Diet vs exercise

Aries03

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deepfuture

I started my diet back in Feb it wasn't till i started to push the exercise that i saw tone, and inches falling off , Sometimes with diets alone your body can burn muscle tissue and not a good look.. So for me a nice 10k run burns 800 cals roughly and only last 45 - 50 mins , hunger lasts all day , Different strokes for different folks, i suppose whatever works for you is the best way ;-)

slim_photographer

I've been so stubborn about watching macros (fat, carbs, protein) and the quality of the fuel. Only after so many years of regular exercising and still not losing the gut I'm getting it. You can't out exercise a bad diet like many here have already said.
"Abs are made in the kitchen" is another good one.
Strictly speaking, and I'm no scientist, but anecdotal evidence from my logs you can lose weight by just counting calories. Eat 1500 calories of mcmuffins and fried chicken and you will lose more or less the same as in if you eat that in oatmeal, nuts, lean meats, salads and fruit.
However you will feel horrible.
You will experience some of this feelings or conditions: groggy, moody, weak, light headed, constipated, heart burn, bad quality sleep, hypertension, insulin spikes, high cholesterol, hungry, sluggish, water retention, lack of motivation, etc. the list goes on.
For many years I was a preacher of 'a calorie is a calorie is a calorie" and I still think that would be true based on my experimentation. I have been able to lose weight on a 'bad' unbalanced diet. But the good thing is that we much better ways of doing it.
Buying, preparing and eating better quality foods can be expensive, time consuming and sometimes unpleasant (only at first) but on the long run the benefits far outweigh the minor temporary inconveniences. So there you go. And thanks for the question it gave an opportunity to put down this thought that I've had in mind for a while.

Prestissima

When you exercise, you build muscles. Muscels need more energy than fat. You burn more calories - you go slimmer.
When you have cardio, you burn fat (if 40-60 minutes workout). You burn fat - you go slimmer.
When you need to lose a lot of weight, you need to exercise to get you skin "in shape".
And diet... Diet is just a kind of healthy eating but not only "eat less and go thin".
I can say for sure, diet without exercise is a bubble, as well as exercise without diet.

dpwellman

I remember a study published a while ago (Baylor) that concluded exercise only (compared to diet only and diet with exercise) was most effective for keeping weight off the longest. The real takeaway I get from reading publish papers and personal anecdotes is most people just need to get moving. The diet somewhat takes care of itself after a fashion provided one is engaged in moderate to intense cardiovascular activity. I've also noticed a trend among "nutritionists" recommending NOT logging / tracking calories. . . (various reasons given). Whatever the case, initially exercise is most important.

lacewitch

but then there is this
http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa1105816

which shows the body adapts to going up and not so well to going down so exercise will play a key role in maintaining weight loss because previously heavier people be more inclined to gain again - bummer
other studies suggest that the new balance is to maintain is different in a previously heavy person as apposed to a person who hasn't gained weight

BigGuy47

The end goal is fitness. Getting there means incorporating a healthy diet and exercise.

SPNLuver83

Yup. Diet is key to weight loss, exercise is what shapes your body, keeps your skin tight, speeds up your metabolism, sustains muscle and improves your cardiovascular system. It also allows you to eat more, which is always a plus!

KyleB65

My understanding has always been 80% diet 20% exercise.

This has been my experience.

For 3 years I did 3 Capoeira classes per week + 2 JKD (kind of a MMA style martial art) and I ate what ever I wanted when ever I wanted. Figured that I was "earning" the food through my exercise.

WRONG!!!

The crap I was eating was more than offsetting the work I was doing in the gym! And, the crap I was eating almost killed me!

As soon as I started eating intelligent portions and moved away from "junk" food. My excess weight fell away.

Today, I am healthier and stronger than I have ever been in my life.

Hellbent_Heidi

I think the word "diet" has kind of a negative conitation.

Only because people associate the WORD "diet" with thoughts of a restrictive one. Your diet is simply what you eat...everyone has one and is 'on a diet' of some sort (even if their diet is pizza, beer and ice cream every day).

Of course you can lose weight by eating better, but exercise is SO important to be fit and healthy and to help avoid a lot of potential health issues down the road....so its best to focus on keeping a good balance of both sides!

RunnerBlonde808

but then there is this
http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa1105816

which shows the body adapts to going up and not so well to going down so exercise will play a key role in maintaining weight loss because previously heavier people be more inclined to gain again - bummer
other studies suggest that the new balance is to maintain is different in a previously heavy person as apposed to a person who hasn't gained weight

Very good study. I think this is the big reason why many people who lose a significant amount of weight just gain it back within the next few years. They think they don't have to continue their healthy lifestyle or they slack off. I have maintained for 4 years now and it is because I exercise. When I don't exercise I gain. It's just how it is.

Great article though! Thanks for posting.

kais79

I am wondering if anyone has any advice on beginning resistance training to accomplish just what this gentlemen is referring to? I am doing the diet thing and walking a lot more which is helping me lose weight, but with as much weight as I'm wanting/needing to lose I know resistance training is going to need to come in here at some point and soon.

My understanding has always been 80% diet 20% exercise.

Yup, me too. I exercise less these days but I pay far more attention to my nutrition and the results are impressive.

And that 20% exercise just consists of walking at a moderate pace (good low-impact fat-burning exercise) and some resistance training (for maintaining and adding muscle). No more mad runs or gut-busting bike rides for me ...

Judysiguaw

The medical journals report the same thing. It is more about what you put in your mouth. Exercise is good; it strengthens muscles (including the heart), prevents osteoporosis, and serves to alleviate depression. However, unless you have time to do almost nothing but exercise, most people can't perform enough exercise to overcome an excess of food. So, keep moving, but really pay attention to calories consumed.

Judysiguaw

I have found a wonderful website called Bodyrock.tv which provides short, but intense and brutal, work-outs. These exercises incorporate weights, as well as use your own body's weight for resistance. I have only been doing these exercises for a few months, but I am stronger than I have ever been. The website is also free! You just need to motivate yourself to do it everyday.

hydelaa

I second this, I love to work out, not crazy like, but a good hour, but I eat WAY TOO MUCH so I don't loose much...I have to, have to change that!!! I have to eat less and keep up a 3 times a wk workout...Good luck everyone!!!!

MessyLittlePanda

You have to have both IMO. There was a study here in the UK came out recently:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652953/

showing that physical inactivity can contribute to several diseases "Diseases attributable to physical inactivity included ischaemic heart disease, ischaemic stroke, breast cancer, colon/rectum cancer and diabetes mellitus".

It is better to be overweight and active/fit than to be underweight and inactive/unfit - the "skinny fat" phenomenon. Losing weight through diet alone addresses levels of subcutaneous fat, but without exercise, has less impact on visceral fat which develops around the organs and is the more dangerous kind.

dpwellman

And also bacon.

Is there anything it CAN'T do?

carriempls

I understand the 80/20 or 90/10 principle, and agree what you eat is of utmost importance. But I now honestly truly believe that diet absolutely NEEDS to be paired with exercise or rather movement of some sort. Especially if like me you have at least a 3rd of body weight to lose.
My body fat composition must be pretty disgusting, and while this will change with diet, it will improve more quickly with regular exercise. And not only does exercise improve muscle tone and metabolism, but it releases those endorphins and helps us feel better.
My heart sinks when I hear people say "Ooh I can diet and I don't have to exercise", and I've been guilty of that in the past, time and again. But those people are missing out on the many many benefits of exercise.
This is where i think quotes like "80% diet and 20% exercise" do damage, because it can be interpreted that exercise isn't very important.

Exercise is important to good health but not all that important to weight loss. How much you weigh is only one factor in your overall health and that's the message people need to understand.

TheVimFuego

I am wondering if anyone has any advice on beginning resistance training to accomplish just what this gentlemen is referring to? I am doing the diet thing and walking a lot more which is helping me lose weight, but with as much weight as I'm wanting/needing to lose I know resistance training is going to need to come in here at some point and soon.

A fair question, look,I am going to be honest with you ... 3 months ago I did not know anything about training, resistance or otherwise ... I thought that weight training was for muscle-bound egomanics preening in a gym (wrong).

I am still basically clueless (and have never entered a gym) but I do know that stimulating muscle in a deep way has profound advantages for muscle development and the metabolic advantages this brings. Lean muscle helps boost metabolism, a good thing...

I will leave the advice to those that know much more than me but I can say just doing some push ups and pull ups have had a big impact on my progress. It doesn't have to be a huge 'go for the burn' session either, just what you are comfortable doing at your level of fitness.

TheVimFuego

And also bacon.

Is there anything it CAN'T do?

I find having a plate of cooked bacon under my nose helps up the push-up intensity.

It's a wonder food