More important - diet or exercise??

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DaveyGravy
DaveyGravy Posts: 283 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Well, I know that you should both eat well and do plenty of exercise, of course. I was just wondering what you place the most importance or emphasis on during your weekly fitness regime! For me, i'd have to say that although I do place some importance on my diet and never really eat over my calories, I always feel that the gym and exercising is just more important to me and reaching my goals.

How about you?
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Replies

  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    Everything I've read and studied (check out bodybuilding.com) says that 90% of weight loss is diet. The other 10% is working out.
  • stacyoct19
    stacyoct19 Posts: 187 Member
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    For me right now, it's about diet. I'm an emotional eater and I will run to the worst foods for the smallest reason. So, keeping myself in check is very important. Right now I only do Cardio 3-4 times a week. But my diet must be daily.
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
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    That's a no-brainer: In any weight problem, most of the problems is in the diet. If everyone ate right and never exercised, they still wouldn't gain weight, but you can still gain weight if you eat like crap & exercise.
  • DaveyGravy
    DaveyGravy Posts: 283 Member
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    Yeah I agree your diet is every day, your cardio is not (usually) every day. I know I probably am making more of a difference with the not-eating-those-24-wings than by running a mile or two, but I tend to place more importance on the exercise. For example, if I do overeat i'm never really that bothered but if I miss a gym session I feel terrible and guilty. Strange!
  • SarahJayRigdon
    SarahJayRigdon Posts: 113 Member
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    For me I think it's exercise. Even when I don't watch what I eat I don't gain weight, I just stay the same. When I exercise with out dieting I still loose weight, just not as well as with dieting. Also my workouts are much better when I eat right.
  • annhjk
    annhjk Posts: 794 Member
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    Somewhere there is a quote about not being able to exercise away a bad diet.
  • bajangrl29
    bajangrl29 Posts: 691 Member
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    As they say Abs are made in the kitchen. So you can exercise all day but if your eating is off chances are you will just become the skinny "fat" person.
  • tanzmitpalmer
    tanzmitpalmer Posts: 124 Member
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    Diet for me. I need to get my body used to eating right before I go and shock my heart and joints with a buttload of exercise.
  • photoman67
    photoman67 Posts: 116 Member
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    I remember years ago I was trying to lose weight so I started working out a lot. I didn't, however, change my diet so I remained at the same weight. Therefore, in my experience, diet has been more important than exercise. But I also think that exercise is very important.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,118 Member
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    Lose the weight without exercising. Have a thin, untoned, body with poor cardiovascular health.
  • DaveyGravy
    DaveyGravy Posts: 283 Member
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    Lose the weight without exercising. Have a thin, untoned, body with poor cardiovascular health.

    Couldn't sound less appealing could it! Haha :)
  • missykaye1975
    missykaye1975 Posts: 95
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    Everything I've read and studied (check out bodybuilding.com) says that 90% of weight loss is diet. The other 10% is working out.

    This is what I've read too, although both are extremely important to me.....and I agree with the other comments about being "skinny-fat", etc. Also from bodybuilding.com--"you can't out-train a bad diet". :wink:
  • DaveyGravy
    DaveyGravy Posts: 283 Member
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    I guess what motivated me to ask the question was I always think i overdo my cardio with the 6 sessions a week, but I have been reading many people on here that do 7+ haha
  • missykaye1975
    missykaye1975 Posts: 95
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    I guess what motivated me to ask the question was I always think i overdo my cardio with the 6 sessions a week, but I have been reading many people on here that do 7+ haha

    You absolutely CAN over-do the cardio! Your body adjusts and becomes very efficient at whatever you do on a regular basis, and actually will start burning fewer and fewer calories doing the same activity over time. It's important to change things up, and not over-do! What IS highly recommended from everything I've read are HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts 2 to 3 times per week, where you do spurts of max. effort for 1 min., followed by 1 - 2 min. rest periods where you do lower intensity and let your heart rate return to a regular pace. These workouts generally last from 15 - 30 min. depending on your ability to "recover" during rest periods. This kind of workout helps you to continue to burn calories for hours after you train, vs. a regular LSD (long, slow distance) endurance workout. I incorporate both kinds of workouts into my week, but weight training is my priority. Building muscle = building a better metabolism, not to mention a better physique! Too much cardio can actually "catabolize" or burn your muscle for fuel, instead of using fat for fuel. I'd recommend visiting the forums on bodybuilding.com, as well as researching their articles for more info. on how much cardio to do. Hope this helps! I'm not an expert, but I'm gaining more experience and knowledge every day as fitness and nutrition are really important to me. :wink:
  • DaveyGravy
    DaveyGravy Posts: 283 Member
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    Yep, i've been doing HIIT for a while actually 2 mins at a time, then 5 low intensity then 2 mins again...I do that 2 times per week. I never do the same activity at the gym, I love to mix it up - mostly because of being heavy and the impact on my joints by running all the time for example, but I had also heard its best to mix things up anyway :)

    I just love going there and the buzz you get when you leave!
  • missykaye1975
    missykaye1975 Posts: 95
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    Yep, i've been doing HIIT for a while actually 2 mins at a time, then 5 low intensity then 2 mins again...I do that 2 times per week. I never do the same activity at the gym, I love to mix it up - mostly because of being heavy and the impact on my joints by running all the time for example, but I had also heard its best to mix things up anyway :)

    I just love going there and the buzz you get when you leave!
    \

    I'm totally with you on that!! Do you also weight train?
  • DaveyGravy
    DaveyGravy Posts: 283 Member
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    I haven't for a while, but i'm planning on starting quite soon. I think i didn't want to see any gains on the scales that's why I avoided it but as I approach my goal and am more clued up about measurements being equally as important, i have decided to go for the weight training. I've always been naturally muscular (I didn't look 371 lbs when I was...) so i'm expecting to do ok lol ;)

    Not going to over-do that though, hopefully!
  • bebhinn
    bebhinn Posts: 198
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    Im not gonna lie, I was a terrible emotional eater. So for me, weight loss was about diet.
    Ive lost all this weight sitting on my butt - its about math.
    Now, I know thats all well and good but Im not so naieve as to believe that I wouldn't have to exercise... I know I will. But for a while my sheer weight burns calories all on its own. I wager I will have another two months before a serious regime is required but for now, modest stuff on occasion works. By then I should have the eating thing down pat too. Sometimes adding too many major changes throws me off :D
  • missykaye1975
    missykaye1975 Posts: 95
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    I haven't for a while, but i'm planning on starting quite soon. I think i didn't want to see any gains on the scales that's why I avoided it but as I approach my goal and am more clued up about measurements being equally as important, i have decided to go for the weight training. I've always been naturally muscular (I didn't look 371 lbs when I was...) so i'm expecting to do ok lol ;)

    Not going to over-do that though, hopefully!

    I've got to run out the door to pick up my son, but if you have a minute, read my background info. on my profile.....I HIGHLY recommend weight training, and absolutely would NOT worry about building too much muscle. Like I said, muscle IS your metabolism. You will burn more fat all throughout the day and night simply by having it--fat just sits there and does (and burns) nothing.....:tongue:
  • bellinachuchina
    bellinachuchina Posts: 498 Member
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    Diet, & eating mindfully is the key! Exercise is a tool, but having a healthy diet is the main foundation, in order to have a great deal of weight loss, and keep it off. Of course no one wants a skinny saggy body, that's why as you begin to lose, you incorporate cardio & toning exercises. But what got you to being over weight? It wasn't not exercising 6 times a week, it was eating junk and lots of it.

    I have lost almost 100lbs. in about 9 months. I worked out for give or take 3x a week for 4 of those months. I then began my Fall semester and working full-time, so it was not feasible to work out like I was before. For my life, now, exercising everyday is not realistic. But I watch every single thing I put into my mouth, and that is what has made me truly successful. I have changed my eating mentality forever!

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