The men who made us thin

bcattoes

Without exercise I wouldn't have lost any weight. I didn't really cut calories at all at first. Just started exercising regularly again. That got me to my original goal.

caitypants86

Exercise and a clean diet 90% of the time are the only two things you need in order to lose weight/get in shape. There are millions of people who have done it that way, including myself. No magic pills/WW/JC needed. Nature has given us the tools. People need to stop over-complicating things.

mhfitbit

I watched the first programme and was annoyed that (exercise issue aside) it was used as another opportunity to have a go at Weight Watchers. I lost 25lb on WW a couple of years ago and have kept it because I changed my eating habits - it's obviously not going to work long term if you don't maintain healthy eating habits once you've reached your goal weight.

But that's the point - the vast majority of people that lose weight with WW (or any other diet) do not maintain their goal weight - quite the opposite in fact. And WW's business model (and their ilk) are predicated on people failing. Failure = repeat business.

toutmonpossible

I've read many articles stating that while exercise is extremely important for your general health it should not be primarily relied on for weight loss and that the metabolism-boosting effect of strength training has been overstated. Diet remains the most important factor.

toutmonpossible

I am watching it at the moment and it has taken me 4 times to try to get through it.

The person doing the documentary basically said exercising is a waste of time for weight loss within the first few minutes. They even got a metabolism expert to agree despite nothing being said about increasing ones own metabolic rate. Exercise has helped me lose 14.5 stone / 202 pounds.

A very bad and annoying programme.

Exercise may have helped you lose weight because you were motivated to stick to your diet. You were more body-conscious and may have had a greater feeling of emotional well-being.

harleygroomer

Some idiot man with nothing better to do than to put DOWN women was behind this documentary. You see all these shows about how to make women better and what we do wrong. But just how many do you see about MEN????? Take everything you see and read with a grain of salt---99% of it is made up crap.

Dixie2111

Watched a documentary earlier this week as above. A scientist was claiming that exercise won't make one lose weight because it can't be done on a big enough scale to make any difference. It also said that if one did some exercise during the day then one would compensate for the rest of the day and be less active. Well this is how I interpreted it.

Disappointed to hear this. What about exercise increasing muscle to fat ratios and raising metabolism?

Did anyone watch this? Have any opinions?

QuietBloom

Healthy weight =20% exercise
=80% diet

However i refuse to believe that you could be healthy without exercise, thats beyond foolishness.

I've even heard that people subscribe to the 90-10 ratio. In my experience, BODY FAT % is very effected by exercise, especially weight lifting. But you are not going to necessarily see a drop in weight, and if you are already fairly light, your weight will actually increase. That is why I am not really focusing on a goal weight, but rather a goal body fat %.

WendyFlynn

I watched the first programme and was annoyed that (exercise issue aside) it was used as another opportunity to have a go at Weight Watchers. I lost 25lb on WW a couple of years ago and have kept it because I changed my eating habits - it's obviously not going to work long term if you don't maintain healthy eating habits once you've reached your goal weight.

I have watched both programmes, and think people should look through some of the annoying, or does nor fit into what you believe ideas, and look at the underlying message, which is diet, weight loss and exercise are a big money making industries, so first create the problem, then sell you solution

Which as programme one pointed out, most will fail at because they do not change lifestyle or eating habits, so go back & spend more money doing it all again, and again

Basically you are both saying the same thing, and I agree with you!

I watched this programme alone and was talking to the TV when the interviewer was rubbishing all of these companies as selling false hope as only a very small percentage of people seemed to be able to maintain any weight loss over the subsequent coming years. He accused weight loss companies of making money out of it's failure to deliver.... WTF, these companies DID deliver, it was the individual that failed long term in my opinion.

I lost my weight through MFP and it's guidelines. I've maintained my weight through MFP and it's guidelines for the last 9 months. If I stop using MFP and eat what I want, and then subsequently gain weight, who's fault is it, MFP's or mine? I think the fault would lie solely at my door.

On the debate about exercise, I did lose my weight without any exercise plan at all, it isn't pretty guys! I would recommend exercise for toning and general good health and mental well being. However, I do agree that it is hard to lose weight through exercise alone.

qtgonewild

Here is the Guardian News Review on the Show
How the Food Industry cashed in on Obesity..

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/07/fat-profits-food-industry-obesity

It was on interest to me that Weight Watchers has been taken to task in the UK , that only 15% of those who lose weight keep it off after two years and 5% retain weight loss after 5 years. The industry is built on failure and repeat business.

More important is that that the Food Giants are involved in the weight loss industry.
Nestles owns Jenny Craig,, Heinz owns a portion of Weight Watchers and that they sold off shares to a European Investment Firm for $735 million, Unilever owns Slim Fast. The guy who started Slimfast is !.2 billion richer after Unilever bought him out. Fascinating , the weight loss is a big business worth billions that is built on failure and repeat business.

this is fascinating to me. thank you.

farway

I watched the first programme and was annoyed that (exercise issue aside) it was used as another opportunity to have a go at Weight Watchers. I lost 25lb on WW a couple of years ago and have kept it because I changed my eating habits - it's obviously not going to work long term if you don't maintain healthy eating habits once you've reached your goal weight.

I have watched both programmes, and think people should look through some of the annoying, or does nor fit into what you believe ideas, and look at the underlying message, which is diet, weight loss and exercise are a big money making industries, so first create the problem, then sell you solution

Which as programme one pointed out, most will fail at because they do not change lifestyle or eating habits, so go back & spend more money doing it all again, and again

Basically you are both saying the same thing, and I agree with you!

I watched this programme alone and was talking to the TV when the interviewer was rubbishing all of these companies as selling false hope as only a very small percentage of people seemed to be able to maintain any weight loss over the subsequent coming years. He accused weight loss companies of making money out of it's failure to deliver.... WTF, these companies DID deliver, it was the individual that failed long term in my opinion.

I lost my weight through MFP and it's guidelines. I've maintained my weight through MFP and it's guidelines for the last 9 months. If I stop using MFP and eat what I want, and then subsequently gain weight, who's fault is it, MFP's or mine? I think the fault would lie solely at my door.

On the debate about exercise, I did lose my weight without any exercise plan at all, it isn't pretty guys! I would recommend exercise for toning and general good health and mental well being. However, I do agree that it is hard to lose weight through exercise alone.

Yep, agree entirely, and blaming companies for failure struck me as unfair also, never been to any gym or weight loss classes except MFP, so no idea if they stress importance of change for life or not

Dixie2111

Yes, I watched it too and was totally shocked to hear this, but they did also state that diets didn't work and is the industry's way of keeping us coming back, if it worked they'd all be out of a business, which I agree with, because its really all about a life style change and counting the calories, as this Site proves, that makes you loose the extra weight. I have lost 10 pounds so far on MFP and have probably just over that much again to go before I reach my ultimate goal-weight, and then its just a case of maintaining it, but I have never had such a success as I have had on here, just by logging it all down, keeping the tally here has been a godsend and there in NO way I am going to yo-yo back up again to my former weight. I found this Documentary disappointing too to find that they are saying exercise doesn't make you loose weight....well, something has made me loose weight and so easily too, steadily at between one pound and half a pound a week, so either its the calorie counting that is doing it or the exercise in conjunction with the calorie counting. Four years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and it has made it harder for me to control my increasing weight and to loose it in the previous three years and keep it off, and I became lethargic and tired and slowed down even more and grew fatter and it became a vicious circle, but this method here on MFP is almost as easy as breathing and does most of the ground work for you! The scientists did not, however, say how to get the extra weight down or off, which I found rather unhelpful. I am on a plateau at the moment and stayed the same now for three weeks, so I know increasing my exercise and my calories that I have earned back have stopped my body from going into starvation mode and is maybe thinking about it (what is she doing next?) lol . The week I didn't exercise because of the heat and humidity it slowed down, but I still lost half a pound so maybe its the calorie counting and not the exercise that is the secret to weight loss. Re-educating your eating habits and changing how and what you eat I believe is what does it. Exercise keeps us fit, toned and helps keep the blood pressure down. Calorie counting makes sure we don't overfill our fuel tanks! :laugh:

Minnie2361

The point being made is exercise in itself , alone is not the answer to losing weight. It doesn't say do not exercise. It is very important to be active and get the cardio up.

But if one relied only on exercise to lose vast quantities of weight one's energy would be very depleted because of the number of hours and the intensity of exercise needed.

The point being made is you can't eat all the junk food you want cuz exercise will take care of the weight. It doesn't.
What is important is a lifestyle change.

My opinion on the matter is junk foods with high in sugars , trans fats, high fructose corn syrup should come with warning labels much those put on tobacco..

podgeford123

Most scientists are clueless; I know, I used to be one and I have worked with hundreds. A lot of doctors are too. Anyway, if you move you use energy, exercise is vigorous movement. Bike for an hour a day and keep the same diet and you will see the weight fall off.

farway

Most scientists are clueless; I know, I used to be one and I have worked with hundreds. A lot of doctors are too. Anyway, if you move you use energy, exercise is vigorous movement. Bike for an hour a day and keep the same diet and you will see the weight fall off.

Must surely depend on "same diet"?

Full English for breakfast, couple of pints plus burger & chips in Weatherpsoon's for lunch, pie, chips & beans for dinner then maybe a cheese sarnie and a few pints down the pub, with perhaps a bag or so of pork scratchings or crisps later and maybe a Chinese or Indian takeaway on way home?

I doubt even if you rode bike to pub it would have much help with weight loss

OK I really know you meant sensible diet, but I took the programme to be saying that some seem to think, possibly ill informed , may be by deliberate omission in adverts & commercialism selling exercise, they can eat as above, go to gym, or ride bike, or whatever once a week and it will negate all the calories

WendyFlynn

Most scientists are clueless; I know, I used to be one and I have worked with hundreds. A lot of doctors are too. Anyway, if you move you use energy, exercise is vigorous movement. Bike for an hour a day and keep the same diet and you will see the weight fall off.

Must surely depend on "same diet"?

Full English for breakfast, couple of pints plus burger & chips in Weatherpsoon's for lunch, pie, chips & beans for dinner then maybe a cheese sarnie and a few pints down the pub, with perhaps a bag or so of pork scratchings or crisps later and maybe a Chinese or Indian takeaway on way home?

I doubt even if you rode bike to pub it would have much help with weight loss

OK I really know you meant sensible diet, but I took the programme to be saying that some seem to think, possibly ill informed , may be by deliberate omission in adverts & commercialism selling exercise, they can eat as above, go to gym, or ride bike, or whatever once a week and it will negate all the calories

I don't know you from adam, but I again, agree with you. I love Weatherspoons, once a week, every Sunday, I am there, for social and family reasons. With the best will in the world, I would order the healthy option, which is the superfood pasta! Hell no, what do I order, the burger and chips, with the extra burger with bbq sauce lol. No cheese though! I then enjoy my food, log my calories and keep to a weekly total. IF I had to make up the extra burger and chips by exercising, I would think again, as it would be chuffing hard to burn off an extra 800 calories. I have learned to eat at my calorie allowance, weekly. Yes, I should incorporate exercise, and when I do, I don't add it. All is fair in love and war (food and exercise!) It all balances out in the end

cingle87

The point being made is exercise in itself , alone is not the answer to losing weight. It doesn't say do not exercise. It is very important to be active and get the cardio up.

But if one relied only on exercise to lose vast quantities of weight one's energy would be very depleted because of the number of hours and the intensity of exercise needed.

The point being made is you can't eat all the junk food you want cuz exercise will take care of the weight. It doesn't.
What is important is a lifestyle change.

My opinion on the matter is junk foods with high in sugars , trans fats, high fructose corn syrup should come with warning labels much those put on tobacco..

Pretty much this!

EvgeniZyntx

I'm always surprised by what people get out of these programs. Clearly some people see a confirmation of personal position or focus on that.I'm not sure we saw the same episode.

zombieyoshi

Not all documentaries are factual. Exercise is very important to lead a healthy life.

LAW_714

Watched a documentary earlier this week as above. A scientist was claiming that exercise won't make one lose weight because it can't be done on a big enough scale to make any difference. It also said that if one did some exercise during the day then one would compensate for the rest of the day and be less active. Well this is how I interpreted it.

Disappointed to hear this. What about exercise increasing muscle to fat ratios and raising metabolism?

Did anyone watch this? Have any opinions?

That was part of what was in it, but this summary misses the bigger picture it was trying to point out.

Unless you can work out a very great deal, it's rather difficult to work off excess calories consumed. It takes a lot of workout time to work off a cupcake. And, counterintuitively, there are studies that working out at times CAN lead to a person overcompensating with yet more calories as they become hungrier. They eat more so they work out which makes them hungry again, etc. You need to be mindful of how many calories you consume and expend. Exercise cannot (consistently) fix a bad diet.

The docu was not saying, however, that working out is pointless or that you should not work out. Quite the opposite.

There are benefits to working out. Working out definitely helps insulin resistance. Working out helps you utilize your stored glycogen, which in turn helps you have a better balanced metabolism. It helps your muscles, your heart, your respiration... And raising your NEAT (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12468415) also helps to raise your metabolism.

Basically, the best way to lose weight is to mind what you eat.

Exercise is a great tool for improving your health, though.