Whoa whoa whoa!! You can't burn fat via exercise????
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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.
Dammit! I've always cherished the claim that you continue to burn higher calories for a while after exersizing!!! I HATE exersizing and I want to gleen every last bit of benefit from it! :sad:
Your body can still burn exercise calories for a period of time after anaerobic exercise (resistance training). Usually after aerobic training (cardio), the exercise calories stop being burned upon completion of the workout.0 -
I understand the saying "You use diet to lose weight, you use exercise to get fit." But its pretty simple that if you exercise enough and burn more calories than you consume you will lose weight. A lot of people have other opinions but that is the one that works for me. Most people don't exercise enough to compensate for bad eating. You have to eat healthy or all your exercise will be for naught.0
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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.
i hev a friend who is on the hcg diet, due to the caloric allocation for aday (500),she has lost 33pounds on the first round of the diet, she now weighs abt 170-175lbs, funny thing is we are the same height and i weigh more than her but i look slimmer, more toned than she is. so personally id rather hev the muscles ,id be happier too cause those endorphins dont come by sitting on the couch.juss saying0 -
I think whoever said that was making excuses not to exercise
no jk, but fro what I understand your body burns blood sugar for energy especially during exercise. If your body runs out of glycogen you are going into keto and burning fat for energy but it is more complicated than that. Yes to lose weight you need to be on a calorie deficit and exercise widens that gap obviously. That's why if you exercise, I suggest don't log it to give yourself more calories to eat.. Keep it the same and exercise will definitely make a difference. I think macronutrients make a big difference in the equation as well.. Someone who eats 2000 kcal of twinkies is not going to have the same overall results of someone who eats 2000 cal of fibrous and protein dense foods.. I know this to be true because I recomp'd on a calorie surplus using exercise and food
And I realize that people have already explained it better than me but I can't figure out how to erase posts lol0 -
For all you people arguing that exercise burns fat.. Think about this.
If exercise burns fat, then why is MFP set up so that people can lose weight(and fat) on a calorie deficit without any exercise what-so-ever?
I suggest all of you chew on that for a while before you keep arguing.
Your body metabolizes fat during exercise along with glycogen. The lower your intensity the higher percentage of calories burned will be from fat, but you will burn less calories overall. When you are in calorie deficit your body will pull from your fat stores to restore the glycogen in your liver and muscles. So exercise burns fat, but you will not lose weight unless you are in calorie deficit. So you are wrong and you are right.
What is not helpful is when you tell someone that cardio is not helpful to lose weight and exercise is just for looks. It is typically much easier for people to maintain a calorie deficit when they do cardio exercise and maintain once they achieve their goal weight. Moreover the health benefits of cardio certainly can't be denied by anyone.
Makes a lot of sense.0 -
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.
1) Everybody is different. YMMV
2) "You burn fat eating in a calorie deficit" True
3) "Exercise is just to make your body look better." False
3A) The latest studies are showing that different exercises produce different results.
3Ai) Cardio produces very limited fat loss results for most people in the absence of diet change - makes you hungrier too, making it harder to change that diet. You may indeed burn fat, but your body is REALLY good at replacing that fat.
3Aii) intermittent sprinting and weight training seems to produce better results for fat loss
3Aiii) I exercise for the following reasons: endorphin production, confidence, endurance, strength, injury prevention. I do NOT exercise to lose weight, though it may be helping.0 -
Well I lost 25 lbs and went from a size 24/26 to a size 18/20 and I did not change my eating habits but I did start walking regularly. So I would disagree with this theory. But I think it depends on the person for some people over eating is their main problem so they need to cut back on calories, for others inactivity is more of an issue so exercising works for them. I am now working on my eating because I am back to full time work and don't seem to have time to walk and so I am hoping I can lose some more weight by adjusting my eating
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It seems like a lot of people are jumping all over that young lady while essentially agreeing with her. Her basic statement is that exercise doesn't make you thinner, a calorie deficit does. And people are jumping up and down saying that you can get to that deficit via exercise. That doesn't change the truth of her message. It's the deficit, not the exercise, that causes weight loss. How you get to that deficit is up to you.
Sure, getting into that deficit state may be easier with exercise than with diet if self control is an issue. And yes, that exercise will have other benefits for your heart, lungs, coordination and muscle tone/mass. But the fact that it is possible to workout forever and not lose weight because you're overeating proves that it is the deficit, not the exercise. This thread has been fun to read, but I'm exactly sure while everyone is piling on this girl.0 -
For all you people arguing that exercise burns fat.. Think about this.
If exercise burns fat, then why is MFP set up so that people can lose weight(and fat) on a calorie deficit without any exercise what-so-ever?
I suggest all of you chew on that for a while before you keep arguing.
U do realize that MFP is not God, right? Just because MFP is set up so that you can lose weight without exercise at all, it doesn't mean that exercise doesn't burn fat. People with more muscle, burn more fat. You can't gain muscle unless you exercise. Therefore, you are going to burn more fat by exercising. Hooray for logic. Chew on some protein and lift some heavy objects.. it'll help with your fat burn. BTW.. you're welcome. 0 -
For all you people arguing that exercise burns fat.. Think about this.
If exercise burns fat, then why is MFP set up so that people can lose weight(and fat) on a calorie deficit without any exercise what-so-ever?
I suggest all of you chew on that for a while before you keep arguing.
U do realize that MFP is not God, right? Just because MFP is set up so that you can lose weight without exercise at all, it doesn't mean that exercise doesn't burn fat. People with more muscle, burn more fat. You can't gain muscle unless you exercise. Therefore, you are going to burn more fat by exercising. Hooray for logic. Chew on some protein and lift some heavy objects.. it'll help with your fat burn. BTW.. you're welcome.
that was logic? Rather Rube Goldbergian, no? "You do know that people with higher incomes work out atposher gyms and have better equipment and awesome personal trainers, and you get a better paying job by doing going to the right schools and getting good grades, therefore, having a better education burns more fat". \closes case0 -
bumpers0
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Um, so my weight loss is just an illusion? damnit!0
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Ugh, why must people try to over complicate everything?
Look, the human body BURNS FAT 24 HOURS A DAY. Whether you exercise or not. Exercise does not make you burn more fat than not exercising, if the calorie deficit is the same. If exercising causes a larger deficit than you would have if you didn't exercise, you'd burn more fat, but that's due to the higher deficit, not because you exercised.
DIET - Fat Loss
EXERCISE - Fitness
Two different concepts, that are mutually exclusive. If your body burns a higher percentage of fat at a specific time (jogging, for example,) it compensates by burning less fat the rest of the day. Net fat loss is zero unless you are eating at a calorie deficit, because the body uses the food you eat to replenish fat stores.
That's how the human body evolved to function. Store fat when there's food, burn fat when there isn't.
So no, unless you are specifically creating a larger deficit by not eating, exercise does not burn any extra fat (and it's the not eating part that leads to more fat burning, not the exercising part.)0 -
It seems like a lot of people are jumping all over that young lady while essentially agreeing with her. Her basic statement is that exercise doesn't make you thinner, a calorie deficit does. And people are jumping up and down saying that you can get to that deficit via exercise. That doesn't change the truth of her message. It's the deficit, not the exercise, that causes weight loss. How you get to that deficit is up to you.
Sure, getting into that deficit state may be easier with exercise than with diet if self control is an issue. And yes, that exercise will have other benefits for your heart, lungs, coordination and muscle tone/mass. But the fact that it is possible to workout forever and not lose weight because you're overeating proves that it is the deficit, not the exercise. This thread has been fun to read, but I'm exactly sure while everyone is piling on this girl.
I think that we all understand that to lose weight, one would have to burn more calories than they consume; and yes, I understand that a person does not have to exercise to lose weight. That was not the point of the question. The question is whether or not it is possible to burn FAT with exercise. I think what added to the confusion is that she first seemed to imply that it was not possible to burn any fat via exercise, and then later contradicted/clarified her statement.
For example, she first said "Exercise is *JUST* to make your body look better". Then she said "For all you people arguing that exercise burns fat.. Think about this: If exercise burns fat, then why is MFP set up so that people can lose weight(and fat) on a calorie deficit without any exercise what-so-ever?" which further added to the confusion and hoopla. Lastly she stated "[In] all reality, yes exercise burns *SOME* fat.." which completely contradicted her previous posts. So, my point is, she did not communicate her point well/accurately to begin with, and her snippy remarks were not appreciated. As expected, people challenged her knowledge.0 -
It seems like a lot of people are jumping all over that young lady while essentially agreeing with her. Her basic statement is that exercise doesn't make you thinner, a calorie deficit does. And people are jumping up and down saying that you can get to that deficit via exercise. That doesn't change the truth of her message. It's the deficit, not the exercise, that causes weight loss. How you get to that deficit is up to you.
Sure, getting into that deficit state may be easier with exercise than with diet if self control is an issue. And yes, that exercise will have other benefits for your heart, lungs, coordination and muscle tone/mass. But the fact that it is possible to workout forever and not lose weight because you're overeating proves that it is the deficit, not the exercise. This thread has been fun to read, but I'm exactly sure while everyone is piling on this girl.
I think that we all understand that to lose weight, one would have to burn more calories than they consume; and yes, I understand that a person does not have to exercise to lose weight. That was not the point of the question. The question is whether or not it is possible to burn FAT with exercise. I think what added to the confusion is that she first seemed to imply that it was not possible to burn any fat via exercise, and then later contradicted/clarified her statement.
For example, she first said "Exercise is *JUST* to make your body look better". Then she said "For all you people arguing that exercise burns fat.. Think about this: If exercise burns fat, then why is MFP set up so that people can lose weight(and fat) on a calorie deficit without any exercise what-so-ever?" which further added to the confusion and hoopla. Lastly she stated "[In] all reality, yes exercise burns *SOME* fat.." which completely contradicted her previous posts. So, my point is, she did not communicate her point well/accurately to begin with, and her snippy remarks were not appreciated. As expected, people challenged her knowledge.
All due respect, but I think that's quibbling with words. I read her post in the other thread, and yeah, she said what she said. But I'm fairly sure she was referring to "losing weight" or "lowering BF%" when she said "burning fat". I doubt if you really believe the she was trying to make a case that the body isn't burning fat while exercising, standing, sleeping, eating, comatose, or whatever. Does anybody actually believe that's her stance?
There is a lot of confusion about what does what on MFP but just as bad as a poorly worded utterance are these crushing pile-ons on building in deficits and spot reducing. This thread has gone on all day and could go forever. I've read every post and I don't see any way that someone that was actually looking for the answer could be helped, as the posts contort all over themselves to say essentially the same thing. They go back and forth and it can be fun (I get my shots in as quick as anybody) but helpful, they ain't.0 -
I doubt if you really believe the she was trying to make a case that the body isn't burning fat while exercising, standing, sleeping, eating, comatose, or whatever. Does anybody actually believe that's her stance?
No, I definitely doubted; and if that was her point, she didn't make it very clear. Perhaps you believe that was her original stance? As for me, not so much.
Yeah, I can't say that I don't agree with this HOWEVER....There is a lot of confusion about what does what on MFP but just as bad as a poorly worded utterance are these crushing pile-ons on building in deficits and spot reducing. This thread has gone on all day and could go forever.
^.....I don't feel the same way. I can honestly say that I got a pretty clear answer to my question (which was that exercise actually burns fat due to the fact that one's body "metabolizes fat during exercise along with glycogen" etc). At the end of the day I got MANY helpful answers, and I am grateful to all of the people who took the time to try to help me out... whether their answers be truly helpful or not...but definitely entertaining.I've read every post and I don't see any way that someone that was actually looking for the answer could be helped 0 -
bump it0
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I think they mean that most people can't just eat whatever and exercise it off. Diet is super important for weight reduction.0
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I doubt if you really believe the she was trying to make a case that the body isn't burning fat while exercising, standing, sleeping, eating, comatose, or whatever. Does anybody actually believe that's her stance?
No, I definitely doubted; and if that was her point, she didn't make it very clear. Perhaps you believe that was her original stance? As for me, not so much.
Yeah, I can't say that I don't agree with this HOWEVER....There is a lot of confusion about what does what on MFP but just as bad as a poorly worded utterance are these crushing pile-ons on building in deficits and spot reducing. This thread has gone on all day and could go forever.
^.....I don't feel the same way. I can honestly say that I got a pretty clear answer to my question (which was that exercise actually burns fat due to the fact that one's body "metabolizes fat during exercise along with glycogen" etc). At the end of the day I got MANY helpful answers, and I am grateful to all of the people who took the time to try to help me out... whether their answers be truly helpful or not...but definitely entertaining.I've read every post and I don't see any way that someone that was actually looking for the answer could be helped
I totally imagine you saying HOW-EHHHH-vuh, in an exaggerated Stephen A Smith voice, and it's totally making my night. I keep saying it and giggling. The lesson is, as always, that I'm 12 years old.
Cheers0 -
I base my fitness on "what goes in, must come out", i.e. with input being food, and output being burning calories. Being alive burns calories. Eat less than you output and in theory you'll lose weight. Exercise of any form increase your calorie output.
I have read a couple of things that should be kept in mind:
1) Excessive cardio creates increased levels of stress related hormones which leads to increase muscle loss and increased fat storage.
2) Using your muscles is a very efficient way to burn calories (output) compared to cardio.
Read some Livestrong & Nerd Fitness articles to see the detail on these.
What do I do? I get 2-3 cardio sessions in and 2-3 workout sessions in. Rebuild the muscle taken away by cardio, and burn more calories at the same time. i usually eat as close to my net calorie for the week (day by day is way too tough, just keep it reasonable).
Best of luck to everyone on their fitness journeys.0
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