Exercise is not as important as diet in terms of weight loss

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  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    sunandmoons wrote: »
    Losing first then maintaining. Adding cardio, bike riding, then weights to define. I dont want water weight during weight loss. That always hinders me and I give up

    Understanding how the body responds to certain things is key. Water weight is either part of the fueling process (glycogen in the liver and muscles is coupled with water .. about three grams of water per gram of glycogen) or repair process. Once that is understood it is possible to differentiate fat and water weight.
  • sunandmoons
    sunandmoons Posts: 415 Member
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    Right....however I know how my body reacts. I only have about 25 pounds to my goal and have lost 9 pounds in 6 weeks eating 1200 cal. This is whats working for me. I have gym across the street and a Vasa gym not far away and will continue there when Im done.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Forget looking good and being healthy (kidding.. sort of), exercising gives me 300ish more calories to eat a day. That's 15% more than I would otherwise. Makes a huge difference to me. I could NEVER stick to my diet if I didn't have those extra calories.

  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    I could definitely lose weight with diet alone, but I hate how fast I lose strength from not lifting even just for a week or 2. I have to exercise to keep my strength up.
  • Optimistical1
    Optimistical1 Posts: 210 Member
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    SKME2013 wrote: »
    At the end of the day it is all a question of caloric deficit. Yes, you can not outrun a "bad" diet, but boy...does it help to improve mine.

    For me the exercise part is the most inportant part of my daily routine: I am successfully in maintenance and that for about a year now. I have set my activity level here on MFP to "sedentary" and I am "earning" extra calories through cardio, my activities measured with a heart rate monitor and a multisportswatch.

    My daily calorie allocation from MFP is about 1500 calories. As most of you know that does not allow for very much and certainly not for treats. I burn in average between 600 and 1000 calories a day (I am training for a marathon and walking my dogs for 6-9 km every day).

    So, instead of 1500 calories I can now eat around 2200 which certainly helps. If I had to stick to 1500 calories every day, this would feel like a diet to me and not something I could maintain easily. If I can eat around 2200 calories every day, I do not feel that I ever miss out on something. (I eat most of my calories from exercise back and so far this worked for me without a glitch)

    For me, the introduction of exercise made my weightloss journey so much more bearable, leave alone, that now at the tender age of 50 I am much healthier and fitter than ever in my life before.

    Stef.

    Exactly!!! I'm 5'0" so my daily calorie intake would be 1200 per day with no exercise. It would be way too difficult to live with such a small amount of calories on a daily basis.
    The big secret to exercising is finding something active you enjoy.
    I am not a runner nor a nature person. If I were forced to jog or run outside everyday, I would probably never get any exercise in. For me, a marathon would be absolute torture (no offense to the runners out there, I envy you guys and wish I could be more like you). Soccer was my thing until an injury put me out. I do enjoy group fitness classes though. I could do several sessions of Zumba, cardio kickboxing, or a good toning group fitness class and never get tired of it(if only time permitted).
    Find what you enjoy and stick with it. CICO is sooooo much easier to stick to when you creste a big enough deficit through exercise.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    My personal view on order of importance is - Diet, sleep, exercise.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    Exercise is a crucial aid for me to create a calorie deficit. I feel better, mentally and physically, and I sleep better, and thus it's easier for me to make the food choices that work best for me.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    Exercise is not essential to lose weight, only a caloric deficit is. For me personally, it plays a crucial role. I am active on a daily basis and that helped me lose weight and is now helping me maintain. It's also increased my cardiovascular health and fitness. I'd be lost without exercise.

    This.

    I have learned to Preplan food and log what I'll eat without exercise in case something comes up and I can't workout (rarely), then I'll add goods to compensate for exercise to properly fuel my body. I love moving every day if I can.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    sunandmoons wrote: »
    Losing first then maintaining. Adding cardio, bike riding, then weights to define. I dont want water weight during weight loss. That always hinders me and I give up

    Water weight is normal. Unfortunately, you don't have any control over it.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,493 Member
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    A calorie burned = a calorie not eaten.

    Simple math.

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