What do people think of the Time Magazine article...

PocketNaomi

...titled "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin?"

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857-1,00.html for those who haven't read it and want to.

It seems like it makes sense to me, but I don't know what to think.

meggonkgonk

Exercise wont make you thin. What decides your size is cals invs cals out.

It's why I don't pay for the gym- exercise is the icing, the part that makes me feel good and proactive, but the food is the necessary element.

UpToAnyCool

bump

melizerd

This is why I don't eat my exercise calories. I exercise to tone and tighten up my body. I watch calorie intake to lose weight. I realize there is a point at which exercising makes you hungrier buy most of us aren't really there.

meggonkgonk

This is why I don't eat my exercise calories. I exercise to tone and tighten up my body. I watch calorie intake to lose weight. I realize there is a point at which exercising makes you hungrier buy most of us aren't really there.

Not to start the never ending debate, but I eat my exercise calories (most, all or more) and losing 1-2lbs a week.

2bFitNTrim

For most of us, exercise alone will not make us thin. We have to watch what we eat & use portion control. That said, the best thing or argument for exercise is to remain active and mobile throughout our entire lives. I want to live life as fully as possible, not sit in a rocking chair on the porch. I have chronic pain issues, so exercise is difficult. But the more I do, the more I CAN do, ya know?:happy:

whyflysouth

Nice article! It's pretty much correct. I explain this to my friends every time they tell me they're going to turn the corner and start working out to lose weight. I have to reiterate to them that not changing your diet with make all your exercise efforts fruitless.

As for me, if I want to lose weight I eat less. If I want to build muscle and athletic endurance, I go to the gym. Historically I've lost the most weight when I was lightly walking 1-2 hours/day, avoiding rice and breads, and replacing them with giant bowls of salad (mostly lettuce, none of these fancy "salads" with pecans, cranberries, chicken, ranch dressing, croutons, half a stick of butter, that's all the rage these days).

nisijam5

Our vet once told me that you can walk your dog as much as you like...but, you have to decrease the intake

He said it was 30% exercise and 70% diet...woof

kcurtis05

Very interesting and true! I do have to admit that I am one to eat more after my Zumba class. Guess I will have to start changing some bad habits.

Funny, this reminds me of when I went into my gym to cancel my membership. I hadn't used it in many months and was sick of paying them for nothing. The Gym representative asked me if I was sure that I wanted to cancel. I of course let him know that I was not using it and was sure I didn't want the membership any longer. Then he proceeded to ask me what I was going to do for exercise. I told him that there are many things that you can do on your own that you don't need a gym for and that I have a stationary bike at home. Then, very rudely, he turned to one of the other trainers nearby and asked him, "Have you ever heard of anyone loose weight with just a stationary bike and some dumbbells at home?" I wanted to leap over the table and punch him in the face!! 1. For being completely rude! And 2. For being completely ignorant!

Maybe I should share this article with their trainers! LOL

meggonkgonk

Then, very rudely, he turned to one of the other trainers nearby and asked him, "Have you ever heard of anyone loose weight with just a stationary bike and some dumbbells at home?" I wanted to leap over the table and punch him in the face!!

1) What a tool

2) 18 lbs down and counting- I've got sneakers, 2 8lb dumbells, and a pullup bar Wanna give me his address? (or the gyms?) I'll stop in and tell him to go screw.

telcochik

I'm sure he thought he would guilt or bully you into changing your mind. Obviously that didn't work!

Sharon

utamore

Interesting article. I think it really underscores the importance of counting calories. I have a ritual of going to dinner with my bro and dad once every other week and then we go to Starbucks afterwards. They know I'm using MFP. One of my dad's favorite things to do has become "tell me how many calories is in THAT" and then point to a miscellaneous Starbucks item. The answer is invariably several hundred. He jaw-dropped at the 140 cal "petite" scone and the 400+ cal normal sized pumpkin scone.

Yes, it's true that exercise can make you hungry for bad stuff, but once you know what you're getting yourself into (i.e. you use MFP), you're more likely to choose wisely. My strategy is that when I get hit with carb cravings I eat a small portion of the guilty pleasure food (half of that donut, cupcake, bacon egg sandwich, etc.) which usually satisfies my taste craving. I still feel hungry, but hey, I feel hungry all the time with my 500 cal/day deficit.

I exercise for 1 hour/day and I wouldn't give that up for anything. Sure, it may lead you into temptation, but being in great health means more than just being skinny. I'm not just talking about your cardio here, but also muscle tone and flexibility. You're never going to be as healthy as you can be by just eating right.

PocketNaomi

Wow, thanks for all the thoughts, everyone! The reason I posted about the article is because I'm finding it difficult to keep to my calorie limits, and easier on the days when I don't try to exercise. I agree (with most of the people here and with the article itself) that exercise has a lot of benefits besides losing weight, but I think I'm turning out to be one of the people who actually *loses weight* better if I get my movement in via walking around more, carrying things instead of putting them in carts, climbing stairs, doing low-key stretching, dancing a few minutes at a time, etc., rather than hard-core exercise. I'm going to try to see how much movement I can get into a regular day without officially "working out," I think! (Maybe I'll ask for a pedometer for Chanukah?)

melizerd

This is why I don't eat my exercise calories. I exercise to tone and tighten up my body. I watch calorie intake to lose weight. I realize there is a point at which exercising makes you hungrier buy most of us aren't really there.

Not to start the never ending debate, but I eat my exercise calories (most, all or more) and losing 1-2lbs a week.

And I don't and average 2lbs but often lose 2.5lbs. Plus when I'm at my goal weight I won't feel like I have to eat as much to be satisfied.

hooah_mj

yeap...my favorite sayings of late, "Fight the white" & "Put down the fork"

Personally, I must workout....'cause I don't deny myself those special occasions....& my bones are getting older :sad:

kdiamond

It is true that exercise alone won't make you THIN...but there are so many awesome health benefits to it. Strength training helps increase bone density which decreases fractures, injuries, arthritis when older, improves cardiac health and helps with weight management. My Crossfit instructor tells us when we're all old we won't be hunched over with brittle bones. I plan on being one hot old lady!

utamore

t I think I'm turning out to be one of the people who actually *loses weight* better if I get my movement in via walking around more, carrying things instead of putting them in carts, climbing stairs, doing low-key stretching, dancing a few minutes at a time, etc., rather than hard-core exercise.

That's cool, and you should certainly do whatever works best for you, but I'd throw out there that once you've made some progress toward your goal, you might give exercise another try (something in between walking/carrying and "hard-core" perhaps).

Lyadeia

Then, very rudely, he turned to one of the other trainers nearby and asked him, "Have you ever heard of anyone loose weight with just a stationary bike and some dumbbells at home?" I wanted to leap over the table and punch him in the face!!

1) What a tool

2) 18 lbs down and counting- I've got sneakers, 2 8lb dumbells, and a pullup bar Wanna give me his address? (or the gyms?) I'll stop in and tell him to go screw.

I know, right? I lost from a high weight of 191 to my lowest ever of 126 by never stepping one foot in a gym. I have my own dumbells and cardio DVDs.

I would love to challenge people like that in my own home gym and watch them sink out the door wondering what just smacked them upon their self-righteous heads...

Lyadeia

But in response to the article itself, I can offer my personal experience.

Before I started to drop my weight, I exercised my brains out thinking that would do the trick. Well, I was more fit and could do more things cardio-wise, but I was the same size afterwards.

On try number 2, I decided to diet without killing myself exercising. I was losing size, but my muscles were all mushy-like and I couldn't go upstairs without being winded. Didn't like that one either...

So then I finally got smart about things and decided that I should do both. And not only did I lose weight and body fat, but I was starting to see that my health improved and I was better able to handle certain things in life...like climbing stairs carrying grocery bags without gasping for air...

So exercise ALONE won't make you thin and healthy, but it is vitally important to remember that while cutting calories will make you lose weight, you won't truly be healthier until you do both. There's no shortcuts to health. You have to eat the right fuel for your body, and you have to move!

sexygenius

the days i see my trainer are actually the days i eat the least
(but this might be because my trainer happens to be my sister, and we spend the whole day together and i dont like to eat bad things in front of her lol)

Lyadeia

the days i see my trainer are actually the days i eat the least
(but this might be because my trainer happens to be my sister, and we spend the whole day together and i dont like to eat bad things in front of her lol)

Now that's motivation! :bigsmile: I wish I had someone like that to hang out with everyday cause then I could cut out the bad eating more easily. Most of my friends aren't necessarily dieting, so it's easy to get off track when we get together.

BoresEasily

Depends on the weight of the dumbbells and the stationary bike is awesome for some of the most intense training known to man. True TABATA. I'd like to see him do it. It's also great for any HIIT workout. Which will do a hell of a lot more than any steady state cardio and don't even consider a true Tabata workout unless you're a serious athlete. That **** will kill you. I know people myself included now that use weighted backpacks and things for home workouts. I don't need a gym membership but I'd like one in the future. Someone on another forum that I see uses rocks in her backpack and has created all kinds of things at home, plyo boxes, pull-up bars and so forth.

8lb dumbbells are a waste by the way. They won't do anything for very long.

As for the rest, yeah you can't outrun bad nutritional habits. Exercise is just good for keeping you fit and healthy. Unfortunately I have no idea how many calories I'm burning most of the time but a trainer I talk to on another site that said for maintenance I should be eating 3K a day. I'm not eating anywhere near that. I wish HRM's gave me some idea of how much I'm burning with strength training and with HIIT workouts. But all that matters to me is I know I'm losing inches and my endurance has increased and my strength is increasing(newbie gains) anyway.

meggonkgonk

8lb dumbbells are a waste by the way. They won't do anything for very long.

Yea wasn't really looking for an opinion on this. I got my routine. I'm happy with it. They do enough for me.

nisijam5

I wish HRM's gave me some idea of how much I'm burning with strength training and with HIIT workouts. But all that matters to me is I know I'm losing inches and my endurance has increased and my strength is increasing(newbie gains) anyway.

I don't much about them; but, how about a bodybugg?

kelsully

I think it all depends on so many factors that to say exercise does or doesn't matter or make you thin is too individual. I didn't change my eating one tiny bit but started hitting the gym 4 days a week..I needed fitness at this time....and I while the scale didn't move much, I was a clothing size smaller. Over time I started watching my portion sizes...not calorie counting ...just portions and kept exercising...etc and lost another clothing size. Then I started counting calories and training for a marathon...lost 2 more clothing sizes. It was a mixed bag for me. I also personally find that I eat considerably more on days I do not exercise. One, exercise is a huge mood elevator for me and when I don't exercise I feel as if I am look for something that gives me that same satisfied feeling a good run gives me..guess what...chocolate never does it but I'll be darned if I stop trying...shrug..two...when I exercise I make conscious choices about "fueling" my body. I don't want to eat too close to a workout or eat food that I will "burp" while running...cottage cheese burps are the worst...LOL and usually I have no desire to eat for an hour after a workout...so figure a few hours of my day I don't feel like eating because of exercise. If I were to not exercise I could potentially maintain my weight but I would be unhappy, feel deprived as I would have to deny myself foods that I can eat now as a result of a 12 mile run and my *kitten* would be even more ridiculous in its flatness...who wants that? I have a healthy relationship with food now. I make healthy choices 85% of the time but don't beat myself up when I eat something that isn't healthful as I have earned those calories through my workout. I don't go over my cals very often but even when I do I know I am a calorie burnig machine and that I can work them off in the next day or two. etc

bethvandenberg

Wow, thanks for all the thoughts, everyone! The reason I posted about the article is because I'm finding it difficult to keep to my calorie limits, and easier on the days when I don't try to exercise. I agree (with most of the people here and with the article itself) that exercise has a lot of benefits besides losing weight, but I think I'm turning out to be one of the people who actually *loses weight* better if I get my movement in via walking around more, carrying things instead of putting them in carts, climbing stairs, doing low-key stretching, dancing a few minutes at a time, etc., rather than hard-core exercise. I'm going to try to see how much movement I can get into a regular day without officially "working out," I think! (Maybe I'll ask for a pedometer for Chanukah?)

I have a pedometer in my ipod but what I find really useful is my heart rate monitor. Tell exactly what you've burned.

TateFTW

The reason why this article should be pointless; If you workout then eat a donut, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LOSE WEIGHT. Jesus, people are slow. If you record your calories on MFP, then the enhanced appetite shouldn't matter.

telcochik

The reason why this article should be pointless; If you workout then eat a donut, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LOSE WEIGHT. Jesus, people are slow. If you record your calories on MFP, then the enhanced appetite shouldn't matter.

Spot on! If you burn more calories than you eat you'll lose weight...simple math...burn more = eat more. As long as you don't tip the equation in favor of eating more than you burn that is!!!

Sharon

TateFTW

The reason why this article should be pointless; If you workout then eat a donut, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LOSE WEIGHT. Jesus, people are slow. If you record your calories on MFP, then the enhanced appetite shouldn't matter.

Spot on! If you burn more calories than you eat you'll lose weight...simple math...burn more = eat more. As long as you don't tip the equation in favor of eating more than you burn that is!!!

Sharon

TESTIFY!

cspinney

I've read similar articles before and I do agree that exercise alone won't make you thin. It's not news that diet is the bigger (and for me the more difficult) part of the equation.

But.

I do think that exercise is important for health and well being. Like the author of the article, I've been a regular exerciser for years. I know that I feel better when I'm exercising regularly. I sleep better. My body feels more limber. It has an impact on my mood. Those are the tangible benefits that I can identify for myself.

If a person is able to be pretty active in their day to day life, deliberate exercise might not be necessary. But for those of us who spend the bulk of our days working a desk job, I do think exercise is important. And if you wanna talk about causality - I can trace the start of my weight issues to 13 years ago when I began working full time, sitting at a computer all day.

And, just to make things more fun, I'm sure most of us know someone who added exercise into their daily routine and dropped pounds.

Articles like this frustrate me a bit because I feel like they are focusing (the blame?) on the wrong thing. Complex issue I guess.

TateFTW

I think also people tend to get used to how they feel. People who are overweight and wobble and wease around have no clue how great it feels to be in shape. They think it would be nice to look better, but they have no clue. The same is true for people who are healthy and exercise regularly. We get used to being energetic and start to think that's just how we are, forgetting to give credit to the hard work we put in on the pavement and in the weight room.

I know when I see fat people struggle up a couple stairs, I just don't get how they could not think that's a problem in need of fixing. However, I could be right back there again if I don't keep track of my diet and keep working hard.