Living the lifestyle (LTL) Tuesday, March 21, 2017

spospo1

Everyone says it, but just how do you do it? How do you take the guidelines of the WW program and turn them into a lifestyle you can live every day...from now on? That is what we are here to explore. Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion. Newbie? Join in! Veteran? Join in! Your thoughts may be just what someone else needs to hear.

Monday -- 88olds (George)
Tuesday -- spospo1 (Steve)
Wednesday -- minimyzeme (Kim)
Thursday -- imastar2 (Derrick)
Friday --Jim376 (Jim)

http://www.runnersworld.com/how-running-changed-me/how-running-helped-this-56-year-old-lose-94-pounds-in-14-months?utm_source=(direct)&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sharebutton

Today's Topic: Which is a more effective weight loss tool or a tool to maintain healthy lifestyle, Diet or Exercise or both. If both, which one is more important?

The person featured in the article did change his diet however the article reads like running & exercise was the primary tool used to lose the weight.

DavidKuhnsSr

This is one of those questions that end up being pretty personal, I think. I have known those who lost weight successfully, without exercising at all. That wouldn't work for me. I end up being like the majority, I think, in that a combination of the two is what brings the greatest success.

I have had periods when I exercised at a ridiculous rate and seemed able to eat just about anything, with no consequences on the scale. But that rate of exercise was not sustainable. Injuries happen, the weather goes bad, I just got sick of doing the same thing for hours every day.

Of course, weight loss isn't the be-all-and-end-all of a healthy lifestyle. Being physically fit, brings a raft of other benefits, including mental. When I am successful at maintenance or loss, it is when I monitor my intake and also work at staying physically active.

Rachel0778

For me, weight loss happens in the kitchen but physical activity allows for maintenance.

If I want to lose weight I absolutely have to tighten up my diet because I can out eat a marathon's worth of calories in 30 minutes.

However, if I want to maintain, focusing on the kitchen alone isn't enough. Physical activity allows me to have the flexibility in my diet that I find necessary to keep the weight off. If I am active, going out for drinks with friends on the weekend isn't a big deal. Whereas if I was just counting calories I would have to be a lot more cautious of my intake or the pounds would pile back on.

Physical activity also allows me to have the "goal weight body" that I want. I can't remember what leader said it, but my favorite meeting quote was "Counting Points makes you look great with your clothes on, Exercise makes you look great with your clothes off". I could not agree with this more! My body composition is completely different from the first time I lost weight and it's awesome. I'm at a higher weight now than I was when I first lost weight, but I can still fit into the same jeans. It's a great reminder that the scale is only one type of measurement. Focusing on how my clothes fit and only weighing every once and awhile has really been a sanity saver this time around. It has allowed me to focus on habits instead of getting trapped in the weeds.

myallforjcbill

For me diet first, but exercise is a key component. I can't sustain enough exercise to enjoy sustained weight loss without eating healthy (amounts & quality). I can slowly lose through diet alone but it is slow. But I find the extra benefit of exercise added to healthy eating is my mindset. It keeps me think a healthy mindset since it is something intentional I am doing to be healthy.

Al_Howard

Diet!

MurpleCat

Diet for weight loss. I lost my first 50# without adding any formal exercise, just parking further away from the store and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Exercise for healthy lifestyle. Which includes mental health, self-confidence, and preventing boredom (which for me leads to snacking). It also helps with blood pressure, blood sugar control, body composition (ie., where the weight is carried), and so on.

I find the food side of things easier, so its possible that's introduced some bias into my opinion Exercise takes time that I'd rather spend on other hobbies. I have found things I enjoy (sports rather than activity qua activity), but I'd still rather spend that time on knitting, quilting, cooking, painting, playing guitar or piano.... you get the point.

Murple
351.5 / 202.5 / 169

gadgetgirlIL

I need to do both. Exercise does so much to help improve my mood which in turn makes it easier to reduce my caloric intake.

However, no matter how much exercise I do, I will never look great naked. That ship has sailed. Too many large gains/losses over my life along with the normal process of aging means that I look a LOT better with my clothes on.

Jimb376mfp

I read this on GoaD board years ago. "More weight is lost in the kitchen than the gym,"
I believe it and also believe that exercise helps with more than just WL. The combination of these two needs to be sustained in a new Lifestyle not just for a limited period of time but FOREVER!
The use of intense workouts to lose weight as seen on Biggest Loser TV show made me think, who can do that IRL? The huge losses were great but I know I couldn't do it.
I am exercising more now than ever in my life. But I'm also eating healthy so to me doing both is key to me continuing my journey.

beachwoman2006

I was the poster child for losing weight without exercise in my at-work meeting. Yes, it took me 22 months to lose 55 pounds; but I am NOT an "exerciser". Did I increase my activity a LITTLE during the process? Maybe.

I did find that it was a little more difficult to stay at my goal weight after some health issues made it very difficult for me to continue walking about 2 miles a day.

So I guess I would say that you CAN lose weight without exercise/additional activity. Maintaining the loss is a little more difficult without exercise/activity.

podkey

Like most things in life it isn't an either or proposition. WW "assumes" that all of us have a teensy bit or more of motion in our lives and aren't "bedridden" when they do the point/calories needed calculation. They use to have a lifestyle quiz which I just filled out claiming to be sedentary and would sometimes use a bit extra when needed.

Bottom line is that yes for most of us mortals we can easily "outeat our legs" if trying to rely on "exercise" alone. Having said that we would lose very very slowly if bedridden or very sedentary.

I also think that in addition to at least being more than bedridden we can more easily maintain our weight when we bump that level up to "lightly active" which is more movement than most of us think.

Formal exercise isn't needed in the least. I am very active but no gym rat or zumba dance guy. I combine things I have to do with movement by adding in walking or biking with going to the store and just plain having fun. Also it is a HUGE bonus to move every day and not 3 days a week.

Many studies have borne out that when we are active to let's say 10,000 steps per day (or equivalent) our blood sugar levels will become quite normal even when we eat a bit more carbs etc. Diabetics or at least diabetic researchers have known this for years. Moving helps our insulin levels and blood sugar levels.
We can quibble a bit if you like on what should be called lightly active. Is 5,000 steps or 7,500 enough??? I don't know but believe it is probably 7,000 or more for most of us and I think the government uses the 10,000 figure. Whatever. Just move more and enjoy the better blood sugsar and diet control.

I do make a point of moving every day and succeed probably 95%+ of the time. Worth it to me.

podkey

Point about moving daily is that in one careful study out of many it was demonstrated that after 3 days in a row of moving at the 10,000 step level the blood sugar spiking even with carb consumption went away. Also when one stopped daily activity level the blood sugar spiking returned after consuming carbs a little more each day until reaching a peak level on about day 3. This is one reason I don't like the formal every other day cardio "exercise" with some weights thrown in approach. I don't care if you call it cardio or just plain ole moving as it isn't necessary to reach a certain level or HR when you move enough.

You need to do something you enjoy or you won't do it long term or at least I won't.

88olds

If weight was lost in the gym, I would never have joined WW. I was exercising regularly when I got here and have continued the whole time. I don't feel right without my workouts.

Except for Pickleball, I don't run. I'd like to see a follow up with this guy in about another year and a half. For every 300 lb 55 yo guy like the one in the article, there are probably 50 in some sort of ortho boot gaining it all back. MHO- running is vastly overrated. End o rant.

TimDumez

In the late '80s, @30 years ago mind you, I lost 90 pounds in 2 1/2 months just through exercise, NO DIET CHANGE. I walked 4 to 5 hours per day, every day, as fast as my short legs, 26 1/2" inseam, would take me without actually jogging. My speed on these walks was 4 1/2 miles per hour. However I probably did cut back on my food intake due to spending all of my waking hours walking and working. And at the end of those 2 1/2 months I was literally done with walking. IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE!!!!!!! Gee, I think I read that somewhere in MANY GoaD posts, lol..... I just had to share that story.

TimDumez

Having said all of that, I believe that diet is a waaaay more effective tool for weight-loss, but one needs both diet and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle, physically, mentally, and emotionally.....

minimyzeme

I don't know which is more effective but I'd venture to guess it's the one or combination that one sticks with and turns into a lifelong 'lifestyle', not just a means to an end.

My own experience was that I was able to lose 80 pounds primarily by changing my eating behavior. Along with that came a body that was capable of moving more and a mind that enjoyed that movement more. In fact, just the other day I was hiking up a hill with a 40 pound pack on and realized the 'spring in my step' was something I hadn't felt in about 20 years.

I can relate to both @Rachel0778 and @podkey 's posts. I find at this point, I don't carve out time specifically for 'exercise' because I use what time I have free for other things, primarily photography. However, I often walk or hike into my sites before I set up and wait for my subjects to appear. I gotta make choices and mine for activity is probably never going to be going to the gym, but I do several low-key activities that are beyond sedentary.

That said, I do believe the combination of diet and movement are what's going to help sustain me as a 'rest-of-my-life' lifestyle. I realize maintaining my weight for ~ year and a half is but a short step on that journey and I suspect over time, I will be making adjustments. What I really hope is that I can continue to appreciate and enjoy the changes that weight loss and increased movement have brought so it's not a chore or burden to sustain it.