why exercise won't make you thin

eleanoreb

interesting article on nutrition that my nutritionist recommended

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857-1,00.html

bmontgomery87

Didn't read article but I'll go ahead and say thanks for sharing!!
It's all about nutrition.

ZebraHead

I don't know nothing but I didn't agree with the article.

I work out a lot (I guess) and I don't go running for the doughnuts, or anything else afterwards (maybe some protein)

I think clean eating and exercise (cardio and weight training) go hand in hand and do result in a healthly leaner 'you'...

Please remember before flaming me I did say "I don't know nothing"...

ybrik

Everyone should realize that 80% of results will be based on your diet. It's a numbers game. Calories in vs calories out, calories burned vs calories stored.

When you combine diet + exercise, you will get to your goals faster.

This topic should have said, "Why exercise alone will not make you thin."

SiltyPigeon

Wow! This is an awesome article! Thanks for posting!

Really goes to show how important it is to count your calories; especially with regular exercise.
Weight loss is easy. Self control, on the other hand.... that is another story.

rileysowner

I remember reading this a while back. I remember then that it struck me that there was a problem in it. The first one is having an author who right at the beginning states they have never had a problem with being overweight. How then would their experience with exercise be any comparison to people who are overweight. In all honesty there are huge differences between thin and fat people physiologically, so looking to them for examples of what something will and won't do is not particularly helpful. The second one is the idea of compensatory eating. First of all the study was done with women, and while I realize that most of the members here are women, this does not always hold true even with women. There are times when if you feel like indulging in something you know would not be healthy for you like say the Starbucks muffin mentioned in the article, for many people getting in a workout will help them to say no to the muffin and instead have a good supper with a nice lean protein and veggies. Even for those who do tend toward compensatory eating, you like me, can choose what you will eat and based on the research out there can make sure you avoid the things that don't provide that full feeling and eat the stuff that will--ie. high protein high fiber and drinking water instead of calorie containing drinks.

Yes, exercise alone will not generally take off weight, but reading this article it makes it seem like there is no way to lose weight. I know that you can because I have, and the exercise has been vitally important and part of that. It has made my body healthier, stronger, and more capable. And, yes it has helped lose weight.

eleanoreb

yeh, exercise is definitely key. i would never be able to stay udner my calories if i didn't workout. I also love it!

i think the point is just that exercise alone isn't enough. I'm sure most ppl on MFP have figured that out ..or will very soon

SiltyPigeon

I remember reading this a while back. I remember then that it struck me that there was a problem in it. The first one is having an author who right at the beginning states they have never had a problem with being overweight. How then would their experience with exercise be any comparison to people who are overweight. In all honesty there are huge differences between thin and fat people physiologically, so looking to them for examples of what something will and won't do is not particularly helpful. The second one is the idea of compensatory eating. First of all the study was done with women, and while I realize that most of the members here are women, this does not always hold true even with women. There are times when if you feel like indulging in something you know would not be healthy for you like say the Starbucks muffin mentioned in the article, for many people getting in a workout will help them to say no to the muffin and instead have a good supper with a nice lean protein and veggies. Even for those who do tend toward compensatory eating, you like me, can choose what you will eat and based on the research out there can make sure you avoid the things that don't provide that full feeling and eat the stuff that will--ie. high protein high fiber and drinking water instead of calorie containing drinks.

Yes, exercise alone will not generally take off weight, but reading this article it makes it seem like there is no way to lose weight. I know that you can because I have, and the exercise has been vitally important and part of that. It has made my body healthier, stronger, and more capable. And, yes it has helped lose weight.

What I took out of the article is that we should be AWARE that many people unintentionally overcompensate for exercise with eating and sedentary behaviors later on. Being aware that this could be a hindrance, we now have the opportunity to to take counter measures, such as calorie counting and continuing to be active the rest of the day. I don't think the author meant to say that we can't lose weight or that these behaviors are absolute... only that we should recognize and work to avoid these behaviors.

Louise12

Bump

angisnee

"In short, it's what you eat, not how hard you try to work it off, that matters more in losing weight. You should exercise to improve your health, but be warned: fiery spurts of vigorous exercise could lead to weight gain." --from pg. 5

This article, until about the fifth page, makes it seem like people are wasting their time exercising. I think that is terribly irresponsible! If someone wants an excuse not to exercise, they'll gloss over this sentence and maybe the one other brief one that talked about the health benefits of exercise.

But, it makes me feel good that I've lost weight by vigorous exercise AND counting calories.

kdiamond

I agree with some of the points the author says (For instance, working out makes you hungrier! That's for sure!) but the title of the article is contradictory in itself - "why exercise won't make you thin" - exercise does the opposite, it makes you stronger and healthier, not "thin". I hate that word actually. My 70 year old aunt is "thin" and I gotta tell you, I wouldn't want to look anything like her!

Anorexic models who eat nothing are "thin" and they overexercise...so really, the article doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

However, I will agree that proper nutrition is #1 and goes hand in hand with exercising.

lilRicki

Right ok...so just because I burned 400 calories at the gym doesn't mean I can go get a big Mac right? But I have to eat 400 calories back so I can eat fruits, veggies, protein shakes, etc...that's what i'm getting from this article...Tosca Reno (eating clean) said that losing weight is 80% food 10% genetics and 10% exercise...I also agree with some of the points, I could eat my fridge door off after I exercise for a couple of days in a row. But it doesn't mean I get to have Tim Horton's donut...it means I get to eat 3 times more cauliflower right?

lilRicki

I don't know nothing but I didn't agree with the article.

I work out a lot (I guess) and I don't go running for the doughnuts, or anything else afterwards (maybe some protein)

I think clean eating and exercise (cardio and weight training) go hand in hand and do result in a healthly leaner 'you'...

Please remember before flaming me I did say "I don't know nothing"...

lol relax, you're right...

fteale

Calories in vs calories out.

Exercise s what made a difference for me, as I have always eaten well. I suppose you can't expect to eat **** and get thin even with exercise, but if you eat sensibly, it becomes ALL about exercise.

fteale

Oh and totally agree on one major point, which most people seem to miss - high intensity exercise will make you hungry without burning any fat. People who bust a gut for 20 mins a day and wonder why they aren't losing weight have it the wrong way. To lose fat, you need to work at only 60% of your max heart rate, that's not much more than a walk, and you need to do it for more than half an hour, preferably several hours to burn significant amount of fat. I never got fat living in London because I walked 4-10 miles a day, even though I ate takeaway twice a week.

njean888

Will read later. Thanks for posting.

Glucocorticoid

While the energy expenditure of exercise is vastly overestimated (dieting works far better for weight loss), it has other benefits that should not be ignored (calorie partitioning being one of the main ones).

Barneystinson

While the energy expenditure of exercise is vastly overestimated (dieting works far better for weight loss), it has other benefits that should not be ignored (calorie partitioning being one of the main ones).

Building strength and muscle is also highly beneficial in terms of longevity and health, also.

Hollycat

Even though for weight loss, it's all about the numbers, exercising often, whether you have weight to lose or not, is extremely important. Just ask my cardiologist. I was basically sedentary all my life and because of that, I developed reversible ischemia [heart disease] before I was 50. Had I exercised all those years and still eaten enough calories to be overweight, I wonder if I would have developed the heart disease. Probably not and even if yes, definitely not as soon. The good news: I still have a chance to reverse this situation by exercising, dieting and losing weight sensibly.

Don't think in black and white.

Play the numbers. Eat enough calories to not go into starvation mode, exercise often and keep your NET calorie daily deficit between 200-900, depending on your current weight [more of a deficit if you are bigger, less of a deficit as you get closer to goal]. Find out what your BMR is and check it regularly. It changes as you lose weight. Do it all, record it all, and plan on doing it for the rest of your life. That way, it doesn't matter how long it takes.

Hollycat
:flowerforyou:

bcdg24

I agree that the title for this article is misleading. it should read "How vigorous exercise can hinder weight loss".

It is strange though, i dont feel hungry when i do a good workout. i certainly dont overeat or binge on workout days. In fact, i usually dont eat all of my exercise calories back, but i DO eat more on days i dont exercise. Am I the only person that isn't stark raving hungry after a workout? maybe i dont workout vigorously enough to work up that appetite, or maybe because i dont workout until after i've eaten all my meals for the day (i typically workout at night before bed). Still, it makes me wonder.

bcdg24

I wonder if the reason the author still has the "gut fat hanging over" his belt is due to starvation-mode eating rather than only vigorous exercising?

lipglossjunky73

I exercise like a mad woman.if I eat too much, I gain weight. I realized long ago that exercise won't save my butt. Only exercise and clean eating.

rileysowner

Vigorous exercise will burn off fat just as well as, probably better, than long duration low intensity exercise. HIIT is pretty much the only sort of exercise I usually do, and I would still be doing it now if my pre-existing knee problem had not flared up. For now all I can do is use my stationary bike until my knee is all better. I get no hungrier from HIIT than I do from anything else. The absolute best thing is weight training for its long term effects.

LisaKyle11

bump!