Whoa whoa whoa!! You can't burn fat via exercise????

My_Own_Hero

Hello everyone. Ok, so, sometimes I stalk the MFP forum for entertainment, inspiration, or just general info. What stuck out to me this time was one person's answer which stated "You burn fat eating in a calorie deficit.. Exercise is just to make your body look better." Is this really true?? Does exercise really not burn fat? Please explain.

scottb81

If you are trained properly running can burn lots of fat.

Some people here will tell you that running causes your body to store fat.

jay_xo

Bump. This is interesting.

Huskeryogi

So many exercise facts get twisted and turned around partly because none of them are 100% proven.

Exercise absolutely can burn fat. Most likely what got twisted is that we used to think that exercise would burn tons of extra calories even once we were done performing it and that doesn't seem to be true. Of course I'm sure someone will argue with me on that.

Excessive cardio can mess with women's hormones and cause them to store fat. It's individual though - I've never had that issue.

stfriend

I don't know the science-y part at all. I do know that lifting and diet alone aren't enough, I have to do cardio as well. Maybe not as much as I was doing but I still need to get it in there for the fat to go away.

BrianSharpe

Hello everyone. Ok, so, sometimes I stalk the MFP forum for entertainment, inspiration, or just general info. What stuck out to me this time was one person's answer which stated "You burn fat eating in a calorie deficit.. Exercise is just to make your body look better." Is this really true?? Does exercise really not burn fat? Please explain.

I chuckled when I read that one too. If we ignore all the other health benefits that come from a well rounded fitness program exercise may contribute to your weight loss by virtue of the fact you're burning more calories.

One of the things endurance athletes try to do is to train their bodies to rely more on fat as a fuel source as even the skinniest marathon runner has, for practical purposes, an almost unlimited fuel supply burning fat but a very finite supply of glycogen stored in muscle and liver.

hottottie11

Exercise increases our total daily energy expenditure which makes it easier to create a caloric deficit. Technically, if the number of calories you have taken in so far is less than what you have burned in the same time period, you are probably burning fat now.

myofibril

You can "burn" / lose actual fat through exercise but the amount is generally very small for the average exerciser.

What is more important is the calorie deficit created through exercise. Then when your body needs a fuel source given a lack of energy (calories) to power daily functions through food intake during the day / week it looks to its fat reserves (as well as other fuel substrates of course.)

hottottie11

I don't know the science-y part at all. I do know that lifting and diet alone aren't enough, I have to do cardio as well. Maybe not as much as I was doing but I still need to get it in there for the fat to go away.

You don't have to do cardio to lose weight. Caloric deficit is sufficient. Cardio just makes it easier to create one.

sparkie51

There was an article on the Yahoo home page over the weekend. It said the only way to lose weight is to eat less. Exercise alone will not do it. Two years ago I walked 2-3 hrs a day and didn't change my diet.I didn't lose a pound. I now do both-diet and walking and/or weights and I have had success. I think everyone 's body is different and you have to do what is best for you!

bpotts44

Hello everyone. Ok, so, sometimes I stalk the MFP forum for entertainment, inspiration, or just general info. What stuck out to me this time was one person's answer which stated "You burn fat eating in a calorie deficit.. Exercise is just to make your body look better." Is this really true?? Does exercise really not burn fat? Please explain.

I believe that comment was ignorant. Exercise does burn fat. Caloric deficit does make you lose weight. More exercise equates to more caloric deficit. Diet is 80% or better of the weight loss formula, but exercise contributes to caloric deficit. I countered the foolish comments on the thread.

michellekicks

You have to take everything you read on the forums with a grain of salt.

Every move you make with your body burns calories. Those calories come from carbs, fat and protein in your diet. Carbs are easier for your body to burn. When they're there in mass quantities your body will either burn them (if you're active) or store them (if it doesn't need them all when you eat them) as fat. If you burn more calories than you take in, your body will make up the deficit by burning fat on your body. A safe caloric deficit is 500-1000 calories/day from the total amount you burn.

The caloric deficit MFP creates for you when it gives you your calorie intake target is based on you being sedentary or lightly active (or whatever setting you put in the goals calculator). So if you exercise on top of that, you are increasing the size of your caloric deficit by however much you burned. So, if you said you are lightly active and want to lose 1 lb/week, MFP calculates that you burn, say 1800 calories/day and you want to create a 500 calorie/day deficit to lose 1 lb/week so it gives you a goal of 1300 calories/day to eat. If you exercise and burn another 400 calories in that workout, your new deficit is 900 calories for the day.

For many people that's okay. But if you're already really lean or if the original deficit you created is already 1000 calories/day (because you told MFP you want to lose 2 lbs/week) your deficit is then 1400 calories/day, which is likely to have metabolic implications. Or, if you're a competitive athlete, a 1400 calorie/day deficit is going to impact your athletic performance.

Basically, you can lose weight just fine without exercise. You probably won't be that fit, but you'll be thinner. In fact, I find it's easier to lose weight without exercise, but then I'd rather be able to run fast and have big muscles.

newCourtney

Your body burns in a particular order--it burns carbohydrates first, then fat, then protein. In order for fat to be burned, it has to be processed. Here is an article that explains it somewhat superficially, but gets to the point pretty well.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/528233-will-the-body-burn-carbohydrates-before-it-burns-fat/

auroranflash

High intensity interval training is a type of cardio that burns calories during and after exercise as your body is healing itself from the hell you just put it through.

LorinaLynn

Exercise burns calories. A calorie deficit burns fat. If you exercise, but overeat, you won't lose fat.

UsedToBeHusky

Exercise increases the deficit, but if you eat at a deficit, then you will still lose without exercise. MFP is set up with a pre-programmed deficit, and it recommends eating back exercise calories so that you don't deepen the deficit too much. Deep deficits could be unhealthy depending on where you are currently with your BMI. Obese people can safely be at a deep deficit, but eventually you must eat more to continue weight loss.

stfriend

I don't know the science-y part at all. I do know that lifting and diet alone aren't enough, I have to do cardio as well. Maybe not as much as I was doing but I still need to get it in there for the fat to go away.

You don't have to do cardio to lose weight. Caloric deficit is sufficient. Cardio just makes it easier to create one.

Perhaps. I've been at this awhile, though, and I've found that SOME cardio helps me burn fat and lose weight. I've tried the diet only but I only seemed to lose water weight. Maybe its just to hard, for me, to stick to diet only. Who knows. I only know that I need cardio, even if its just a walk down the road.

dad106

If your going to steal my answer, you might as well give me credit.

My answer was not ignorant, nor is was it meant to make anyone laugh.. It's called the truth.

You lose fat through a calorie deficit... Exercise helps you maintain that deficit, but exercise it's self does not burn fat.

Get it now?

xarge

Hello everyone. Ok, so, sometimes I stalk the MFP forum for entertainment, inspiration, or just general info. What stuck out to me this time was one person's answer which stated "You burn fat eating in a calorie deficit.. Exercise is just to make your body look better." Is this really true?? Does exercise really not burn fat? Please explain.

It depends on the starting body fat. For a woman at 43% body fat to get to 25% can be done without exercise and diet only (obviously it'll be slower in most cases). But cutting down to 15% from 18%? Good luck doing that with just diet.

tom_olech

who ever posted that is an idiot, you burn fat either way...in fact, you burn MORE fat when you exercise when compared to when you diet simply because your metabolic rate is much higher when you exercise

bulbadoof

You lose weight by taking in less calories than you burn. Your body makes up the difference with what you already have stored. From what I understand, it prefers to use muscle first because fat is worth more calories pound for pound and takes more to maintain. Regular exercise (weight training AND cardio) tells your body 'no, I need those muscles, please use the fat instead.'

In my understanding, operating at a calorie deficit is what makes you lose weight, but regular exercise is what ensures the majority of that weight is fat and not lean body mass.

meshashesha2012

If you are trained properly running can burn lots of fat.

Some people here will tell you that running causes your body to store fat.

i know because those olympic runners and marathoners and ultramarathoners are all great big fatties

secretlobster

Yes and no. There is some truth to what they are saying. For most exercise, your body gets the majority of its fuel from glucose (food) rather than glycogen (within body tissue). If you do an exercise that burns 300 calories, chances are only around 50-70 of those calories will be burned off your body.

But in general you DO have to be in a calorie deficit (and exercise calories DO count toward a calorie deficit because you have to be burning something!) in order to lose fat from your body. You can lose weight without exercise, just eat less.

There is no good reason not to exercise. The biggest benefits are a) you can eat more! and b) your body becomes stronger, builds endurance, and performs better, which is WORLDS better than being thin.

myofibril

"Translation

To burn 1 gram of fat, you need to burn 9 calories from fat. Since moderate-intensity exercise, such as walking, hiking, dancing or moderate bicycling, burns roughly 140 to 185 calories in 30 minutes, you can estimate that 50 to 60 percent of those calories comes from fat.That translates to 70 to 111 calories burned from fat. At nine calories per gram, you burn approximately 7.8 to 12.3 g of fat in 30 minutes, or two times that amount in 60 minutes. (Ref 1,3)

At higher intensity, if you're working out at 75 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, for example, approximately 35 percent of burned calories come from fat. That means if you jog for 30 minutes and burn roughly 295 calories, you burn around 103 calories from fat, or the equivalent of 11.4 g of fat. (Ref 1,3)"


Link: http://www.livestrong.com/article/388421-how-many-grams-of-fat-are-burned-during-cardio/

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As I said before the actual amount of fat burned per given exercise session is small.

It's the overall calorie deficit created through exercise which is important.

Debbe2

Weight loss probably begins and mostly takes place in the kitchen. Being active gives you the opportunity to relieve stress and feel better. It certainly burns calories increasing a calorie deficit and engages muscles. I feel myself becoming healthier and more energetic largely because I exercise. Imo, it feels so good to move my muscles that I do it now because it feels good! Also, I do believe it burns fat or at least helps tremendously in the course of building a healthy, happy body.

dad106

who ever posted that is an idiot, you burn fat either way...in fact, you burn MORE fat when you exercise when compared to when you diet simply because your metabolic rate is much higher when you exercise

Thanks.. Glad to know I'm an idiot.

Your metabolic rate is higher due to lean muscle mass... not to exercise.

How about you post some studies supporting that statement before you go around calling others names.

AaronG91

Hello everyone. Ok, so, sometimes I stalk the MFP forum for entertainment, inspiration, or just general info. What stuck out to me this time was one person's answer which stated "You burn fat eating in a calorie deficit.. Exercise is just to make your body look better." Is this really true?? Does exercise really not burn fat? Please explain.

I chuckled when I read that one too. If we ignore all the other health benefits that come from a well rounded fitness program exercise may contribute to your weight loss by virtue of the fact you're burning more calories.

One of the things endurance athletes try to do is to train their bodies to rely more on fat as a fuel source as even the skinniest marathon runner has, for practical purposes, an almost unlimited fuel supply burning fat but a very finite supply of glycogen stored in muscle and liver.

This.

bpotts44

"Translation

To burn 1 gram of fat, you need to burn 9 calories from fat. Since moderate-intensity exercise, such as walking, hiking, dancing or moderate bicycling, burns roughly 140 to 185 calories in 30 minutes, you can estimate that 50 to 60 percent of those calories comes from fat.That translates to 70 to 111 calories burned from fat. At nine calories per gram, you burn approximately 7.8 to 12.3 g of fat in 30 minutes, or two times that amount in 60 minutes. (Ref 1,3)

At higher intensity, if you're working out at 75 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, for example, approximately 35 percent of burned calories come from fat. That means if you jog for 30 minutes and burn roughly 295 calories, you burn around 103 calories from fat, or the equivalent of 11.4 g of fat. (Ref 1,3)"


Link: http://www.livestrong.com/article/388421-how-many-grams-of-fat-are-burned-during-cardio/

---

As I said before the actual amount of fat burned per given exercise session is small.

It's the overall calorie deficit created through exercise which is important.

Exactly it does burn fat, but caloric deficit is king to lose weight.

bcattoes

Exercise absolutely can burn fat. Most likely what got twisted is that we used to think that exercise would burn tons of extra calories even once we were done performing it and that doesn't seem to be true. Of course I'm sure someone will argue with me on that.

Excessive cardio can mess with women's hormones and cause them to store fat. It's individual though - I've never had that issue.

I will argue with the first sentence. There is at least one controlled study showing an "afterburn" of up to 14 hrs after 45 min of instense cardio. And the muscle you build from strength training will cause a slight increase in metabolism. So yes, it won't burn "tons" of calories, but then how many of us weigh tons? :flowerforyou:

I've never heard of or had the second issue. Dropping body fat too low can play havoc with hormones, but that will happen no matter how you lose it and has nothing to do with cardio.

StevLL

I read that thread and I think the person that wrote that was just saying you need a calorie deficit to lose weight. I don't think they specified whether it came from food or excercise. I took it for face value and assumed it meant whether from diet or excercise you need a deficit.

I feel like we ought to take the context of that whole thread into thought before we go head hunting. Just my two cents which is probably worth less than two cents, but,......and the kicker is,......

I'm just sayin' :-)

sportybrewerschick

There was an article on the Yahoo home page over the weekend. It said the only way to lose weight is to eat less. Exercise alone will not do it. Two years ago I walked 2-3 hrs a day and didn't change my diet.I didn't lose a pound. I now do both-diet and walking and/or weights and I have had success. I think everyone 's body is different and you have to do what is best for you!

100% AGREE!