Why exercise to lose weight?

megsmom2

MFP already has a deficit calculated in for you. For example, if you set your goals to sedentary you will burn around 1700 a day with sitting around. So, you eat 1200 which gives you a 500 calorie deficit each day by not exercising at all.
If you exercise on top of that, you can eat your exercise calories back without you losing the 500 calorie deficit a day!
If you don't eat your calories back, you will be netting to low which can cause you to plateau. You can also choose to eat back half the calories you exercised, in case you overestimated the calories burned or whatever.

It's really important that you are not netting to low, it won't help your weight loss. I ate 1200 each day in the beginning with intense exercise, but now I've upped my calories I'm still losing weight!

This! This is how MFP is set up to work...and it DOES work.

LorinaLynn

so that you can eat more?

Truthfully, that's reason enough for me.

Being physically healthy and strong, looking younger and all around better... that's all well and good, but being able to eat pizza on a regular basis? Heaven.

robot_potato

"skinny people look good in clothes, fit people look great naked!" Just sayin......

This.

surromom2010

Also keep in mind that exercise helps tone your body. You can still look like you have more to lose at a lighter weight without exercise and you can look thinner than your actual weight if you do exercise. It's not just about what you see in the scale, but what you can see in the mirror.

This

If you don't exercise you might weight less, but you'll be "skinny fat" where you weigh less but you jiggle more than someone that weighs 30 lbs more than you. I've been there, fixing it now!

fatchiick

lol I DO NOT EAT BACK EXERCISE CALORIES.

EXERCISE IS ESSENTIAL TO WEIGHT LOSS.

If you work on a railroad or play some kind of professional sport as a living your daily routine is exercise enough....MOST PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE THOSE TYPES OF JOBS AND MOST PEOPLE DO NOT EAT AT A CALORIE DEFICIT. SO BOTH ARE GENERALLY NEEDED FOR BEST RESULTS.

exercise is not essential to weight loss. For that all you need is a caloric deficit which can be achieved through diet alone. That being said, exercise can help you with that deficit while allowing you to eat more food and have the same deficit.

As I said Exercise is Essential to weight loss, Unless you are a Vegtable ur getting some kind of exercise, period. Simply tossing and turning or walking around. MOST PEOPLE EXERCISE. THUS WHEN THEY DO EAT LESS THEY LOSE BECAUSE WHAT THEIR BODIES HAVE DETERMINED IS ENOUGH FUEL TO RUN IT EFFICIENTLY THROUGH THEIR NATURAL EXERCISE AND BODILY FUNCTIONS.

CAN YOU EAT 500 AND LOSE WEIGHT, YES.

DO HUMANS USUALLY EAT 500 CALS NOPE. A NORMAL FUNCTIONING ADULT USUALLY EATS 2000+ CALS A DAY, IF YOUR BODY ONLY BURNS 1700 NATURALLY.. EXERCISE IS NEEDED.. OR EAT LESS AND EITHER MAINTAIN LOES SLOWLY OR VIRTUALLY STARVE YOURSELF.

Im_NotPerfect

for me: to be able to eat more overall and still lose

^^this. I like food and drink too much to cut back! :drinker:

BigenFluffy

I was thinking the same thing today while I was at the gym. I burned approx 800 calories this morning, I don't think I'm going to eat all the calories back, but I do think that I'm doing to get a 200 calorie cone at Dairy Queen.

To me, loosing weight is about getting smaller, and healthier. I know that I will never stick to a 'diet' so exercising allows me to eat my treats and still loose weight.

bradphil87

I'm not just trying to lose weight, I'm also trying to be healthy too. My blood pressure is a bit high, I told the doctor I was working out and he said that is the best thing i can do for my heart health

mfpcopine

I know that exercising is important and will make you healthy, toned, etc.... but if you're going to eat back the calories you burn anyway, then what's the point?

I don't think you should eat back your calories unless you've done a helluva lot of exercise.

BigenFluffy

Because you'll look goddamn sexy.

Ha! I like this answer.

erickirb

I know that exercising is important and will make you healthy, toned, etc.... but if you're going to eat back the calories you burn anyway, then what's the point?

I don't think you should eat back your calories unless you've done a helluva lot of exercise.

Why? if you are already in a deficit prior to exercising you should eat them back to provide you enough fuel to recover from the workout and to provide fuel for your next workout.

marycmeadows

Well to anyone that really cares about living healthy, it's about living a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating right and exercising. And actually it's NOT as simple as calories in vs calories out. You have to feed your body properly.

skullshank

so i can go back to masturbating to pictures of myself instead of that nasty internet.

RaeN81

Not sure if someone already mentioned this, but exercising and eating back those calories can help to improve your metabolism and this will be of great benefit to you, especially when you are done losing the weight. If you don't do this, there is a high chance that the only way to sustain your weight loss is to continue on a lower calorie diet. I haven't met a huge number of people that would be thrilled with the idea of eating a low cal diet over the long haul, so it's important to improve your cardiovascular health and burn more calories (even when resting) by increasing your muscle mass through exercise. Plus, it makes you feel better (even if it's hard at first!)

rmsrws

No one has thrown in YET.....muscle weighs more than fat.....LOL....Sorry had too!

Muscle takes up less space, by exercising you gain lean muscle that replaces bulky FAT. I have a friend who is the same height weighs 10 lbs less and is two pant sizes bigger than me, WHY? Because I work out and she chooses not too!

ZombieSlayer

Food = weight loss/gain
Exercise = physical fitness.

Do not exercise to lose weight. Eat to lose weight. Exercise to be healthy.

p.s. You need to fuel your workouts.

recklessenigma

From my experience: it makes me feel great. I honestly love exercising and the benefits that come with it are plenty.

I've been at that point where I was "skinny-fat" once in my life and it's definitely not something I would go back to.

For me, eating right and exercising come hand-in-hand. It's a healthy lifestyle for your body and for your mind.

bulbadoof

Personally, I exercise because I like food. I need to keep the calorie deficit to lose weight, so I earn myself more calories with exercise to keep the deficit while doing something I really like to do. I am not ashamed of the fact that I like to eat, and I am not ashamed to admit that I don't want to have to restrict my diet my whole life to be healthy; a long-term goal of mine is to be able to eat 2500 calories a day and maintain a healthy body weight doing it.

Plus, it feels good to exercise. It puts me in a good mood and it makes me feel strong and proud of myself. It helps me sleep better that night, too. :happy:

sandrajune72

Why Exercise Is Important for Weight Loss
Diet and Weight Loss Tutorial

Just as a car runs on gasoline, our bodies run on the blood sugar (glucose) circulating in our bloodstream. When we exercise enough to deplete the supply of blood sugar, hormones are released that instruct our fat cells to release fat into our bloodstream. The fat circulates to the muscles that need it for fuel, and we end up with less fat on our bodies.
The Right Reason to Exercise

Exercise plays an important role in maintaining a healthy body, and it makes it possible to create a calorie deficit and lose weight without starving your body and slowing your metabolism. But do not look to exercise as your sole method of weight loss.

Think how many times you've heard someone say, "I'll have dessert and work it off later." As our calculators will show you, that dessert can equate to hours of exercise -- something you're not likely to actually do. Better to eat well in the first place.

Eat healthy foods in reasonable quantities and exercise regularly to maintain good health, and your body will find a healthy weight naturally.
Categories of Exercise

Exercise is frequently divided into two categories, both of which burn calories:

Aerobic exercise, also called cardiovascular exercise or simply "cardio," causes you to breathe harder and increases your heart rate.

Performed on a regular basis, activities such as running and swimming improve both your respiratory capacity (lungs) and your circulatory system (heart and blood vessels).
Strength building, also called resistance training, increases the proportion of muscle on your body. Examples include weight lifting with free weights and using a machine with variable resistance.

Because muscle is a metabolically active tissue, the more muscular you are the higher your metabolism will be. This means that you will burn more calories even at rest.

Exercise Regularly

People who exercise on a regular basis not only lose weight more effectively, but are more successful at keeping it off. And the significance of regular exercise goes beyond the physical benefits.

Regular exercise produces a mental attitude of self-care and self-esteem that bolsters confidence and the desire to continue to improve.

The health benefits of regular exercise are significant and include reduced risk for heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and diabetes. Even just walking on a regular basis is of great value. Exercise also helps to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, which can be brought on by dieting itself, and can lead to overeating.

As explained in What It Takes to Lose It All, dieting often causes you to lose muscle and your metabolism to slow. Not only does exercise burn calories, but exercise -- especially cardio -- causes your metabolism to remain elevated for a period of time after you finish exercising. And strength building exercise builds muscle, which helps to keep your metabolism elevated 24 hours a day.
Yo-Yo Dieting without Exercise

Yo-yo dieting gets its name from the cycle of bingeing, then dieting to lose the weight gained bingeing, then repeating the cycle again and again. Yo-yo dieters typically gain weight over time, and yo-yo dieting without exercise only compounds the problem.

Without exercise, yo-yo dieters lose both muscle and fat during the diet phase, while they gain only fat during the binge phase. Over time, the proportion of fat making up their bodies becomes greater and greater, while the proportion of muscle becomes smaller and smaller.

This results in a significant slowdown of their metabolism, making weight loss more and more difficult.
Getting Started -- Slowly

Have you ever seen an obese person "busting a gut" on their first day at the gym or track? And maybe you saw them a second day, but not a third? Or maybe something similar has happened to you? Take baby steps. Maybe just walking at first. With time you will build your strength, endurance, and confidence.

You can challenge your body to improve by exercising just outside your "comfort zone." Then, when what you're doing is no longer a challenge, you can do a little more or do it a little harder, faster or longer. But forget about the old saying, "No Pain, No Gain." If you hurt, you won't get off the couch!

When you work your muscles, you may feel a little soreness the next day. This is called "delayed-onset muscle soreness" and it is especially common when you first begin exercising. Stressing your muscles causes microscopic tears to their fibers, and this causes the soreness. The good news is that as your muscles heal they become stronger.

If you experience any other type of pain, stop or see a doctor. Our bodies do a wonderful job of telling us when we are abusing them. The problem is, exercise can be so addicting that we sometimes don't want to stop and listen.
It's Natural

The human body was designed to be active, and the modern conveniences that make life so easy work to our detriment. If you have a desk job, fight back! Take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for a walk during your lunch break, and walk the last few blocks to work.

Calculate how many calories you would burn if you went for a half-hour walk a few days a week. Multiply that by 52 weeks a year and you'll be surprised at how it adds up. It can make a significant difference in your weight management and, perhaps even more important, your mental attitude and health.

LorinaLynn

No one has thrown in YET.....muscle weighs more than fat.....LOL....Sorry had too!

Muscle takes up less space, by exercising you gain lean muscle that replaces bulky FAT. I have a friend who is the same height weighs 10 lbs less and is two pant sizes bigger than me, WHY? Because I work out and she chooses not too!

I did. On page two. :happy:

elizabethmae1214

I love this quote I heard somewhere:

"If you diet you look good in your clothes, if you exercise you look good naked"

I've weighed less than I do right now and felt/looked worse. Working out is sooooooooooo important for me to feel good and to look great!

kadins_momma07

95% of the time I do not eat eat back the calories I've burned. I don't think you are supposed to in general. The tracking just let's you know that if you NEED to , ie if you're still hungry, you can do so and still not gain weight ...

Do most of you really eat back teh calories you burn in exercise? I never have.

I was just having this debate with my husband yesterday....I don't really eat back my calories unless for some reason I'm just super hungry that day (usually around that TOM lol). I find it kind of pointless. If I'm exercising, I want those calories gone! But I guess some people exercise so they can eat more.

erickirb

95% of the time I do not eat eat back the calories I've burned. I don't think you are supposed to in general. The tracking just let's you know that if you NEED to , ie if you're still hungry, you can do so and still not gain weight ...

Do most of you really eat back teh calories you burn in exercise? I never have.

I was just having this debate with my husband yesterday....I don't really eat back my calories unless for some reason I'm just super hungry that day (usually around that TOM lol). I find it kind of pointless. If I'm exercising, I want those calories gone! But I guess some people exercise so they can eat more.

the main point of eating them is so you don't lose too fast and lose more muscle then fat in the process.