Losing lots- diet or exercise first?

empressjasmin

Hello!
Forgive me for asking this again especially because I feel like I’ve asked it before lol - but for anybody who has had to lose a lot (50 plus) did you focus on diet first and then exercise once you got to a certain weight? I’m having such a hard time and continuously starting over because I’m afraid of lifting weights and not losing. I know that that’s not really possible for women (to bulk) but I just feel stuck. Curious to hear any stories of women who had to lose a lot and where you started and what got the ball rolling. I’ve lost weight before but quarantine has me at my highest weight and I’m feeling like I’ve tried it all! Thanks!

missysippy930

I lost 100 pounds before I started even walking more. Weight loss is always about eating less calories than your body burns. Exercise isn’t necessary for weight loss, but highly recommended for overall health.

dragon_girl26

Well, in my case I was actually exercising regularly long before I started losing weight. It was when I started to realize that exercise alone wasn't working for me, that things came together. I was 240 lbs, and eventually made it down to about 165lb. The diet part was really the part where I learned that I needed to focus, because I was eating WAY too much and I needed to get a handle on it. That would be my advice...focus on diet first. It's the more productive first step in your weight loss journey.

empressjasmin

Thank you! This makes sense!

Ddsb11

empressjasmin wrote: »

Hello!
Forgive me for asking this again especially because I feel like I’ve asked it before lol - but for anybody who has had to lose a lot (50 plus) did you focus on diet first and then exercise once you got to a certain weight? I’m having such a hard time and continuously starting over because I’m afraid of lifting weights and not losing. I know that that’s not really possible for women (to bulk) but I just feel stuck. Curious to hear any stories of women who had to lose a lot and where you started and what got the ball rolling. I’ve lost weight before but quarantine has me at my highest weight and I’m feeling like I’ve tried it all! Thanks!

What got the ball rolling is picking something and sticking to it consistently OP. Either way will work, but only if you commit. What method can/will you be able to commit to? What is the lifestyle choice that makes the most sense in your life?

empressjasmin

msalicia07 wrote: »

What got the ball rolling is picking something and sticking to it consistently OP. Either way will work, but only if you commit. What method can/will you be able to commit to? What is the lifestyle choice that makes the most sense in your life?

I struggle the most with diet (at times) so I’d say that it may be easiest for me to stick with getting my diet together and being consistent with that. I am good about consistently taking a walk or getting strength training in at home, however, I know that’s not helpful if my diet is poor.

Ddsb11

empressjasmin wrote: »

msalicia07 wrote: »

What got the ball rolling is picking something and sticking to it consistently OP. Either way will work, but only if you commit. What method can/will you be able to commit to? What is the lifestyle choice that makes the most sense in your life?

I struggle the most with diet (at times) so I’d say that it may be easiest for me to stick with getting my diet together and being consistent with that. I am good about consistently taking a walk or getting strength training in at home, however, I know that’s not helpful if my diet is poor.

My best advice is eating food you actually enjoy and will be a part of maintenance. And to find staple foods that fill you up to keep you satiated. Be sure to weigh your food with a food scale for awhile. It is highly impactful in saving you months, if not years, of dieting with no results.

empressjasmin

msalicia07 wrote: »

My best advice is eating food you actually enjoy and will be a part of maintenance. And to find staple foods that fill you up to keep you satiated. Be sure to weigh your food with a food scale for awhile. It is highly impactful in saving you months, if not years, of dieting with no results.

That makes sense. Thank you! 😊

SModa61

diet - I have lost lots of weight in my life without a minute of exercise. I am exercising now for health, and calorie burn is a perk.

A popular expression out there is "You cannot outrun a bad diet".

Duck_Puddle

Both for me. First-being healthy means doing some cardiovascular exercise and some resistance training a few times a week. So you will want to be working towards fitting that into your life regardless of your weight loss goals.

The bonus is that exercise burns some calories so it gives you a bit more freedom in the diet department. By “a bit more freedom” I mean a couple hundred calories - which can be the difference between adhering to a calorie deficit or not.

Another bonus is that doing some exercise (particularly heavy resistance training) will help you keep muscle as you lose. That’s important for having that “toned” look people seek.

If you are in a calorie deficit-you will lose weight over the long haul. Your weight will fluctuate for a bazillion reasons - including increased activity. If you are in a calorie deficit-you will continue to burn fat regardless of whether your scale weight is temporarily higher.

Find the balance that allows you to maintain a calorie deficit with reasonable ease and includes exercise. That means you’re not hungry all the time, or depriving yourself of anything tasty and doing workouts that are reasonable for your current level (meaning not going 0 to 3 hours a day at the gym). Finding food and activity you enjoy doing are the keys.

You’re going to be doing this for life. Make sure whatever you’re doing is something you can see yourself doing forever. That may mean losing more slowly or eating more carbs than someone on IG thinks you should, but consistently doing something is the most important.

lynn_glenmont

empressjasmin wrote: »

Hello!
Forgive me for asking this again especially because I feel like I’ve asked it before lol - but for anybody who has had to lose a lot (50 plus) did you focus on diet first and then exercise once you got to a certain weight? I’m having such a hard time and continuously starting over because I’m afraid of lifting weights and not losing. I know that that’s not really possible for women (to bulk) but I just feel stuck. Curious to hear any stories of women who had to lose a lot and where you started and what got the ball rolling. I’ve lost weight before but quarantine has me at my highest weight and I’m feeling like I’ve tried it all! Thanks!

What got the ball rolling for me was a "wellness fair" through work that showed me I was far from well -- just shy of stats that would have doctors prescribing blood pressure and cholesterol meds, and in the pre-diabetes range for blood sugar. I called a health care adviser that the folks at the wellness fair referred me to, and she suggested I try MFP, and I began logging immediately. So I guess I would have to say I focused on diet first, but I incorporated extra walking pretty quickly as well (I think it was later the same day, but certainly within the week).

I hadn't been exercising regularly for a good while, so just adding extra walking seemed like a good place to start. What I did was instead of walking to the closest subway stop, I walked to one stop further on, then two stops, then three stops, and occasionally four stops (which was a good 40 minutes or more).

Then I started adding long walks on the weekend as well. Finally after about three months and about 25 lbs lost, I joined a gym and started lifting and taking various aerobic classes. I found a local yoga studio that I would go to occasionally and revived my mostly abandoned home yoga practice.

Lifting weights will not keep you from losing weight (other than in the very short through water retention for muscle repair masking fat loss), so long as you are in a calorie deficit.

Noodlesprout

Obviously diet is the primary factor in weight loss.

Dogmom1978

Ummm.... I take offense to women not being able to bulk and (I’m not one but) every single body builder woman out there would take offense to such a comment. You aren’t going to bulk though unless you are actively trying to.

That said, weight loss is about calories in vs calories out. Cardio and weight lifting are fantastic for health reasons.

AnnPT77

Oops, network problem, duplicate post. See below.

kshama2001

empressjasmin wrote: »

Hello!
Forgive me for asking this again especially because I feel like I’ve asked it before lol - but for anybody who has had to lose a lot (50 plus) did you focus on diet first and then exercise once you got to a certain weight? I’m having such a hard time and continuously starting over because I’m afraid of lifting weights and not losing. I know that that’s not really possible for women (to bulk) but I just feel stuck. Curious to hear any stories of women who had to lose a lot and where you started and what got the ball rolling. I’ve lost weight before but quarantine has me at my highest weight and I’m feeling like I’ve tried it all! Thanks!

I had over 50 pounds to lose and started exercising right away. Among its many benefits, exercise is crucial to my mental health.

When I started weightlifting, I did retain water and my scale did go up initially, but I lost all that and more within a few weeks.

springlering62

I lost 90+ starting two years ago at age 56.

I had been exercising regularly but was just maintaining.

Diet is the #1 thing that turned it around for me: watching what I ate and learning to manage and actually understand the implications of what I was eating.

Once I started losing weight I became more invested in the process, more interested in exercising and I amped it up.

I discovered I loved being in motion and now I very seldom sit for more than a couple of hours- and even then I’ve usually got some kind of needlework in my lap.

Won’t lie. The extra exercise certainly helped move the process along. But diet (as opposed to “dieting”- I was determined not to have a temporary “diet” mindset) was absolutely first and foremost.

As far as lifting weights- I do so regularly however, I’ve turned into a beanpole with muscles. I’m not at all worried about bulking up. In fact, it would actually be kinda nice, but that’s not the shape my body leans toward. Ya gotta work with whatcha got, and I am darned proud of what I do gots.

I’m going to go out on a limb and repeat what my trainer has told me. She gets frustrated at the girls who do bulk and says they’re not doing it right. They don’t watch what they eat and she says their training regimen is too focused on powerlifting when she thinks they should broadening their workouts for safety, health and strength. Something simple like adding a good stretch routine or some machine work would payback a hundredfold in increased strength. She’s been training and competing for years and this just makes her nuts. She says that’s why I’ve gotten such good results and that the younger girls are frustrated they don’t look like me. (While I’m frustrated I can’t fling heavy iron like them, lol. The grass is always greener, right?)

Diatonic12

What you gots is functional muscles for the WIN. @springlering62

AnnPT77

I think it's a false dichotomy. It's simultaneously simpler, and more complicated, than "diet or exercise".

Pick a fitness target or a weight-loss target as primary goal, and spend the energy/focus you can summon up toward reaching that goal. The strategies to get there (whichever "there" you pick) may include some tactics from the eating column and some from the activity column (not just formal exercise BTW).

I "only" lost 60-ish pounds, so maybe my opinion doesn't count as much. OTOH, I'd been class 1 obese for around 30 years, and I've now been in lower 20s BMI (120s-130s at 5'5") for 5 years.

Pick your easiest on-ramp: Personalize.

My story: I didn't make an explicit pick, because my life was structured differently. After cancer treatment (surgery, chemo, radiation, drugs) in my mid-40s, which was extremely physically depleting, I started becoming active, because I realized that if I ever wanted to feel strong and good again, I was going to have to *work* at it. After some forays into milder exercise (on-ramp!), I was lucky to stumble onto something that I found so fun that I'd do it even if it weren't good for me (on-water rowing), and that led me to do other activities for the good of improved rowing.

As a result, I lost around 1-2 pants sizes through recomposition (more muscle, less fat at the same weight), and gained a wealth of other benefits (strength, cardiovascular fitness, new active friends, the first athletic competitions of my life (even a few medals - place, not participation!), and more)).

But I stayed fat for another dozen years, even while working out regularly (6 days a week, usually). It's so easy to eat those extra few hundred calories, wiping out any weight loss potential of the exercise! But the fitness for sure helped my health and quality of life.

Eventually, though, it finally sunk in that fitness alone - and I was pretty fit, even while fat - was not enough for health. Not even very close, sadly.

Getting my eating under control via calorie-counting was easier than I expected. I felt like an idiot for not doing it much earlier. It wasn't super easy every second, but I was expecting major difficulty, deprivation, angst, and more - didn't happen. It was kind of a fun science fair experiment for grown-ups, with a few mis-steps along the way, but pretty manageable, and the payoff was huge. Daily life got easier, joint pain reduced, health improved, and I just felt a higher sense of well-being.

If, unlike me, you're starting from a point of low exercise, maybe low daily life activity, over-maintenance calories, and maybe sub-ideal nutrition, the easiest IMO to tackle is calorie intake level. It's easier to cut 500 calories (or whatever) of eating every day, for most of us, vs. doing 500 calories of exercise (kind of a lot). Log what you eat now, find the easy cuts, lose weight. (My approach was this one: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1).

If you have the emotional energy on top of that, do a little to increase daily life activity. (What do I mean? Here are ideas: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1)

Beyond that, if your ability to multi-focus is excellent, then add some exercise. For ease of on-ramp, do something - anything - you enjoy, that involves movement: Dancing, activity video games, walking/hiking, biking, swimming, active play with your kids - whatever. Strength training helps maintain muscle while losing weight (maybe even gain muscle, but certainly gain strength, among beginners). Cardio burns more calories per minute. If I were looking at pure benefit, I'd go with strength exercise as priority 1, but I truly believe that enjoyment is a bigger deal (via compliance) than theoretical goodness, in the world of exercise.

Recap: FInd an easy on-ramp that works for you, eating, exercise, daily life activity, or a combination. Any meaningful amount of weight loss (multiple tens of pounds) is a long-term proposition. Pick a sustainable (to YOU) approach. If you have an off day, learn from it, adjust, and move on (no guilt, self-recrimination. or other emotional drama - all that's optional, burns no extra calories, feels unpleasat). The majority of our days determine the majority of our outcome, and only giving up completely leads to actual failure to improve. Just keep going, pick yourself up and resume after oopsies, do what works FOR YOU, you'll improve.

Just my opinions, throughout. YMMV, and all that.

Wishing you much success!

P.S. That comment that said that strength exercise may add a couple of pounds of water weight (not fat) for muscle repair, otherwise doesn't hinder weight loss? 100% true. Weight loss is entirely about calorie balance, especially in the short run. In the long run, too low calorie intake can increase fatigue so decrease calorie expenditure (bad for weight loss); or too low calorie intake can incline a person to catch-up overeating in challenged moments (bad for weight loss). Those are *indirect* effects. The weight loss is still directly about getting calories spent lower than calories eaten - entirely. Even a tiny bit lower accumulates. Over the past year, I've lost 10-15 more vanity pounds eating 150-250 calories under maintenance. Super slow, but painless, and it works. Have more losing days than gaining days, proportionally, and you'll get lighter.

AlexiaC47

you should do both. I do not believe women cannot bulk up, but you will not. You are not a professional body builder (otherwise you wouldn't be asking). I think "women cannot bulk up accidentally" is more accurate.

for me exercise is key and it is 50/50 diet and exercise.

empressjasmin

Thanks everyone! Lots of helpful advice here 😊

lorrpb

I literally started both “diet” and “exercise” on day 1. Diet was tracking in MFP. Exercise was strength training with a PT 2x and walking. I started at barely 1/4 mi/day and got to a 5k within 2 months. Strength training helped me function better and made me happier with what I saw when I got to goal 150 lbs and 2.5 yrs later. Still maintaining, still strength training, still walking, added biking and swimming, 6 1/2 yrs now.

Lietchi

50 lbs ago, I started by being more mindful of my food intake: first on Noom, and after a few weeks I switched to MFP.

I used my phone to track my steps on MFP and quickly realized that:
- I was terribly sedentary
- sticking to my calorie goal is more pleasant when I have more calories to consume (=when I'm active)

So I started increasing my activity level: extra steps, walking on the treadmill. And after a few months I gradually incorporated running and indoor rowing. And later on, also strength training.

I feel a lot fitter now, and that's not only due to losing 50 lbs but also the exercise I do.

springlering62

@AnnPT77
“ Getting my eating under control via calorie-counting was easier than I expected. I felt like an idiot for not doing it much earlier. It wasn't super easy every second, but I was expecting major difficulty, deprivation, angst, and more - didn't happen. It was kind of a fun science fair experiment for grown-ups, with a few mis-steps along the way, but pretty manageable, and the payoff was huge. Daily life got easier, joint pain reduced, health improved, and I just felt a higher sense of well-being.”


Oh wow. This!!!!!!

empressjasmin

@Lietchi exercising for me is definitely a good mood booster but also gives a back calories and is a great way to stay fit! Thanks for sharing!

IronIsMyTherapy

I find I stick to my macros way better when I'm consistent with exercise. If I just burned 1000 cals in a brutal leg workout, I'm gonna want to eat some steak, sweet potatoes and broccoli. If I'm injured, I just might pity eat a pizza lol.

But, too many people starting fitness don't grab that unique opportunity to make some "newbie gains". If I could go back to when I started, I'd set myself up with a solid flexible dieting plan and strength training plan with a focus on compound lifts.

Bottom line, do both for optimal results.

littlegreenparrot1

For me it is much easier to maintain a reasonable diet when I am exercising regularly.
The exercise seems to need to come first, then the diet follows along. I think it's to do with improved mental health and the self care that comes with it.

If I'm making the effort to get up an hour early to train I am much less likely to fall head first into the chocolate biscuits.

cwolfman13

empressjasmin wrote: »

Hello!
Forgive me for asking this again especially because I feel like I’ve asked it before lol - but for anybody who has had to lose a lot (50 plus) did you focus on diet first and then exercise once you got to a certain weight? I’m having such a hard time and continuously starting over because I’m afraid of lifting weights and not losing. I know that that’s not really possible for women (to bulk) but I just feel stuck. Curious to hear any stories of women who had to lose a lot and where you started and what got the ball rolling. I’ve lost weight before but quarantine has me at my highest weight and I’m feeling like I’ve tried it all! Thanks!

I focused on both...but for different reasons. I think it's important to start thinking about exercise as something to do regardless of weight management goals. In a world where the vast majority of people sit and do nothing most of the day, regular exercise is a very important aspect of overall health and well being...regardless of whether one is overweight or not. I know plenty of people who are overweight, but exercise regularly and are generally regarded as being in good health as per their blood work and other health markers...conversely, I know quite a few people who are of a "normal" weight who do next to nothing for regular exercise who are in poor health. Your weight is only one of numerous health markers.

There is no reason not to start moving more...where weight management is concerned, the focus should be on your diet and how many calories you are taking in vs how many you need...but exercise will always play a major roll in overall health and vitality. Where many go wrong IMO, is going full on crazy with exercise trying to exercise the fat off yesterday...no need for that, and it won't work anyway. What you do for exercise should be something that is manageable day to day into perpetuity. Most people I know who are healthy and fit don't really "workout"...they are just active people...they go for jogs or walks or ride bikes or go hiking, etc. I myself only "workout" about twice per week in the weight room...most of what I do exercise wise is just getting out and being an active person. As weight management goes, I just watch what I eat...exercise and being active is good for my health and overall fitness...but my diet is going to have a far greater impact on my weight.

domeofstars

The most important thing for me was diet first. Once I accurately started to measure and weigh everything, as well double checked the true calorie content of foods (as MFP is often inaccurate as its user added) the weight started to come off. Once I combined calorie restriction with a one hour walk each day, the magic started to happen!

ninerbuff

Always a combination. While diet alone is all you need to lose weight, I DON'T want a lot of that weight to be lean muscle mass. Hence the exercise with resistance training.


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