Exercise or eating right...which one is more important?

bmontgomery87

both are important.

personally excercise got me losing weight and looking better, even when i was still eating pretty crappy.
but a lot of factors play into that.

Chicka_Boom

I know they are both necessary on the journey to health and wellness, but I"m curious. Do you think one is more important than the other? If you were only able to do one of them, which would you choose?

That's a toughie! I'd say eating right is probably more important for me.. When I decided to lose weight, I started out just walking on the treadmill every day. I didn't start seeing really noticeable results until I joined MFP and began monitoring my caloric intake. That led to me working to improve my eating habits all around, not just in terms of calories but also in trying to make good choices and eat a balanced, nutritious, satisfying diet. The results I saw from that pushed me to invest more in my health & fitness, and that's when I started really working out consistently & in earnest.

Truthfully, though, I think that you need to do both and find a balance that works for you. It's not about eating nothing but steamed broccoli and tofu or spending hours doing high intensity circuit training, it's about finding a way to eat well & get moving in a sustainable way, so that it's a change you can make for life.

daveymck

Eating less calories than you use over the course of the week = weekly weight loss

Theres lots of people with all sorts of complex theories on this site but thats the crux of it. It doesnt really matter what you eat or how much you exercise as long as that formula rings true you will lose weight. You dont have to hit the gym (I try and walk as much as possible and thats it for me) you dont have to cut out the "bad" things you like as long you hit your daily calorie targets you will lose weight.

Whether at the end by not changing your diet and excercise you keep the weight off, have a longer healthier life etc etc is probably another matter.

Dieting isnt complicated, the mentality of dieting is the main hurdle most people have.

CARNAT22

Eating right....

You could technically burn enough calories to live on fast food but you wouldn't be healthy.

Last_15

you cannot out-exercise bad nutrition.

exactly!

Eating right....

You could technically burn enough calories to live on fast food but you wouldn't be healthy.

again, exactly!

Cristy_AZ

you cannot out-exercise bad nutrition.

Love this! I think I need this tattooed on my forehead.
Have to say for me though it has to be both. I have to exercise, maybe its because I'm older and/or have slow metabolism, not sure.

Chicka_Boom

Eating right....

You could technically burn enough calories to live on fast food but you wouldn't be healthy.

This. I used to think that as long as I was exercising, I could eat whatever I wanted. That worked out fine until I was in my 20's, and then I started gaining weight. I was able to stay within a reasonable weight range but I could never get to where I wanted to be. Then, when I was sidelined from exercising by a serious injury, my weight totally ballooned because I had never gotten in the habit of eating well.

Jill_newimprovedversion

I'll answer your question with a question:

If you eat right ( staying within your allotted daily intake each day) and do NOT exercise, will you be healthier and still lose weight?

If you exercise all day long, and then go eat out at McDonalds, will you be healthier and still lose weight?


Hint: I can tell you from personal experience that the second question is NO. That's why I'm here.

laurasimmons

If I could only do one, I would choose exercise! I love how it makes me feel!

PJilly

I know they are both necessary on the journey to health and wellness, but I"m curious. Do you think one is more important than the other? If you were only able to do one of them, which would you choose?

For weight loss, I'd say eating right is most important. For health and wellness, eating right and being active are equally important in my opinion.

jenswwjourney

I believe that eating right is more imporant. What does it matter if you ran on the treadmill for 60 minutes if you ate 5,000 calories earlier in the day? Also you cannot exercise at your peak if you are placing junk intyo your body. Just my thoughts.

rybo

It depends. Sometimes you can out exercise eating bad, just depends on what you call "bad".

And you could eat really great and healthy, but if you never touched a weight or ran 10 steps, you wouldn't be very physically fit.

If given the choice, I personally would choose exercise and let my diet slip. I lived a lot of my life that way without any problems. Thankfully now I am smart enough and able to do both.

Lisa__Michelle

Eating right because you can exercise all day long but if you eat bad then your health can still be bad. My dad knew a guy who was an avid runner. He was always in marathons and was in top physical shape. He died of a heart attack because he had clogged arteries from eating the worst foods!

JulieF11

diet is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise

NO QUESTION about it... FOOD will make or break you. I've had friends be successful (losing weight, not getting healthy) without ever adding exercise, but no one has been successful without changing their food habits.

sbwood888

Diet.

RCKT82

A friend of mine went to a seminar and they told her that eating right and exercising are both important. But, if you are only going to do one of the two, then pick exercise.

(I am not offering advice. Just telling you what my friend said)


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

I did find that if I exercise I always tend to eat healthier.... I don't want to ruin all the hard work I put in

but as everyone else has posted and as I posted earlier, eating healthy is key.

elliemay63

I have to agree with the majority - nutrition is more important. My GF doesn't really do the whole exercise thing but her "diet by proxy" has helped her lose weight without trying. If we don't bring junk into the house then we eat better. And if I choose a healthy meal when we go out to eat, she tends to make a better choice, not always but usually.

jazgal

80% nutrition, 10% genetics and 10% exercise

ILuvLifehouse

From my own experience I have tried it both ways and the only thing that works FOR ME is to do both then I see results. I can't just diet and lose so that's what works for me.

tladame

I would say eating right, simply because a lot of us don't have the time to exercise or the money to join a gym. I have found that I can lose weight by eating right, with little exercise. Plus, eating right can help with things like cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.

But since I've added exercise, I look and feel better. Cardiovascular exercise is great for the heart and the blood!

hroush

6 years ago I lost 70 lbs in 7 months only doing 2 spin classes a week and consuming at least 3000 (if not 5000) calories per day. Then I hit a plateau, probably because I was now burning as much as i was eating. I had that little layer of fat that I couldn't get rid of. In the end, diet matters, but with exercise you get out what you put in. I was burning 700 calories in each of those spin classes and probably much more afterwards.

Take from this what you will.