Why do we exercise?

helenium

Hello all,

I exercise regularly at the moment, although I rarely manage more than 400 calories of exercise a day. I enjoy it and eat all my exercise calories. (I'm being a good girl and avoiding starvation.) But recently I've been wondering whether all this exercise is actually helping my weight loss. I'm certainly getting a lot fitter, that's for sure. My target daily is 1300 calories, but when I exercise, I need to eat more, which I consider 'bonus'. So if I'm eating my cardio calories back, where's the fat loss coming from? Why don't I sit on the couch and just eat 1300 calories a day if my NET will be the same?

Just to let everyone know, I do enjoy exercise and am not looking for an excuse not to exercise. I'm just a little confused about the benefit of eating more/exercising more compared to eating less/exercising less!

I'm mainly concerned about cardiovascular exercise. As for strength exercises, I understand that building muscle requires you to burn more calories at rest. So that's not an issue. I'm also aware that fitness is essential for a healthy life. Still wondering whether it helps fat loss though.

Thanks everyone and thanks for clarifying!

alipsey

I don't have an answer for this, but I wanted to second the inquiry. I am a marathon runner, and actually gained weight while training for my first marathon, but now I am losing weight because I'm eating more. I understand the whole net calorie equation, to a point, but I am also curious, if you wanted to lose weight, and it's about net calories, why not just eat less, since you will have to eat back your workout calories anyhow?

Delicate

Endorphines!!!

For me anyway

SarahWrittenThin

Building muscle which will tone you, burn more calories and burn for longer. Also releasing endorphins, increasing your stamina and the function of your heart and lungs. And of course losing weight.

shreddingit

U dont have to exercise to lose weight if ur cutting calories, exercise shapes the body, cardio is anything that makes ur heart work, only strength is exercise in the real true term. U should totally read up on research based books....

pixiepandora

From what I understand...exercising helps turn fat into energy... xx

Charger440

I don't eat back my calories. Since I am trying to lose weight the whole "Exercise to burn more calories and eat all those calories back that you worked so hard to burn off so you can lose weight" just don't make sense to me. If I spend all the time burning calories for the purpose of weight loss I am certainly NOT going to eat them back! Now if I were doing strictly for cardio and over all fitness while maintaining weight I could see eating most or all of them back. Eating it all back while trying to lose weight just don't make sense to me.

KyleJCooper

Cardiovascular exercise improves your heart muscle strength. Your resting heart rate decreases, the heart learns to beat more efficiently, and you LIVE LONGER as a result. Your heart learns how to speed up to accommodate stress (like exercise) and slow back down after exercise quicker, making activities easier to initiate and sustain. Cardiovascular exercise tones your muscles and makes your body consider them essential, which means that your weight loss will come from other less-desirable tissues (read: fat). You are decreasing your risk of hypertension, diabetes and cancer by performing cardio - independent of the weight loss component.

I could go on all day about the benefits of cardiovascular health. Who the hell cares about the number of pounds you weigh - if you look great and are living healthier, the number doesn't matter.

Source: I'm a physician...

Atlantique

Exercise improves your overall health and mood, helps you to sleep better, reshapes your body, helps to keep your metabolism from slowing down while dieting, and, if done in long enough intervals, can burn fat.

It also can really improve your relationship with your body. Most of us either studiously ignored our bodies or hated them while gaining weight, but exercising allows us to enjoy them and respect what they can do.

KyleJCooper

Good insights Atlantique.

schnarfo

I used to think like that but... Exercise has more benefits than weight loss alone! If you exercise you build muscle and look more toned and can look much smaller at a higher weight! It helps make you happy! Yes exercise helps ward off depression and elevates stress. Cardio works your heart and and lungs making you healthier!

Would u rather hit a number on a scale and have wobbly bits u don't want or have the body u want and perhaps not have the scale number u want?

KyleJCooper

Charger - you eat back your calories because your body becomes more efficient at storing calories as fat if you are consistently below a certain optimal range of daily net calories. If you are consistently 500 calories BELOW your goal day after day, and the goal is already set to lose 2 pounds a week (which means you are 1000 calories below your basal metabolic rate), then your body is going to start hanging on to those calories like there's no tomorrow. It becomes harder to lose weight in the long run, and you tend to GAIN BACK the weight if you falter from the diet, lose interest in paying attention to what you are eating, start exercising less... etc. The "overall health" that is thrown around isn't some mythical idea - if you are cutting weight with unhealthy habits, it ISN'T GOING TO STICK. You'll lose now, but regret it later. And you'll lose muscle tone, making you look like a skinny weakling rather than a picture of health.

MyNameIsNotBob

To tone and shape the body, increase cardiovascular health, increase mental function and health, sleep better, feel better... all of those things.

scottb81

Being unfit is a bigger health risk than being overweight.

MyaPapaya75

Good Post...for me I exercise for heart ,muscle, lungs..etc..also I find it keeps my skin clear from blemishes ...I dont really exercise for weight loss at all I guess its a 2 part healing and strengthening process...1 part being weight which can come by just managing food and the other for overall body health and strength...

helenium

Cardiovascular exercise improves your heart muscle strength. Your resting heart rate decreases, the heart learns to beat more efficiently, and you LIVE LONGER as a result. Your heart learns how to speed up to accommodate stress (like exercise) and slow back down after exercise quicker, making activities easier to initiate and sustain. Cardiovascular exercise tones your muscles and makes your body consider them essential, which means that your weight loss will come from other less-desirable tissues (read: fat). You are decreasing your risk of hypertension, diabetes and cancer by performing cardio - independent of the weight loss component.

I could go on all day about the benefits of cardiovascular health. Who the hell cares about the number of pounds you weigh - if you look great and are living healthier, the number doesn't matter.

Source: I'm a physician...

Thanks, this has provided me with the best explanation thus far. Especially the concrete benefit of ensuring as much weight loss comes from fat and not all that precious muscle. I'm in no doubt suggesting exercise is not beneficial - I was mainly curious as to whether it was essential for weight loss.

You've satisfied my inner (outer?) scientist! Thanks.

helenium

Being unfit is a bigger health risk than being overweight.

This is true.

helenium

Exercise improves your overall health and mood, helps you to sleep better, reshapes your body, helps to keep your metabolism from slowing down while dieting, and, if done in long enough intervals, can burn fat.

It also can really improve your relationship with your body. Most of us either studiously ignored our bodies or hated them while gaining weight, but exercising allows us to enjoy them and respect what they can do.

These are all excellent points, thanks for sharing them!

suzycreamcheese

to get fitter and so i can eat more.

fteale

Cardiovascular exercise is important to keep your heart healthy. Doing strength training will make your heart bigger, but not stronger (Japanese Olympic rowing team back in the 40s). Doing cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart muscle, making it more efficient, more effective and healthier. Just don't go attempting 100 or more marathons.

SolidGoaled

I go through my phases where I have the same thoughts: Why do I put myself through this added step called exercise when all I have to do is sit on my butt and not eat??

However, after 3 months of working an exercise program (Turbo Fire) I have come to really love feeling stronger and having the added endurance. I Love that I can dash across a parking lot and not be winded - I love that I can take stairs 2 at a time and not even flinch. I love that I can withstand constant playing with the kids now and not feel like I want to sit down.

Also - my exercise has become a very valuable tool for the days when I do have a treat (a dinner out, or a few drinks) I like that I have the ability to control my calorie useage during the day to combat these treats. Its really nice to know that if I go over my calories, that I have options through exercise - all is not lost. Know what I Mean?