Does exercise really matter?

raerae514

Sounds like a stupid & controversial topic, doesn't it?

What I mean to say is....

#1 - If you stay under your calories just by eating
VS.
#2 - If you eat over your calories and then do exercise to burn off extra calories

And the end of the day you end up with the same # of net calories.

Is the #2 option going to make you lose weight faster? Any other advantages?

erickirb

both options should have you lose weight at the same rate, the difference being #2 will make you much more healthy, and if #2 consists of strength training then a higher % of your loss will be from fat, not lean mass (some of which would be muscle)

In summary, you will lose weight just as fast based on deficit, but will be a lower BF% and be much more athletic and healthy if you exercise (including strength training)

raerae514

both options should have you lose weight at the same rate, the difference being #2 will make you much more healthy, and if #2 consists of strength training then a higher % of your loss will be from fat, not lean mass (some of which would be muscle)

In summary, you will lose weight just as fast based on deficit, but will be a lower BF% and be much more athletic and healthy if you exercise (including strength training)

You're so smart! I love everything you post, lol Thanks!

DebraKing52

I believe exercise REALLY does help. I try to stay under or close to my calorie goal, then use exercise to get my net calories way down. I've been able to lose weight this way (36 pounds in 5 months) when I hadn't been able to lose weight for years and years. It seems to be a combination of MFP motivation, being very careful of my calories, eating lots of veggies, and exercising every single day. Hope this helps! And, God bless!

dmpizza

Exercise builds muscles that burn more calories even at rest.

PS, I am sure the shakeweight in your pic gives you a great workout(just kidding).

Swissmiss

both options should have you lose weight at the same rate, the difference being #2 will make you much more healthy, and if #2 consists of strength training then a higher % of your loss will be from fat, not lean mass (some of which would be muscle)

In summary, you will lose weight just as fast based on deficit, but will be a lower BF% and be much more athletic and healthy if you exercise (including strength training)

^^^this^^^....plus, you will look great.

neverstray

Besides actually being healthful, exercise just makes me feel really good. That is worth a lot.

jcmartin0313

You can be skinny but unhealthy...so yes it does matter. If you sole goal is to lose weight and do not care about the state of your health than it does not.

erickirb

I believe exercise REALLY does help. I try to stay under or close to my calorie goal, then use exercise to get my net calories way down. I've been able to lose weight this way (36 pounds in 5 months) when I hadn't been able to lose weight for years and years. It seems to be a combination of MFP motivation, being very careful of my calories, eating lots of veggies, and exercising every single day. Hope this helps! And, God bless!

Your net cals should not be that low, they should = your MFP goal before adding exercise. Not fueling your body enough can lead to a loss of a large % of lean muscle, as you will not be getting the fuel the muscles need to rebuild.

GC_Hutson

Questioning the need for exercise vs only focusing on caloric intake, is like saying you could "loose 80 pounds overnight," by simply cutting-off both of your legs with a chainsaw...

kennethmgreen

All depends on context and how you are framing the question. If you are simply asking in the context of weight loss, then exercise doesn't matter. Only a calorie deficit matters - and quite frankly, that's easier to achieve by eating less.

If the question is in the context of what is more healthy for someone trying to get fit, then exercise matters. But there are still a lot of variables from the kind of food that comprises your calories, to the types exercises you're doing and the frequency and resistance involved.

If the the questions could be answered simply and taken at face value by lots of people, we'd have a multimillion dollar industry of weight loss gadgets and supplements. :huh:

LorinaLynn

You'll lose weight either way, but you'll *look* like you lost more if you get regular exercise.

Eating very little, and being fairly active but not really exercising, I was a size 8 the last time I was 130 pounds a few years ago.

This times around, I'm a size 2 or 4 at about 135 pounds, eating a good amount of food and getting regular exercise.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore

AmyFett

I try and not eat back exercise calories, but I'm only at 1400, so it's kind of hard at this point, just starting out, to not do that. Though some days I burn over 400 or 500 calories, and I don't eat that much back (except yesterday, I was a naughty girl). I also can't attest to weight loss either because I haven't lost anything yet. I stay under my calorie goal every day though. Anyway, personally I think that exercising is healthier than just staying under calories.

chrystee

Totally helps.. If I work out 90 minutes after work, by the time I get home, feed/bathe my kid, clean up, etc.. I barely have time for food. I used to graze ALL night.. not only that, but I'm smaller at the weight I am, then when I wasn't working out. People compliment me now and say they see a big difference even though I haven't really lost anything for a couple months.

raerae514

Questioning the need for exercise vs only focusing on caloric intake, is like saying you could "loose 80 pounds overnight," by simply cutting-off both of your legs with a chainsaw...

I never thought of THAT!! Ya got a chainsaw I could use for a sec? I'll clean it I swear.. hahaha

The whole body fat % never crossed my mind, actually yesterday I was reading about people who are the same weight but with different % body fats... And I would DEFINITELY like to have a lower BF% than... I believe the 27-something I am now...

iLose2Gain

It is possible to lose the weight b/c they say 80% is diet but exercise helps give you the body you want! I was 145 in college & still had a huge stomach (for my size). Exercise not only helps you look great but has many other benefits such as releasing brain chemicals that improves your mood, memory and learning. It also helps to ward off the big killers like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It reverses the detrimental effects of stress and depression. The list goes on. So Yes, exercise really does matter!

DebraKing52

Thanks, I know you're right. I've been trying to stay at about 1100 calories a day, but try to work off at least 300-400 calories a day with a stationary bike, walking, etc. I'm actually eating a lot of healthy food, but I probably should readjust my calorie intake and do some strength training as well as cardio. My end goal after all is to be healthy! Thanks, again!

raerae514

You'll lose weight either way, but you'll *look* like you lost more if you get regular exercise.

Eating very little, and being fairly active but not really exercising, I was a size 8 the last time I was 130 pounds a few years ago.

This times around, I'm a size 2 or 4 at about 135 pounds, eating a good amount of food and getting regular exercise.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore

Impressive!! You look great btw!

Lyerin

I find it also helps with emotional eating too. For me, I would always binge when I was anxious or upset, but exercise is such a great stress reliever, that I can exercise instead and feel good and not consume any empty calories. Also, after working out, I don't want to undo all of my hard work with something junky.

IronPlayground

Depends on what you want the end result to look like. Yes, you can lose by staying at a deficit and not exercising, but image in the mirror might not be what you would expect.

erickirb

I try and not eat back exercise calories, but I'm only at 1400, so it's kind of hard at this point, just starting out, to not do that. Though some days I burn over 400 or 500 calories, and I don't eat that much back (except yesterday, I was a naughty girl). I also can't attest to weight loss either because I haven't lost anything yet. I stay under my calorie goal every day though. Anyway, personally I think that exercising is healthier than just staying under calories.

that is not naughty, you should be eating them back, it is how MFP is designed.

cara4fit

It absolutely does make a difference, for all the reasons stated above! Plus for general health and ability. Those who exercise meaningfully long-term, especially with any solid resistance-training program not only tend to look amazing as they get older, butalso they are able to live independently for a lot longer(barring sheer bad luck of course). Otherwise, age-related muscle loss is very real, and people become too weak, lethargic and stiff to do the simplest daily living tasks. Heart health, and blood sugar issues too, especially with good cardio added to the mix.
But one must also find ways of increasing moving around BESIDES one's exercise program, as that really only accounts for part of calories burned over the day. There's more and more coming out about just how bad sitting all day with little in the way of breaks is for us, even if we exercise. There's the principle of NEAT which is Non-Exercise-Activity-Thermogenesis. If one can find ways to be on one's feet for more time each day, those little things can add up to a surprising amount of calories, even if each one is not a big calorie burner all by itself. This is why, when people go on a vacation where they are on their feet a lot, they end up dropping a few pounds, even with indulging in some local treats, and not doing their exercise program because they are literally active ALL day, and aren't sitting around thinking about one's next meal and how many calories it's going to be.

erickirb

Thanks, I know you're right. I've been trying to stay at about 1100 calories a day, but try to work off at least 300-400 calories a day with a stationary bike, walking, etc. I'm actually eating a lot of healthy food, but I probably should readjust my calorie intake and do some strength training as well as cardio. My end goal after all is to be healthy! Thanks, again!

wow, so if you eat 1100 and burn 400, that is like eating 700 cals on a day you don't workout, I agree you should readjust. If you have trouble eating more cals, eat full fat, full cal versions of food, no diet or lite, eat nut butters, add olive oil to foods you already eat, and maybe drink more cals (less filling)

ErinBeth7

both options should have you lose weight at the same rate, the difference being #2 will make you much more healthy, and if #2 consists of strength training then a higher % of your loss will be from fat, not lean mass (some of which would be muscle)

In summary, you will lose weight just as fast based on deficit, but will be a lower BF% and be much more athletic and healthy if you exercise (including strength training)

Great answer!

DebraKing52

Thanks, I know you're right. I've been trying to stay at about 1100 calories a day, but try to work off at least 300-400 calories a day with a stationary bike, walking, etc. I'm actually eating a lot of healthy food, but I probably should readjust my calorie intake and do some strength training as well as cardio. My end goal after all is to be healthy! Thanks, again!

wow, so if you eat 1100 and burn 400, that is like eating 700 cals on a day you don't workout, I agree you should readjust. If you have trouble eating more cals, eat full fat, full cal versions of food, no diet or lite, eat nut butters, add olive oil to foods you already eat, and maybe drink more cals (less filling)

Thanks, Eric! I'm really taking your advice to heart. Much appreciated!

tigersword

Diet = Weight loss
Exercise = Fitness

Two different concepts. You need both for optimal health.

healthymission92

Exercise makes you look good. Who doesn't want to be toned?

frhenderson

Another thing to consider is what exercise does for your metabolism. As someone else posted, muscle burns more calories than fat. So as your weight decreases having the muscle you build/maintain through exercise will help you burn more calories at rest than someone who is just cutting food intake. The reason why people tend to gain weight as they age is because we lose muscle mass as we age, so eating the same number of calories with lower muscle mass=higher net calories=weight gain.

I also find that I feel a lot more restricted (and resentful) if I have to stick to just the calories I "earn" with my sedentary lifestyle. The extra calories I can eat because of exercise make the mental difference between feeling deprived and feeling like I'm in control of my eating. When you have a long road of weight loss ahead of you, that mindset can keep you from giving up.

One last comment: our bodies were designed to keep us alive through periods of famine. If you restrict calories too much, your body will eventually do what it thinks it needs to do to keep you alive, and you may not see your weight drop as much as it should. This can be very frustrating, and most people respond by cutting calories further, exercising more, or just giving up and saying "this is just the weight my body wants to be" (I've done all three). Sometimes you just need to reassure your body that there is still food out there by eating back your exercise calories (if you haven't been) or eating enough to maintain your current weight for a week or two.

ctooch99

Some may choose to debate this but studies show that exercise raises your resting metabolism after vigorous exercise:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21311363

Trechechus

I was hoping this was a joke.

The way I see it, there is a choice. Be skinny and still unhealthy, or be fit and healthy. I want to be fit, and sexy forever, so exercise I will.

rachelbina

besides all the really smart things people are answering your question with as far as how healthy exercise is for you i find that the fact that i can eat more calories when i earn them through exercise makes me feel more satisfied. seriously, for example there are days when i've eaten my calorie allowance for the day but haven't done much exercise. i feel like i'd like to eat more and so exercise to earn some more. you'd think the extra expenditure of energy from the exercise would leave me that much hungrier, but not so. getting to eat more because i've burned more calories feels physically better than eating less and not exercising. go figure. good question though!