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Dieting vs. exercising?
kittycatboss
Posts: 3 Member
I've heard that if you reduce your caloric intake, your body goes into starvation mode (something like that) so you end up gaining weight instead of losing weight. Does anyone know if this is true? Do you have to exercise in order to lose weight?
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Replies
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Yes it's true and yes you need to exercise if you want to continue to lose weight and tone.2
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Nope...exercise is NOT necessary, but nice if you want extra calories to eat. I have been anorexic in the past...."starvation mode" doesn't exist the way you think it does. I was very thin and almost hospitalized before I got help, and at no point did my body think "yep, turn on starvation mode now". I thought I had messed up my metabolism for life with my teenage/college years of starving myself...turns out...I didn't. Calories in vs calories out still matter the most
( I maintain a healthy deficit and lose accordingly) Bodies are very resilient and based off of my results, metabolism are too 
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Nope. Starvation mode doesn't exist. Creating a calorie deficit, whether through reducing calories or increasing exercise, is how you lose weight.25
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I lost 40kg in 9 months by clean eating (3 large meals a day) and didn't a single bit of exercise. I wasn't toned or anything but you don't have to exercise to lose weight.11
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You can't outrun your fork. CICO is everything. It's not about certain foods, being "clean", carbs, none of it. The law of thermodynamics has not fallen. Exercise factors into CICO, but I highly recommend portion control and accurate calorie count coming first. Fitness is awesome, exercise makes you strong, turns up your "furnace" and makes you feel great. But it can only do so much when bombarded with calories.16
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Yes it's true and yes you need to exercise if you want to continue to lose weight and tone.
No, it's not at all true. "Starvation mode", as most people think of it, is a complete myth. And you don't need to exercise to continue to lose weight, you need to take in less calories than you're expending over time.
@kittycatboss, here's a link which does a great job of explaining what "starvation mode" is and isn't: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/12 -
CICO is not everything, and it's dangerous to tell people that. I said it in other posts, if that were the case, I'd just eat three big macs a day and everything would be wonderful. What you put into your body does matter.11
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CICO is not everything, and it's dangerous to tell people that. I said it in other posts, if that were the case, I'd just eat three big macs a day and everything would be wonderful. What you put into your body does matter.
Having your CI lower than your CO is everything for weight loss. Nutrition is a separate issue and should always be a consideration no matter whether you are trying to lose weight or not. I aim for 80% of calories from nutrient-dense foods and 20% from treats.
It's like getting braces to straighten teeth. It's a given that you'll have to keep your teeth clean while you have those braces.21 -
So unhealthy, potentially dangerous advice is ok, as long as the end result is weight loss?7
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@Rufftimes - this is a weight loss forum. That means people are usually asking questions about weight loss. They're not secretly looking for advice about health and spiritual well-being. In this particular thread you're derailing, @kittycatboss asked specifically whether you have to exercise to lose weight or not, and people are answering the question that was asked.15
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This is actually a "General Diet and Weight Loss Help" Forum. The entire mantra of calories in calories out being all that matters is potentially dangerous in itself. This thread isn't that bad, and it's probably not the one I should have gone off on, but I've been listening to it for days now. One thread I read a poster went so far as to tell someone they could eat absolutely anything they wanted, just don't go over calories, and everything will be just fine. No it won't. And you know what? That person may lose weight, but they won't be just fine.
I'm sorry, I'll leave you all be. I thought the goal was to help people achieve healthy sustainable weight loss, not weight loss at any cost.8 -
To lose weight, eat in a deficit, but you still need to fuel your body. So don't go too low, whether starvation mode exists or not.
Fuel your body well-being macro and micronutrients.
Exercise can help create a deficit but it also has some wonderful benefits, such as growing/maintaining muscle, heart health, endorphins, and stress relief.
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater in any of these circumstances. Find a middle ground without being extreme.5 -
To lose weight you need to eat less than you burn. You can do this by reducing the calories eaten, increasing the calories burned, or a combination of both (which is most common)8
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This is actually a "General Diet and Weight Loss Help" Forum. The entire mantra of calories in calories out being all that matters is potentially dangerous in itself. This thread isn't that bad, and it's probably not the one I should have gone off on, but I've been listening to it for days now. One thread I read a poster went so far as to tell someone they could eat absolutely anything they wanted, just don't go over calories, and everything will be just fine. No it won't. And you know what? That person may lose weight, but they won't be just fine.
I'm sorry, I'll leave you all be. I thought the goal was to help people achieve healthy sustainable weight loss, not weight loss at any cost.
The part you fail to understand is that for many people, especially the morbidly obese, just cutting calories by whatever means and getting some of the weight off will greatly improve their health markers. Google "Twinkie Diet" and read what the results in his bloodwork were after he lost weight on a diet comprised mostly of 'junk food'.
Most of the longtime, knowledgeable members here will always advise that it's good to have a well-rounded diet that includes adequate macro- and micronutrients. But for some people just starting out, it's advantageous enough to get them to reduce their calories and get on track, then refine it as they go along.
When you teach a kid how to drive a car, you don't put them on Indianapolis Speedway in a high-performance open wheel race car their first time out - you start off on quiet side streets in the family sedan. Start with the basics and work up to the more advanced stuff. When you start somebody on weight loss, CICO is the most important thing to know - they don't need a university-level course on macro and micronutrients, physiology and cellular biology to get started doing what they need to do.
[ETA:] I will agree, though, that there's plenty of bad advice given on MFP. Almost invariably by people who parrot what they've read in silly magazine articles or woo websites, and have no actual idea about even the most basic concepts of nutrition and/or physiology.26 -
The problem I have with that is it rarely works.....I was obese. Not morbidly obese, but obese by definition. And telling an obese person to just keep eating whatever they want, "but just eat less" is a recipe for disaster. Until I actually made healthy changes to my diet, I'd drop a few lbs, then gain it back and a few more. I'm sorry if I offended everyone, but I stand by my statement.....not all foods are equal. Have a good evening!3
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This is actually a "General Diet and Weight Loss Help" Forum. The entire mantra of calories in calories out being all that matters is potentially dangerous in itself. This thread isn't that bad, and it's probably not the one I should have gone off on, but I've been listening to it for days now. One thread I read a poster went so far as to tell someone they could eat absolutely anything they wanted, just don't go over calories, and everything will be just fine. No it won't. And you know what? That person may lose weight, but they won't be just fine.
I'm sorry, I'll leave you all be. I thought the goal was to help people achieve healthy sustainable weight loss, not weight loss at any cost.
Actually, they probably *will* be just fine. Nobody likes eating the same thing day in day out. You're assuming everyone is stupid.
I eat/ate whatever I wanted within my calorie limit and lost 80lbs, and have kept it off for over 13 months.
If you eat a load of fat, you'll probably then want a load of veggies. (Most people can't stick to Keto.)
If you eat a load of protein, you'll probably want a load of carbs.
If you eat a load of sugar, you'll probably want a load of veggies.
It goes round and round in various degrees, and you end up getting a variety of macro and micronutrients.
And if you completely starve yourself of your preferred treats, you're probably going to want to binge on them at some point.
The "eat what you want within your calorie limit" way of eating doesn't assume people are stupid. It encourages moderation in all things, and sustainable weight control.
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I was obese, too. And mostly? From eating healthy food to excess. Sure there was the usual kidding myself/rationalizing that because I walked up six flights of stairs I could have two sandwiches, so long as they were on multigrain bread and I used low-fat mayo. Virtuously passing up cake but gorging on Terra chips because they were from healthy vegetables.
For me, eating less really was all I needed to get started. Over time, I've started making better choices, but really? Reducing calories is the first, most basic, and most important step.15 -
You're making the same mistaken assumption that many "clean eating" evangelists make - that all obese people sit around shoveling nothing but calorie dense/nutritionally sparse junk down their throat all day, every day. Spooning pure sugar by the pound and slurping lard straight out of the container. That there can be no sensible middle ground between pure junk and 100% "clean" eating. It's hard to debate a point with people who think in such binary terms because they don't understand the concepts of context and dosage within the overall diet.The problem I have with that is it rarely works.....I was obese. Not morbidly obese, but obese by definition. And telling an obese person to just keep eating whatever they want, "but just eat less" is a recipe for disaster. Until I actually made healthy changes to my diet, I'd drop a few lbs, then gain it back and a few more. I'm sorry if I offended everyone, but I stand by my statement.....not all foods are equal. Have a good evening!24 -
Wow, now you're telling me I assume everyone is stupid? You don't know a thing about me.0
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The part you fail to understand is that for many people, especially the morbidly obese, just cutting calories by whatever means and getting some of the weight off will greatly improve their health markers. Google "Twinkie Diet" and read what the results in his bloodwork were after he lost weight on a diet comprised mostly of 'junk food'.
Most of the longtime, knowledgeable members here will always advise that it's good to have a well-rounded diet that includes adequate macro- and micronutrients. But for some people just starting out, it's advantageous enough to get them to reduce their calories and get on track, then refine it as they go along.
When you teach a kid how to drive a car, you don't put them on Indianapolis Speedway in a high-performance open wheel race car their first time out - you start off on quiet side streets in the family sedan. Start with the basics and work up to the more advanced stuff. When you start somebody on weight loss, CICO is the most important thing to know - they don't need a university-level course on macro and micronutrients, physiology and cellular biology to get started doing what they need to do.
[ETA:] I will agree, though, that there's plenty of bad advice given on MFP. Almost invariably by people who parrot what they've read in silly magazine articles or woo websites, and have no actual idea about even the most basic concepts of nutrition and/or physiology.
Very well said.
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No.kittycatboss wrote: »I've heard that if you reduce your caloric intake, your body goes into starvation mode (something like that) so you end up gaining weight instead of losing weight. Does anyone know if this is true? Do you have to exercise in order to lose weight?
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
5 -
Not true. Exercise isn't needed to lose weight.Yes it's true and yes you need to exercise if you want to continue to lose weight and tone.
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
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By that philosophy, prison inmates should be in grave danger from the poor quality of food they've eating day in and day out..........................................for years. What's the obesity rate in the penitentiary?CICO is not everything, and it's dangerous to tell people that. I said it in other posts, if that were the case, I'd just eat three big macs a day and everything would be wonderful. What you put into your body does matter.
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
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kittycatboss wrote: »I've heard that if you reduce your caloric intake, your body goes into starvation mode (something like that) so you end up gaining weight instead of losing weight. Does anyone know if this is true? Do you have to exercise in order to lose weight?
OP, sorry your thread got derailed
You don't have to exercise to lose weight but many people find its much easier if they do. And obviously exercise is good for you in other ways.
Starvation mode isn't a thing. It is possible if you eat at an aggressive deficit for a long period of time you can lower your BMR, but even that won't cause you to gain weight it would just make it harder to lose.
So don't over restrict and move when you can, and you'll be fine!5
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