Dieting vs. exercising?
Replies
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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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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.
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
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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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 -
I lost a bunch of weight without doing any more than walking my dog 2x a day. But when I do exercise hard I get more motivated and feel pretty great. It does have benefits.0
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Bit of both. Cut 200/300 calories. Move 30 minutes more! easy.0
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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!
Your weight kept going up and down because you didn't consistently maintain a calorie deficit. It has nothing to do with the type of food you were eating...12 -
Yes it's true and yes you need to exercise if you want to continue to lose weight and tone.
Why would you come here and spread misinformation? There's little point in purporting the 'starvation mode' myth...
OP - as everyone else is saying, starvation mode as you're thinking of it doesn't exist, and you don't need to exercise to lose the weight.
If you want to start looking more toned then adding in body weight exercises can help you on your way.8 -
And nobody said all foods are equal in terms of nutrition - great for you to stand by that but nobody was standing against it
In answer to OP's question, which was not about nutritional values of food - yes it is possible to loseweight without exercise.
If you eat less than you burn,you lose weight.
Obviously if you burn more via exercise,you can then eat more ( and get a fitter body)6 -
In principle, one can lose weight through a calorie deficit alone.
In reality, there is evidence that suggests that incurring the same deficit via a combination of diet and exercise is a little more effective than through diet alone.
And there is more evidence that exercise is very important for long-term weight loss.
The role of diet (I.e. Calorie deficit) is emphasized because it is the most important factor. However, in reality, I we need to be cautious about being too dismissive about the important role that exercise plays.6 -
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?
Exercise isn't necessary for weight loss but it is essential for weight loss.
If you reduce your calorie intake by the amount MFP recommends there is no reason to be concerned about starvation, but it doesn't work the way you think.0 -
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!
I rarely see people telling someone who is morbidly obese, or even just overweight, to just eat the same thing only less of it. What often does happen is an OP says "can I eat a cookie and still lose weight?" and posters say, "yes! you don't have to give up the foods you love. As long as you're in a calorie deficit you will lose weight". That is all true. And it is not the same as saying to eat the exact same diet only less of it, although presumably that would work. What most people advocate, and what most sensible people would figure out, is that eating a balanced diet that provides adequate nutrition in the form of macro and micro nutrients, that is within a calorie deficit, allows room for some treats in moderation. And no one makes the claim that all foods are equal from a nutrition perspective. But that doesn't change the fact that a calorie is a unit of measurement and the energy derived from calories is all the same regardless of the foods that are eaten.
Just because you misunderstood and/or misapplied the advice that a calorie deficit is required for weight loss does not make it incorrect, bad or dangerous advice.8 -
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.
You'd need more fiber, some calcium and a multivitamin to live on that for any length of time, but a Big Mac in and of itself isn't exactly evil. Three of them a a day would be 1620 calories, 75g of protein, 29g of fat. 45g carbohydrate and 3g dietary fiber.
Vitamin wise, you'd do better on the Quarter Pounder with Cheese than the Big Mac.
Obviously eating only one thing repeatedly rather than a varied diet is not the best plan for anyone's health, but McDonald's can exist in a nutritionally complete diet if that's what someone wants.6
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