'm going to be the person who uses fitness to control my weight, and once I get fit and get to a healthy weight, I'm going to be the person who doesn't have a weight control issue anymore.
JMO.
No, eating too many calories over decades is what made you gain weight. Exercise might have helped you create a calorie deficit, but the calorie deficit is what made you lose the weight.
Double no, going from being at a very good fitness level to a very poor fitness level, and exercising to absolutely no exercise after a car accident and decades of sitting on my butt due to a career change is what made me gain the weight. I never changed my diet at all.
How could you possibly know what caused me to gain weight?0 -
Wow I came back on tonight and couldn't believe this thread hit 8 pages already haha! Lots of good responses here, thanks for all the comments/feedback. Seems like the takeaway is it was a matter of wording. Exercise can help create a calorie deficit, but diet is really more important overall in losing weight as the bottom line is calories in/calories out to drop pounds.1
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bcalvanese wrote: »It's amazing to see how many people think exercise is not that important. I don't know one person (not athletes or body builders) who is at a good fitness level that has any kind of weight control issue.
And this is a "MyFitnessPal" forum, not "MyCaloriePal"...
I have been using exercise as my primary method of losing the weight because lack of exercise over decades is what made me gain all the weight. Sure I watch what I eat more, and have learned a little more about nutrition. I have always liked vegetables, fruits, and foods that are good for me, but I also like a cheesesteak or a couple slices of pizza once in a while.
I'm going to be the person who uses fitness to control my weight, and once I get fit and get to a healthy weight, I'm going to be the person who doesn't have a weight control issue anymore.
JMO.
No, eating too many calories over decades is what made you gain weight. Exercise might have helped you create a calorie deficit, but the calorie deficit is what made you lose the weight.
I agree with this.
I love exercise. I weight lift, I run 2-4 times a week, I do the elliptical cross trainer too. I love to go on long walks sometimes too. In fact, I have always loved to exercise, even when I was fat.
I weight lifted, ran, and walked and gained 33 pounds over a 3-5 year period because I ate too much, not because I exercised too little.
Exercise is for fitness, and there is no doubt that when you exercise you generally have room to eat more calories. But, the bottom line is if you don't know how much you are eating, it's easy to get out of hand in the food area and put weight on even when exercising.
Weight gain is all about eating too many calories in general, whether or not you exercise, it's not about exercising more so you lost weight or don't gain weight.0 -
bcalvanese wrote: »chrisdomico wrote: »I hurt my back the first week of July and couldn't do any exercise for several days. That whole week, I stayed to my diet of 1500 calories a day and still lost weight. When my back was better and I started exercising every day again (eating about 1800 a day but burning off about 300), my rate of weight loss pretty much continued.
In my experience, people who tell you "exercise doesn't matter" are usually the people who constantly make excuses about why they don't exercise. The flaw in all these "studies" about how exercise doesn't matter is that they all seem to ignore the fact that it's human nature to think we can eat more and still lose weight if we just simply exercise once every day or two. And it blows my mind sometimes when I hear what some people consider to be exercise. Walking a mile on your lunch break every day is barely going to get your heart rate up enough to matter.
Are you kidding?
I walk 3 miles at lunch at a 3.5 to 4mph pace, and get my heart rate well up into the cardio zone. But then again I'm a 57 year old out of shape guy...
I think you kind of missed my point, but I didn't communicate that part of it very well. I was kind of just referring to the people who will eat a 2,000+ calorie lunch or dinner and then think a walk around the block "burns it off". How many times do you see someone eat that much and then say "Well, better take my after dinner walk and burn that all off!" And then in 15 minutes they're back, haven't even broken a sweat, and are probably now hungry for dessert.
Not judging anyone--I just think this is what we tend to do as human beings. If you're consciously walking for fitness and keeping a brisk pace, 3 miles certainly isn't anything to sneeze at. When my back starts acting up, I'd much rather walk my 2 1/2 mile loop around my neighborhood than do nothing at all.0
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