Does it even make sense to go to the gym if you don't have a healthy diet?
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mom23mangos wrote: »Hey guys, the title basically says it all and is meant for discussion on whether it is worth investing money into going to the gym if you have let's say an unhealthy or partially unhealthy (meaning you, for example, eat enough protein, but too much sugar) diet?
Umm...I'm pretty sure I get plenty out of going to the gym while eating a "partially unhealthy" diet. It's part of the reason I can eat that way. I have fantastic HDL numbers in large part to the amount of exercise I do. I have muscles that allow me to do day to day activities. I have mobility and balance that allows me to do things like get off the ground unassisted and as I get older, not fall. When my foot fracture heals, I hope to be able to not get eaten first in the event of a zombie apocalypse. So, in short...Yes.
YES! I eat within (ish) my calories for bulking or cutting, but tend to ignore macros for weeks at a time. I am in the gym five days a week, though and it shows. Could I tweak my diet and perfect my physique? Yes. Does that appeal to me right now? Nope. Am I maintaining healthy stats and numbers (BP, BMI, etc)? You bet.
Your goals drive your actions. Once you decide your goals, work toward them - whatever that means for you.1 -
One doesn’t have to do with the other. Just because you don’t eat “healthy” doesn’t mean you have to just resign to being unhealthy in every other aspect of your life. Exercise has many benefits. And I also would think your definition of “unhealthy” may need to be re-evaluated. I eat ice cream and cookies and chips and I would consider my overall diet pretty healthy and I go to the gym.
I didn't mean exercise in general, I meant as in lifting weights. Should have formed it differently I guess.
Oh. Well, as an example, my brother in law eats zero vegetables, not a single one ever. Or fruit. And he lifts weights and he’s ginormous. He looks like a football player.
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So why do they say you should not eat sugar lifting weights? Is it any different when trying to gain muscles with body weight?
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So why do they say you should not eat sugar lifting weights?
Who??? There are people who say the earth is flat and cancer is a government conspiracy. There are people selling supplements for medical conditions that don't exist. There are lots of people saying lots of things, doesn't make them right. And lots of people who think that just because they did something extra and succeeded, that means the something extra is necessary to succeed, when it was just a coincidence.
And FYI, many trainers are not certified or qualified to give nutrition advice. They don't necessarily have any education in that area.4 -
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I guess this is a big missconception then, but between my friends thaz DO go to the gym, I always hear them talking how they can't eat sugar, but they have one "cheat day" a week where they eat anything they want2
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I guess this is a big missconception then, but between my friends thaz DO go to the gym, I always hear them talking how they can't eat sugar, but they have one "cheat day" a week where they eat anything they want
Does it make sense to you that it's ok to eat sugar, but only sometimes, on certain days? Logically, does that make sense to you?
It's kinda like saying, "I want to save money for a car... but I can only save clean, crisp, new dollar bills. Except on Thursdays... Thursdays I can save old wrinkled bills, coins, whatever I have in my pockets."9 -
One doesn’t have to do with the other. Just because you don’t eat “healthy” doesn’t mean you have to just resign to being unhealthy in every other aspect of your life. Exercise has many benefits. And I also would think your definition of “unhealthy” may need to be re-evaluated. I eat ice cream and cookies and chips and I would consider my overall diet pretty healthy and I go to the gym.
I didn't mean exercise in general, I meant as in lifting weights. Should have formed it differently I guess.
What's the difference?
You build strength and fitness in the gym, and weight loss in the kitchen. As long as you get "enough" protein, the rest doesn't matter -- and I'd argue that even "enough" varies by person to person. And even if you don't, it's not like you're lifting just for *kitten* and giggles.0 -
I guess this is a big missconception then, but between my friends thaz DO go to the gym, I always hear them talking how they can't eat sugar, but they have one "cheat day" a week where they eat anything they want
You will find that there are a lot of people at the gym who succeed in spite of what they do rather than because of it. Those people, unfortunately, often proclaim that their way is the best way or the only way that works.
If someone wants to gain muscle, they need a progressive lifting plan, a surplus in calories, enough protein, and patience. Sugar won't inhibit that. Carbs won't inhibit it. Lifting during a full moon won't inhibit it.
If someone wants to increase their physical fitness then exercise will get them there faster than a low sugar diet.
If someone wants to lose weight, they need a calorie deficit. Full stop. Period. That's it. Exercise would probably be good for their health, but it isn't necessary. How they get their calorie deficit and what they like to eat is personal preference.
There is a lot of nonsense floating around in the diet industry and it sounds like your friends may have bought into a lot of it.8 -
I guess this is a big missconception then, but between my friends thaz DO go to the gym, I always hear them talking how they can't eat sugar, but they have one "cheat day" a week where they eat anything they want
Because broscience. Do your friends who go to the gym have any background in nutrition, or do they just parrot what they've heard other bros say?3 -
These are such nebulous terms you need to be specific with the diet and goals. I'm off a cut and focusing on endurance and gaining muscle, so eating in surplus and eating what would generally be considered "unhealthy". I keep a bag of Skittles in my pocket to stay fueled on long runs. I eat a bag of chips afterwards to get loaded on carbs and sodium. I'm midseason in obstacle course races and need the energy to perform.
If these people are anti-sugar then this is an un-related element and one not founded in objective evidence. Woo, bro-science, whatever is being peddled now.
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Here's the Broscience guy on meal prep. (Language is NSFW)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn-KDTxTWqI 2 -
Why bother? Continue on your journey. Let us know how that works for you down the road.1
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