Someone discouraged me.

Fatvaporizer

So I was talking about how I had been working out consistently trying to lose weight, along with cutting back on what I ate/dieting, and the person started this whole lecture about how exercise is useless and that only watching what you eat matters to lose weight. So I said, so you're saying cardio and all that is useless to lose weight, what's the point of gyms and such? He was like people just want to make money.

I then pointed out that I actually did drop a lot of pounds from consistent exercise and diet over time. And he said well, that's all just because of your diet, and tried convincing me not to exercise anymore, but instead just diet and do zero cardio/workouts. I got a bit angry at this point as it seemed like he just said all the months of working out didn't contribute to any weight loss, and it was just my diet/eating less.

I concluded and asked him where he got his information from and he said a few videos on YouTube say exercise does not make you lose weight and it all depends on diet alone.

What's your take on this? I found it discouraging and somewhat felt I was being sabotaged of my weight loss. Thanks for your feedback and I apologize if this thread comes off a bit ranty.

PS: No offense but this person himself was trying to lose weight but always said he had no time to 'work out.'

Alatariel75

You Tube is not a source.

blambo61

I would work out even if I didn't lose weight. Who wants to be weak both in muscular strength or cardio capacity. Exercise burns cals while your doing it and there is some more cals burned building and maintaining muscle. You can easily eat back all those calories and that is when it won't help you lose weight, but it allows you to eat more and not have a negative effect which goes a long ways to helping you stick to a diet.

Machka9

Why would you feel sabotaged? Someone expressed his opinion ... you nod and smile and say, "sure, sure" ... you do what you want to do, what you know works for you.


Or in my case, I'd stare blankly at anyone suggesting I don't exercise ... and then burst into laughter.

kelisueray

I think the straight up answer to this dude is CICO and that you can do it either by solely focusing on nutrition or nutrition and exercise.

Therealobi1

The mistake you made is further the conversation with them, you should have just laughed them off and said ok.. there are some people you can't reason with
How can a reasonable human being tell someone exercise is useless
Regardless of losing weight or not, Exercise has so many benefits, please don't give it up

cerise_noir

I eat at a calorie deficit to lose weight.

I exercise to improve my mood, strength and cardiovascular health.

Why are you giving someone so much power over you?

Lounmoun

You can lose without exercise. You can also lose with diet and exercise.
Do what you prefer.

Orphia

Keep it up, you're doing great!

You don't have to exercise to lose weight. Paralysed people can still eat less calories than their body burns to live, and lose fat.

Some people gain weight running marathons. BUT, they would get to eat a HUGE amount more than a non-marathoner before gaining an ounce.

I run and walk a lot. This earns me lots more lovely calories to eat. I'd feel sorry for your friend, but he's not worth bothering about.

Good luck, and well done!

Ready2Rock206

Don't give someone that much control over your feelings. Who cares what someone else says? Just keep up the good work and your results will show in the end.

NeuronsNeuronsNeurons

Benefits of exercise (why I workout even when I don't want to): you are allowing your immune system to circulate and work effectively, increasing bone density, toning your body, improving and stabilizing mood, reducing stress, building muscle, encouraging healthy bowel activity/eliminating waste from your body, getting better quality sleep, improving your short term memory, and as an added bonus get a great complexion and get to eat another snack or two.

You may both lose weight but one of you will be much healthier in the end.

tddy2

You can lose weight without exercising but the results are not nearly as good. Exercising leaves you feeling great and puts everything back where it belongs so you look great. Nod and smile at the know it alls and do it your way. Don't let them get you down, you are doing great. When I started my weight loss journey they told me that it would never work. Then they said I would never lose it all. Then they said I would gain it all back. 8 years later I am still 110lbs down. I feel great and I look great. People can be stupid and mean. You can do this!

SLLRunner

Never, never give your power away to someone like that.

He was just expressing his opinion, and we all have a few here and there. You Tube is not the best source of information either.

It's true, one does not have to exercise to lose weight but one must exercise to gain strength, stamina and enhance health (unless there is some health reason they cannot exercise).

I could not live without my weight lifting and my running.

jdhcm2006

Technically he isn't 100% wrong. You can lose weight with diet alone because all you need is to burn more calories then you consume. You can accomplish that by simply decreasing the amount of calories you eat.

But exercise will help with it, provided you don't eat all of those calories+ back and are no longer in a deficit.

Personally, I exercise bc I like it. I don't know how I lived life without pole. I truly love doing it. And I really enjoy lifting as well. Plus exercise gives me a few more calories to work with, so I can eat a little more than if I was just decreasing calories alone.

Also, never let anyone dictate what you can or cannot do. Your life is your own. You do with it what you will. You have to be your own inspiration and to hell with everyone else.

jelleigh

Exercise has loads of benefits, but strictly speaking you don't HAVE to exercise to lose weight. A lot of people say that weight loss is 20% exercise and 80% diet. That being said, body recomp ia probably mostly reliant on exercise . Ive heard a lot of people say similar things about the cardio . I think that like other posters have said, cardio (or other exercise for that matter) helps on the Calories Out part of CICO. And exercise (esp cardio) is important for cardiovascular health etc. What good is it to be skinny but unhealthy right ? So keep on doing what you are doing.

For myself, I actually found it really helpful to realize how much more important diet is than exercise in weight loss because I could spend a lot of time and effort working out, and easily ruin the weight loss effects just by not understanding the import of how I eat. Now I focus on eating nutrituous food and staying under my calorie goal and exercise is a 'bonus' towards toning, cardiovascular health, etc. It also helps keep me on track so that if I don't get to a workout, I don't end up throwing in the towel and eating badly too. Maybe your friend was a little like me that way . (Not that that means he should discourage you from something that is obviously working for you). I've noticed that, in general, if people find something that works for them, they think EVERYONE MUST do it their way. But there are a lot of paths to the same goal so if you found one you like, then just keep going!

CourtneyAlonzo

Obviously what he's saying isn't true. More often than not dieting is more effective than exercising but that doesn't mean you don't need to do it. Exercise boosts your mood and metabolism and has endless health benefits. Personally I feel better if I eat an extra 300 calories and burn an extra 300 calories than if I just don't eat it to begin with, even if technically speaking the numbers are the same. That guy's probably just a a jerk, don't let the negativity get under your skin.

Falcon

2 months ago a trainer I meet with once a month, tried to get me on the core trainer and I couldn't do one rep.

2 months later after the other core exercises stopped working. I decided to get on the Core trainer and could do four reps. Now I'm up to seven and using a four pound ball with a wall sit.

I find I'm digesting faster and the more muscles you have, the easier it is to burn fat.

Results speak for themselves. It's his own fault for not finding time to exercise. Don't let it get you down.

Keep going and ignore the other guys complaints.

ninerbuff

While he's not incorrect (on CICO), exercise isn't USELESS for weight loss. It helps to create calorie deficit and the more active a person is, the higher their RMR. RMR is important for fat loss because "at rest" is when you burn the highest percentage of fat for fuel.

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

lemurcat12

Of course exercise can be a means to help with weight loss.

Also, it's independently good for you and will likely result in you looking better when you'd lost the weight (and personally I think it's very important to keep up now I'm a healthy weight). So telling you not to exercise is ridiculous.

Your friend is wrong.

But so what? Why would that make you feel discouraged?

callsitlikeiseeit

well, he is right and not.

in order to lose weight, all you NEED is a calorie deficit.

Now, the healthiest way to achieve that is through diet AND exercise. the exercise contributes to overall fitness- blood pressure, cardiovascular health, muscle retention, etc. And assists in a deficit, allowing you to eat slightly more (ideally, more nutrient dense foods), or to squeeze in food or drinks that might not be as easy to do so, if creating a deficit through diet alone.

elphie754

Fatvaporizer wrote: »

So I was talking about how I had been working out consistently trying to lose weight, along with cutting back on what I ate/dieting, and the person started this whole lecture about how exercise is useless and that only watching what you eat matters to lose weight. So I said, so you're saying cardio and all that is useless to lose weight, what's the point of gyms and such? He was like people just want to make money.

I then pointed out that I actually did drop a lot of pounds from consistent exercise and diet over time. And he said well, that's all just because of your diet, and tried convincing me not to exercise anymore, but instead just diet and do zero cardio/workouts. I got a bit angry at this point as it seemed like he just said all the months of working out didn't contribute to any weight loss, and it was just my diet/eating less.

I concluded and asked him where he got his information from and he said a few videos on YouTube say exercise does not make you lose weight and it all depends on diet alone.

What's your take on this? I found it discouraging and somewhat felt I was being sabotaged of my weight loss. Thanks for your feedback and I apologize if this thread comes off a bit ranty.

PS: No offense but this person himself was trying to lose weight but always said he had no time to 'work out.'

Sorry to be bearer of bad news, but he is right. You can exercise all you want, but if you aren't eating in a calorie deficit, you won't lose weight. Exercise has its benefits, but not needed to lose weight.

kommodevaran

Exercise isn't necessary for weight loss, but that doesn't mean it's useless. (Just like simple isn't the same as easy, complex the same as complicated, etc.)

Fatvaporizer wrote: »

this person himself was trying to lose weight but always said he had no time to 'work out.'

There you have it.

Next time someone starts an unsolicited lecture, walk away

girlinahat

I suspect taking up running has helped me lose weight by giving me more calories burnt.

Having said that, food is key. I'm sure I've lost weight through eating less, but what has CHANGED my body shape is the exercise.

oh, and I'm fitter, don't get out of breath walking up hills anymore and generally FEEL more active

alyssa0061

If you don't talk about it the amount of unsolicited advice you receive will be much less. If you do talk about it, be prepared to get different advice from anyone and everyone.

TavistockToad

why are you so bothered and influenced by this one person?

Machka9

TavistockToad wrote: »

why are you so bothered and influenced by this one person?

Yes, I wondered that too. People say stuff. Whatever.

longtimegeek

It seems to me that this individual was looking for any source that justified the conclusion he wanted. He probably doesn't want to exercise so he looks for anyone that says exercise is not important and uses it to calm the voice that tells him he really should. The more he can convince others of this, the more justified he is in not exercising.

I have had people tell me exactly the opposite, that unless you are exercising, you are doomed to failure because your metabolism will tank without something to kick it back up as you cut intake. They have their sources just like this guy.

You stated diet and exercise have worked for you so why worry about this guy's opinions, especially since you don't seem to believe his program is working for him?

Shammyface

Have more confidence in your experience and your opinions!
Not just "don't worry about what one guy says." Trust the evidence YOU have gathered.
If you know what you are doing is working for you, it isn't discouraging when someone else declares there is another way. Both of your approaches for weight loss are valid - you are both right - maybe he is denying your approach because he is envious of the time you have to work out, or your determination!
Diet with exercise is objectively better, because you will be fitter at the end of it too!
Keep it up!

TimothyFish

Exercise is good for you, but whether or not it will make any difference in your weight is heavily dependent on how much you eat. When I was losing weight I used exercise to let me eat more. Now that I am trying to maintain my weight, I find that exercise keeps me from overeating, both because it burns calories and because it gives me something to do with my free time other than sitting around snacking.

MsAmandaNJ

I got a bit angry at this point as it seemed like he just said all the months of working out didn't contribute to any weight loss, and it was just my diet/eating less.

What he said was that eating less than you burn is what works, you took it personally and as an offense to your hard work and dedication. It's hard to "hear" that something you believe in is wrong, although nobody should be able to shake your belief like that. You know that you haven't wasted your time exercising, why give this guy power to strip you of your success?

Of course we can lose weight eating less (than we burn), but I find it more sustainable to exercise so that I can get more calories while keeping a deficit. Plus, I have come to really enjoy exercise. Gyms are there for fitness, whenever I start maintenance, I'll still be going.

Ming1951

Fat vaporizer.. It doesn't bother me what others say nor does it discourage me. I know what I am after. He is just not seeing the whole picture. While exercise isn't always the factor in losing weight I'm sure it helps and tones you up more. Plus there is a reason for exercise, cardio...good for your heart. Your body ,muscles, and bones all benefit from exercise. Just nod, as another said and continue on.