Which is better for Weight Loss - Dieting or exercise.......

sassiebritches

Longevity Blog
By Mark Stibich, Ph.D., About.com Guide to Longevity

Q: Which is better for weight loss: dieting or exercise?


A: This is absolutely no doubt that dieting is the best thing for weight loss. Many people fall into an exercise based weight loss plan. The math on exercise and weight loss just doesn't work. Weight loss is all about reducing the number of calories you consume. If you are trying to lose weight, eating fewer calories is the fastest (and possibly only) way to weight loss. Here's why: to lose a pound, you need to burn 3500 calories. Intense exercise for one hour burns, say, 400 calories. That means that it takes almost 9 intense exercise sessions to burn one pound (or three weeks, if you exercise three times a week). If you can cut 1000 calories from your daily diet, you'll "burn" a pound every 3 and a half days.

That said, exercise has a role in weight loss, just maybe not the one you think.

Exercise to Feel Good: Exercise improves your mood. If you exercise, your body releases chemicals that make you feel good. This is great. Let's face it, dieting is no fun, so work some exercise in to lift up your mood.

Exercise for Energy: Exercise improves sleep. If you can sleep better each night, you'll feel great throughout the day.

Exercise for Muscle: It is true that muscles burn more calories. If you can increase the amount of muscle on your body, you burn more calories everyday just sitting still. The bad news is that, for weight loss, it takes pretty significant muscle growth to shed some pounds. Building muscle is a good weight maintenance strategy and can be a focus when those last few pounds are in site.

Avoid "Exercise Math" When you are dieting, don't get trapped by "exercise math" Many people think "Oh, I can have this cookie because I exercised today." Banish that thought from your mind. Exercise never justifies food. If you let it, you'll slow your weight loss down to a creep. Stick to your diet and don't reward yourself with food.

I thought this was an interesting article...........................

sassiebritches

Longevity Blog
By Mark Stibich, Ph.D., About.com Guide to Longevity

Q: Which is better for weight loss: dieting or exercise?


A: This is absolutely no doubt that dieting is the best thing for weight loss. Many people fall into an exercise based weight loss plan. The math on exercise and weight loss just doesn't work. Weight loss is all about reducing the number of calories you consume. If you are trying to lose weight, eating fewer calories is the fastest (and possibly only) way to weight loss. Here's why: to lose a pound, you need to burn 3500 calories. Intense exercise for one hour burns, say, 400 calories. That means that it takes almost 9 intense exercise sessions to burn one pound (or three weeks, if you exercise three times a week). If you can cut 1000 calories from your daily diet, you'll "burn" a pound every 3 and a half days.

That said, exercise has a role in weight loss, just maybe not the one you think.

Exercise to Feel Good: Exercise improves your mood. If you exercise, your body releases chemicals that make you feel good. This is great. Let's face it, dieting is no fun, so work some exercise in to lift up your mood.

Exercise for Energy: Exercise improves sleep. If you can sleep better each night, you'll feel great throughout the day.

Exercise for Muscle: It is true that muscles burn more calories. If you can increase the amount of muscle on your body, you burn more calories everyday just sitting still. The bad news is that, for weight loss, it takes pretty significant muscle growth to shed some pounds. Building muscle is a good weight maintenance strategy and can be a focus when those last few pounds are in site.

Avoid "Exercise Math" When you are dieting, don't get trapped by "exercise math" Many people think "Oh, I can have this cookie because I exercised today." Banish that thought from your mind. Exercise never justifies food. If you let it, you'll slow your weight loss down to a creep. Stick to your diet and don't reward yourself with food.

I thought this was an interesting article...........................

Binxy2004

I am very new to this sight , only about a week, and normally just read the forums but I felt that I had to respond to say I really liked this post, It solidified a couple of thoughts I had on exercising vs diet. Good job!

3babybeans

I'm still eating the cookie.

sassiebritches

LOL. Eat the cookie just don't undo your workout to eat the box. LOL Silly

sweetapplepi

Interesting article...Sassiebritches that is a super cute profile pic of you!!!

MyaPapaya75

Really Good Post !! I never really linked sleeping to my excercise but before I started I was going to bed like 3-5am and waking at 2pm....now I wake like 10am and sleep usually by midnight or so..:drinker:

alf1163

That is exactly what I was doing before MFP!! If I was gaining weight I would increase my exercise but then justify overeating because I worked it off. That only worked for a little while and then I would start gaining again. Now I see it right in front of my eyes, I see it in writing and I am usually amazed at how many calories, fat and sodium some foods can have!! :noway: :noway: And I am not talking about drastic diets either but eating healthier foods and the appropriate amount of calories can make a huge difference!!!! And of course it should be a way of life and not just temporary!! :flowerforyou:

3babybeans

LOL. Eat the cookie just don't undo your workout to eat the box. LOL Silly

:laugh: I guess it IS all about compromises.

sassiebritches

LOL :flowerforyou:

sassiebritches

That is exactly what I was doing before MFP!! If I was gaining weight I would increase my exercise but then justify overeating because I worked it off. That only worked for a little while and then I would start gaining again. Now I see it right in front of my eyes, I see it in writing and I am usually amazed at how many calories, fat and sodium some foods can have!! :noway: :noway: And I am not talking about drastic diets either but eating healthier foods and the appropriate amount of calories can make a huge difference!!!! And of course it should be a way of life and not just temporary!! :flowerforyou:

Yeah alot of us have done the famous oh I am gonna just do another 30 mins so that I can eat that "whatever". I think it becomes obvious when you are not seeing results in your efforts and your not changing things. We do the reduction in cals....hurdle 1, for some we do more exercise then we have since highschool 2, then we do a bit more to eat? What? LOL crazy humans........Good for you for figuring out your "Niche" in a healthy lifestyle!

:flowerforyou:

brocktaylor87

well... a mix between diet and exercise is certainly the best way, because if you're exercising you are burning more calories, and building muscle, which increases the calories burned while you're not doing anything at all. Let's do the math... if you burn 400 calories 3 times a week, thats 1200 calories a week, 52 weeks in a year, that's 62,400 calories and if 3500 calories is a pound, that would be 17.9 pounds per year. In 5 years that's a 90 pound difference. Any calories burned are a plus... but you've got to be careful what you eat no matter what you burn. Exercising just speeds the process, and maintains healthy bones, muscles, heart, and mind... I think it's worth it

sassiebritches

I hear this! Add more exercise and you have a bonus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:flowerforyou:

MissResa

Love this thread Sassy... Thanks for the article. And your pic is my favorite so far!!!

sassiebritches

Love this thread Sassy... Thanks for the article. And your pic is my favorite so far!!!

Thanks :blushing:


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swiftyoung

Great job, recommending the article. That said, I dont generally rewards myself with food however, after a particularly hard work out. I might indulge in a food reward that is a less than a quarter of the calories I burned

sassiebritches

Great job, recommending the article. That said, I dont generally rewards myself with food however, after a particularly hard work out. I might indulge in a food reward that is a less than a quarter of the calories I burned

I also don't reward with food as this is a brain retrain. I eat if I am hungry and have had to learn what that feels like....the difference between hungry and thinking I am hungry.....I rarely go into the calories I just burned sweating my butt off

:flowerforyou:


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